MY 1 MONTH MAPPING - 19TH JAN 2009

On Monday 19th January 2009, I went to see Carina for my 1 month mapping. It was hilarious!

Carina did her usual thing on the computer, and me from NO SOUND TO MOST COMFORTABLE. She worked the electrodes on the computer, electrode by electrode.

When she put on the electrodes on at the end, I screamed the whole room down!!!! Carina had to turn me off on the computer straight away! Dyan the speech therapist was outside the room looking through the door window and was laughing. My mum felt embarrassed!

The sounds was SO LOUD!

After that, Carina took me to another room and we did lipreading and non lipreading test on a video......As you can see the picture above is of a graph....Well... As you can see the crossed out bit, that's where a normal persons hearing is. The 3 boxes attached together means I can hear like a normal person, BUT... only quiet sounds! That is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my progress:

Week 1 - without lipreading 59%
One month - without lipreading 88%

Week 1 - with lipreading 93%
One month - with lipreading 98%

I'm hoping to hear like a normal person with the cochlear implant.

I will keep you updated....

How a Cochlear Implant works...

I found this video on a friend of Katie-Louise's (Laura) and it fascinated me! I really would like people to understand what a cochlear implant is and how is works!
Its amazing having a cochlear implant and I love it!!

TRYING OUT NEW SOUNDS WITH THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT

Since I been activated, the sounds were weird and robotic.

I know I should wear it ALL THE TIME, but I struggle sometimes. I get frustrated alot and its not the same as it was when I used to wear hearing aids. But some of the sounds are the same as hearing aids sometimes, but louder and fatter.

The sounds I don't like are: Running water, crisp packets, carrier bags and baby crying and some other high pitched sounds.

The sounds I love are: My ipod,TV,window wipers in the car, my grandads kitchen clock ticking, indicator in the car, a train, a car horn, the dogs barking and people talking to me.

I can cope in pubs and in public, but it depends sometimes. If I can't cope in a crowded loud shop, I take the implant off and give it to David. He holds it in his hand and keeps it in my view.

I try very very hard with the implant and trying to accept it more. I love it, but the sounds are very different to hearing aids.

I'm looking forward to my 1 month mapping with Carina on 19th Jan.

I can watch TV without subtitles but, I prefer to have them in case I misheard the TV while watching a programme.

I can also use the telephone a bit but I still need to work on that, but I can use a mobile phone on loudspeaker, but now I bought a new mobile I can hear well on that without loudspeaker sometimes.

The sounds with the ipod is fantastic. Dancing Queen is still the same as it was with hearing aids. I hear the drums and voices more, and I can hear the guitar aswell.

I take my implant off whenever I read. I know I shouldn't but I can't read and listen with the implant in quiet situations. Sometimes I can cope, sometimes I can't. I read alot in my room without the implant.

I will keep you updated