A CI moment (First phone call)

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RonJaxon

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I just thought I'd stop in and share an update.

It hasn't been all that long and I'm still in "Hearing training" but it's going great and I'm hearing more and more every day. Sounds are becoming clearer and easier to identify.

The other day something happened that actually brought me to tears. I got together with a friend and went out to a bar for a couple of drinks. This is one of my best friends. I've known him about 15 years but because I've been deaf for close to 20 years so I had never heard his voice before. So that night was the first time hearing him talk which was great.

Anyway, I rode in his car and when he had to leave to go home because he had to work the next morning. I stuck around and performed some magic for people in the bar. I sent a text message home letting them know that I'll be needing a ride home later. So everything was set.

So the time comes and I send a text message home for my ride. I wait and no reply comes. So I send another. Still no reply.

I figured that her cell phone was turned off or the battery died. I later found out I was right and she didn't get my text because her battery died. Now normally I would have had to find someone to make a phone call for me to call the land line number. But I took a shot in the dark and built up the courage to try and make the call myself. That's something I haven't done in almost 20 years.

So I step outside and make the call. I can hear the phone ringing. This much I was sure I'd be able to do. It's speech that's the scary part of making a call. So I'm sure you can imagine how I felt when she answered and I heard her say "Hello?" as clear as day.

So I asked "Where are you?". After a short pause I hear her say "Who is this?" I said:

"I'm the last person you'd ever expect to be talking to on the phone."

After another pause I hear:

"OMG!!!!!!!!! RON?"

So I find out the battery on her phone is dead and that's why she didn't get my text. She's on her way to come get me.

I couldn't believe it. I know it seems like such a small thing. I mean all I did is call and say I'm ready to be picked up. BUT I DID IT ON MY OWN!!!

I went back inside to wait for my ride and talked to the guy who works the door. I know him casually and he said he heard I got my CI and asked how it was going. I almost lost it right there as I explained that I just made my first phone call in almost 20 years.

Of course it was a lot like lip reading in that I didn't really "Hear" every single word and had to fill in the blanks a little. But I ended up getting everything right.

When my girlfriend arrived she had tears in her eyes too. We hugged for a minute. I know it might not seem like much but it was a a pretty emotional moment. We've been together 6 years so of course we've never talked on the phone before.

I've spent the past 20 years deaf. I came to terms with my deafness a long time ago. It took time to do that but I did and I was okay with my deafness. I decided to get the CI because I use to be able to hear and I admit I did miss it. Now I realize just how much I do miss it. I still have a long way to go in my journey back to sound but I've also come a long way already. I'm hearing music, small sounds around me and now I'm starting to be able to understand speech.

I'm so glad I decided to get this CI.

Just thought I'd share that with you all. It was a simple thing but also a moment I'll never forget.

Ron Jaxon
 
that's great :) The next step is training yourself to hear strangers.

My sister and I have always tried to hear telephone with our hearing aids growing up. It wasn't easy, but we were able to do it if the other person was patient enough with us. My sister thought she could handle phones on her job with her hearing aids, and discovered she couldn't and only could do it with people who knew she is deaf... like my aunt, her son, etc.
 
That's true. I couldn't handle a long conversation over the phone yet. Especially, as you said, not with someone I don't know very well. But it is great to know that I can now make some basic calls like calling for help or to remind to pick up something on the way home from work.

I think in a week or two I'll take a shot at ordering a pizza. :)

Ron Jaxon
 
what a meaningful moment, Ron. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.
 
Congratulations, Ron! It's great to hear about your ongoing success with your CI. Hope you continue to make good progress on your hearing journey.
 
Congratulations!! I don't have the courage to try and order a pizza on the phone yet :P
 
Ron,

This is awsome. Glad your happy with your decission.
If you don't mind me asking, were you using the T-coil setting or Microphone?
 
Thank you everyone.

SteveESP52 said:
Ron,

This is awsome. Glad your happy with your decission.
If you don't mind me asking, were you using the T-coil setting or Microphone?
Click to expand...

I used the T-coil setting on my N5. For about a week before that night I made that call I had been practicing with the Telephone with confidence. So I had been experimenting between using the microphone and the T-coil setting.

The main reason I like the T-coil is because I can hold the phone to my ear in a more natural position. With just the microphone I have to hold the phone higher and in an odd position. The part on the phone that I talk into is further away from my mouth. But with the T-coil I can hold it more like most people use the phone with the speaker part right on my ear and the part I talk into is closer to my mouth.

Ron Jaxon
 
now that's just awesome! now you can experiment with phone calls with different people and start getting used to listening to different voices haha.
 
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