LOL Boult!
My audie started me off trying to put the external speech processor and magnet on which was difficult because my hair is so thick. She only had a strength 3 magnet (5 is the greatest strength) and so had to order another one from Cochlear on the phone. She had to cut away a little of my hair to put the strength 3 magnet on Aaagh!
Next she checked all the electrodes and they were all there and showing on the screen.
The mapping of each electrode was really tricky to do for the soft sounds because I wasn't sure whether the sounds I was hearing was tinnitus or not. So in the end the audie suggested I looked at the screen and make a connection with the flashing light and sound, which helped.
She all did all the electrodes and fortunately I didn't experience any facial twitching the way I did with surgery. She said that it may have been because when they test in surgery they use high pulses, whereas she can set them low and gradually build it up. So it looks like I will be able to use all the electrodes
Then came the big moment - turn on. It was dreadful to begin with, like chalk on a blackboard! It really set my teeth on edge! The best I can describe it is like a high pitched static. Anyway the audie asked if I could hear her and my husband talk and I could pick out an increase in the static sound with her voice but nothing at all with my husband! She reassured me that all would get better in time.
I wasn't surprised because I've read so many other people's experiences and knew that it was normal to start of with. The audie said that I could use my other hearing aid but to switch it off for 2 hours a day to help the CI hearing develop faster. So we picked up the box of goodies from Cochlear and left the building - not sure what to expect!
I decided to turn off my hearing aid right then. To my surprise I notice I could hear my footsteps and it was quite clear. I told my husband and he said that my footsteps weren't even loud. Then I realised that I could hear myself speak in a more voicey sounding way as opposed to increased static.
In the car driving home I had a paper bag on my lap with a cake in it (yum!) and I laughed when I heard the paper bag crackle when I touched it.
Sometime during the car journey I started to hear my husband's voice and at first it sounded exactly like mine. But toward the end it is beginning to sound a bit more male, although still a bit like beeps joined together.
So to summarize it sounds awful compared to my hearing aids but very encouraging for my first day. As I type I can hear my fingers on the keyboard. So I am feeling that with a lot of work and practice that I will get to a point where i will be happy with the end result.
Best of all, sound is no longer painful to me the way it was with hearing aids.
By the way has anyone noticed any giggles when you use that phrase? People have dirty minds 
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