countdown to CI surgery!

[LadySekhmet]

thanks! yeah you can ask to turn it all on and see if it feel ok like not hurting you or anything. and also where did she turn it off? guy voice might will sound better if you turn it on if its in the lower frequency. oh also I think i know what dynamic range are now today i looked at my program on computer i saw little "DR" on bottom i think its number of how much in between softest sound to comfortably loud sound. its all different in all electrodes but average all around is about in 40's.

Ignore the fact that I'm posting at 4am. I hate insomnia.

She turned off the two high frequency electrodes, so I think it really would have be too much for me. I will ask her again on my next map to try, but I don't want to have too much high frequency because it's enough as it already is.

That's probably why I cannot hear the low frequency too well because I have DR of 30 throughout. If I have a DR of 40 or more, then I will pick up the lower frequency sounds. I think that's what Contradica meant by gains. The terminology is different between Harmony and Freedom...that can be a little annoying. I started off at DR of 18. If I did start off at 30 like I am now, I would have been so overwhelmed with sounds. Some people can't really hear anything at 18, so they start on 25 or 30, then work their way up. I think that's what happened to you. I don't know.

I remember when I did the beep test, there was a couple beeps where I thought was very soft. Then from the recent mapping, the same beep was loud. I think that's how they measure the DR.

No worries, I have a new mapping in a couple weeks, I'll tell her to boost up the lower frequencies. My boyfriend's voice sounds better over time, not so feminine.

It will only get better for both of us! Glad things are working out for you and you can hear your name being called!

Wooo! Ya reading any audiobooks yet?

 

[SkullChick]

Ignore the fact that I'm posting at 4am. I hate insomnia.

She turned off the two high frequency electrodes, so I think it really would have be too much for me. I will ask her again on my next map to try, but I don't want to have too much high frequency because it's enough as it already is.

That's probably why I cannot hear the low frequency too well because I have DR of 30 throughout. If I have a DR of 40 or more, then I will pick up the lower frequency sounds. I think that's what Contradica meant by gains. The terminology is different between Harmony and Freedom...that can be a little annoying. I started off at DR of 18. If I did start off at 30 like I am now, I would have been so overwhelmed with sounds. Some people can't really hear anything at 18, so they start on 25 or 30, then work their way up. I think that's what happened to you. I don't know.

I remember when I did the beep test, there was a couple beeps where I thought was very soft. Then from the recent mapping, the same beep was loud. I think that's how they measure the DR.

No worries, I have a new mapping in a couple weeks, I'll tell her to boost up the lower frequencies. My boyfriend's voice sounds better over time, not so feminine.

It will only get better for both of us! Glad things are working out for you and you can hear your name being called!

Wooo! Ya reading any audiobooks yet?

Oh ok, yeah I think I started off higher than you in DR. Take your time don't push it up higher if you're not ready
Nope I lost my debit card so I can't buy any yet I'm stuck for few weeks till I get new card. And also nobody want take me to library to get card then see if they have audiobook. For now I just listen to tv and other people talking if they don't talk too loud lol I tried so hard with radio I only can tell if commerical came on and hear beat difference that's it for now lol it'll take me LONG time to get what they're saying or what music instrument is playing haha

I wonder about when you take shower what you do after ur done, blow dry hair so you can put CI on or just do it before bed so you put it away in dry & store? Last night I took shower and I can't wear it I was like "Oh *pout* I can't wear it I don't want use blow dryer my hair finally start to feel healthy again" (winter ruin my hair, causes split ends and super dry ends) lol so what you do about that issue?

 

[LadySekhmet]

I wonder about when you take shower what you do after ur done, blow dry hair so you can put CI on or just do it before bed so you put it away in dry & store? Last night I took shower and I can't wear it I was like "Oh *pout* I can't wear it I don't want use blow dryer my hair finally start to feel healthy again" (winter ruin my hair, causes split ends and super dry ends) lol so what you do about that issue?

For me, I just pop the coil back on. It is "water resistant" after all. Sometimes I do wait about 10 mins before putting it on, and towel dry the area well. Better than blow drying. I hate blow drying my hair as well because it's dry and the fact that I have waist length hair doesn't help matters. That's the same thing I did when I had my hearing aids on. I just towel dry behind my ears, hair a little bit, then I put the aids on. I almost always put my hair up when it's wet, so it's not that much wetness that the CI receives.

 

[R2D2]

For me, I just pop the coil back on. It is "water resistant" after all. Sometimes I do wait about 10 mins before putting it on, and towel dry the area well. Better than blow drying. I hate blow drying my hair as well because it's dry and the fact that I have waist length hair doesn't help matters. That's the same thing I did when I had my hearing aids on. I just towel dry behind my ears, hair a little bit, then I put the aids on. I almost always put my hair up when it's wet, so it's not that much wetness that the CI receives.

Same here and I air dry my hair. I just pin up my hair (after absorbing excess moisture in a micro towel) and pop the coil on. Seems okay.

 

[LadySekhmet]

Oh, I haven't used the Dry & Store. It's too dry to use it. The bricks are expensive, and will only last 2 months, so I much rather use it in the summer when it gets humid.

Have you tried just "popping" the coil on? It looks like you have fine/thin hair, so drying it with a towel should do the trick. A friend have AB, and her hair is SO thick, so she HAS to dry that side only.

 

[SkullChick]

Oh, I haven't used the Dry & Store. It's too dry to use it. The bricks are expensive, and will only last 2 months, so I much rather use it in the summer when it gets humid.

Have you tried just "popping" the coil on? It looks like you have fine/thin hair, so drying it with a towel should do the trick. A friend have AB, and her hair is SO thick, so she HAS to dry that side only.

Popping? You mean like put it on while its wet? I don't feel comfortable doing that because I don't want risk ruining it lol.
How much is the brick? My 2nd mapping appt is tmw lol I like program 2 better (one with all 22 electrodes turned on) because female voice sound better it takes first day of trying it out was little rough got mild headache so I take it off take break and try again and kept doing that till 9 in night then next day only took 1 hour to get used to it and things were perfectly fine no headache or sensitivity to new frequency sound.
The sound quality's better for program 2 and program 1 is good but female voice still not right and little too soft. Ladysekhmet ur lucky you got ADRO, BEAM programs in already I want those so bad lol.
Contradica is totally right about after cochlea woke up it became greedy and want more volume! I kept needing more volume haha because I find myself not able to hear few quiet sound like when person whisper on tv or quiet soft background music playing in between scene I want hear it little more clearly and louder. I might ended up getting program whisper! (I never thought I would want that! Haha)

 

[LadySekhmet]

Popping? You mean like put it on while its wet? I don't feel comfortable doing that because I don't want risk ruining it lol.
How much is the brick? My 2nd mapping appt is tmw lol I like program 2 better (one with all 22 electrodes turned on) because female voice sound better it takes first day of trying it out was little rough got mild headache so I take it off take break and try again and kept doing that till 9 in night then next day only took 1 hour to get used to it and things were perfectly fine no headache or sensitivity to new frequency sound.
The sound quality's better for program 2 and program 1 is good but female voice still not right and little too soft. Ladysekhmet ur lucky you got ADRO, BEAM programs in already I want those so bad lol.
Contradica is totally right about after cochlea woke up it became greedy and want more volume! I kept needing more volume haha because I find myself not able to hear few quiet sound like when person whisper on tv or quiet soft background music playing in between scene I want hear it little more clearly and louder. I might ended up getting program whisper! (I never thought I would want that! Haha)

Popping - Yeah, just putting it on while it's slightly wet. I always put my hair up after I take a shower. My hair is so long that it gets COLD when I let it down to dry, so i just put it up in a messy pony tail (gets nice waves the next day!). And by the time I'm done drying myself, brushing my teeth, or whatever, the behind the ear, is dry, and my hair is slightly damp on the coil area. The coil would have to be submerged to be ruined. I do not "tuck" my coil when my hair is wet. I just put it on TOP of my hair. Works just as well. After about an hour, that area is dry enough for me to tuck it in my hair.

Forgot to add:

I didn't ask for ADRO or Beam. I guess our audiologists are different methods. You're lucky that you get mappings more frequent! So..YEAH! Beam - You'll love it at Malls, restaurants situation. It's great! Eats up your battery, but it's wonderful. I will keep that one, and get rid of ADRO w/ autosensitivity. It does crap for me.

I will still keep my "Silent Night" program- it's a program that I came up with that has much lower volume and lower DR, as at night time occasionally, everything sounds MUCH louder than during the day. It's like my ears are night owls, and my body is Daytime. Make sense? It's better to just switch to that program than just lowering the volume/sensitivity. I haven't really used it since my last map...LOL! I may get rid of it eventually, but it's nice to know that it's there.

Glad to hear that your 2nd map went well! It's so wonderful to hear something that you never heard before, or comprehend before!

 

[SkullChick]

I got 3rd mapping yesterday and I HATED it, both of them ugh its horrible, one is too loud and it hurt my ear and give me headache. And 2nd one sound so raspy like darth vader. I want my previous program back BAD!

 

[LadySekhmet]

I got 3rd mapping yesterday and I HATED it, both of them ugh its horrible, one is too loud and it hurt my ear and give me headache. And 2nd one sound so raspy like darth vader. I want my previous program back BAD!

Why do you hate it? What did they do? I did not like ADRO with auto sensitivity because everything sounded raspy like you said.

Also - Ask them if you have ACE on all your programs or SPEAK. Maybe she changed it from ACE to Speak or the other way around. My friend likes Speak. I have ACE, and to me it sounds natural. I would love for my audiologist to give me Speak just so I can tell the difference.

Anyways, other thing, maybe she increased your dynamic range? Perhaps that's why it's throwing you off? All I can say is wait a few more days, and if you still really hate it, then go back to get it adjusted. I did not like my 2nd map either, but after a week, things sounded better.

I got my 3rd map yesterday as well (lol!), and she increased the lows. My DR is still the same as things are still a bit loud. She added the Music program (yay!!), she fixed ADRO w/ auto sensitivity...this time she removed the ADRO on that program. Not a big deal.

Remember you asked me about trying all 22 electrodes turning on? Well, turns out that my number 1 electrode is turned off because it's out of sync. No big deal, it happened during surgery. Electrode 22 is turned off because that would make me hear 8000hz, and I can already hear 4000-6000hz at 10 db...no need to make it worse by making me even more supersonic hearing.

 

[R2D2]

I got 3rd mapping yesterday and I HATED it, both of them ugh its horrible, one is too loud and it hurt my ear and give me headache. And 2nd one sound so raspy like darth vader. I want my previous program back BAD!

Go back to the audie and ask for an emergency remapping. Don't try and stick with a program that is too loud for you because it could set you back. You will eventually overtake it further down the track anyway as your brain gets used to louder sounds.

Also, my audie always used to put my previous map into one of the program slots so that if I wanted to go back to it I could. Something to consider?

 

[SkullChick]

I hate it because first one is too loud that it send sharp pain in ear and above eye where eyebrow is and give me throbbing headache she turned it up more than I'd like it to and set that volume on 5 so I can't turn it much down cuz its too loud to begin with ugh and 2nd one is so raspy like darth vader. The last 6 I had was ACE and first 2 was speak (activation day) I like ACE 500 and 720 for speed and I forgot the rate is, best. I want my program I had before back.

Right now its ACE 250 speed and 2000 rate yuck! Darth vader voice! And other is ACE 500 speed and 1,200 rate but volume's way too loud it HURT also she turned off number 8 electrode, I think that might throw off some sound out balance I'll ask to turn it back on and exact what it was before. I'm quick to adjust to stuff but I can't STAND this one I don't even want wear CI till I get different one or old one back in.

The dynamic range is still in 40's I don't think that'll change for while plus if I can hear clock ticking 30 feet away I hear very well enough lol

*whine* miss my old program people voices sound soooo clear and wonderful for both female and male voices easier time understanding them. Evironment sound crisp and great lol *pout* we'll see what audi said in email tmw or next week

Why do you hate it? What did they do? I did not like ADRO with auto sensitivity because everything sounded raspy like you said.

Also - Ask them if you have ACE on all your programs or SPEAK. Maybe she changed it from ACE to Speak or the other way around. My friend likes Speak. I have ACE, and to me it sounds natural. I would love for my audiologist to give me Speak just so I can tell the difference.

Anyways, other thing, maybe she increased your dynamic range? Perhaps that's why it's throwing you off? All I can say is wait a few more days, and if you still really hate it, then go back to get it adjusted. I did not like my 2nd map either, but after a week, things sounded better.

I got my 3rd map yesterday as well (lol!), and she increased the lows. My DR is still the same as things are still a bit loud. She added the Music program (yay!!), she fixed ADRO w/ auto sensitivity...this time she removed the ADRO on that program. Not a big deal.

Remember you asked me about trying all 22 electrodes turning on? Well, turns out that my number 1 electrode is turned off because it's out of sync. No big deal, it happened during surgery. Electrode 22 is turned off because that would make me hear 8000hz, and I can already hear 4000-6000hz at 10 db...no need to make it worse by making me even more supersonic hearing.

 

[LadySekhmet]

I hate it because first one is too loud that it send sharp pain in ear and above eye where eyebrow is and give me throbbing headache she turned it up more than I'd like it to and set that volume on 5 so I can't turn it much down cuz its too loud to begin with ugh and 2nd one is so raspy like darth vader. The last 6 I had was ACE and first 2 was speak (activation day) I like ACE 500 and 720 for speed and I forgot the rate is, best. I want my program I had before back.

Right now its ACE 250 speed and 2000 rate yuck! Darth vader voice! And other is ACE 500 speed and 1,200 rate but volume's way too loud it HURT also she turned off number 8 electrode, I think that might throw off some sound out balance I'll ask to turn it back on and exact what it was before. I'm quick to adjust to stuff but I can't STAND this one I don't even want wear CI till I get different one or old one back in.

The dynamic range is still in 40's I don't think that'll change for while plus if I can hear clock ticking 30 feet away I hear very well enough lol

*whine* miss my old program people voices sound soooo clear and wonderful for both female and male voices easier time understanding them. Evironment sound crisp and great lol *pout* we'll see what audi said in email tmw or next week

Hmm..Kind of interesting..I have no idea what's my speed/rate is. I'll have to ask! Dang girl, you know more about it than I do. LOL!

I wonder why your audi did a dramatic change. Seems like she was changing a LOT of things at one time...changing programs, turning electrodes off, changing ACE speed/rate. To me, it should be slowly, not that much of a change. For me, I really really want my low frequencies back as I'm used to them, but audi wanted my brain to adjust to the higher frequency ranges, and allow adjustment period to continue, hence why now I have to wait 10 weeks for my next map. I'm really happy with my new map, though I wish some things would change. Right now I notice a little bit, but not much...over time my brain will adjust.

I don't have a clock, so I can't really hear them tick!! I'm so curious though!

I do suggest to you that you demand to have your CI adjusted back to your old program, and make SLIGHT changes...like increase DR to just a little bit, increase the speed/rate JUST a little bit...instead of something that's jumping from one end to another.

Seems you're sensitive to sounds. I know it makes my eyes shake back and forth if I hear a female opera singer hit the high notes...UGH! So I know how you feel.

In the meantime, try turning down your sensitivity. I have it on 12 for all the time, and I increase it when I watch TV alone, or quieter situations, and if it's loud (especially at night time for me), you can turn it down all the way to 0. It makes the sounds sound further away, so that should help. I just don't understand the VOLUME situation. We have a volume that goes up to 9, and, it should sound significantly lower/softer when you hit number 4...but to me, it sounds pretty much the same. I just don't get why we can't LOWER the volume when we want to like a hearing aid. Oh well.

Hang in there Amy, it'll get better... *hugs*

 

[SkullChick]

Ugh! My audiologist said no about get program I like a lot back she want me stick with what I have and pick what I like best and get new one for next mapping she won't give me one I want back >:-( it doesn't makes senses! If at the end when she's done with mapping and gave me one program for all 4 program slot with features and it sound like crap I'm gonna be super pissed and I'll also tell my surgeon to tell her to give it to me if she still refuse after while

 

[Ruminator]

Ugh! My audiologist said no about get program I like a lot back she want me stick with what I have and pick what I like best and get new one for next mapping she won't give me one I want back >:-( it doesn't makes senses! If at the end when she's done with mapping and gave me one program for all 4 program slot with features and it sound like crap I'm gonna be super pissed and I'll also tell my surgeon to tell her to give it to me if she still refuse after while

Shoot, I would be one unhappy camper if this happened to me and especially if things sound no better within 3 to 5 days after the adjustment. I hope you have a very experienced audie who knows what she's doing, and that things will sound dramatically better soon. It does suck that we CIers are sometimes forced to tolerate periods of crappy sounds while our brain adjusts.

Keep us posted.

- Steve
Implanted: 2-29-08 (and still feeling woozy)
Activation: 3-10-08
Advanced Bionics
Ruminator's Ruminatings

 

[R2D2]

Ugh! My audiologist said no about get program I like a lot back she want me stick with what I have and pick what I like best and get new one for next mapping she won't give me one I want back >:-( it doesn't makes senses! If at the end when she's done with mapping and gave me one program for all 4 program slot with features and it sound like crap I'm gonna be super pissed and I'll also tell my surgeon to tell her to give it to me if she still refuse after while

Hmmm. Not good. My audie has always complies with my wishes. I think your audie has forgotten that you are the customer here. What about speaking to her boss?

 

[SkullChick]

Hmmm. Not good. My audie has always complies with my wishes. I think your audie has forgotten that you are the customer here. What about speaking to her boss?

She believe that if I goes back to old program it'll "set me back" so she want me deal with it and I need to trust her on this and we need to keep experimenting with all programs and if its too loud just turn down volume and sensitivity to my comfort zone till march 11th appointment for 4th mapping yuck it better be much better than this one

 

[LadySekhmet]

She believe that if I goes back to old program it'll "set me back" so she want me deal with it and I need to trust her on this and we need to keep experimenting with all programs and if its too loud just turn down volume and sensitivity to my comfort zone till march 11th appointment for 4th mapping yuck it better be much better than this one

That is possible. I remember on my 2nd map, I didn't like it because male voices sounded too feminine. But then after a while, it got better, I told the audie at my 3rd map that it sounded slightly feminine, but much less obvious. She increased my lows just a little bit, but I could notice the difference.

I'm just questioning the fact that she did a lot at one shot, ya know what I mean?

My next map is in 10 weeks!! That's giving a lot of time to allow my brain to adjust to everything, and so far it's pretty good! I'm hoping that I'm able to increase the DR by 10 weeks, that way I have a much more range...I'm not even sure if that makes a huge difference, but I wonder if it helps with music though.

How have you been doing so far? Doing your training?
Hugs!

 

[john57]

She believe that if I goes back to old program it'll "set me back" so she want me deal with it and I need to trust her on this and we need to keep experimenting with all programs and if its too loud just turn down volume and sensitivity to my comfort zone till march 11th appointment for 4th mapping yuck it better be much better than this one

I would be very cautious if anyone made a adjustment that I did not like and claim that it will "set me back" to go back after all you are the customer not the audiologist. Since I do not know all the particulars about your situation it is hard for me to say the audiologist is working for your best interest.

 

[R2D2]

I would be very cautious if anyone made a adjustment that I did not like and claim that it will "set me back" to go back after all you are the customer not the audiologist. Since I do not know all the particulars about your situation it is hard for me to say the audiologist is working for your best interest.

Agreed. It never set me back to have my volume lowered, in fact 2 weeks after it was turned down, I overtook the volume that I previously found too loud. I personally think that maps that are too loud can set people back. Why? Because people will want to take longer breaks from their CIs as it is uncomfortable and even make them pyschologically reject it.

Skullchick, if you are happy to follow your audie's lead then great. But if you are unhappy, then insist that it be turned down and remind her that it's you wearing the CI, not her. It should be you driving the process at your own pace, not her at the pace she wants you to go.

 

[SkullChick]

Agreed too, this week been blah because I found myself not wearing my ci till afternoon a lot since last mapping (1 week) because I can't learn anything or recognize anything even my own name that I learned to hear with 4th mapping plus getting headache and earache too but today's my 6th mapping in afternoon and hopefully a lot better this time! Or I'll be even more pissed if its not any better or worse! Here goes the audiobooks *sigh* I only have 8 days left and I haven't started cuz of bad mapping and lost debit card to buy cd players but my fiance brought one for me 2 days ago. I'll go online to see if I can extend my time some more today IF mapping's better. If not I'll just return and tell Jody I'm not going to learn anything or do what she want me to do (she want the sign language to be banned in house and only use it if I'm sick, very tired or in activities like swimming) till I get better mapping. I don't know if it'll ever will be banned or banished completely because my fiance seem to be little hesistant about not signing and he always end up signing to me instead of speaking but he does call my name or sign most word but speak one word at a time or sign and speak same time heh. Just hope I'll learn in whatever happened cuz I don't want to be stuck and can't learn anything.