My time has come!

R2D2 said:
I didn't get the beeps for a few months after I was first activated and it turned out that my audie had forgotten to customize it so that I could hear the beeps. I find them extremely useful for identifying which program I have.
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I will see my audie again in May. I will have to ask her to customize the beeps so I know which program I'm on. I'm never really sure what program I'm on.
 
Now that you all have mentioned it, Yes my Audie did say something about designing beeps for me to indicate what program I'm set in. I do not hear it.
 
SuziMaria said:
Now that you all have mentioned it, Yes my Audie did say something about designing beeps for me to indicate what program I'm set in. I do not hear it.
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Apparently, the sound of the beep can be changed too. Perhaps you can ask for a higher frequency beep as that is more noticeable?
 
I am on day 4 from my activation, I described it as birds chirping,, I am on my 2nd mapping and tempted to go " bird hunting" every 15 mins...
 
MedEl have a new processor coming out , Opus 2 and it have a remote control.. Which is one of the reason's I chose MedEl for the remote control.. DeafSkeptic are you getting the Opus 2 system too soon ? Each day is a brand new day of sounds with the CI ...
 
Bird chirping sounds like copper cow bells to me. I can't describe the sound but it's not a overrated beautiful sound. Sounds like the music to me; not as musical instruments but more like a bell. Someone here with CI says music has never been better. I wished I could experience this.

I am getting much better with people talking to me in quiet places. For example; at my job outside with the food delivery truck driver, he talks near me while I'm reading the purchase sheet papers to mark off the groceries. It's amazing that I can hear him say things such as "two cases of corn meal flour and one box of heavy duty shortening oil"
while looking down at the paper. :) It's truly amazing. I have no prior practice with these food words and yet I heard it all.

I'm having problems with my BlackBerry Curve. I can hear all the telephone sounds; ringing, busy, "Hello?" but I set it on speaker phone and the voices sound just blasted screaming with static noisy speaker phone noise. I do not understand how to adjust the cell phone. I'm thinking if it's on speaker phone, it would be like the delivery truck driver talking near me then I'll do well but it's not happening. Anyone have this problem?
 
SuziMaria said:
Bird chirping sounds like copper cow bells to me. I can't describe the sound but it's not a overrated beautiful sound. Sounds like the music to me; not as musical instruments but more like a bell. Someone here with CI says music has never been better. I wished I could experience this.
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I think even if you are one of the ones who appreciates music more with a CI, you'd have to give it longer as you were only activated recently. A lot of people have commented that music was one of the last things that fell into place and often took months. For me, music sounded a whole lot better when I went bilateral.

I am getting much better with people talking to me in quiet places. For example; at my job outside with the food delivery truck driver, he talks near me while I'm reading the purchase sheet papers to mark off the groceries. It's amazing that I can hear him say things such as "two cases of corn meal flour and one box of heavy duty shortening oil"
while looking down at the paper. :) It's truly amazing. I have no prior practice with these food words and yet I heard it all.
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:) helps you do your job more easily!

I'm having problems with my BlackBerry Curve. I can hear all the telephone sounds; ringing, busy, "Hello?" but I set it on speaker phone and the voices sound just blasted screaming with static noisy speaker phone noise. I do not understand how to adjust the cell phone. I'm thinking if it's on speaker phone, it would be like the delivery truck driver talking near me then I'll do well but it's not happening. Anyone have this problem?
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I never use speakerphone. I have a clam shell style phone that folds out so that the microphone is close to the microphone on the CI. And I use the tele coil. It sounds great and really clear, as if the person was standing next to me.
 
SuziMaria said:
Bird chirping sounds like copper cow bells to me. I can't describe the sound but it's not a overrated beautiful sound. Sounds like the music to me; not as musical instruments but more like a bell. Someone here with CI says music has never been better. I wished I could experience this.
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yeah I hate way music sound for most music its all noise and too much sound going on at once I find myself enjoying soft, slow or well harmonized music, I'm so picky! And without CI on (left ear) with my right ear it have some residual hearing I enjoy heavy metal, loud hard rock, etc better, its weird. I suspect it have something to do with low frequency being missing in CI (it doesn't go in all the way so) so I decided to save my right ear for future technology that goes in a lot more deeper and cover more frequency (more electrodes) so I can enjoy my hardcore music :giggle:

I'm having problems with my BlackBerry Curve. I can hear all the telephone sounds; ringing, busy, "Hello?" but I set it on speaker phone and the voices sound just blasted screaming with static noisy speaker phone noise. I do not understand how to adjust the cell phone. I'm thinking if it's on speaker phone, it would be like the delivery truck driver talking near me then I'll do well but it's not happening. Anyone have this problem?
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yeah I'm the opposite, I hear better and more clearly when my phone is on speakerphone mode and regular one is too quiet for some reason maybe it was because of the wind outside interfering or my hearing being on 30 decibels might be the reason but I don't know but it was too quiet and mumbling.
 
I actually have a harder time with a cell phone on speakerphone too - this is because the sound becomes less "focused" and more "grainy" to me. Sometimes it is helpful when VOLUME is really needed, but otherwise, I think it's asking too much of the typical cell phone speaker - you're not really going to get high-quality sound output at that level from that size speaker in MOST cases.

Obviously, this varies per phone and per person - I know regular, hearing people who use nothing BUT speakerphone (yes, it annoys the $#@% out of everyone around them...) because they say it's just easier to use. I also know at least one hearing person who won't use speakerphone at all because she says her phone just sounds like shrieking when she has it on. *shrug*

I think this is one area that's very sensitive to individual circumstances and equipment - then again, phones in general fit that criteria! Just as a reference, I'm one of those who is able to use the phone (cell or landline) without telecoil or other aids, a good bit of the time - but if you put speakerphone on, oh my GOSH does that percentage go way down! O_O
 
Suzi Maria,

Do you have any of the smartsounds programmed yet? I just went for a mapping and I have the smartsound2 programs. For the phone I have the program set up for T-coil only. I like this because I just have to go to program 3 and I find I don' t have to worry as much about where the phone is placed near my ear. For the speaker phone, I wonder if auto sensitivity or ADRO would help. Hang in there I really did not notice much difference in using the phone until after the mapping I had at 3 months after activation. Definitely try the different programs and see what works for you.

Today I also had a CI moment. This is the first time I heard the Ice Cream truck in YEARS! I am watching what I eat because I have a dance recital coming up so I did not get any Ice Cream. If I had heard it yesterday when we had the hottest day of the heatwave I probably would have, LOL.
 
I highly recommend the CI to all those possible. Really is a wonderful way to go in life.
Honestly can say that I wished I had done this years earlier so why waste any more time
in your life without? My E, N, T doctor was more confident in the CI for me than I was. Now I can't possibly repay him for this wonderful experience. Ever feel that way?
No amount of fruit baskets delivered to his office will measure up in value. I read lips less and less. I do not sign anymore . I can hear my name being called by many but turn in a complete circle as I do not know which direction the voice is coming from - but this is the least of my troubles - who cares?! ;)

I'm being patient about listening to music. I still play the same CD over and over until I can understand the instruments. I am able to recognize the lyrics, no problem. The birds still sound like copper cow bells... wondering how I learned this sound! :)
How do hearing impaired people describe what they hear? I'm thinking more like when I
was a child and my Mom would read stories to me; she gave me an imagination to what sounds were and I made it up myself with a picture in my mind. LOL! Does this make sense?

Going for another mapping today. Hope this brings more adventures.
Suzi
 
SuziMaria said:
I highly recommend the CI to all those possible. Really is a wonderful way to go in life.
Honestly can say that I wished I had done this years earlier so why waste any more time
in your life without?
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Actually, you're better off getting it now than years ago because years ago it wasn't that many electrodes! :)

I'm being patient about listening to music. I still play the same CD over and over until I can understand the instruments. I am able to recognize the lyrics, no problem. The birds still sound like copper cow bells... wondering how I learned this sound! :)
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It took me about two months for Music to sound good to me. It all depends on different sounds. What I did was I picked two or three of my most favorite songs, and I listen to it very carefully. I try to determine which sounds, sound horrible, and which sounds that I cannot hear, or which sounds are perfect. That will help the audiologist to adjust different frequencies. I enjoy country music, or ballads, so it would be a different type of programs than SkullChicks. Also, it did sound too quiet when I'm driving, so my audiologist increased the DR to 42 (daily program is 32), and it's on autosensensitivity. PLUS - what I've found works the best is to use the lapel microphone and tape the microphone end to the speakers. OH, it sounds SO good. :) It still needs a bit tweaking with the vowels. All I can is it *will* take time, and it *will* sound a lot better!
 
Hello Everybody! It's been awhile! I am doing so much better with my CI, unbelievable.
Even music sounds better to me. What really has changed for me is that I can hear full sentences without facing a person/lipreading. I'm even shocked to the point of "Wow! I really heard the person talking to me and I wasn't looking!" I'm sure you CI users know what I'm talking about. I have not mastered the telephone, I can pick up a few words out of 50, I guess I still need to work on my CI and phone equipment.

Hope Everyone is doing well. :)
 
SuziMaria said:
Hello Everybody! It's been awhile! I am doing so much better with my CI, unbelievable.
Even music sounds better to me. What really has changed for me is that I can hear full sentences without facing a person/lipreading. I'm even shocked to the point of "Wow! I really heard the person talking to me and I wasn't looking!" I'm sure you CI users know what I'm talking about. I have not mastered the telephone, I can pick up a few words out of 50, I guess I still need to work on my CI and phone equipment.

Hope Everyone is doing well. :)
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Glad to hear! I know how you feel. Even a year later, I still am in awe on how well I could hear without the stress of lipreading, dependency of interpreters, etc.

What I found helps a little bit is to turn on the Radio to a nice talk show (ask a hearing person), and see how many words you can pick up within a few minutes. I also crack myself up by understanding what the commercials were. "Call 1-800-", etc...or I hear a Vigara or Tax commercials.

As for Phone - if you have VP and can use the VCO, I highly recommend it. :) It helps to hear on the phone. Or ask a friend who also has CI and need a bit of "phone training", call through VP then call through regular phone. I may be totally wrong, but I haven't seen VCO/VP to VP work combined (I have Sorenson if that matters).
 
Update -

Maybe I need to post this on the CI Moments?

I'm doing so much now with my CI. Two days ago I had talked with a receptionist at the doctors office getting diving directions to the office. We talked of my appointment set up, my insurance (YUP! Heard all that too!) and the driving directions for about ten minutes. I missed only one word -and I couldn't figure it out until I drove there. She tried to tell me the office was located behind "Kennedy Space Bank." Why I couldn't pick up Kennedy Space Bank which is a common banking business in South Florida? I thought she was saying one word but not, three words. This is just fantastic that I now can make my own doctor appointments! :D

I have mentioned this before that I am a Cook in a noisy environment. On my CI, I specifically asked for one program to cut out the background noise for working in the commercial kitchen. I noticed the noisy refrigerator sounds fade but I can not do well with human voices under this program.
 
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