10th Annual Johns Hopkins C.I. Picnic

Tina, Beth MacDonald, JoAnne, and Hope (hearing dog)

The Listening Center at Johns Hopkins Hosp. had their 10th annual C.I. picnic so we decided to go because it would be great to meet other people that has their C.I. Especially Elizabeth MacDonald from the BEA (Advanced Bionics). There was more elderly and younger kids with CI. I met alot of people and saw some from their blogs. It was really nice, too bad that they do not live in the area where I am at.

Update on my progress with the CI. I am still learning to hear the words without looking at the book or the person but it hard. The radio I am starting to catch the words. I am still having trouble understanding my kids but that will come when my brain is ready. I will have my next mapping on June 2.

This is me and my husband Tom

This is me and Joanne and her hearing dog Hope

Me and my audie Courtney Carver

This is my daughter Shannon

The Listening Center at Johns Hopkins Hosp. had their 10th annual C.I. picnic so we decided to go because it would be great to meet other people that has their C.I. Especially Elizabeth MacDonald from the BEA (Advanced Bionics). There was more elderly and younger kids with CI. I met alot of people and saw some from their blogs. It was really nice, too bad that they do not live in the area where I am at.

Update on my progress with the CI. I am still learning to hear the words without looking at the book or the person but it hard. The radio I am starting to catch the words. I am still having trouble understanding my kids but that will come when my brain is ready. I will have my next mapping on June 2.

2nd Day Since the Activation

I am already on P3 and I can tell that I need more power because I am used to hearing things and beginning to understand more stuff including people talking in the fast food restaurant, catching a few words here and there. I am also hearing alot of shshshshsh sounds. The other day I was outside with my husband and I keep hearing this hammer sound and I asked my husband what is that noise and he had to listen also and said the neighbor was using the pressure washer to wash the bus. I was hearing the clicking sound. Wow!! I can hear people talking but not catch what they are saying so I have stop and listen. I need to do the Listening skill but have to do it when it quiet and did try to read the children book and it was not easy, but was able to follow along. Some sounds are loud because of the setting I had in the past had to be turned down like my phone on my desk. It scared me after my first mapping and I literally jumped so I had to turned down the volume of the ringer.
When I try to turn up the volume on P3 it gets echo sound so I had to turn it back down. Something I heard today that I never heard before. We were at my daughter's ENT appt for the follow up and the doctor had to check her middle ear to see if there is any fluid and the device he used made a noise and I asked him is that device making a noise and he said yes. I told him that I never heard it before. He is really amazed how well I hear even though I am not wearing my ha in my left ear. After a week I tried my ha in the left ear and I do not like it. I had a hard time listening, but I had to use my ha for an emergency when I answered the phone when my husband is out of town. My kids does not answer the phone, never does.
Will let everyone know about the 2nd mapping. I am wondering what they are going to do.

Here is my first test in the booth before the 2nd mapping. I can not explain it but it showed that I needed more volume in the high freg.

1st Activation on March 21, 2009

What can I say "WOW"! I can understand speech and environmental sounds. I am now on the second program. I was on the first one since yesterday and just moved to the second program. Things are sharper. At least my eyes are not dancing so it tells me that the brain is accepting the sound. I just listening to the voice mail and understood it including to find out it was my mother who called.
The world is loud. Never thought it would be that loud. My son said to me "Welcome to my world." I still have a hard time understanding my kids because they are high pitch. Can not hear the microwave beep yet.
I probably will move to the third program later today. Also yesterday they almost postpone my appt because the audie was out because her daughter was sick and they left the message on my cell and also called my husband and they asked him if they could postpone it and he said no, she waited long enough to get activatied.
I am using my 4 P's Patience, Peristence, Practice and Prayers. I am learning to hear. And it awesome!!!! and it will get better as long as I have my patience. The only problem I have is that it cut off on loud sound like someone high pitch voice and the t-mic turned. I have the 50/50 t-mic for now.
Go back to the 2nd mapping tomorrow.

Update: Doing well

It will be 3 weeks since my surgery. The incision is healing very well. I still have some vertigo problem but not as bad. I have my feeling back on my tongue and not the head. I missed hearing out of that ear. Sometime I hear things but I assumed it the phantom playing around. I have three more weeks before the activation date.

Funny when people asked me how well do I hear and I tell them that I not turned on yet. I have to wait at least 6 weeks before the activation. I explained to them that once I get turned on I will be hearing sound like Darth Vader, Mickey Mouse or someone was inhaling the helium from the ballon. And then I have to take the other hearing aid out of my left ear for three months so my brain can be retrain to hear. It will be hard but it takes patience to do this. I wish I have patience with my youngest daughter who is also hard of hearing. She misplaced her hearing aid so we have to replace it and the other aid is ready so hopefully both aids will be working by next week. She is having a hard time.


Will let you know how the activation goes and I will tape it so you see the result.

Pictures of CI Implant

Here are two pictures of my ci implant

As you can see, the surgeon did a wonderful job on my ear. They did shave my hair off so hopefully it will grow back quickly.

C.I. Surgery

Hi All!

Finally got my CI surgery this past Tuesday. Talking about balance issue, my balance was way off. My eyes want to become a revolving door. But it getting better each day.

I have a picture what I look like the day after surgery. I am still having problem with the left eye which we do not know why. It was some kind of allergric reaction to the drop for the dry eyes and it not from the surgery.

The incision looks great, I have one of those dissolvable type of stitches. I had to wait 48 hrs to take the turbane off which it was yesterday. I will be taking my first shower since Tue. Can not wait to wash my hair. And speaking of my hair, it was shaved off alot.

Will keep everyone update.

More Good News!

I received a letter from Johns Hopkins yesterday about the approval of the surgery next month.
I am kind of surprise how the surgery and other stuffs cost. I am also afraid to ask how much the processer and accessories will cost.