AJ's CI blog

Break
AJ's CI blog I'm currently at my parents' house for a short break. It's a beautiful day here, I've been and sunbathed in the sun - a first for this Spring!Unfortunately, I'm now hiding indoors - I've had a headache since yesterday afternoon and medication is doing nothing to help it. The pain is especially worse around the implant area - this time I know it's not the magnet becaus...
Thu, Oct 08 2009

Day 6
AJ's CI blog It's is now the sixth day wearing the Nucleus Freedom. The sounds are becoming a little clearer but they did say it will approx 2 weeks to get fully used to it.So far what I think of it... it's strange but great. I love it. I have noticed that even with the Everday programme, I notice the background noise a lot less than before - I hear more but they don't bother me a...
Fri, Sep 25 2009

Ballet
AJ's CI blog Source: flickerI used to take BBO (British Ballet Organization) for 9-10 years before I finally gave it up. It was watching my sister do ballet which encouraged me to start - I was dancing by the age of 5 doing both grade and solo work. I completed 9 levels (there are 11 levels) and had begun the 10th but gave it up about 6 months after starting that grade. The reason...
Tue, Sep 22 2009

Nucleus Freedom
AJ's CI blog Ok so, it was Christchurch time on Monday! Although I normally go by myself as it is just a day trip, they had booked me in for two appointments over two days so this time I took my sister with me. We flew there early on Monday morning, it was a dreadful flight - I am extremely claustrophobic on planes (yes, even after being on 40 flights last year). I just had to ke...
Tue, Sep 22 2009

Loud Shirt Day
AJ's CI blog Today, on Twitter I declared it was Loud Shirt Day. Soon after, I received a public reply stating not to support it because it is for the Hearing House and the Cochlear Implant programme. I was in a tricky situation there... you see, up till three years ago I had been in the hearing world and never really aware there was a Deaf community. But now that I discovered it,...
Thu, Sep 17 2009

Attitude TV
AJ's CI blog Yesterday, in the early hours (ok, maybe not so early) in front of millions of Kiwis, I was broadcast on TV for approximately 7 minutes. A programme which screens every Sundays at 8.30am is called Attitude TV, a series designed to show the "lifestyle, issues and interests of people either living with a disability or caring for a person with a disability". You can see ...
Sun, Sep 06 2009

A quote for all of you
AJ's CI blog "I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers." Helen Keller
Wed, Aug 26 2009

When you want to know more about Ushers
AJ's CI blog In my previous post, a lady asked me if I know of any useful sites that would help someone who may just have been diagnosed with Usher Syndrome. Now I don't have any favourites but I had a quick look around...The American Foundation for the Blind - message boards. I haven't really used this but by looks of it, there are different categories for anyone - teens, parents...
Sat, Aug 22 2009

Michael Chorost
AJ's CI blog Michael Chorost has a cochlear implant and has written a book called "Rebuilt". You can find out more about him on his website here, and can even download the first chapter of his book."Rebuilt" 'is the story of Chorost’s journey – from deafness to hearing, from human to cyborg –and how it transformed him. The melding of silicon and flesh has long been the stuff of s...
Mon, Aug 17 2009

Usher Syndrome Blog
AJ's CI blog For those who are interested in reading more blogs about Usher Syndrome, I've been following this one for a while. "Mark is co-founder of the Decibels Foundation and a founding member of the Coalition for Usher Syndrome Research. He has a ten year old daughter with Usher syndrome and a seven year old son."Recently, as said in his last post, Jennifer Phillips has joine...
Wed, Aug 12 2009

Sunday with some photobooth fun
AJ's CI blog Just received my appointment letter - am due to get my new Freedom processor on 21 September! How exciting... I can not wait. I had the option of getting it sooner but because I have so many functions in the next month (i.e. my 21st party!), I thought it would be best to put it off so I can relax when readjusting to all the new sounds.Anywho, again not a lot happening...
Sat, Aug 08 2009

4th A/P Deaf Youth Camp 2008
AJ's CI blog Last year, the Indonesian Association for the Welfare of the Deaf hosted the 4th Asia Pacific Deaf Youth Camp and three Deaf youths from New Zealand were selected to go. I was lucky enough to be one of them. The two other youths were girls named Shannon and Rachel. We were about the same age and we already knew each other so it was a good group. We first flew from Wel...
Sat, Aug 01 2009

Movies
AJ's CI blog I went to see Public Enemies at the cinemas last week with a friend, it was a great movie. Unfortunately I missed out on a lot of the verbal bits so parts of it was a bit confusing especially as this movie had a lot of talking in it - would definitely watch this again once this comes out on DVD.How do you find going to watch a movie? Or watching TV at home - do you us...
Sat, Aug 01 2009

RNZFB
AJ's CI blog Today I went and visited the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind to register as a member and to find out more about it. I just talked to a guy about what services they offer and how they can help me. It was actually quite useful, they are going to arrange for me to meet some people down in Wellington to talk to me and help me out.Some of the things they will be ...
Fri, Jul 17 2009

Got Tinnitus?
AJ's CI blog As quoted on the latest Vibrations newsletter, the book "The Complete Guide to Tinnitus and Deafness, by Maxwell Stein, will help Tinnitus sufferers to better understand and treat their condition. The book explains the latest treatments and gives you advice on how you can relieve the condition safely and effectively. You’ll find out :• What causes Tinnitus• How to pro...
Fri, Jul 17 2009

Just a few photos from the weekend...
AJ's CI blog Just a few photos to put up! Was a tiring weekend for me, on Friday night I went to see a friend (who is hearing but can sign) named Jula. She recently moved just near my place. We had several vodka mixes which were soo delicious! Then we went to the Deaf club to have a drink, then along with some others we went to several bars for few more drinks. I didn't drink too ...
Sun, Jun 28 2009

Sunday afternoon
AJ's CI blog Not too much has been happening lately. Yesterday I went to a CI support group gathering - the first time I'd actually been to one in Wellington. It was only a small group of us there but I still had a great time. It's really good to be able to talk about how our implants are going, to ask questions and get advice. Had some delicious cake too!Last night, I went to a f...
Tue, Jun 23 2009

Freedom Seminar
AJ's CI blog So yesterday, I flew down to Christchurch for a seminar on the Freedom processor. Some funds has been released to SCIPA (Southern Cochlear Implant Programme - Adults) and some of us are getting upgrades!So in the past, I've had Esprit 24Esprit 3GAnd now, getting Freedom!These are the colours you can get it in, I chose brown as it will match my hair. I hear that a lot ...
Tue, Jun 23 2009

Benji, my CI bear
AJ's CI blog Thought I'd introduce you to my deaf teddy! I got him just before I got my cochlear implant when I was 11. It was a neat surprise from my family. I named it Benji - he has a rubber processor (the ESprit 24 I think it is)Sorry you can't really see the details on these photos - Benji is actually at my parents house right now so I asked my brother to kindly take some pho...
Tue, Jun 23 2009

Got batteries? tee
AJ's CI blog These photos show the tee I was talking about earlier, I bought this from this site here.They have great products that will promote cochlear implant awareness, but like I said earlier, the costs does add up quickly for those living overseas.Anyway here are the photos:Front: GOT BATTERIES?Back: COCHLEAR IMPLANT AWARENESSI think the comment on the front is pretty funny ...
Tue, Jun 23 2009

Usher Syndrome
AJ's CI blog I may, or may not have mentioned yet that I have Usher Syndrome. It "is the most common condition that affects both hearing and vision... The major symptoms of Usher syndrome are hearing loss and an eye disorder called retinitis pigmentosa, or RP. RP causes night-blindness and a loss of peripheral vision (side vision) through the progressive degeneration of the retina...
Tue, Jun 23 2009