I seem to be sliding backwards in the cochlear implant hearing department.
My comprehension level is abysmal! It went out for a Fourbucks (are they five bucks yet?) Tall (still tiny) skim milk latte yesterday morning. It has yet to return.
From a crude guess and unscientific model, I figure I am at 30% in sentence comprehension.
So what happened? Did I get pickier and start demanding more "hearing juice"?
Or am I loosing my grip on this "hearing system"?
Where did you go my new digital wonder kid of hearing technology?
Why did you leave me?
Was I unkind?
Ungrateful?
Did I cheat on you and flirt with another language?
Did you sense my frustration at still not being adequate in phone conversation, and get pissed off at my attitude?
Did my ever constant and annoying "what song is that"? every time the radio moved from DJ voice to the slushy noise of a song, tick you enough to leave me?
Did you abandon me because my knowledge on world affairs is a kilometer long but only a millimeter deep?
Were you abducted aliens who promised you a better life in an alien head?
Did my requests for a second magnet on my right side brew up some sibling rivalry that caused you to pack your magnets in a bag and leave me?
Are you mad because I refuse to give up my dependence on closed captioning?
I know "CC" is a seductive hussy, but she tempts me so! Her mispelled words on CNN make me smile at her flaws and human side.
If you come back, my dear bionic friend, I promise I'll find a 12 step program for the "cc" dependent.
Perhaps you are a distant cousin of my wireless internet hub that needs daily prodding and consoling in order to give me a strong signal.
If so, your are hence forth nicknamed "Linksys".
How does one go from 90% or more comprehension to under 30% ?
I was ramping up, and become almost oblivious to the fact that I am deaf, and require a magnet stuck on my melon, to hear.
Just over the weekend, I was marveling at the fact that I was never having to say "pardon", "again", or even "just one more time.
Yesterday I asked 4, 5, and 6 times for Janet to repeat the sentence, and even at that, I gave up and guessed.
For now, I guess I'm back to lip reading.
So where does comprehension go?
If my "mappings" are the same, and my programs have not changed is it me?
I emailed my audiologist in desperation last night. I thought it would "sort itself out" by days end. I went online to a cochlear implant open forum provided by Advanced Bionics. I posed my problem out to my bionic buddies to see if it is something that happens. I thought I'd get the "two steps forward, one step back line", but no. This should not happen.
I changed all my equipment that I could. I replaced "T" mic with internal mic. Same garbled level of comprehension. I then used my one spare processor and changed it up with current one in desperation.
Nada, nothing, zip, zilch.
I started to go down the path that it is my cochlear implant that is surgically implanted in my head.
If the $60,000 processor that is the size of my finger nail, is defective, what then?
Laying in bed last night I had visions of Dr. Ned going back in to figure out what was up.
I hope I can get appointment to see audiologist. People are giving me the look of "so that magnet is for decoration"?
If you see my comprehension hitchhiking down the highway (he may be incognito as a brown dog with a suitcase), or sitting at the bar holding court and swapping lies with all the other comprehension dogs, about their perceived ungrateful owners. Could you talk him into returning.
I am a good guy despite what my digital friend may speak out of obedience school.
Warmly,
David
23 comments:
Maybe your digital wonder kid is jealous? Did you pay too much attention to that hussy closed captioning?
Maybe if you promise to NEVER flirt with another, it will comeback.
Perhaps you need to stroke it's ego.
Hallie
Oh David, I am sorry to hear about your frustrations. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it all better. There has to be some tweaking that can be done, some sort of modification, an adjustment that will make it better!!!! I hope so. I hate to see you feeling blue, not you, you are too special!
Perhaps the digital wonder kid is going through puberty and we all know what happens with that.
Seriously, hope you find out soon what is happening.
Good luck.
You are a fantastic guy! Is it because you wanted TWO? The one just gave up because it didn't think you needed it? Sheesh.
Do you need a new battery? Did you try jiggling the wires? Turning it off, then turning it on?
I hope it all gets sorted out soon, David! :)
You mean you get those back handed compliments too?
Hallie :)
David,
This is normal. It happens when you are in need of new mapping. Abbie can explain it in tech terms, in Val terms it means your brain needs more juice.... It is a good thing, your brain is responding well to hearing.
I am going through it now. I missed my mapping appointment in June and now have to wait until August. I need more hearing juice. My left ear needs it more, I turned up the volume to 9.
David...its a normal progression. Your brain is getting use to the CI and now it wants more. That is its way of letting you know especially in the beginning. Don't despair...a fresh mapping should fix the problem.
I was very worried until I read the last two comments. I hope a new mapping will fix the issue! I cannot imagine how frustrating that must be for you.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of being the voice for someone that could not talk. It made me wonder how Janet must feel when your "ears" go awry! That and I thought about the story you shared with me the other day and worried about antibiotics.
A visit to todays post will tell the rest of the story.
I hope to hear of a successful remapping in your very near future!
whew... glad I read the comments before typing out my own...I hope that mapping fixes the problem and you are back to 4 bucks and not having any problems getting that fix...
Hugs Have a great day...
I was thinking your implant must be related to my darn cable company... arrrgg
It's good to hear that others with experience think it's going to work out okay. This is quite the rollercoaster you're on.
I love to read the CC at the gym for the same reason you do!
A short in two electrodes in the internal device can cause it. Go see your audiologist and have them check it. Emmi had the same thing happen. There was a short between two electrodes. They switched both of those off, and she is going along just fine now. It is rare to have happen, so probably not a lot of people have experienced it, but Emmi had it happen. Basically you can get down to five functioning electrodes without noticable change in sound quality. BUT when two of those suckers short out, it causes scrambling and chaos. It was about the same time our from surgery that it happened to her. I think it might be a something to look into.
Found your blog on Diapers and Deadlines. I like your take on life (from your profile). I will be back. And much, much luck with your appointment.
Glad I read the comments before I added mine. It sounds like your problem might be "fixable." But, I believe, with all my heart, it's that CC hussy. Get away, stay away. Hope you get it worked out soon.
jj
Yikes - I hope that your issue resolves . . .sooner rather than later.
And I agree - CC is a shameless hussy. I use her all the time when the baby is asleep . .. she just doesn't care about us.
Maybe the digital wonder kid threatened to run away from home, and then got frustrated/irritated when no one came scurrying down the street after it.
Or maybe that was just my kid...
Hey David
If possible have your audiologist place your last good map (the one that you came in with before the adjustment) in your last slot in your processor (or in your spare processor). That way you have something to go back to - if your new map just doesn't make the cut. Always give a new map some time and know that sometimes we just learn and grow through challenges together
Happy Hearing Journey
Kim
See, there I was thinking that your "relearning" to hear was sort of like with kids, where they want to learn to run before walking and maybe your brain has overrun the ability to keep learning at the pace you want with the new technology - but much more learned people in the way of this technology have already commented, so all I can do is commend you on keeping your humour in a very frustrating situation...
Holy cow. I just found your blog. What an AMAZING thing you are living through. My very best wishes that you get this problem sorted out.. and I do hope it can be dealt with through the implant...
Oh gosh, how worrying. I haven't been here for a while and last time I was everything was so positive. This must be just so frustrating and scary. But there will be an explanation and one that is fixable - you just need someone to find it. I hope they so swiftly - better that really than it just disappears cos then you'll worry that it might just reappear - best to understand why it has happened.
Yikes! I'll check for it at the gym this morning. Do you think it went to Curves?
PS: I just started the book. I will post a review for you when I finish it!
David, I'm so sorry to hear (no bad pun intended) about this. You must be so frustrated!
I am glad the other CI'ers told you this is normal. I know nothing about CI's, but I have heard it's normal to go through this kind of thing. I hope you get an appointment soon.
Would it be to much to ask for a national blog hiatus day while I get caught up with everyone blogs? :)
*deep breath*
Somewhere in the back of mind, you have an appt today and I wish the best of luck. I suggest you read Robyn's "The Ambling Rambler" blog about fluctuating hearing with a CI. You will see this is normal. :)
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