Success!

I measure success in incrementally small steps these days. Before activation a lot of other borgs warned not to have high expectations at first. I’m so glad they did. Robyn said it best when she shot me a message just days before my activation saying she couldn’t wait for my turn-on and by the way– “You’re going to HATE it!” Those words have sustained me through all the frustration this past week.

I got my second mapping yesterday.

We start out in the sound booth listening to tones. Some of them sound more like people sweeping a sidewalk or sanding a block than the tones I am used to. That is normal, S. my audiologist says.

She is thrilled I have been wearing my CI every day by itself for hours, and practicing. She notices I can put it on without searching around on the side of my head for the magnet, and I‘m not even in front of a mirror. I am proud. Midweek, putting it on without a mirror was a huge breakthrough.

I am ready for more volume because I have been wearing the processor every day for hours. We discuss how the volume should be– not painful or sharp because it will give you a headache. Then S. turns it way up.  She claps her hands. I don’t wince.

After more discussion, she decides to add the ability to turn it way down because I tell her about a large family gathering with small children I will be attending. I am so grateful for the ability to turn volume down.

She asks how it sounds. I hear an echo when I speak. It sounds like she has three voices, as if she’s a crowd speaking all at once. It reminds me of sitting in church, listening to a small congregation read passages from the Bible. She thinks this might be because of my residual hearing on the other side. I assure her it isn’t.

I have been listening to books on CD with my direct connect, and I’m getting the same effect. Deep voices, robotic voices and high voices all at once. She says it will go away in time. My brain will figure it out.

Are you able to follow along by reading with the story? Can you understand anything when you listen to the CDs, she asks.

If there is background noise I  get lost quickly, but sometimes I understand a sentence or two if there is no background noise.

WONDERFUL! She exclaims. You’re making great progress!

A sentence or two was more than I’d hoped for the first week, but I am reassured.

At work I notice I can hear people typing across the room. It’s funny. I always thought typing was a quiet activity. A hallway door seems incredibly loud every time it closes.   I can hear people cough in the back of the library.

Later, I open a book on CD, one that has proven challenging throughout the week because of its background noise. I deduce it is organ grinding music, but it mostly sounds like someone playing random notes on an electronic device. The story is about a homeless organ grinder in December, and a little girl with compassion. It is called, Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo.

After the new mapping, I am able to read along to the CD without getting lost.

SUCCESS!

My next mapping is in three weeks.

The book on CD has organ grinding music in the background making it a challenging choice for listening practice, but it's a sweet story.