Final Update on Cochlear Implants
My cochlear implants were activated on August 20 to great success! I was able to hear sound, although initially everything just sounded like high-pitched buzzing. It was almost impossible to describe. Every time there was a sound, it sounded like buzzing. The volumes were set so it wasn’t too overwhelming, and I was on my way!
That first day was mostly spent trying to identify the sounds I was hearing. Within just a few hours, the buzzing was turning into actual sounds as my brain learned how to interpret the data coming from the electrodes in each cochlea. Voices sounded very robotic and distorted but I could hear them. I couldn’t understand anything without lipreading though.
I go once a week for “mapping”, which means that I get connected to a computer and new software strategies are sent to my processors. Right now I’m mainly getting more volume — I have been for one mapping since my intial activation. My speech recognition has improved quite a lot with the newest mapping, which is amazing to me! I can hear my cats meowing and purring, all kinds of sounds in the environment, our dog barking, even crickets outside!
Certain things are still impossible for me to understand (the telephone) or difficult (the TV). Music doesn’t sound very good right now, although I do catch the beat of the song.
I practice with aural rehab programs, listening to words and trying to identify what I’m hearing. It’s really quite fascinating!
I can honestly say that this technology is like an absolute miracle. When I lost all of my hearing, I never dreamed that someday I would hear once again. What a blessing!
Thank you to everyone who wrote with well wishes — I can’t tell you how much it means to me. I appreciate your patience while we had to close temporarily for my surgery, recovery and then activation. From here on in, things should proceed pretty much as normal (I hope)!
