| Journey Continues.....4 |
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| Tue, 7 Jan 2003 22:42:34 -0000 Hi kaye, How are you ? and Tress. I am sorry I have not replied to you questions of your email 2 weeks ago, it has been manic as I have said before and now I am trying to put the kitchen together, another couple of days and the water and electric's will be on and I can settle back into a routine. I have sent a journal update some of it sounds discouraging, but the continual noise and trying to hear people speak, nearly always over backgound noise has been very tiring and unrewarding. However in the last two days it has gotten better again, I nearly heard all the news broadcast, supported by lip reading and I almost take for granted talking one on one. Sure it could be better and maybe the next mapping on Thursday will improve perception even more. Bird song is now recognised as more than just one noise, I heard the clock in the kitchen tick, I do not even remember that when I could hear. Sounds are softening down. I still make not pleasurable sense of music, radio or telephone, but all I do hear is fantastic. Myfanwy really notices the improvement when I switch on the processor now, I am not asking her to repeat everything and she can talk at a more normal pace. .I seem to have a problem getting into Yahoo groups, the computer just shuts it down, so I will have to look into the problem it seems before I can post again. Take care for now, you can add my story to your web site if you would like to Lots of hugs Rob Day 9 Not much to report, everyone has now left and I am back to skirting, something to do ! Up at 9.30 and no sleep in the afternoon. I find the head phones make listening to the tv easier, the speech is less distorted and more relaxing, do not have to concentrate so hard. Heard the cat screech for it’s food and attention, more bird noises. Thoughts about the CI. Implant Operation, although long in my case, no head pain, more unbalanced, but nothing I have not experienced before. Tiredness and tinnitus, but that all seems to be subsiding, particularly the horrendous tinnitus. Balance is almost back to pre op, do not have to spend quite so much time thinking about it, except taking corners and stopping. Oscillopsia is unchanged. Taste is still a little affected. Processor Quite amazing to hear so much and the environmental sounds so clearly. Man made noise, cars machinery kitchen appliances are a bit bothersome but becoming less obtrusive. Listening to speech, I can understand in the right environment, I am disappointed that I can not make out what is being said over a longer distance, that is a mush very much like when almost deaf a year ago, when people had to shout in my ear ! but the beauty is I can have a conversation. The processor and battery hanging off the ear gets a little uncomfortable after 7 hours or so, but can always hang on the other ear, but a rest is often welcome, deafness is no longer a big scary monster, I would now hate not to be with this kit. The rechargeable batteries are fine and easy to change, but if I were without power for 24 hours and used the processor continually, that would be it. I think the new processor has an option of using ordinary batteries as well, which would be ideal for camping or whatever. I had a dream last night and I could hear myself talk, the dreams have been silent for the past year, don’t know what to make of that ! Day 10 Finished the skirting in the hall. I am not going to say much today, tired and loafing about. Weather is still grey, but warmish and rained all day, just lightly. Wrote to Kaye Myfanwy and I talked a bit so much easier now. On program 2, still word recognition is not as good as program 1. Started the plans and design for the kitchen. Had a snozze from 4.30 to 7 , now I dream that I have a CI and ask people to speak up! how strange. Day 11 Woke late again about 10.30, dreaming and dreaming. Pouring with rain, Myfanwy had been up and moved the chicken shed with the landrover and got it stuck, some came to her aid and suggested she put the diff lock on and out it popped. It has been raining heavily and I spend sometime clearing out the drains around the house, we do not need a repeat flood of a couple of years ago. Next on to the ditches between the file and track, this took some sorting with the children helping but we unblocked all the pipes and the field started to drain, came in about 3.30 soaked, shower and put on processor for the first time. Went to supermarket for essentials. I am not hearing well today, I am just so tired that I am not trying. I am just out of it, brain foggy, unsure of my footing, slow and oscillopsia is more acute. Did hear some new bird song, impossible to pin point it though. I think I am ready to be re -mapped, I think I have learnt all I am going to with these settings. Perhaps tomorrow I will be less tired, hope so we are at Robin and Mandy for New Year grub. Never got round to drawing up new kitchen Day 12 Up at 9.15 feel much more alive, and can concentrate on hearing better (program 2), still muffled at distance. Start kitchen design and cutting list. Afternoon watched a not very well acted DVD with head phones and no subtiles available, made a little sence of the words, but not that much. Day 12 Up at 9.15 feel much more alive, and can concentrate on hearing better (program 2), still muffled at distance. Start kitchen design and cutting list. Afternoon watched a not very well acted DVD with head phones and no subtiles available, made a little sence of the words, but nit that much. |
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