Re: Full Circle...One year Hook Up....

[Guest guest]

That was terrific reading Velma!! I'm glad you shared.

[Guest guest]

Velma,

I just loved reading your one year hook up account. Happy Anniversary!. It was

so nice to read your holiday experiences. I'm sure the holidays were very

special this year and having followed your story for a year - it seems your

whole year has been very special.

Thank you for taking the time to write this message as it's exactly what people

who are looking for information want to read. The journey is not the same for

everyone and we need to hear the variety of experiences so that people who are

searching can have realistic expectations but your message was so enjoyable and

really touching.

Congratulations. Yes..you have gone Full Circle and it's been a very meaningful

one. Thank You for sharing this.

<smile>

Alice

Happy New Year, Everyone! I have come full circle in my CI journey. I am sooo

excited with how far I have come! I have to share it. Velma

[Guest guest]

Velma,

It's wonderful to hear all the excitement at the holidays in your

post.

That first hearing Christmas is a most memorable one indeed and you

will cherish the memories forever.

You, sharon, and many others have some so far in a years time,

It gives so much hope to those who are just starting out or those

who are struggling to find a good map.

It's over 2 years later for me and I am still hearing new sounds

sometimes although not with the frequency I did at first.

Some people hear new sounds many years later so keep enjoying the

new sounds.. It's going to keep on improving for you.

Hugs and hope 2004 is kind to all.

Silly

In , " velma214 " <Scrabbler214@a...> wrote:

> Happy New Year, Everyone!

> I have come full circle in my CI journey. I am sooo excited

with

> how far I have come! I have to share it. This holiday season

was

> unbelievablly awesome! It was my first hearing holiday season!

Two

> years ago, as in past years, everything was muffled and last year

I

> was totally deaf while waiting for my hook up. But this holiday

> season was terriffic! I have looked forward to hearing the

sounds

> of the holiday season all year long! I was thrilled to be able to

> hear and understand most of the Christmas songs on my first 2 CDs

> that I recieved. And decorating had never been so much fun as I

> discovered the sounds some of my decorations make. I have also

> been eagerly waiting to hear just how loud the neighborhood is on

New

> Year's Eve. I am usually a pot banger myself that night but this

> year I just stood on our doorstep in awe of all the noise as I

> listened to car horns, voices yelling (couldn't understand them

> though but I heard the neighbors, voices) and pots and pans

banging

> and firecrackers too. I just stood there with a big smile on my

face

> taking it all in! A biggie for me is that I am starting to really

be

> able to keep up with what the topic is when my family gets

together

> for holiday dinners.

> It has indeed been quite a year! One year ago today

> (2January2003) I was hooked up to my Body worn processor and what

a

> happy day it was even though I could not understand much speech

that

> day! I did understand 3 sentences though without lipreading but

> after that I didn't start getting speech distinction until 3

months

> after hook up when I was mapped based solely on my youngest

sister's

> voice. I couldn't stand her high pitched voice so after getting

more

> bass put into my programs and the edges of the highs and lows

rounded

> off, speech discrimination started kicking in and I started

> recognizing my name being called from a few feet away...WOW, never

> ever aknowledged my name being called until then...took 40 yrs to

> accomplish that!! 8-) On hook up day, it was just awesome to

hear

> my family's voices after soooo many years of muffled sounds.

And

> it was wonderful to hear all the environmental sounds around me

that

> day. I am in awe with all the sounds! There have been many

sounds I

> have never heard before and I can't believe what an incredible

year

> it's been discovering the new sounds and rediscovering sounds I

heard

> a good long time ago. Once I had my first " ahhh this is nice

map " , 3

> months, after hook up, I started seriously doing A/V therapy

> exercises to better help my discrimination along. I will be

forever

> grateful to the friend who shared her exercises with me because I

> couldn't find an A/V therapist in my area. Pennsylvania has only

> one qualified A/V therapist to work with adults or so I was told.

The

> exercises became a family affair. My Dad did them with me and my

> nieces and nephews were eager to help out too when they

visited.

> With the exercises, I could tell what sounds I was having troubles

> with and those observations helped with future mappings that gave

me

> my second and third " Ahhh this is sooo nice " maps.

> Despite balance problems, from the surgery, I am sooo very glad

I

> got implanted! It's better than any hearing aid I have ever worn

in

> my whole life! I still rely on lipreading to communicate. Old

> habits are hard to break. But, the CI had made lipreading even

> easier! One on one conversations are terriffic! Two or more

> depends on the situation. Sometimes I can keep up with the topic

and

> sometimes no. I have been having some successful phone chats

with

> my siblings in the past few months. As I stated earlier, I have

> discovered many new sounds over the year. I couldn't believe

a

> locust makes noise! I found that out on a crabbing vacation this

> summer. I love the sound of running water. It still takes me a

long

> time to wash the dishes as I like to give them an extra long rinse

> just to hear the water. I've learned a lesson about loud bells

in

> the Fall. I volunteer my time helping out an older kindergarten

> teacher and during the first week of school I heard a loud bell

and

> mistakenly thought it was a fire drill since the bell was LOUD.

Yes,

> I took the class out for the drill. I was wondering why none of

the

> other classes were coming out also. Turned out that what I heard

> was a janitor's service bell and not a fire bell. 8-) The staff

all

> got a kick out it and told me that the fire bell is the same tone

but

> it will keep ringing. So now I know.

> It's been quite an exciting year and one I am very glad to have

> experienced!

> Best wishes to all of you who are just starting on your journey

to

> better hearing, good luck to all those facing surgery and hook up.

> Continued success to all of you who are well passed hook up. And

my

> very best wishes go to those of you who are still struggling with

the

> CI. It's my hope that you will someday soon have your " Ahhh this

is

> sooo nice! " map.

> Thank you, everyone, for such a supportive forum to come to. I

> have learned sooo much from you all.

> Happy New Year Everyone!

> May 2004 be a happy and healthy year for you and your families!

> Velma

> N24C 11/25/02 (What A Day!)

> Hook Up Day BWP 1/2/03 (A Happy Day!)

> 3G 1/31/03 (An Even Happier Day!)

[Guest guest]

Congratulations Velma.Glad to hear that you are doing so well with your CI.

Full Circle...One year Hook Up....

> Happy New Year, Everyone!

> I have come full circle in my CI journey. I am sooo excited with

> how far I have come! I have to share it. This holiday season was

> unbelievablly awesome! It was my first hearing holiday season! Two

> years ago, as in past years, everything was muffled and last year I

> was totally deaf while waiting for my hook up. But this holiday

> season was terriffic! I have looked forward to hearing the sounds

> of the holiday season all year long! I was thrilled to be able to

> hear and understand most of the Christmas songs on my first 2 CDs

> that I recieved. And decorating had never been so much fun as I

> discovered the sounds some of my decorations make. I have also

> been eagerly waiting to hear just how loud the neighborhood is on New

> Year's Eve. I am usually a pot banger myself that night but this

> year I just stood on our doorstep in awe of all the noise as I

> listened to car horns, voices yelling (couldn't understand them

> though but I heard the neighbors, voices) and pots and pans banging

> and firecrackers too. I just stood there with a big smile on my face

> taking it all in! A biggie for me is that I am starting to really be

> able to keep up with what the topic is when my family gets together

> for holiday dinners.

> It has indeed been quite a year! One year ago today

> (2January2003) I was hooked up to my Body worn processor and what a

> happy day it was even though I could not understand much speech that

> day! I did understand 3 sentences though without lipreading but

> after that I didn't start getting speech distinction until 3 months

> after hook up when I was mapped based solely on my youngest sister's

> voice. I couldn't stand her high pitched voice so after getting more

> bass put into my programs and the edges of the highs and lows rounded

> off, speech discrimination started kicking in and I started

> recognizing my name being called from a few feet away...WOW, never

> ever aknowledged my name being called until then...took 40 yrs to

> accomplish that!! 8-) On hook up day, it was just awesome to hear

> my family's voices after soooo many years of muffled sounds. And

> it was wonderful to hear all the environmental sounds around me that

> day. I am in awe with all the sounds! There have been many sounds I

> have never heard before and I can't believe what an incredible year

> it's been discovering the new sounds and rediscovering sounds I heard

> a good long time ago. Once I had my first " ahhh this is nice map " , 3

> months, after hook up, I started seriously doing A/V therapy

> exercises to better help my discrimination along. I will be forever

> grateful to the friend who shared her exercises with me because I

> couldn't find an A/V therapist in my area. Pennsylvania has only

> one qualified A/V therapist to work with adults or so I was told. The

> exercises became a family affair. My Dad did them with me and my

> nieces and nephews were eager to help out too when they visited.

> With the exercises, I could tell what sounds I was having troubles

> with and those observations helped with future mappings that gave me

> my second and third " Ahhh this is sooo nice " maps.

> Despite balance problems, from the surgery, I am sooo very glad I

> got implanted! It's better than any hearing aid I have ever worn in

> my whole life! I still rely on lipreading to communicate. Old

> habits are hard to break. But, the CI had made lipreading even

> easier! One on one conversations are terriffic! Two or more

> depends on the situation. Sometimes I can keep up with the topic and

> sometimes no. I have been having some successful phone chats with

> my siblings in the past few months. As I stated earlier, I have

> discovered many new sounds over the year. I couldn't believe a

> locust makes noise! I found that out on a crabbing vacation this

> summer. I love the sound of running water. It still takes me a long

> time to wash the dishes as I like to give them an extra long rinse

> just to hear the water. I've learned a lesson about loud bells in

> the Fall. I volunteer my time helping out an older kindergarten

> teacher and during the first week of school I heard a loud bell and

> mistakenly thought it was a fire drill since the bell was LOUD. Yes,

> I took the class out for the drill. I was wondering why none of the

> other classes were coming out also. Turned out that what I heard

> was a janitor's service bell and not a fire bell. 8-) The staff all

> got a kick out it and told me that the fire bell is the same tone but

> it will keep ringing. So now I know.

> It's been quite an exciting year and one I am very glad to have

> experienced!

> Best wishes to all of you who are just starting on your journey to

> better hearing, good luck to all those facing surgery and hook up.

> Continued success to all of you who are well passed hook up. And my

> very best wishes go to those of you who are still struggling with the

> CI. It's my hope that you will someday soon have your " Ahhh this is

> sooo nice! " map.

> Thank you, everyone, for such a supportive forum to come to. I

> have learned sooo much from you all.

> Happy New Year Everyone!

> May 2004 be a happy and healthy year for you and your families!

> Velma

> N24C 11/25/02 (What A Day!)

> Hook Up Day BWP 1/2/03 (A Happy Day!)

> 3G 1/31/03 (An Even Happier Day!)

>

>

>