Cayla

[Guest guest]

Hi Cayla,

Happy Birthday. Sagittarians RULE. I know, I'm one.

Good that you got your implant. With only one mapping behind you,

you've got a ways to go before things start to sound even semi normal.

Are you pre lingually deafened, or post lingual?

It took me close to 3 months before things started to sound right. I

was implanted in the worse ear - one that had no hearing for 20 years.

But I had good memory of sound because my other ear was only deaf for 6

months before the implant.

Don't change the batteries until they die. You will hear 3 beeps, and

then the batteries go dead about 5 minutes later. Suddenly you hear

nothing. But don't change them every other day. I get 10-14 days from

my batteries. Just carry a package of 6 with you, and you'll be set for

when they die off on you.

You're doing the right thing wearing it all the time you're awake.

It's like your brain will suddenly realize that " THIS " is how things

sound now. And once that happens, everything starts sounding better.

But you want to be wearing the implant when that " Ta dah!! " moment

happens.

Your dynamic range is very narrow right now. That's the area between

threshold and comfort. Those will spread apart with subsequent mappings,

and your dynamic range will increase. Sounds get more natural then.

The static and underwater type sounds are very common at this point.

Because you're not up to the dynamic range you will be eventually. So

hang in there. Take baby steps. You're in this for the long run, so be

patient and you'll get there.

Any questions, ask us.

Happy Birthday again,

Nucleus Volunteer

post lingual - auto immune disorder

Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 18:18:08 -0600

From: " Cayla " <ice_angel88@...>

Subject: Hi

Hi!

I am going to be 16 tomorrow, and I recently got a N24 cochlear implant

in November. I had it activated last week on Tuesday. I expected to be

able to hear everything until my AV therapist told me to lower my

expectations. When I got it turned on, it was nothing like what I

expected, but after a while, I was beginning to recognize sounds and some

speech. My mom works with me everyday doing speech homework. The first

day I heard beeps for 7 hours straight, then gradually it got better! I

went through all the programs now and I am impatiently waiting for

Tuesday so I can have another mapping. I am alittle bit impatient as to

when I can hear music since today my church presented me with a cd

player, 6 cds, and a $50 gift certificate to watch movies at the movie

theatre. The CDs look really good... I tried listening to some of the

songs, and it was all static and whistling noises. Everyone's voices seem

like they are underwater and whistly. How long do you think that'll last?

I am not sure when to change the batteries on the 3G so I do it every

other day just to be safe.

Cayla