got Free'd!

[Guest guest]

Well, I got my Freedom turned on yesterday and I think I like it! I was

hesitant at first because I remember liking the sound of the 3G so much better

at

the time it came out. But now that I am six years down the road, I think it

has become so much easier to get used to new maps, new processors, etc.

The very first thing I noticed was that I am getting more sound. My earrings

were dangly and making noise that I rarely noticed before. The air vent in

the audie's office was much more noticeable to me. It seems like I can hear

things that are further away too. I know that my sensitivity is set to the same

parameters that my 3G was so it has to be that the Freedom is giving me more

sound. It won't be a big step for me to get used to all the extra noise

because of where I am in my journey at this point.

I took the subway home and could hear the announcements clearly. Could be

that they might have been just as clear with the 3G, you never know with this

subway system. I didn't feel like dealing with the noise so I turned the

processor off. I got home and tried some TV and radio and phone. WOW! I like

the

sound of TV and music better with the Freedom. There is more power to the

high pitches since I have all 22 up and running now. Telephone voice is more

clear but less natural.

Anyhoo... I only have one Freedom and a Sumo HA and both together is

fantastic. Voice is not as natural as I would like it to be but that is truly

ok

because my goal has always been to be able to hear speech first and foremost.

Everything else is whipped cream and cherries and nuts and all that. Oy, I'm in

the mood for ice cream now.... I work in a very noisy environment (difficult

inner city school) and I really had to turn the sensitivity down for much of

the day. As I get used to this processor, I'm sure that I'll be better able to

tolerate more sound soon. I tried the Beam in a classroom and realized that

what Camille et. al. were saying was totally true: Beam works best when you

have all the background noise you don't want to hear behind you. I am eager to

try Beam in a restaurant and will ask my friend if we can get a table against a

wall so that I can face the wall. The telecoil never disappoints!

I like the feel of the processor on my ear even though it is a bit bigger

than the 3G. It has a very natural curve. Oh, by the way, I got the blue one!

Why be boring at 45? The controls take a bit of getting used to because the 3G

had less you could do with it. It takes more time to switch through your

programs. If you are on P3 and you want to go to P2 then you ahve to go all the

way around to 4 and 1 first. But how nice to have 4! I have P1 open, P2

Beam, P3 Whisper, and P4 ADRO. I didn't bother with autosens because I prefer

to

turn down the sensitivity, which is very easy to do on the processor. Volume

takes one extra click of the button.

I am returning my Sprint and keeping the 3G as backup. I paid a lot of money

to have the 3G insured for 2 years so I'll have to see if I can put a hold on

that or something. Otherwise, I am yet again a very satisfied implant user!

While nothing and no one is ever perfect, Cochlear has never disappointed me.

Free'd on 10/19/06