Another program, another program

Hi, I went to see Allison on Mon. and yet got two more new programs. However, these programs are really loud and I don't have to go back for a month!! Anyways, remember when I asked, "Can the highs overpower the lows?" Well in my case they were. Go figure, the power woman all her life still needs to have the power!! Allison did the reflex testing to see where my ceiling levels could be without blowing my head apart and set the implant accordingly. Let me tell you, she added more lows back in and it is starting to sound more normal than before. Not sure if that make sense. She says when I get on program three, it will be even better so we will see in another week and half. She still wants me to wait on the hearing aid so I am still without it. So that is good and bad when I need to hear on the phone though. She wants me to wait before trying to use the phone- so did she say that to get me to use the phone or really wait? I am going to have to think about that. As time continues, I will say that I am feeling very sure That I made the right decision to get my implant, pink and all. Well, I need to go take care of a sick husband and go to bed. Talk to you soon.

Last Program this go round

Hey All, I really have forgotten you but man work and kids are taking all my time. I have not been on the computer enough to make a difference except to screw things up. I know tenough to get me in trouble but not enough to get out! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

Anyways, last program before I go back next Mon. I have lots of high frequencies, therefore my speech is clearing up again. In which I am not slurring my words as bad as I was, thank you Dawn for helping me be aware of that cuz I would never know. Also, I feel that my /s/, /sh/, and /ch/ are becoming more clear. The only question that I have is: can high frequencies override low frequencies? What I mean is that I feel that I am not hearing as well but yet I am--I know confusing that's me?? I asked Lisa but she hasn't answered me yet so I wonder if she got her texts, she has Verizon you know??!! Sometimes she doesn't get anything and I send it again. Maybe she will read this and be able to answer my question.

I am getting better at being able to carry on a conversation without having to directly look at them slowly but its happening. I watched a DVD program that a person made about Special Olympics with CJ, and I was able to pick out some of the songs but not all of them, I think they were rap and I know none of that!! So, that was cool since there were no singers to lip read just a slide show of pictures of all the kids. It was cool to watch.

BUT I just feel that I am missing something and not sure what it is. You know its like that recipe that you thought you knew but its missing something when you taste it? It's good but not how it should be, that is where I am at. I still go through the phase where my brain kinda goes into low mode to get ready to reboot, another words I don't hear jack crap, then all of sudden I am hearing everything again. Its really wierd how that happens and I think whew where am I and when did I come back???

So thats where I am at, I will let you know more later before I go in on Monday if it gets better. Good night y'all.

OOOPS Where have I been? Busier than Heck

Hey all of you people, I am so sorry that I have not been on to tell how things have been. Between boys, WORK, and implant, there has been no time for me. I haven't been on Facebook and have over 99 requests. That is NUTS!! Anyways, where do I start--GREAT NEWS first, there isn't any bad news sooo. I wen to see Allison, my implant audiologist, on April 10th. She was very happy with how I am doing. I think that I could do better but she says I am doing phenomenal (hope spell check catches this). So, lets' see I explained to her my complaints that people have told me, 1. slurring words 2. leaving off endings of words 3. feeling like I was in a dull mode (dead battery feeling) 4. not hearing my phone ring (now remember I had to work through 4 programs, while program 1-was all those high frequencies that were very loud to program two-lost all high frequencies and only had lows, program 3-more highs back but more lows than highs, and program 4-still more highs but lows still more noticeable but getting better).
Allison said wonderful "You need to have an increase in high frequencies to be above low frequencies to help balance you out." So, program 1 is my old program 4, program 2-more high frequencies and popping Advil again, program 3-even more higher frequencies and probably popping more Advil since I do this on Monday the 27th, and program 4 more and more higher frequencies and buying stock in Advil for I am truly supporting them now LOL!! I hope that this makes sense but it is a process that I am working through slowly which is driving me nuts cuz I want to move faster. Allison did say that my progress at this two week appt. is where most people are at 3 month appt. She also told me not to be so hard on myself since I still have a hard time understanding people without visuals. She said it could take up to 3 months for me to get that skill and I said Oh NO, not gong to work--give me 1 more month and I will be close to being there. Lisa laughed at me (probably not because I was being funny but she knows that I will probably get it done).

We went to the booth and she had me listen to the beeps (big surprise) and I am in the 10-15dB range for all the beeps (guess what people--that's in the NORMAL range!!!!) In having to repeat back sentences to her, I got 80% right which is 8 out of 10 sentences. You are thinking oh probably easy, familiar sentences so that is good. These were not familiar sentences but not off the wall either. For example, the field mouse got the cheese (BTW- I missed this one and said peas, not cheese), the boy is sucking his thumb (missed this one too), but I got all the others right, I just can't remember the sentences! What a dork!!

I am listening to books on tapes, listening to memorized cds like Lion King of course! I am enlisting the help of my Speech friends at work to work with me also and family is always trying to help in one way or another.

Thank goodness for all these people BUT especially my mom.

Mom, I want to say thank you so much for all the choices and sacrifices that you made in regards to me. Without your belief and "tough" love in so many ways, I would not be where I am today. I still struggle but your encouragement helped me to be a determined woman that perseveres in all that I do. I love you!! and I leave off with that folks.

Another Day Another day

Ok, well we are on program three at volume 9 now. It is different than program two by the fact that I have high frequencies back a little more than before. I am going through some ups and downs at the moment and Allison said that I would. But I was thinking nah, not me! WEll, its happening. It seems when I first turn on my implant in the morning, things sound fairly good then as the day wears on, it seems to go down into a lull, like my battery is dying. Which it isn't. Lisa tells me its that my brain is remapping itself and trying to make sense of it all. Well, get to it!! Quit taking so long, damn brain.

I know I know, patience is a virtue, I never said I had much for patience, ask my kids! They will even tell you that. So, while I need to find that virtue somewhere, I am stuck in this lull. Dawn and Lisa are working full time to keep me from going deep into the lull, so I hav to thank them for that.

It jus seems that I am missing out on so many things right now and I only get to participate when people are directly in my vision. So, I hear lots of blah blah blah, then all of sudden there is this person in front of me and I hear them talking ot me. Does that even make sense???? I don't know, its frustating but I WILL WIN!!!

So, I'll talk more tomorrow, I think I am going to make my husband take me out to dinner. Maybe that will help!