It's been since August! How have you been? I never really thought I'd update again but here we go...
On Thursday evening, I noticed a change in my hearing in my RIGHT ear (currently with a hearing aid) it sounded like there was fluid in there that all the sounds were "dense" so immediately I thought it was the hearing aid as they are getting a little old- so I did what I knew how to do...I changed the tubing checked all the small crevices for dirt/grime/moisture/etc. and there was no change. I went to bed that night betting my hearing will be fine in the morning. Woke up and my hearing was still "acting up". So I went to work and I e-mailed anyone and everyone I know who knows about sudden hearing loss. Audiologist, a parent I work with who works for ENT dept at Mayo.. I was told to come in right away.
FLASH BACK: When the hearing in my left ear deteriorated to the point of qualifying for a CI it started out exactly like this- except that time I just went to urgent care in town. There, though they didn't see any fluid and I had no fever, I was diagnosed (TWICE) with an ear infection and sent home with medicine. This is where self-advocacy comes in... since I knew something was up that my hearing still was weird I called an audiology dept in the area directly and they got me in quickly and everything from then on was a diagnosed hearing loss.
BACK TO THE PRESENT: On Friday, I went in and prayed the whole drive there, things have been so stressful I didn't need this to add to my plate. I'm also unsure how much insurance will cover but that's the least of my worries right now. The funny thing is, the parent I work with called at 9:30 and said she could get me in at 10:30...it's about a 50 minute drive so I essentially RAN out of work, told people to get me a sub and made sure my students were still covered- OFFDAH I have great co-workers.
So the results of my hearing test were that all of my hearing levels have decreased 5-15dbs...which is a lot for someone who already has a significant hearing loss. My word recognition fell from 26% to 10% (in the aided ear). I'm currently on Steroids in hopes to bring the hearing that I lost back.
Emotionally: I'm feeling alright with it- extremely frustrated and sad as I feel I'm losing a part of me (again that's my emotional side- my logical side knows better than that). I have been saying I'd definitely get another CI as the one I have has been so amazing...but really? I didn't really want to HAVE to get one- I'd rather elect to have one when I'm ready. I'm not saying I'm qualified in the right ear yet, but only time will tell!
Optimistic points throughout all this: I have great people in my life who are willing to help me every chance I get. A huge shout out to the person who helped get me in right away at the Audiologist...you are AMAZING!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
1 year post op
I had my 1 year follow up with the audiologist today and it went very well.
She shared with me that I "bring up the average" because my hearing has improved drastically from my pre-implant days. I'll try to explain it so follow along carefully:
The average adult who receives a Cochlear Implant (CI) needs "normal" conversation amplified about 16dbs (decibels) above the background noise (fans, wind, other conversations). The average adult with "normal" hearing hears conversation at -2.5dbs. PRE surgery I needed amplification at 19.5dbs and NOW with only the CI I only need it amplified around 4.5dbs and with BOTH hearing aid and CI I got 2dbs. for the average CI user they hear about 7dbs. So... I'm bringing up the curve- I need to be the "nerd" somewhere!
All I can REALLY tell you is that this is a good thing. A very. good. thing.
Bittersweet news of today was that I may not qualify for a CI just yet in my right ear. The reason for this is I still receive benefit from my hearing aid. I'm ok with this- actually this is good news, my hearing still works "well enough." My scores were high enough to be right "on the line" of whether or not it would be more beneficial to have a CI or not in my right ear. The audiologist reassured me that I'm young, I still benefit from the hearing aid and there will be more technological advances in the future. I also do not have to go back for another year... yay!
Wanna hear something way cool? The Audiologist saw at a conference that AB (my CI brand) is coming out with a WATER RESISTANT PROCESSOR(the thing I wear on my head)!!!!!!!!! How awesome is that? for FULL SUBMERSION under WATER... wow... I could swim AND hear at the same time? that's pretty amazing!
That's all I have for today- luckily, it's good news :)
Loves!
She shared with me that I "bring up the average" because my hearing has improved drastically from my pre-implant days. I'll try to explain it so follow along carefully:
The average adult who receives a Cochlear Implant (CI) needs "normal" conversation amplified about 16dbs (decibels) above the background noise (fans, wind, other conversations). The average adult with "normal" hearing hears conversation at -2.5dbs. PRE surgery I needed amplification at 19.5dbs and NOW with only the CI I only need it amplified around 4.5dbs and with BOTH hearing aid and CI I got 2dbs. for the average CI user they hear about 7dbs. So... I'm bringing up the curve- I need to be the "nerd" somewhere!
All I can REALLY tell you is that this is a good thing. A very. good. thing.
Bittersweet news of today was that I may not qualify for a CI just yet in my right ear. The reason for this is I still receive benefit from my hearing aid. I'm ok with this- actually this is good news, my hearing still works "well enough." My scores were high enough to be right "on the line" of whether or not it would be more beneficial to have a CI or not in my right ear. The audiologist reassured me that I'm young, I still benefit from the hearing aid and there will be more technological advances in the future. I also do not have to go back for another year... yay!
Wanna hear something way cool? The Audiologist saw at a conference that AB (my CI brand) is coming out with a WATER RESISTANT PROCESSOR(the thing I wear on my head)!!!!!!!!! How awesome is that? for FULL SUBMERSION under WATER... wow... I could swim AND hear at the same time? that's pretty amazing!
That's all I have for today- luckily, it's good news :)
Loves!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Whew!
What a year this has been!
I don't really have much to update you on, but I've tentatively decided to get the other ear done with a CI... we shall see though- I meet with my audiologist on Aug. 23rd and I'll chat with her about it some more. I'm also starting a new job with a new district closer to home therefore, new insurance. So this is a toss up as neither of my insurance options are as great as my previous district, but I'm hoping it's a "necessary procedure" or "preventative" or whatever silly words insurance companies like to throw out there and that it'll be covered as it costs a pretty penny ;) or a pretty arm and a leg- however you look at it!
One annoying thing about having a cochlear implant- when you're laying down and a dog jumps on your head and the magnet disconnects during a great (Sugarland) song. Speaking from experience of course. For those of you who don't know, the magnet connection is basically what turns on and off the sound to my auditory nerve.
I have also discovered that my magnet likes to disconnect if my head gets too close to the car when I jump in, literally it sticks the the car- kind of fun actually. To my dismay, only SOME regular magnets stick to my head- but that still makes me cooler than most of my friends as NO magnets stick to theirs ;) (I kid, I kid).
Josh (husband) and I went hiking up in Northern MN and wanted to find the magnetic rock to see if my magnet would be attracted to it- unfortunately it was not a well mapped or groomed trail and it looked like rain so we turned around before we got there. Rain and I (and my hearing equipment) are not the best of friends.
**Also-this is a biggie-
Music sounds better and better everyday. Sometimes when I look back on my (AWESOME) Wedding, I'm saddened that I couldn't hear/decipher hardly ANY songs. So now, when I go to wedding receptions I just sit and thoroughly enjoy the music. Amazing.
Well that's all I have to share for now! Take care lovelies!
I don't really have much to update you on, but I've tentatively decided to get the other ear done with a CI... we shall see though- I meet with my audiologist on Aug. 23rd and I'll chat with her about it some more. I'm also starting a new job with a new district closer to home therefore, new insurance. So this is a toss up as neither of my insurance options are as great as my previous district, but I'm hoping it's a "necessary procedure" or "preventative" or whatever silly words insurance companies like to throw out there and that it'll be covered as it costs a pretty penny ;) or a pretty arm and a leg- however you look at it!
One annoying thing about having a cochlear implant- when you're laying down and a dog jumps on your head and the magnet disconnects during a great (Sugarland) song. Speaking from experience of course. For those of you who don't know, the magnet connection is basically what turns on and off the sound to my auditory nerve.
I have also discovered that my magnet likes to disconnect if my head gets too close to the car when I jump in, literally it sticks the the car- kind of fun actually. To my dismay, only SOME regular magnets stick to my head- but that still makes me cooler than most of my friends as NO magnets stick to theirs ;) (I kid, I kid).
Josh (husband) and I went hiking up in Northern MN and wanted to find the magnetic rock to see if my magnet would be attracted to it- unfortunately it was not a well mapped or groomed trail and it looked like rain so we turned around before we got there. Rain and I (and my hearing equipment) are not the best of friends.
**Also-this is a biggie-
Music sounds better and better everyday. Sometimes when I look back on my (AWESOME) Wedding, I'm saddened that I couldn't hear/decipher hardly ANY songs. So now, when I go to wedding receptions I just sit and thoroughly enjoy the music. Amazing.
Well that's all I have to share for now! Take care lovelies!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Happy One Year to my Bionic Self!!
It's amazing what one year can do to change your life. Since August 13, 2010 I've been so blessed. More to come later- I'm off to an Irish Fest!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Extreme Heat Warning
"Avoid strenuous activities..." *Will do!
"drink lots of fluids" aka- frequent bathroom visits
"Could feel like 100-115degrees here" ...sick...
By the way- I have one window air unit, so I'm sure I'll be hanging out there ;)
anyway...
It's been almost a year since I've been implanted and there has been a TON of changes. I'm learning more lyrics to songs just by listening to them rather than looking them up online. I realized this after getting the new Blake Shelton CD from a girlfriend of mine! Thanks girly!
Up until yesterday I've been wearing "moleskin" on the backs of my sunglasses because with the scaring I had after the surgery the skin was pretty sensitive. "Moleskin" is made by Dr. Scholls (sp?) and is FABULOUS! Highly recommended if you have any sensitive areas due to rubbing (ideal for shoes).
Another difference I've noticed is that I'm more comfortable on the phone- I still get nervous if I have to make a phone call but I'm slowly getting over it; I may even have enough "bravery" to call the gym I still pay membership dues to and haven't gone to in over a year (pathetic, I know). That's just one example of how much using the phone was torture for me prior to the surgery until now. So... YAY big steps!
One more thing: headbands... cute accessories but where the implant is situated typical headbands won't fit very comfortably- probably the fashion god's way of telling me not to wear headbands, they just don't work.
That is all for now! CIAO!
"drink lots of fluids" aka- frequent bathroom visits
"Could feel like 100-115degrees here" ...sick...
By the way- I have one window air unit, so I'm sure I'll be hanging out there ;)
anyway...
It's been almost a year since I've been implanted and there has been a TON of changes. I'm learning more lyrics to songs just by listening to them rather than looking them up online. I realized this after getting the new Blake Shelton CD from a girlfriend of mine! Thanks girly!
Up until yesterday I've been wearing "moleskin" on the backs of my sunglasses because with the scaring I had after the surgery the skin was pretty sensitive. "Moleskin" is made by Dr. Scholls (sp?) and is FABULOUS! Highly recommended if you have any sensitive areas due to rubbing (ideal for shoes).
Another difference I've noticed is that I'm more comfortable on the phone- I still get nervous if I have to make a phone call but I'm slowly getting over it; I may even have enough "bravery" to call the gym I still pay membership dues to and haven't gone to in over a year (pathetic, I know). That's just one example of how much using the phone was torture for me prior to the surgery until now. So... YAY big steps!
One more thing: headbands... cute accessories but where the implant is situated typical headbands won't fit very comfortably- probably the fashion god's way of telling me not to wear headbands, they just don't work.
That is all for now! CIAO!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Some long time later
Hello faithful followers,
It's a very stormy night, which freaks my nightly-deaf self out as it's supposed to get severe with potential tornadoes and such! Oh well, my THREE (yes, 3 dogs now) are sleeping soundly to the sound of wind, thunder and HEAVY rain- I thought I'd update. So here goes!
I have been BLESSED with the cochlear implant, I have had many compliments on how well I've been hearing (and listening!) I find myself relying so much on the CI rather than my hearing aid, I feel like I'm missing so much when I'm not wearing my CI! I can't even speak specifics of what new sounds that I am hearing- one VERY annoying noise- keys, I have come to HATE wearing my keys on my belt loop while at work, which leads me to misplace them from time to time! Goodness. I ALSO hate the sound of drawers opening and closing, especially the ones in my kitchen- just too loud. I go in next week for another programming and audio appointment- I like doing those- I feel smart when I can repeat words back to the audie (Audiologist). If my dizziness stuff that I was tested for before the actual implant looks all good in August (my 1 year follow up) I would consider getting a 2nd one. But that's a ways out yet, so I'm not even thinking about it yet!
On a not-so-happy note, I've been suffering from migraines, I highly doubt from the CI but one thing I notice with the migraines is the sensitivity to sound... whoda' thunk that I, the girl-once-known- as Andrea Johnson, would be sensitive to sound? Kind of ironic. :) But in a weird way, I like it.
Back to the CI for a moment, the hair has basically all grown back and it's thicker- more coarse than it was before, which causes some unruly cowlicks and flips all crazy-like... but it's ok- it's a new (bionic) me! :)
Thanks for following me! :D
It's a very stormy night, which freaks my nightly-deaf self out as it's supposed to get severe with potential tornadoes and such! Oh well, my THREE (yes, 3 dogs now) are sleeping soundly to the sound of wind, thunder and HEAVY rain- I thought I'd update. So here goes!
I have been BLESSED with the cochlear implant, I have had many compliments on how well I've been hearing (and listening!) I find myself relying so much on the CI rather than my hearing aid, I feel like I'm missing so much when I'm not wearing my CI! I can't even speak specifics of what new sounds that I am hearing- one VERY annoying noise- keys, I have come to HATE wearing my keys on my belt loop while at work, which leads me to misplace them from time to time! Goodness. I ALSO hate the sound of drawers opening and closing, especially the ones in my kitchen- just too loud. I go in next week for another programming and audio appointment- I like doing those- I feel smart when I can repeat words back to the audie (Audiologist). If my dizziness stuff that I was tested for before the actual implant looks all good in August (my 1 year follow up) I would consider getting a 2nd one. But that's a ways out yet, so I'm not even thinking about it yet!
On a not-so-happy note, I've been suffering from migraines, I highly doubt from the CI but one thing I notice with the migraines is the sensitivity to sound... whoda' thunk that I, the girl-once-known- as Andrea Johnson, would be sensitive to sound? Kind of ironic. :) But in a weird way, I like it.
Back to the CI for a moment, the hair has basically all grown back and it's thicker- more coarse than it was before, which causes some unruly cowlicks and flips all crazy-like... but it's ok- it's a new (bionic) me! :)
Thanks for following me! :D
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
One month later!
Hello all! I just want to give a shout out to Kristin S. as she keeps hasslin' me to update this blog- so thank her for this update!
I was just in for some hearing tests and speech testing on the 19th and let me tell you, it was pretty amazing. With the CI alone, I could hear like 86% phonemes (Parts of the words) and 60 some% of whole words (in quiet)- my audiologist was quite impressed "tremendous progress" she noted! With BOTH the hearing aid and the CI I heard 98% of sentences correctly in quiet... "in quiet" means just that- no background noise which isn't entirely realistic but still a HUGE difference from pre-CI! So quite exciting. I also have a new setting on my CI to use the phone... I haven't tried it yet- she recommends using it with a landline and call people who I know well (their voice anyway) I don't have a landline- apparently if you have a data plan on your cell phone (which I do) it could mess with the frequencies and all that fun stuff.
Today I'm setting up my IPOD on my computer to start downloading books from a local library- this should help me with my word recognition- kind of like studying for the collegiate type.
On a semi-side note: There has been a voluntary recall on my implant because 2 people have had shocks, pain and loud noises about 10 days post operation... I'm not concerned about it- I still trust Advanced Bionics and I'm impressed that they are having a voluntary recall after 2 people have had issues, this tells me that they care about ME as a recipient.
Anyway, thank you ALL for your thoughts, prayers and cards throughout this whole process it's been quite a ride!
Have a great Thanksgiving and stay safe!
I was just in for some hearing tests and speech testing on the 19th and let me tell you, it was pretty amazing. With the CI alone, I could hear like 86% phonemes (Parts of the words) and 60 some% of whole words (in quiet)- my audiologist was quite impressed "tremendous progress" she noted! With BOTH the hearing aid and the CI I heard 98% of sentences correctly in quiet... "in quiet" means just that- no background noise which isn't entirely realistic but still a HUGE difference from pre-CI! So quite exciting. I also have a new setting on my CI to use the phone... I haven't tried it yet- she recommends using it with a landline and call people who I know well (their voice anyway) I don't have a landline- apparently if you have a data plan on your cell phone (which I do) it could mess with the frequencies and all that fun stuff.
Today I'm setting up my IPOD on my computer to start downloading books from a local library- this should help me with my word recognition- kind of like studying for the collegiate type.
On a semi-side note: There has been a voluntary recall on my implant because 2 people have had shocks, pain and loud noises about 10 days post operation... I'm not concerned about it- I still trust Advanced Bionics and I'm impressed that they are having a voluntary recall after 2 people have had issues, this tells me that they care about ME as a recipient.
Anyway, thank you ALL for your thoughts, prayers and cards throughout this whole process it's been quite a ride!
Have a great Thanksgiving and stay safe!
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