Roaring Lamb

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Sounds from silence

This short post hasn't got a clue.  Clicks and beeps?  Not after the adjustment period.  This is music I'm hearing, not clicks and beeps!

This five year old has bilaterals or two cochlear implants.  Some babies are getting both surgeries done at the same time, but it is still rare.  She's had her surgeries done at different times.  Here's the link

Another post about kids using FM technology and learning to understand sound.

A long and complex article that talks about a boy implanted at the age of 3 1/2 years and is now 17.  His mother tried to explain why she chose to have him implanted to a gaggle of deaf kids on a class outing to a fastfood place.  The article includes the viewpoint of people who prefer to not implant kids.

The limitations on cochlear implants keeps this girl from getting a CI.  If you have one good ear, you are not eligible....

Post surgery

There's the picture of the lavalava wrap around the turban.  The second picture is two weeks later.

Couldn't wash my hair for a  week, but the turban came off on the second day.  There's a day two photo showing the tape over this incision, but it is too gross to post.

 

I flew  from Honolulu to my hometown on the second day and felt no pressure from the incision.   Could it be because of the pain medication?   I didn't have any swelling until the third day.  That's when it looked like it would develop into a black eye, but it stopped short of that.  I  didn't have a recliner to use which other CI patients suggested to keep the swelling down.  After tossing and turning  I gave up trying to sleep on a mess of pillows and decided sleep was more important than the potiential black eye. 

The pain subsided, but a shooting pain hit at random times over the next month.  That and the constant itching kept me aware that the surgery even occured.  Waiting seemed long, especially since the clinic's schedule couldn't fit me in until Jan 25, six weeks later.  Sound would still depend on my hearing aid until they gave me the CI processor at my next appointment in Honolulu.

What was my surgery like?

Figured today was a good time to backtrack and describe the surgery that took place on Dec 7th.

Things happened with blazing speed once getting off the waiting list for my cochlear implant.  In early Dec. my roommate told me that the clinic wanted me to call them as soon as possible.  The first thing the next morning (Wednesday), the nurse is saying to me "We want you to have your surgery next Tuesday!"  At last my two year wait was coming to an end.

Everything was so rushed, the  local clinic did not know what time my surgery would take place.  All they knew was for me to check in at 11 a.m.  Finally a receptionist in the outpatient surgery area told me the surgery would start after 3 p.m.  The temperature in the waiting room bordered on refrigerator conditions, so I asked if I could come back, and if they had any vibrating pager I could use, but they didn't have one. 

Downstairs in a much warmer lobby, I tried to rest when someone tapped me on the shoulder.  It was the receptionist.  She told me another surgery was canceled, so they would be able to operate just as soon as they prepped me.  Talk about huge transitions in such a short time. 

After answering health questions in triplicate, both written and verbal, I was given something in my IV to help me begin to relax.  Then I asked if I could see the surgeon, since he's only in Hawaii three times a year.  Most of the questions I could have asked him have been answered through the CI yahoo groups I've been reading.  But I remember asking at least three questions, and the only one I can remember was "Where will the magnet sit on my head!"  Seem silly, but I heard people couldn't find the implant spot when it came time to put the headpiece on.  (It still is hard to find that spot because the headpiece magnet is weak)

Afterward they wheeled me into the operating room, where I scooted onto the surgery table from the gurney.  He asked me if I was centered on the metal ridge.  I said yes, and he took my hearing aid and bagged it.  The shadowy room filled with towers of medical devices was the last thing I remember until someone shook my shoulder.  I woke up two hours after entering the operating room.

At the foot of my bed, my surgeon held up his fingers in an "ok" sign, and that was the only indication my surgery was successful.  After being asked if I was nauseated, the anesthesiologist offered medication which he said would make me drowsy.  I didn't care for falling asleep when I wanted to wake up and get out of the hospital so I said no.  I must not have been quite feeling my stomach then, because the nausea did show up several minutes later, along with diarrhea.

About 6:30 they were already pushing me out of the hospital...yup in a wheelchair.  I took one dose of pain medication before leaving and wondered when I'd need more.  Soon found out.  Took another percecot, and it wasn't enough since I waited too long and let the pain build up before taking another.  From then on I took two percecots until the third day, then dropped it to zero by the fifth day.  A pressure turban decorated my head, which I covered with a lavalava, a Hawaiian wrap.  On the way to the hotel, my stomach felt like it planned to rebel, so I kept my eyes closed and missed the awesome Christmas decorations throughout Honolulu.

It's time to quit, and the rest of this story can be in tomorrow's post.  (Which is already here!  It's almost 1 a.m.)

 

To hear again (Dec 2004)

This post written just after my surgery shows how eager I was to get this cochlear implant.

What's happening? Well on Dec 7th, the transmitter portion of the implant was placed under the skin above my left ear. Electrodes travel from the transmitter down inside of the cochlear, the innermost part of the ear that fires electrical impulses that the brain interprets as sound.
 
The transmitter is about the size of a quarter and it has a magnet in the housing. When I see the specialist on Jan 25, I'll receive the processor.
 
The specialist uses a computer to set up all the frequencies according to its most comfortable loudness during the "mapping" session. After he's done, it will be turned on to receive sounds from the world instead of the computer beeps.
 
The electrical impulses will create sensations that will be foreign to my brain. I will not know until that moment whether I’ll be hearing “wah wah wah” or “Can you hear me now?” For sure there will be a lot of “white noise” which could be a computer fan, the crinkling of paper, the footsteps of someone outside the room and it will be hard to know what I’m “hearing.”
 
Like a student learning a new language, I’ll be undergoing hearing training. Part of that process will be reading along in a book while listening to the exact same story on audiotape. Hearing the word and seeing in print will help my brain learn to associate the new electrical impulses coming from my processor with the spoken word.
 
Some patients experienced extremely weird noises that began to form a pattern they could understand. After a few months, these noises seem just like the ones they heard with their hearing aid only much better because the high frequency sounds are being heard. I’ve never heard those high frequency sounds in nearly my entire life. While I can hear the knock on the door (low frequency with help of a hearing aid), I cannot hear the squeak of an office chair…which I guarantee you after my “turn on”, I won’t be rocking any chairs and annoying people any more with that sound.
 
There’s much more to hearing with a cochlear implant that is not told here. If you really want to know, here’s the link to the manufacturer of my device: www.bionicear.com

CI and more in the news

This roundup contains a great story about a hearing dog averting a potiential fire caused by a cat trapped against a heat lamp.

This detailed story follows a boy deafened by spinal meningitis and plays basketball without his cochlear implant.  I dont really agree with the parents because I prefer total communication (sign and speech)  This is more important than making sure a kid doesn't rely on sign language.

A brief excerpt of  Travis' story that appears in March's Good Housekeeping magazine.  Travis received his implant as a baby.

Roundup of CI in the news

Navy and Army work together for patients sake

Seventh grader determined to return to hearing world

Sounds from silence

Listening exercise lists

This list sent to the CIHear yahoo group contains wonderful ideas.  I used it a lot today.

Ideas for Listening Exercises to Augment (Re)Habilitation

ANIMAL SOUNDS

http://www.animalden.net/sounds.htm

SENTENCES

Cochlear website - tools for adults.   Sentence samples -
http://www.cochlear.com/Lifestyle/570.asp

*** Randall's Cyber Listening Lab   - www.esl-lab.com ***

*** Randall's Cyber Listening Lab - basic self-study guide - www.esl-lab.com/guide.htm ***

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ai251/xcarol.html

PARAGRAPHS

http://www.focusenglish.com/dialogues/conversation.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov (click on radio/tv speeches)

http://www.prairiehome.org/listings/200112.shtml

http://www.audio-bible.com

http://www.englishlistening.com/

http://esl.about.com/library/courses/blcourses_beginner_listening.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html

Brain Connection - http://www.brainconnection.com/teasers/

ESL Gold - Listening Practice - Sounds and Distinctions
www.eslgold.com/jsps/site.jsp?resource=pag_stu_pronunciation_sounds

Randall's Listening Lab - A Day at School  -
www.esl-lab.com/elem/elemrd1.htm

Rudenko Book Reader - www.rudenko.com

Help ReadT is FREE software that reads along with you while you do the
reading -http://www.helpread.com/

Audio Books - Recorded books available for sale or rent - CD and Cassette
formats:  http://www.audiobooks.com/ or
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/44/ref=br_bh_1_ab/102-9910858-9624108

Other sources for Audio Books - www.recordedbooks.com  Look for those with
no background music such as the following that other cochlear implant users
have found effective:

Dr. Phil's Life Strategies
Bill O'Reilly's The No-Spin Zone
William J. Bennett's Book of Virtues

A Prairie Home Companion - Show Archives to listen and view -
http://www.prairiehome.org/listings/index.shtml

Software and materials for purchase to build listening skills in adults
and children:

Earobics - www.earobics.com

Fast ForWord - Scientific Learning - www.scientificlearning.com

Better Communication and Cochlear Implants - Users Guide and Journal -
www.hearagainpublishing.com

Building Music Skills:

Noddy Theater - Play a video clip from each of the episodes or sing along
with the "Noddy" puppet songs and fairy tale songs - six animations are
featured.  Listen to audio clips of the Noddy Songs -
http://www.pbs.org/kids/noddy/theater/index.html

Music Lyrics Websites:  See the lyrics of popular songs to help with music
enjoyment with your cochlear implant.  The International Lyrics Server,
http://www.lyrics.ch

The Mudcat Cafe presents The Digital Traditions Folksong Database Search
Page, http://www.deltablues.com/folksearch.html

Annie's website - Tunes and lyrics from the past - 50's and 60's
http://www.buffnet.net/~ambrosia/home.htm

Music from the 50' and 60' with lyrics - http://www.biglyrics.com

Oldies with lyrics  - http://www.buffnet.net/~ambrosia/ or --
http://www.55-57chevys.com/coccc/radoowop.html,
http://ntl.matrix.com.br/pfilho/html/main_index/index.html

Yahoo's Launch - Music videos - http://launch.yahoo.com/musicvideos/

Telephone practice:

Randall's Listening Lab - Phone practice -
http://www.esl-lab.com/phone/phonerd1.htm

800 Directory - Find businesses (such as AMTRAK) that provide toll free
recorded messages for listening practice http://www.inter800.com/

800 numbers with pre-recorded messages:

1-800-829-4477 -- IRS

1-800-772-1213 -- Social Security

1-800-872-7245 - Amtrak

1-800-366-1655 -- American Dietetic Association

1-800-555-8355 - General

Excellent websites for listening practice:

Ellen Rhodes, Cert. AVT - Resource for newly implanted teen or adult -
independent listening practice - Music, sentences, animal sounds -
www.auditoryverbaltraining.com/websites.htm

Emotional and Expressive Synthesized Speech -
http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~cahn/emot-speech.html

Roundup of CI's in the news

USAToday posts a story about a 59 year old woman receiving her implant.  Great details, but lengthy.  Go to Cochlear implant helps woman hear sounds of life

US military helps raise funds for Korean boy.  The writer of this article did not research CI's very much, but it does show a community rallying around helping this child.  Go to Stars and Stripes

Deaf kids and music

This teacher exposes hearing impaired and deaf children to the world of music. This lengthy article looks inside the classroom some of these children also learn to play musical instruments. 

Favorite quote from article: " "A deaf person's perception of music is not the same as someone who has regular hearing, but what they are able to hear becomes music to them."  Check it out  Post is still free until Jan 31st, then subscription is required.

Coming out of the shell

This woman overcomes both hearing loss and low self-esteem.  Read it all