Last Tuesday, November 17, I went to see Dr. Schwaber to see if I qualify to go biateral. He asked me how I was doing and said that he would like to look at the chart and to see how my hearing test was. He asked me how I was doing with the hearing aid, and could see by the test that I had lost all my hearing, but 5%.
He told me that he had noticed that I had a generic hearing loss with the shrinking of the canals, but that was not the reason why loss my hearing. He said that my ear just gave out, but he did ask me if there was anyone else in my family that had the shrinking of the canals and I told him yes. My grandmother did she was alive and that my uncle had it also. He told me to be sure that I have the hearing tests done on the boys once a year and that we need to keep an eye on the them if there seems to be a change in their hearing.
He said let's get back to the evaluation. He said ,actually you do qualify for the second implant but I was hoping that you would be able to wear a hearing aid and the implant for a little bit longer. I told him that I had a hard time hearing with the cochlear implant hearing aid together.
He said that there was a lot of people that are like that and have a hard time, because there are two different types of sounds coming together from two different devices. You're one of these people They can't handle the cochlear and the hearing aid together. He said he was surprised and shocked that I was doing so well on my left ear and that I had a mild hearing loss, he also said that he could tell that I have been working hard on getting my hearing at that level. For me to continue to keep up my practices and exercises up. He said, unfortunately, we will have to do another CAT scan because of insurance requires it. I told him that his wife and I think that I do not need to have another CAT scan done and that we could go with along with the one that we had from the first evaluation. He laughed and said I have to trust my wife on this one. He added that we are going to set your surgical date. I told him that we have already have a surgical date set for December 30, 2009 and he said cool, you guys are ahead of me. He smiled and laughed, and said I will see you on December 30.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Opening Of The New Advanced Bionics Nashville chapter
On October 26, 2009 Advanced Bionics held a kickoff for their new Nashville Chapter. Elizabeth McDonald an audiologist from Advanced Bionics and Kelly Harris were the speakers at the kickoff. Elizabeth started off by welcoming everyone to the kickoff and had everyone introduce themselves. Elizabeth then told everyone about the Bionic Ear Association.
We were asked if anyone was mentor and volunteer. They talked about, what the mentor and volunteer does for the Bionic Ear Association (BEA) and we were asked if anyone else who would like to be one. After she talked about the BEA, and we discussed when we would have a chapter meetings, the time and the place. We decided that we would have the meeting every three months and that we would have them at the Nashville public Library in downtown Nashville. We also talked about "a walk for hearing"in the spring, but that will be discussed at the next meeting when the time and date will be set.
The new Nashville Chapter is for people that are recipients and people that have the AB Cochlear Implant to come together and talk about their story's and to get to know one another, as well as to family members of CI users to get support and help with questions that need to be answered.
Members in the chapter want to reach out to others because there are some people that do not know about the AB Cochlear Implant. We want, share information and providing support through the process of evaluations, surgeries, mappings, or any other experience unique to the hearing impaired and users of cochlear implants. We hope this Chapter will be a big success and will be helpful to many that are hard of hearing that are seeking information on AB cochlear implants and CI users.
Thank you Advanced Bionics for this new chapter for the counties in the state of Tennessee and the surrounding areas. Thank you again for this wonderful technology to help others hear again.
We were asked if anyone was mentor and volunteer. They talked about, what the mentor and volunteer does for the Bionic Ear Association (BEA) and we were asked if anyone else who would like to be one. After she talked about the BEA, and we discussed when we would have a chapter meetings, the time and the place. We decided that we would have the meeting every three months and that we would have them at the Nashville public Library in downtown Nashville. We also talked about "a walk for hearing"in the spring, but that will be discussed at the next meeting when the time and date will be set.
The new Nashville Chapter is for people that are recipients and people that have the AB Cochlear Implant to come together and talk about their story's and to get to know one another, as well as to family members of CI users to get support and help with questions that need to be answered.
Members in the chapter want to reach out to others because there are some people that do not know about the AB Cochlear Implant. We want, share information and providing support through the process of evaluations, surgeries, mappings, or any other experience unique to the hearing impaired and users of cochlear implants. We hope this Chapter will be a big success and will be helpful to many that are hard of hearing that are seeking information on AB cochlear implants and CI users.
Thank you Advanced Bionics for this new chapter for the counties in the state of Tennessee and the surrounding areas. Thank you again for this wonderful technology to help others hear again.
A New Journey Has Begun Going Bilateral
The evaluation on November 13,2009
It seem like it was yesterday, and I was getting the evaluation for the first implant and that time has flown by so fast that it's hard to believe it only been 10 months ago. I have been doing a lot of thinking in the last two weeks about how my hearing has been doing the last 10 months. But the last two months been struggling on hearing and understanding what people are saying and I know something had to be wrong with my hearing in my right ear, and knowing deep inside something was really wrong with my hearing. Now, my left ear has been doing pretty good in the listening room practices and exercise.
It was scoring at 86% in quiet and 76% when background noise was going on as I was doing the replacement test. On Friday the 13Th, I went for my hearing test evaluation to see if I qualify for the second implant. When I got there, she asked how I was doing on my hearing with the hearing aid alone. And told her that I was really struggling to understand what somebody was saying. And then I had to look at them to lip read.
She said okay, let's do a test and see where you stand on your hearing in your right ear and see how well you do with CI ear by itself. And then we will talk about it. So she put me in testing both and hook me up she told me to push the button when I hear sounds and when they beeped without a hearing aid or CI in.
Then she came back in and told me to put CI back in, and she said I'm going to test you to see how well you can hear the sounds that are coming out of the speaker. I said okay, so she tested me, and then she came back in and told me to put the hearing aid back in, and then she was going to play a man's voice, and he is going to say sentences with background noise, and and she wanted me to repeat what I heard or not to say anything if I didn't understand it.
Ater all the testing was done she told me how I was doing and showed me the chart where my hearing stood. She said it was good news, and I qualify for the second implant and the bad news was that I had lost all my hearing, but 5%. But she said that I would lose that percentage when I have the surgery done and she said it was not much to lose. The other good news was that my left ear in low tones was ranging in the mild hearing loss and that my high frequencies could be better, but we can work on it. She also said once we get the surgery done I can come back to get activated that we would work on balancing the ears to where I could understand everything and that she was going to contact the insurance company and give her report to them .Then we would have to wait for the letter to come back, She told me to come back on Tuesday, November 17 at 11:30 AM to see the surgeon.
After all of this, I've come to realize that this is a blessing from the Lord to give me this wonderful technology to hear again and to help others like me. And to help professionals such as nurses, doctors learn how to communicate with us when we are in the hospital, offices, clinics. This wonderful technology is letting me help others with their upcoming surgeries and their research for the best Cochlear Implant that is right for them. Thank you Advance Bionics for giving me my hearing back.
It seem like it was yesterday, and I was getting the evaluation for the first implant and that time has flown by so fast that it's hard to believe it only been 10 months ago. I have been doing a lot of thinking in the last two weeks about how my hearing has been doing the last 10 months. But the last two months been struggling on hearing and understanding what people are saying and I know something had to be wrong with my hearing in my right ear, and knowing deep inside something was really wrong with my hearing. Now, my left ear has been doing pretty good in the listening room practices and exercise.
It was scoring at 86% in quiet and 76% when background noise was going on as I was doing the replacement test. On Friday the 13Th, I went for my hearing test evaluation to see if I qualify for the second implant. When I got there, she asked how I was doing on my hearing with the hearing aid alone. And told her that I was really struggling to understand what somebody was saying. And then I had to look at them to lip read.
She said okay, let's do a test and see where you stand on your hearing in your right ear and see how well you do with CI ear by itself. And then we will talk about it. So she put me in testing both and hook me up she told me to push the button when I hear sounds and when they beeped without a hearing aid or CI in.
Then she came back in and told me to put CI back in, and she said I'm going to test you to see how well you can hear the sounds that are coming out of the speaker. I said okay, so she tested me, and then she came back in and told me to put the hearing aid back in, and then she was going to play a man's voice, and he is going to say sentences with background noise, and and she wanted me to repeat what I heard or not to say anything if I didn't understand it.
Ater all the testing was done she told me how I was doing and showed me the chart where my hearing stood. She said it was good news, and I qualify for the second implant and the bad news was that I had lost all my hearing, but 5%. But she said that I would lose that percentage when I have the surgery done and she said it was not much to lose. The other good news was that my left ear in low tones was ranging in the mild hearing loss and that my high frequencies could be better, but we can work on it. She also said once we get the surgery done I can come back to get activated that we would work on balancing the ears to where I could understand everything and that she was going to contact the insurance company and give her report to them .Then we would have to wait for the letter to come back, She told me to come back on Tuesday, November 17 at 11:30 AM to see the surgeon.
After all of this, I've come to realize that this is a blessing from the Lord to give me this wonderful technology to hear again and to help others like me. And to help professionals such as nurses, doctors learn how to communicate with us when we are in the hospital, offices, clinics. This wonderful technology is letting me help others with their upcoming surgeries and their research for the best Cochlear Implant that is right for them. Thank you Advance Bionics for giving me my hearing back.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
What Has Been Going On Since Activation
Me ,Debbie Bottles and Her Brother Steve At The AB Social
June 18, 2009 In Nashville,Tn
Me ,Janet w. Haines, and Eric Schloss At The AB Social
June 18,2009 In Nashville, Tn
Evelyn Garner and Me At The AB Social
June 18,200 In Nashville, TN
The First Mapping
on March 3, 2009 I had My first mapping on my cochlear implant since activation.It was recommended that you take notes of what I could hear or not hear.My audiologist told me that I did not have all my higher frequencies turned on last week because they were hurting my ear.Today,she turned on some of the higher frequencies and man it made a big a different on the way things sound....She said that I shocked her on how well I could hear her.
I trucks on the road from the eighth floor in the building.I could hear the dial tone on the phone on a low setting.I could hear the birds today, and that was awesome.My audiologist also said that she was shocked that I was practicing 3 to 4 times a day, and that I was leaving the hearing aid out all day.
She wanted me to go bilateral too, were both ears will be done.I had ringing in my right ear, really bad and they gave me medicine to try to calm it down.She told me that I was wearing the program hi Res fidelity 120.I go back on Monday, March 30, and John will go with me.
John said that I whisper, since I've been activated and its fanny, and he Say's huh?.... I laughed so hard tears rolled down my face.It feels so good not to have people to repeating to me all the time and it gets better and better..... this year is going to be an awesome year.Thanks to my family and friends for their support.
The Second Mapping
on March 30, I went for my second mapping at audiologist office she said,It's been one month since I've seen you. She looked at my notes and talked to John to find out how things were going. I told her that I have been working hard all my practice. She told me to stop practicing so hard it sits back and smell the roses.... as the old saying goes.
She said"don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you want to work so hard, but the deal is that your brain needs a rest and not to do it eight hours a day. You can practice every day just do it 1 to 2 hours. That should be enough"then she asked to trim his mustache and his beard away from his mouth So,I can lip read easier.
She told me to practice on, just hearing the sounds around me, everyday sounds. She said that she had changed my settings and let's try to see if You can't understand John. I could understand John and her are really well. My audiologist, tell me that everything was turned on, and on program one She put Hi Res-S map, and program two was hi Res-P map and program three was increased sensitivity for quiet, TV, or distance listening. She said that she wanted me to try all three programs to see which one I like best. Then, audiologists said she wanted to schedule to see me in two months. But if I needed her before that, to call and she would work me in to see her. So now I'm hearing great and understanding. It feels awesome!!!!
Hearing New Sounds
on April 15 I have been so busy. Not just working on the blog, all of us being sick and all the tornado warnings out, and other than that things are going great. I've been hearing new sounds like the tornado sirens When they went off and I've never heard that before, and when I go for walks on the Green way I could hear the frogs, woodpeckers, crickets and the water in the creek beside the path. I can hear music in understand the words in the song and hear on the phone.
now, when someone calls me I have to take it slow to where I can hear what the person is saying but, in the last two days I can hear the computer running,the water running from another room, and hear the boys game boys playing as they were doing their games.
Now I've tried each program this week, and I'll was on the P-program hi Res fidelity 120 and things were really loud and I had to turn the volume down so, I've learned a lot of new words on the listening room, and I have not done that in two weeks.
I am learning new sounds and new words each day, and it's hard to put it in words of what I am feeling, but I can say that things are going great. And I'm taking one day at a time.
The Warm Welcome In Jeremy's Classroom
On April 28, I want to Jeremy's classroom today and to watch the class for his teacher. So she can get things done that need to be turned into the office. It was my first time back since my surgery and they gave me the warmest welcome back with lots of hugs. There was questions about how I was doing on my hearing, and they asked if they could help me practice up on words. I told them sure, and to go-ahead. So I took my hearing aid out, and they ask me words in different tones and different voices. And they asked if they could give me a test to see how well I was doing. And I said sure, and I repeated the words from the Young boys and girls. And they said "WOW" that IS amazing that you can hear out of that ear. Then I asked how that works, I showed him my processor and let them see it and touch it. They said "WOW" that's cool , Ms. Widener. It was great having you here today and we hope that you will come back and substitute our class.
The Third Mapping
It was June 24,2009 When I had my third mapping. I took my notes to show the audiologist on what I can hear and not hear in the last to months. I told her that I did a replacement test on Hearing Journey.com. And told her that my score was 76%. she was happy to hear that I was doing so well on the listening practice. I also told her that I was trying to do the listening practice with background noise to see how well I can focus.
My audiologist hooked me up to the computer and said right off the my high frequencies were to high and not even. The girl that she was training had set me to high. so she turned me down to 5, she said that this setting she put me on would be much better.
My son James was with me that day, and she asked him what I was having a hard time with, he said that I was having a hard time hearing daddy (hubby), which was true.
we worked on the three programs for two hour, and that my audiologist thought that I would really do good with.
Well, she was right! She had James stand a little ways behind me and had him talk to me. I heard every word and understood what he was saying . The first program that was for noisy places. the second one was for TV, and one -on-conversations. the third one was just like the first one, but just a little louder.
When I got home, John and the boys said that I was whispering, and that I need to talk louder. Again it was funny that they was the one's going huh? I have to go back on July 20 th for a hearing test to see if I need a new hearing aid in the right ear.
Meet The People From Hearing Journey
On June 18, 2009 John and the boys and I went to the Advanced Bionic social at the convention center in Nashville, Tennessee. When I got there , I got to met Bethanne, Katie,Eric, Evelyn, Abbie, Tina ,Sam and Jennifer along with many others I met on hearing journey forum.
They help me every step of the way from the time that I had to pick out my processor to the time of surgery, activation and mappings. They also help me understand the learning to hear again takes time, patience and practice.
These people are one of the most sweetest group of people. They gave me as well as my family,determination and a positive outlook on the days to come.Iam grateful to have these people in my life, who have helped me every step of the way. I do hope that I get to go to Milwaukee, WI in June 2010 for the HLAA convention that will be held there.
The Hearing Test To See What's Going On
On July 20, 2009 I went to my audiologist to see if I need a new hearing aid or if there was something wrong. The first thing they did was to test the hearing aid to see to see if it was messed up. The second thing they did was to test my hearing to see if it was changed in the last six months before.
We found out there was nothing wrong with the hearing aid and, she told me that I had a gotten where my brain was having trouble understanding with the hearing aid and the CI together.I was told that my right ear is down enough to where I can get the second implant and she told me not to wear my hearing aid for three months until my next mapping. They also wanted me to talk to the CI audiologist to see if she wanted me to get another CI or to wear the hearing aid for the time being.
The CI audiologist told me that my brain cannot handle the hearing aid and the CI together andfoe ne to keep the hearing aid out ,and to try to give my brian time to adjust and then we will talk about it at the next mapping.
The Fourth Mapping
On September 30, 2009 I went on my Fourth mapping, and the audiologist ask me how things were going and I told her that I was getting dizzy at times , I had to take the off the CI or take the hearing aid out and to order for me to stop getting dizzy.I told her that I know that she told me to keep the hearing aid out. But there was times that I needed the hearing aid to understand John, but, it didn't help. It just made things worse, and I told her that the processor or the head piece was kicking off and on as well. And That I was having trouble with the words that sound the same such as cool, tool, pool.
so, she said that she would change my programming back to the S- program, and she checked my processor, and the head piece. she said she notice that it was kicking off and on.She had a new processor at her office and she put the head piece on the new processor, and it was not kicking off and that it was not the head piece and it was the old processor that was messing up. she said that she had already change the program back to S-program. she said the she would like to see if I could understand her with something in front of her mouth with the rhyming words and the same sounding word .She told that she thought that the program that I had from the last mapping was to strong for me for that right ear.
she said that I have three new programs, the fist one was set at reduced sensitivity for the car noise and restaurant, the second program was for everyday listening, three was increased sensitivity for distance, phone, maybe TV, and a soft-spoken person. And she ask me if I did a replacement test and I told her yes,that it was a score of 86% and she was really happy about how the right ear was doing. She ask me to think about going bilateral and to let her know was I decided.
My Decision On Going Bilateral
On October 30,2009 John and I talked about how well I was doing on my hearing and we talked about how I would probably do if I was to go bilateral. so we called the insurance company to see how much we would have to pay out-of-pocket.so, on November 2, I called My CI audiologist and told her my decision. she told me good, I told her what that insurance company told John that if they approve me to get the second implant and that I need to get it done before December 31 of this year so that I would only have to pay a small amount out-of-pocket.
She said okay and that she would get back to me as soon as she can find out if they can do the surgery before December 31. That afternoon she called me back and told me that I have appointment with her on November 13 at 12 o'clock noon. For me to have the hearing test and the evaluation and that I had an appointment with the surgeon on November 17, and that she had scheduled the surgery for December 30,2009 at 7:30 am if the insurance approves for the surgery.
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