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CI sound processor appointment tomorrow, what to ask during mapping?

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Surprisingly, I managed to make a quick appointment this Monday (waited 7 days).

What’s topic for: does anyone have questions to ask, which I would try to verbalize tomorrow? Perhaps someone has a good idea for the questionsPerhaps someone has a good idea for the questions.

Personally, I’ll ask about:

  1. Printouts about my previous RemoteChecks with my results from e. g. my 3-digit hearing in noise test.

  2. Making second SCAN2 program, but with all electrodes active (like in Music program) instead of n of m stimulation (where n is usually 8 to 12 electrodes out of 22).

  3. Setting mixing ratio 100% for streaming, 0% microphone, because it is troublesome to constantly silencing the environment in the Nucleus smart app.

Any ideas?

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Will you be testing word understanding? The results would say if you need to bump up the volume. I know you work hard to improve your hearing.

I personally like a little environmental sound when streaming. A guess would be around 20%.

Have you taken notes on your hearing in different environments? This has always worked well for me and my audiologist. You have the N8, correct?

@Raudrive said:

Will you be testing word understanding?

I hope so. In Jan 2024 there was 80% with single-syllable words ( only, ear covered by cabin soundbooth headphones). That was with N6, but with current N8 it theoretically shouldn’t influence in quiet conditions.

My life hasn’t been diverse lately, I only was participating in parties last weekend and realised that voices are less pronounced even with new mics filters compared to streaming.

I want to test my hypothesis if providing “music” experience (all electrodes activated) there will be more speech cues. However, that could also ve detrimental in noisy places, because some electrodes may provide more noise than speech information. I’ll see if SCAN2 can manage that issue without choosing only 8-12 electrodes at once.

@Raudrive said:

I personally like a little environmental sound when streaming. A guess would be around 20%.

I have that “20%” already from my HA side, even with HA turned off - the earplug effect from the power domes isn’t total. :sweat_smile:

Yes, I have N8. I wonder if I should take N6 as a spare to the appointment.

@Bimodal_user said:

However, that could also ve detrimental in noisy places, because some electrodes may provide more noise than speech information. I’ll see if SCAN2 can manage that issue without DSP choosing only 8-12 electrodes at once.

This is one of those things that I believe needs to be done by the brain but it takes lots of practice in those environments. Most people don’t have the patience or time to do this so SCAN 2 just might be the answer. I do not use SCAN. I would really like to know how this works out since I am in a position to upgrade anytime now.

In reply to @Raudrive

@Raudrive said:

This is one of those things that I believe needs to be done by the brain but it takes lots of practice in those environments.

Indeed. That is exactly my hypothesis which I want to test.

I wonder if I should disable Whisper feature in that “SCAN2-all electrodes” program, because this “amplifies” much quiet sounds, which are usually unnecessary for talking.

@Raudrive said:

I do not use SCAN. I would really like to know how this works out since I am in a position to upgrade anytime now.

You can test your hypothesis by using Music program all day (± activating Forward Focus,
directionality when necessary).

However, I think that overlaying SCAN2 features on Music program I could obtain the best of “two worlds”, because same Music program is too overstimulating for me and amplifies so much noises, making speech understanding very, very hard and discouraging.

@Raudrive said:

Most people don’t have the patience or time to do this so SCAN 2 just might be the answer.

Its all depend on also how much nerve fibers they have preserved. If much of original quantity, your and mine theory should work (probably), but when there is less nerve fibers, additional processing is essential.

I wonder, what @ssa thinks about our consideration. He has good understanding in noise, IIRC, I wonder if he used the SCAN2 program for testing.

@Bimodal_user said:

I wonder if I should disable Whisper feature in that “SCAN2-all electrodes” program, because this “amplifies” much quiet sounds, which are usually unnecessary for talking.

This is an interesting concept. My point about letting the brain organize sounds as needed eliminates processed sounds. My biggest complaints about hearing aids and processors is the manipulation of sounds by these devices. With hearing aids it is useful due to the hearing loss itself but with there is not a loss of hearing. With SCAN on and other sound manipulations from the processors the brain is constantly fighting the processor technology. It’s frustrating for me when this happens in certain noisy situations. Wind is a good example. The sound reduction caused by wind also shuts down speech making it very difficult to understand someone standing right beside me. I actually do pretty good in restaurants and similar. I rarely it ever make any changes on the Nucleus Smart app. I have found they usually do not help. I do better with my brain.

All this brain learning takes time. Most people do not have the patience to deal with this. They want instant gratification. My being retired has helped with this I am sure. If I had a job and was raising children it would be much different.

Sorry to get off subject. Your appointment tomorrow should be about you. I like your ideas.

@Bimodal_user said:

Printouts about my previous RemoteChecks with my results from e. g. my 3-digit hearing in noise test.

Hehe, I had my annual back in May. I coped a lecture for not doing last year’s remote check. I just couldn’t be bothered. I promptly told them when they give us more than

“Thank you for completing the remote check. Your results are consistent with the last remote check which is great.” (Copied from my last result)

I’ll start doing them again. She wrote that I would like a descent response to my remote check. OOPS!

In reply to @Bimodal_user

@Bimodal_user said:

You can test your hypothesis by using Music program all day (± activating Forward Focus,
directionality when necessary).

I use scan 2FF all the time now, with my music program the background noise sounds like I have a jet plane roaring along beside me, if I’m just listening to music in the house here I stay with scan2FF. I only switch to music program if I’m going to a live concert.

Edited

To sum up my appointment:

  1. New programs:

    1. SCAN2 with 8 maximas just as it has been so far
    2. New SCAN2 with 10 maximas - potentially poorer hearing in noise, because of more input, but also potentially better sound quality, fuller sound and better hearing in quiet - we will see. I plan to use that program for rehabilitation to activate more nerve fibers and brain areas.
    3. Non SCAN (Everyday?) program with FF (ForwardFocus) - idea of the fitter
    4. Music, but with 10 maximas instead of 8.

  1. Streaming is immediately without mixing with microphones input (I have ear for situational awareness)

  2. Overall a bit more stimulation (i.e. louder), giving me possibility to increase CL if necessary. Previously I had it maxxed out without possibility to increase over 215.

  3. I tried to access reports from RemoteChecks with my , but she couldn’t log in to the Cochlear servers for a few days.

  4. Surprisingly, despite I feel I hear significantly better than in last appointment (now I can listen to podcasts even without turning HA mics off) - I had only 40% in one-syllable words test. 2.5 years ago it was 80%, strange.

I like your changes. They might eat up more battery life??

Curious how you feel about the non scan program.

Do you have master volume control?

Are you at 80% single word understanding? I thought you were close to that a year ago or so.

@Raudrive said:

They might eat up more battery life??

Probably, but I haven’t made strict evaluation of battery life previously. For now, I don’t experience shortening of battery life.

@Raudrive said:

Curious how you feel about the non scan program.

Too little time to say something specific.

@Raudrive said:

Are you at 80% single word understanding?

I were, in Jan 2024 (set of one-syllable words). I don’t know why it’s poorer now, I don’t feel I hear worse.

The reason I asked about master bolus control is it gives you the ability to really make volume changes if you want. Intended to push for more volume which improved my understanding. I remember my audiologist saying I was like the children he works with. They like the loud sounds. All I knew was it improved my word understanding.

Do you feel like your hearing aid is the same loudness as your ? A good friend of mine is . He kept his hearing aid ascloud or louder than the CI. This held him back from progressing with his CI for along time. He happens to be going bilateral on about a month.

Edited
@Raudrive said:

The reason I asked about master bolus control is it gives you the ability to really make volume changes if you want.

Oh, missed that question. Yes, in addition to normal volume control I have clinical level control. Now in 217, can adjust up to 225.

@Raudrive said:

Do you feel like your hearing aid is the same loudness as your CI?

Previously (in 2024 - early 2025) was louder than . Now, “it’s depend” - louder in high frequencies (especially 6-8 kHz), not necessarily in lower.

@Raudrive said:

A good friend of mine is bimodal. He kept his hearing aid ascloud or louder than the CI. This held him back from progressing with his CI for along time. He happens to be going bilateral on about a month.

Probably I remember him, you said about him about 3-4 years ago. Good luck for him.

In reply to @Raudrive

@Bimodal_user said:

potentially poorer hearing in noise, because of more input, but also potentially better sound quality

Would reducing your sensitivity in places with loud background noise be beneficial?

@Bimodal_user said:

RemoteChecks

Interesting your couldn’t access it. My remote check is due this month. It hasn’t arrived as yet. I’m getting ready to leave the country in 5 days to float around the Mediterranean for 3 weeks.

@Bimodal_user said:

Previously I had it maxxed out without possibility to increase over 215.

WOW! That’s a huge volume. Is this volume boost what you need to be able to hear with good clarity? I’m sitting on 160…

@Bimodal_user said:

potentially poorer hearing in noise, because of more input, but also potentially better sound quality

@Deaf_piper said:

Would reducing your sensitivity in places with loud background noise be beneficial?

I haven’t tested it yet :sweat_smile:

@Deaf_piper said:

Interesting your HCP couldn’t access it

I saw it by my own eyes, because I looked on her screen and I saw pop-upped server problem messages.

@Bimodal_user said:

Previously I had it maxxed out without possibility to increase over 215.

@Deaf_piper said:

WOW! That’s a huge volume. Is this volume boost what you need to be able to hear with good clarity? I’m sitting on 160…

It’s highly individual. Resistance of my electrodes are low, I can’t say why I need more current. I don’t know if it depends on how large is particular patients.

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