my next audio appt is 3/19. A little longer than I woudl have expected
This got me to thinking about my second appointment. Without double checking I believe mine was at a month. Things really started changing for me after the second appointment. At 2 months I knew I would go bilateral and began the process to get that done. At 3 months I did get the second implant.
Your progress has been faster than mine so I would expect you to do every bit as good as I have at least. This may be part of the robot controlled implant too, not sure.
My first month was very frustrating at times because I did not do as well as many I had read about. I really wondered if I had made a huge mistake. Then the second appointment happened and things got better and better.
Something I wanted to ask you to try is streaming an old known TV show to your implant with captions on. This was a night/day learning experience for me.
I got mine as soon as I could so I could ditch my glasses - the surgery for both was cheaper than a new pair of glasses. Very pleased. If you have any trouble driving at night, you qualify. It feels much safer now. I’m 61
Honestly, that was part of my argument to the surgeon for moving forward early. I said I was already without one sense, don’t want to be without two. Made sense to him.
@Raudrive, I posted a 6 week update in another thread. I’m curious about what changed with your second appointment. I requested an earlier one (2 weeks after the initial) because I could tell my mapping was off and I was experiencing a very noticeable screech. The system uses anatomy based fitting that uses the post op scan to measure the exact position of each electrode. When I asked if that had been done, I was told it was not!
In the MED-EL forum others encourage me to make the change now rather than later. Those who waited for 2-4 months found that the change meant they had to start all over again as they had gotten use to the default mapping. After my change to the ABF mapping, the quality of my hearing improved noticeably. Why this was not done right from the beginning is puzzling, because it abandons or as a minimum delays what the manufacturer recommends to do.
So my conclusion is you should never just assume things are the best they can be. If something doesn’t match what you were expecting, ask questions.
I’m curious about what changed with your second appointment
I really don’t know the specific answer to your question. What did happen is after word and sentence understanding tests he made some changes based on what I did and did not understand. He also cranked the volume up substantially. These changes helped immediately in the office. That’s when my speech understanding started really going up over the next month or so.
The scan is available on the hospital’s MyChart, but I am no clinician and not able to know what I am looking at. I have asked to see the otoplan with the actual placement. Want to be assured there was no translocation during insertion. Still looking for an explanation of the hearing loss from outside sound, but ample hearing for sound produced inside my head.
The audi set 4 volume settings in the SP and I have gone to level 3 and even there cut back on the volume control for now.
Well its been 3 months since activation and I thought I would provide an update. I have experienced several things:
Insertion was completed and no translocation occurred. The array is located where it should be.
Per the hospital’s practice the initial mapping was the default one and the ABF mapping from the scan was installed later and is now being used. The quality is much better. It showed all frequencies to be a bit lower based on location.
I have determined that I in fact have some residual hearing but it is primarily at low frequencies (<500 Hz). So the sounds of my pulse, ear pops or ear tap were being picked up at the apix region.
An of my implanted ear showed almost a complete match to the pre-op test! However the volume is much lower and still no sound in the higher frequency areas where the array resides. This leads me to question the value of audiograms to measure hearing capacity.
Progress towards understanding words and sounds improves, but slowly. The most noticable change has been the ability to hear higher frequency sounds. Outside noises, phone ringing or the kids voices are much clearer.
I was prepared for the possibility of loss of residual hearing. That said, I was surprised that this has occurred despite every effort to preserve it - selection of a lateral array that was inserted completely within the ST, use of very slow and steady robotic insertion and use of steroids to reduce inflammation. I have yet to hear an explanation about why most of my natural hearing was lost. Given that so much of the effort by manufacturers of these systems has been directed to improving the quality of hearing including preservation of natural hearing, I have the sense that even after all this effort, they have a poor understanding about the factors that affect this.
For those who are considering a who have some level of natural hearing, the idea they could lose all this for a benefit that comes with significant change in their hearing experience, requires a leap of faith. Maybe saying that the technology has improved to the point that residual natural hearing will likely be retained helps them with this even if it not likely.
On balance though I am happy I made this change as the net benefits are positive and noticeable,
Your progress is very similar to mine. The higher frequencies were the last sounds to make any sense. The lower frequencies were the first to make some sense. If you continue to improve as I did it will take a year or two to really enjoy your new hearing. I am nearing 4 years and still learn new sounds often.
I was told to expect to lose 30% of my residual hearing after the implant. So 30% of not much is not much… Your description of of residual hearing is similar to mine. One ear more so than the other, without the processors I am deaf except the tinnitus.
Do you know the word understanding from the CI ear only? It’s kind of fun to keep up with this information. Speech understanding in noise should also improve with both ears now when out and about.
@Raudrive I spend much of the day with only the on, leaving my off. The goal is to try to improve my understanding better and not just rely on the HA. I only do the drills with the CI, no HA. SO far all have been in a quite setting and without background noise.
I work with Hearos the most. Probably the best app they have recommended. The drills include 3 settings - without background noise, outdoor noise and urban noise. They chart every drill. Pitch discrimination and M/N are my biggest challenge I have used Amptify, but find it too slow and confusing.
I can definitely see improvements in a crowded setting, but still have a way to go. Still working out streaming and phones. With all the devices that come with the CI () this too can be confusing.
@jcech , I like your rehab process. If it’s the right thing for you, perfect. We are all different.
Recognizing certain sounds are not right or difficult is a great way to help your audiologist. Each vowel and consonant has a certain sound that the audiologist can adjust during mappings. My audiologist word and sentence tested me to find my weak areas. Then adjusted the mappings to correct this. This proved to help my speech understanding big time.
I streamed old known TV reruns with closed captioning on. This helped me more than anything. We all have to figure out what helps each of us. It sounds like you are doing great.
@jcech thank you for your update. I also like your rehab process. Like you I list some residual through the operation. I still had enough left to use the EAS attachment. At 15 months post surgery that residual dropped off My EAS was removed. My rehab was similar to @Raudrive I streamed library books for hours.
Funnily enough my son called me on the phone one night when I was in bed with no “ears” on. Not thinking I put my phone speaker to my ear as that was always my dominant ear. As long as I pushed the phone against my ear I could hear and understand him. It was a struggle though, I still have some hearing in that ear, not that’s it’s at all useful. Sadly no one can explain why our residual drops off. I have to wonder if it’s age related, as that would make sense.
I’m very glad to hear your rehab is going well for you.
I feel so blessed that I didn’t have any issues after my processors were turned on. I could understand conversations well. I remember sitting outside on my deck with one postop six months & My princess Leah ear cover over my new implant. I was hearing a sound that I could not recognize and I happen to look up and realize it was an airplane I was hearing. What joy and excitement! Sometimes there are still sounds that I’m not sure what they are or where they are coming from but being part of the hearing world once again is a blessing!
I was hearing a sound that I could not recognize and I happen to look up and realize it was an airplane I was hearing. What joy and excitement! Sometimes there are still sounds that I’m not sure what they are or where they are coming from but being part of the hearing world once again is a blessing!
Welcome to the forum.
For me I learned new sounds for 3-4 years, maybe more. Loud environments I am still learning but doing pretty good.
It is a thrill hearing something new. At first it’s overwhelming but over time it becomes very manageable. Are you 6 months ? Or bilateral?
Hi all am at post activation day 2
I read all your comments and its really informative
Can anyone tell me … the streaming apps did you stream on speaker or the bluetooth?
Thanks in advance
Texas Hill Country
I have used Amptify, but find it too slow and confusing.
Melbourne
Poland