danke schoen
Like most people with sensorineural hearing loss, I hear higher pitched sounds particularly badly. I have often struggled to hear women with high-pitched voices. A few years back I used to have a business colleague whose voice was particularly high-pitched (and her native language is Spanish) and while I had no trouble in person, I couldn't hear her on conference calls even back in the days when I could hear some people on the phone yet.
So it's not surprising that I'm still working on higher frequencies. Many voices sound really good right now, and even, as noted already, some music. But those pesky high frequencies are still not completely integrated, which makes sound quality less than great for voices with a noticeable high-frequency component.
But this is the deal. I get my mapping, then I rehab, rehab, rehab.
I've also been wearing my hearing aid in my left ear, at my audiologist's suggestion. She wants my left auditory nerve to be getting stimulated, as it will improve the outcome when I get my other CI.
I don't mind, it's actually working surprisingly well with the CI. It doesn't get me much volume - as I've noted before, the CI leaves my natural hearing, even with the hearing aid, completely in the dust. But there's a sort of symbiosis going on here. It's how your two ears are intended to work. Most people don't hear different sounds from each ear, they hear a blend of the input from both, and that's what I seem to be getting. The increase in clarity is impressive. It makes me look forward to having two CIs and getting my rehab to a point where I can have BOTH clarity and volume. But for right now, this is kind of a nice side effect of doing something that my audiologist wants me to do for a completely different reason.
I just wish it didn't feel like cheating. I can't convince myself that using the hearing aid doesn't impede the rehab on the implanted side, somehow.
But it's only for a couple of months. And then surgery! Imagine being this excited about having someone cut into my skull! But it's my main focus right now. By the end of the year I'm looking forward to increasing my hearing clarity by a lot.
Someday I need to go to Innsbruck and thank the people who make these devices. I just can't get past how well this device works, and the complexity of what it does....it's just amazing. My company was part of the development of it - at least, of the mid-80s forerunner of this device. I kind of wish we were still in the CI business. I'd love to be part of bringing this to others who can't hear.
We make good products, and I'm proud of our work. But imagine how gratifying this must be.
So it's not surprising that I'm still working on higher frequencies. Many voices sound really good right now, and even, as noted already, some music. But those pesky high frequencies are still not completely integrated, which makes sound quality less than great for voices with a noticeable high-frequency component.
But this is the deal. I get my mapping, then I rehab, rehab, rehab.
I've also been wearing my hearing aid in my left ear, at my audiologist's suggestion. She wants my left auditory nerve to be getting stimulated, as it will improve the outcome when I get my other CI.
I don't mind, it's actually working surprisingly well with the CI. It doesn't get me much volume - as I've noted before, the CI leaves my natural hearing, even with the hearing aid, completely in the dust. But there's a sort of symbiosis going on here. It's how your two ears are intended to work. Most people don't hear different sounds from each ear, they hear a blend of the input from both, and that's what I seem to be getting. The increase in clarity is impressive. It makes me look forward to having two CIs and getting my rehab to a point where I can have BOTH clarity and volume. But for right now, this is kind of a nice side effect of doing something that my audiologist wants me to do for a completely different reason.
I just wish it didn't feel like cheating. I can't convince myself that using the hearing aid doesn't impede the rehab on the implanted side, somehow.
But it's only for a couple of months. And then surgery! Imagine being this excited about having someone cut into my skull! But it's my main focus right now. By the end of the year I'm looking forward to increasing my hearing clarity by a lot.
Someday I need to go to Innsbruck and thank the people who make these devices. I just can't get past how well this device works, and the complexity of what it does....it's just amazing. My company was part of the development of it - at least, of the mid-80s forerunner of this device. I kind of wish we were still in the CI business. I'd love to be part of bringing this to others who can't hear.
We make good products, and I'm proud of our work. But imagine how gratifying this must be.
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