Good Article

A friend forwarded this article from the washingtonian magazine. It's about the experience of an author working with a Deaf student/writer. The author also has hearing loss and has a cochlear implant but his experience and views differ greatly from the student's. It touches on the multitude of perspectives that intertwine among the hard of hearing/deaf/Deaf individuals who ultimately live a hearing world. I can relate to some of the author's experiences. Read on:

http://www.washingtonian.com/print/articles/6/0/16737.html

New news

This came out on July 23, 2010 but check it out: The FDA has approved a rechargeable battery system for the Nucleus 5 system! This means that I, along with the many others who have received the N5 since last October has or will be receiving the rechargeable batteries soon. I have not received mine but am waiting for it's arrival. The rechargeable batteries also mean that the N5 sound processor can be surmerged under water for up to 30 minutes. I will be able to wear my N5 around the pool without worrying!

I am continuing to wear my CI everyday from the time as much as I can. Sometimes I even wear it while working out. However, the sounds of the cardio machines and weights dropping are really not that pleasant. I unfortunately am not doing as much rehab exercises as I should but am doing well when I have both hearing aid and cochlear implant on. I am working on getting a new hearing aid soon as mine is almost 4 years old and am afraid it might go out again soon...

In other news, I am now working as an audiologist at Ear, Nose, Throat office (ENT Associates) in Chesterfield. I have now been here for 5 weeks. Yay! It's great to finally put all my hard work to use! I do not see cochlear implant recipients but I see primarily adults for audios and hearing aids. I enjoy the people I work with and working with people to communicate better through hearing aid technology.

I am also working on starting a young adult chapter for the Hearing Loss Assoiciation of Greater St. Louis. If you know someone who is between the ages of 18 and 35 and would be interested, please have them contact me. Thank you! It'd be great to get young people in this area together to socialize, learn from each other, and know others are out there! :)

3 month post-op

Yesterday I went back for my 3 month research appointment at Washington University. As part of this research study, I go through different listening tasks once before surgery, and at 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, and 12-month post-op. The testing usually lasts about 4 hours. Yes, 4 hours. As you can imagine, I was very exhausted by the end of it.

The goal of the study is to determine what benefits (if any) can be reached for persons with an asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. These individuals may have one ear that audiologically meets cochlear implant candidacy but the other ear does not because that person is able to achieve better results on speech perception tests with a hearing aid than necessary to meet typical cochlear implant candidacy criteria. However, people with this kind of hearing loss often struggle more so than the tests show, especially in noisy environments (and when with multiple speakers) and they also cannot localize sounds (determine where sound is coming from).

I sat through a lot different speech perception testing. For those who know what these tests are, this included the following:

100 CNT words with my left ear only (hearing aid side)

100 CNT words with my right ear only (CI side)

HINT sentences at 0 degree aszmuth in a R-Space (restaurant noise is presented from speakers surrounding me) with BOTH CI/HA

The same test with my HA only

BKB sentences while wearing CI/HA in multiple conditions (speech and noise at 0 degrees azmith, speech at 0 degrees and noise at 270 degrees, speech at 0 degrees and noise at 90 degrees)

The same test in all conditions wearing my HA only

TIMIT sentences at 50 dB HL with CI/HA,

TIMIT sentences at 50 dB HL with HA only

Another test somewhat like BKB sentence test but the level of noise changes depending on my answer with my CI and HA and then HA only.

I don't have the full results as of yet, but Laura (my audiologist) and I agreed that I had made a noticeable improvement compared to my 1 month post-op. At 1 month, I was very bothered by the noise and did not see much difference in results when comparing CI/HA and HA only. During yesterday's testing, I got more words and sentences correct when I wore my HA and CI than when I wore my HA only. I could not do any tests with just my CI. I could hear the words but they all sound similar. I did get a couple CNT words right though!

I also responded more easily with both my CI/HA on. I'm not sure I scored much better with both my CI/HA than with my HA only but I was certainly quicker to respond and more confident about my answers. I was also doing better when sentences were presented at a very soft level and in noise.

I was happy to see that I am making progress. Laura and I believe I will continue to progress over the next 6 months, 1 year, or even 2 years. It will be interesting to see how I do clinically when I'm working. I think it will be easier to communicate with my patients than before. I'll also need to figure out how to configure an FM system with both my HA and CI so that I can take full benefit of both ears when I perform audiometric testing....

I also had my map reprogrammed. My CI thresholds in the booth were in 25-35 dB range but in the 40s in the higher frequencies. My T-levels had increased in the higher channels. My new map should help improve my thresholds in the higher frequencies. My overall T-levels are increased also which should help me hear more soft sounds. Today, everything is somewhat louder than before but not bothersome :) I think it will be easy to adjust to this time. :)

It's been 2 months...Where have I been??

I have realized in the past 2 months that I am a TERRIBLE blogger. It's been over 2 months since I've updated my blog. Just Terrible! I hate to blame anyone or anything but since I last wrote on May 2nd, I have accomplished or been in the process or accomplishing the following:

1) completed my clinical externship, which ended May 20th.

2) graduated from Washington University School of Medicine with a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree on May 21st.

3) moved from Dallas, TX back home to sweet home Belleville, IL over Memorial Day weekend.

4) have been busily applying and interviewing for jobs.

5) attended the HLAA convention in Milwaukee where I met wonderful people and learned many new things from a different perspective.

6) played catch up with family and friends.

This may not seem like much but during this time, my access to internet has decreased significantly and my traveling in the car has increased even more so. Some of you may understand that going from internet access 24/7 to whenever I can make it to someone else house is a very difficult adjustment. Therefore my blogging has also suffered.

I do have many many things to say though!

On May 12th, I had my last programming appointment UT Southwestern before I moved. My CI audiologist at UT put me in the booth and she measured the softest levels I could hear with my implant with each of my 4 programs. We didn't want me to get any response from my left ear so we tactifully took apart a pair of supra-aural earphones to fit my head and we also put a earplug. It was awkward-looking but it worked. She was impressed at the levels I was hearing with it at 1.5 month post-activation so she did not make any changes to it. I was not having any problems with it and was still getting used to the programming adjustments I had the week before, when I was at Washington University for a research appointment, so I was okay with it.

After that appointment, I had many other things on my mind, like graduation and moving (no big deal, I know). By the time June rolled around, I knew I really needed to be programmed. I was able to get my CI programmed on June 12. My CI audiologist at Washington University wasn't available so I saw a different audiologist who is just as good. Being an audiologist myself, it's interesting to see how other audiologists do things differently. I also had the pleasure of having one of my classmates, who is currently completing her externship with the Washington University Cochlear Implant Program, do the programming. She re-measured my T and C levels and balanced the levels across the different pitches and then gave me 4 new programs. Afterward, she put me in the booth to measure the softest levels I could hear in my main program, which has no special input processing algorithms. I was surprised that I was hearing between 20 and 35 dB HL across the frequencies! We didn't do any speech perception testing but at my next research appointment, I will be doing 3 hours of testing so we will see how that goes. That appointment is July 12. I'm kind of nervous becasue I haven't been doing any aural rehab since I have have moved. I have been trying to install the "Sound and WAY Beyond" dvd rehab program onto my computer but have been running to problem after problem. However, that is another story that I will spare you the details.

So unfortunately, with that problem and lack of internet access, I have not been very good about practicing with my CI. However, I have been wearing it each and everyday and I cannot tell a huge difference in my speech understanding when I wear it as opposed to only wearing my hearing aid, but my mother says she can definitely tell because I am responding more quickly in conversations and when someone is on my right side (CI side) I don't struggle to hear as much. One thing I do notice is that I can understand people better (with the help of lip reading, of course) when I am in a noisy restaurant or bar. And I am definitely hearing softer sounds that are higher pitched.

I am ready for Monday's research appointment because I can tell that I need my CI reprogrammed. Before, I had a program that had ADRO (which helps with hearing softer sounds) and could not stand it because every time I brushed my hair behind my head or I would touch it, it would be very loud. Now I prefer to be on my ADRO program or my Noise program (ADRO + AutoSensitivity) so I can hear more soft sounds!

I am now set up in a temporary location (thanks to my mom) so I can get things done more easily, so I should be updating more often. If I don't, I expect you to get on my case about it!

One Month Post-Activation

It's hard to believe but as of April 30th, one month has gone by since my cochlear implant was activated. Much has happened in that time to make it seem much longer. It has also been 2 weeks since I last wrote a blog post. So it's time for an update!

Last time, I wrote that I would be focusing more on listening with my cochlear implant alone by doing different exercises that Melissa gave for me to do as homework and try the aural rehabilitation software program "Sound and WAY Beyond" that Cochlear Corp. distributes. Well, I did try to install the software program, but I have a Mac that does not have Windows, and thus could not install it. I've thought about installing it on my work computer, but I worried about infecting that computer and getting in trouble and also wasting one copy of the software on a computer that I won't be using much longer...You can only install it onto 2 computers...So I have not installed it on any computer :(

I have been doing my homework exercises though. Melissa assigns me different exercises to do with another person each week. They are difficult at first, but after doing them once or twice, it's easier and I'm ready for something new. The hard part is finding someone to do it with because as of now, I live by myself and I always find a million other things to do with my time. Sigh...

I have also gotten to like listening to music with both my implant and hearing aid. I feel like music is fuller and richer, especially in the car when there is music playing. Perhaps I am better able to pick out the music from the car noise because I have two ears now? Or maybe it's because I'm picking up musical instruments and vocals that have more high frequency emphasis. Anyhow, I do know that I enjoyed listening to music in my dad's Jetta this past weekend with the top window down as I drove back and forth from Belleville to St. Louis. That was not the case before I got my CI.

While on the topic of music, I have been also listening to music with just my CI. With an accessory cord, I am able to directly connect to my laptop or my iPod and listen with just my CI side. It's pretty nifty! (If I could directly connect to people and train my ear that way, I'd be set!) When I do this, I find that most songs sound quite terrible. Only songs that I know REALLY well sound halfway decent because I can pick out the melody and rhythm. I also can't pick out the vocals from the music very well unless I know the song well. When I watched a TV show with just my CI, I noticed that men's and women's voices sound the same to me. This, I think, will get better over time.

This week, I will continue to use my CI during all my waking hours (except when I'm showering and working out, of course) as I continue my job search, get ready for graduation, and moving back home. I wish you a wonderful week!

What a hectic week!

This past week was a whirlwind...First, I lost my phone last Tuesday while I spontaneously decided to go to one store at the mall after work. I hadn't bought new clothes in so long I really wanted a new shirt to wear in San Diego with one of my 4 new pairs of shoes. Anyhow, I lost it and frantically had to get a new phone since I was leaving at 7 am the next morning to fly to San Diego for the AudiologyNOW! convention. Yikes! Because I liked my phone so much, I had to get the same Blackberry Bold. I can hear well with it and it has all the texting/emailing options I need. I made sure I got insurance this time....

Then I flew out to San Diego the next morning, this time going through the metal detector with my CI processor and hearing aid on, and magically, I did not set it off and no one questioned me. I can personally say that the myth that a cochlear implant will set off a metal detector, erase the stored maps in the processor, or getting zapped are not true. At least for me, these incidences failed to be true.

I talked and talked to many people at the convention and talked and talked some more in Phoenix over the weekend while visiting family on the way back to Dallas. All this time, I wore my CI, except for part of Wednesday and part of Sunday when the batteries went dead and I didn't have extras with me. But throughout all this time, I have not had time to practice or concentrate hearing with my CI alone. So today, I feel that I am still hearing buzzing sounds that are loud some times (like my voice and other people's voices close by) and quiet at other times and sharper when I hear silverware clinging, my turn signal, and shoes click clacking against hardwood floors. This week, I vow to take the time to practice using my CI alone and to try the aural rehab program "Sound and Way Beyond" provided by Cochlear Corp. This is on top of all the other things I have on my to-do list!

Wish me luck!

I'm remapped

Today I went back for my follow up mapping appointment with the CI audiologist at UT-Southwestern. I've been waiting all week to go back because I thought sound from my CI was becoming somewhat dull and I was ready to see what changes could be made in my map. I also was excited to tell Pam things that have been happening the last 2 weeks with my CI. As I expected my impedances got lower (which is better). She remeasured each T level which is the point on each of the 22 channels that I begin to hear sound. This was VERY hard. I had a really difficult time with this because 1) I'm not sure what I'm listening for, and 2) I think my good low frequency hearing in my good ear interferes with my ability to determine if I'm hearing the beeps she presents or random noise. We expected my T levels to decrease but they were still high.

After that, she measured my C levels again (which is the point that sound becomes comfortably loud). These didn't change that much from my previous map. It was really cool to hear the pitch differences as she went from the low frequency channels to high frequency channels. I didn't think I could tell before today but I definitely could!

THEN she went "live" and immediately I could tell I was hearing fan noise and it was fairly loud. Like drowning out everything else I wanted to hear. After she decreased all my T-levels it became a lot better and I could tell the sound quality was better than before I came in today. My input dynamic range (between the T and C levels) is still narrow but if she decreased the T-levels more then I may risk not hearing soft sounds. Before today sounds such as silverware clacking on plates and people typing on the keyboard and heels on tile floor were somewhat disturbingly loud. Now those sounds are still audible but more comfortable. Things also sound a little fuller. My voice is still loud but that's to be expected and I am getting used to it. I'm happy with my changes and can't wait see what else I begin to notice with my CI!

I will be going to San Diego this week to present my research poster at the AudiologyNOW! conference. This is the largest audiology conference held each year and I've gone to it for the past 3 years. It will be great to talk about what I spent the majority of my 3rd year working on and also to see lots of familiar faces. Stayed tuned!

I love my pretty cover!

Everything seemed noisy today. I noticed that the click of my computer mouse was very detectable today. I tried going to the gym with it on to lift weights. It was very noisy until the batteries died. It takes 2 high power 675 batteries. I've had to change the batteries twice since last Wednesday, which is pretty good compared to Cochlear Corp's Freedom device that took 3 675 batteries and last about 3 days. Its much more pleasant to not hear so much when working out.

I went through my box of goodies when I got home today. It's ridiculous how heavy the case is! But I figured out things like how my remote control charger works. It comes with like 6 different outlets for different companies. I learned today that for the U.S., you need the 2 prong plug in with the holes in it. I never noticed that before. I also put together the Zepher dry aid box I got to protect and keep moisture from damaging my CI and hearing aid. I somehow managed to break off the piece that shuts the box though. Oops...

There were a few worthless accessories in my box, like the "lite wear" option for babies and ear wear to keep the CI on the ear. BUT I did find the fabulous pretty purple covers that came with my CI. I love it! I'm going to wear it like that from now on. :)

Rehabing, Running, and Photos

I think I've reached a point where I'm ready for some adjustments in the programming of my CI. I can now leave it on for most of the day and not get a headache, which is a big improvement!

Last Thursday I had my first meeting with Melissa, who has graciously offered to do aural rehab with me so I can maximize my ability to hear with my CI. She did several analytical exercises with me until I reached a point that I was having more difficulty. Developing my CI listening skills is going to be hard because I already depend so much on my hearing aid ear. I had to plug up my good ear so I could try to hear only through my CI ear. I've practice my exercises a few times with Michelle today while plugging my good ear. It seems that I am confusing the vowels "eee" and "ooo" and voiceless and voiced fricatives such as "f" with "p" and "sh" with "z." I'm not even sure I'm detecting those consonant sounds. Cochlear gives CI recipients a aural rehabilitation DVD called "Sound and Way Beyond" which I've heard is good. I haven't been able to get to it yet but I'm going to try it when I get the chance.

I was really disappointed that I didn't get to run in Forest Park over the weekend, so when I got back to Dallas yesterday, I decided to run the Katy Trail with my CI on. The Katy Trail is a great running/biking trial that is less than a mile from my apartment. I put an elastic headband over the cable and around my head and it surprisingly kept everything in place. Thanks Michelle for the headbands! It was very windy which made my run very noisy as the wind brushed over the microphones constantly but it wasn't too bothersome.

I'm also noticing that my voice seems louder than normal with my CI on so it's somewhat difficult for me to tell if I'm speaking a normal loudness level or not. This will be something else I'll have to get used to.

Oh and I have pictures from when I first got my cochlear implant activated. The first picture is what my CI sound processor looks like. It blends in quite well with my hair! I got these purple plastic covers that is supposed to protect the processor but I think it's fun for kids. If I ever want it to stand out, I'll just slip it on!

In this 2nd photo, I'm carrying my big heavy briefcase filled with all my accessories and tools. All I can think of is the poor 1 to 2 year olds who get bilateral implants and have to carry 2 of these!

The next picture is one of my parents and I and then a picture of Michelle and I. I'm SOOO happy they were all able to come with me to this appointment.

My Initial Stim Experience

Happy Easter! I'm finally back to Dallas from a busy Easter with family and friends in St. Louis. I got to visit with several friends I hadn't seen in a long time, find time to continue my tradition of helping Grandma and Grandpa Padgett prepare for their annual Easter Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt, spend time with Brian's wonderful family and then spend Easter Sunday visiting with my Padgett family which is always fun but chaotic! Grandma Padgett said she counted 95 people this year! I probably overdid myself but what's new? In addition, everyone had to know how I was doing with my cochlear implant. Usually on Easter, I help sit people and serve drinks and food to people all morning but today, I decided to stay out of the kitchen because it was very loud and not the place to catch up with everyone. I was ready for a long nap by the time we left at noon!

I want to back up and tell you what happened last Wednesday when I went for my "initial stimulation," "activation," "hook-up," or whatever else one might say about getting a cochlear implant turned on for the first time. I was very nervous because even though I'm almost a full-fledged audiologist and have a lot of knowledge and experience with cochlear implants and counseling children and adults about expectations with cochlear implants, I did not know how I would first react or "hear" with my cochlear implant. So many variables play a role in how a person will do with a cochlear implant and how quickly they will learn to make sense of sound.

Anyhow, my mom and dad, as well as my friend Michelle, who is a cochlear implant audiologist at UT-Dallas/Callier Center, came with me to my appointment. First, I had my check up with Dr. Roland who did my surgery. He said my incision looked good and I was ready for my initial stim. Along my incision there is surgical glue on top of the stitches which will eventually dissolve and come out. I didn't know this but it takes about 4-6 weeks for the glue to come off and about 8-12 weeks for the stitches to go away. Good thing they're not visible since they're behind my ear! He also said I was free to do whatever I want including scuba-diving, and sky-diving (not that I plan to do those things anytime soon...). However, I'm looking forward to getting back to running, working out, traveling for my upcoming trips, and, oh, looking for a job...

My parents also asked many questions. I was very disappointed that my dad didn't ask the one question he really wanted to know, which was "Does Dr. Roland know the song 'Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner' by Warren Zevon?"...He also sang Werewolves of London...don't worry, I didn't know who that was or what these songs were either.

I then had my appointment with Pam, the audiologist. This was the first time I had met with her since I had my pre-evaluations with another audiologist who has since moved from Dallas. However, I had heard many great things about Pam so I was happy that she would be doing my initial stim. When I got to her room, she had my new sound processor hooked up to the computer ready to get started. The room wasn't very big but we managed to all fit and my dad happily videotaped everything.

The first thing that Pam did was have me put the processor on my ear and make sure the magnet was strong enough to stay on my head where the internal magnet of the implant was located. Then she measured impedances and made sure all the electrodes inside the cochlea were working. The lower the impedances, the better the electrical current is able to stimulate the cochlea. The impedances looked good and so then she moved to the next step. She ask me to tell her when I first hear two beeps. She wanted to find the softest level (t-level) that I could hear for each channel or electrode region it stimulates along the basilar membrane of the cochlea. When she presented each sound, I felt the vibration rather than heard it. After doing this for 22 channels, she measured my C-levels for each channel which is where the sound is "loud, but comfortable." Again, for me, this was hard because I was feeling the stimulus instead of hearing it. Each presentation was like a pounding sensation rolling through my head. I'm not sure if this is normal. After this step, she went live. She turned down the levels slightly and then turned on the processor. I was very nervous because I didn't know what to expect and knew it was not going to sound good especially since I was feeling the sounds more than hearing them. So when it went live, it was VERY overwhelming. I starting tearing because it was new and uncomfortable, somewhat like a really big headache. Pam turned down the levels to where it was comfortable and then I listened to hear talk about setting different programs and the different accessories and pieces I would be taking home in my big white briefcase, which is really heavy! It was hard to pay attention with all these sound stimulating my auditory nerve and vibrating through my head. I kept thinking, 'I hope this gets better and I start to hear the sounds because feeling the sounds is not comfortable.' The processor has room for 4 different listening programs. After discussing how to utilize the 4 programs, she decided to give me a program that I was currently listening to, then another program that was slightly softer, and then a 'noise' program, and a 'focus' program to try. These two programs are designed to allow a CI user to understand speech better in noisy situations.

The entire appointment took about 1 1/2 hours. I return on April 12th to readjust my levels. I left the appointment with a very big headache and a lot of confusion about whether I was hearing or feeling the sounds. I can't remember if I explained my hearing loss yet or not, but I have just a mild hearing loss from 250 Hz to 1500 Hz (low to mid frequencies) and a severe/profound loss from 2000 Hz to 8000 Hz (mid to high frequencies) in my left (good) ear. My right ear that has been implanted has been profound and unaidable since I had meningitis at the age of 7 months. I have not heard in this ear in 25 years, but I have already heard many sounds with my left ear. Explaining what sounds through my cochlear implant are like is hard because I cannot compare it to natural acoustical hearing. However, after 5 days, I can say that the vibrating feeling of sounds are becoming much more bearable and I am hearing soft buzzing noises when louder sounds are present. Another interesting thing that happened on the first day was that I noticed that as I got near my TV or walk by certain places in the hallways at Callier Center, I was hearing a loud buzzing sound. This sound I knew because I wear a hearing aid on my other ear. My hearing aid has a technology called a telecoil. This telecoil picks up electromagnetic energy and is very useful for allowing hearing aid users to utilizes the telephone while cutting out the background noise. I recognized this right away and turned off the "autophone" feature that the Nucleus 5 device has as a default setting. I was able to do this with my fancy little "remote assistant." It's a really great remote control! Now, I thankfully don't have to hear buzzing sound anymore. I have to remember to tell Pam about this because I wouldn't want patients who aren't audiologists to have to listen to this sound and not know what it is! The good thing is that I definitely knew I was hearing that electromagnetic energy, which means I will be "hearing" other sounds soon, right? :)

Alright this is PLENTY long for today. I have lots to show and tell though so I will be writing again soon. Now that I have 24/7 access to a computer for a week, look forward to more updates! I have pictures too...

I'm exhausted! Update Coming Soon :)

It's now been a day after my initial stimulation of my cochlear implant. It was certainly an interesting appointment and it's been an exhausting and stressful day working and getting some disappointing news (not related to my CI). My parents and my good friend, Michelle, who is also an audiologist came to the appointment with me. My mom is still here to "be my support" if I need her and because she wanted to go shopping. And boy did she go shopping! I'm very happy she decided to stay a couple extra days. Anyhow, I have worn my processor for most of today, which has been difficult because it's a very strange sensation to have my auditory nerve that has not be stimulated in 25 years to now receive input. In fact, I wouldn't even say that I'm actually "hearing" on my right side as much as I'm feeling the sounds. I've heard this is somewhat common for teenagers or adults who have not have the auditory nerve stimulated for a long time. I'm hoping this sensation fades and "hearing" emerges. I will go back for my follow up appointment on April 12th at which my maps will be adjusted after I've had some time to get used to it. I have much more to say but I'm exhausted and I fly home to St. Louis for Easter tomorrow after work with my mom. I will update again soon!

Read this Interesting Interview

It has now been a week since I had surgery. I went back to work on Wednesday and am feeling almost back to normal. I still can't lift heavy things or do crunches because those little muscles in my head and neck are still healing. I never knew I used those muscles as much as I do. I found this great article I thought I'd share with you. It's actually a radio interview that involved a well-known researcher, a cochlear implant recipient, and the producer of "Sound and Fury." This movie displays the controversy of cochlear implants in Deaf culture. It's a great film if you have not yet seen it. Click here to see the interview.

Activation day is 5 days from today!

Day 3 of Recovery

I am now on my 3rd day of recovery after surgery. I was able to take off my bandage on Saturday and to my surprise, none of my hair had been shaved off! It is amazing how far cochlear implant surgical techniques and technology has come since their first clinical trials in the 1980's. It is even harder to believe cochlear implants have only been around for about 30 years. The incision used to be large and they would have to shave the area around the site. My friend, Michelle (who spent most of Friday and Saturday graciously doing a bunch of nothing with me and my family), has a sister (also named Stephanie) with a cochlear implant. Stephanie got hers 10 years ago. In comparison to her surgery 10 years ago, Michelle was amazed at how good my incision looked and how quickly I was recovering. Maybe I just have a really good surgeon...

Saturday, my head was sore but couldn't really feel it since I was taking painkillers so I decided I felt good enough to go out to lunch. It probably wasn't the best idea since it was cold, windy, and my first day after surgery....But I was getting tired of sitting and watching everybody else sit. I couldn't pass up going to Hoffbrau's, which was a good german restaurant my dad and I had discovered last time he was here. I was so tired afterwards, I ended up sleeping for the rest of the

day.

It's now Monday, my family has gone back to the Midwest, and I am resting in the comfort of my apartment. The swelling around the incision has gone down and I was able to wash my hair today. The weather is gorgeous outside so I may go for a walk to get some fresh air. If you know me well, you know that I don't do well sitting for more than 5 minutes in front of a TV. At least I have these beautiful 'Luck of the Irish' flowers that my wonderful boyfriend, Brian, sent me. I wish he could have been here too.

I do not yet hear anything with my cochlear implant, but that day will come on March 31st when my external device is programmed and activated. I decided to get Cochlear America's Nucleus 5 device which is the newest and smallest speech processor on the market.

You can find out more about the Nucleus 5 at this website: http://products.cochlearamericas.com/cochlear-implants/nucleus-5-system

You can also find out more about how cochlear implants work at this website: http://www.hearinglosseducation.com/treatment-implants/how-cochlear-implants-work.asp

Peace out, time for a nap :)

Surgery went well

Well I just had cochlear implant surgery for my right ear, which is the ear I've heard pretty much nothing out of for 25 years. I have been waiting for 17 years to actually have this done. I am not a typical cochlear implant candidate but could benefit from using one in addition to hearing with my hearing aid on the left side. I know many people are curious to know how I'm doing and how I will do with a cochlear implant so I decided to start this blog.

Anyhow, I'm sitting in my apartment with my parents and brother, Alex, watching the NCAA basketball games. The games aren't too interesting and I have I dozen movies to watch, but I'd rather let you all know that I'm doing really well after surgery. Much better than I thought I'd be. I went to the hospital at 11 AM and and it was 1:15 PM when I got put to sleep. All the nurses and doctors were very nice and spoke very clearly, which was much appreciated! Surgery took about 2 hours and the surgeon said everything went really well. I have a little bit of pain behind my ear but I'm relieved that my balance was not thrown off. Recovery should take about 2 to 3 days but I''m pretty sure I'll be up and moving by tomorrow. Thanks everyone for all your prayers, I appreciate it! Back to watching basketball and picking which movie to watch first...