Yes. You read right. I called my mum on my mobile phone (speaker phone though!), and we talked for 6 minutes, and I heard almost every single thing she asked me. It was amazing. No lip-reading. No prompting. We just had a conversation!
This was on my wish list to achieve by the end of the year after I got the implant.
And this was after my first ever mapping session, 1 week after I was switched on!
The mapping session on Friday was where I got plugged in again to the computer, and Monica, my audiologist, ‘remapped’ the sounds to suit my comfort levels for this week.
And I have to say – this 1st mapping session had much more impact on me than the initial switch on.
It was truly remarkable how much my ear had gotten used to the sounds of the implant.
Monica went through each of the sounds of the electrodes, and asked me whether each sound was loud or soft. They were all very, very faint, and you should have seen the look on her face when I told her that! Because it turned out that these sounds were the ones I could barely handle on the first day of the switch on – i.e. they were too loud for me! So already, after one week, my brain had gotten used to the sounds, and wanted more.
And that is what it felt like – I just wanted more and more and more. So I said ‘crank it up!’ (I AM a bossy client! HAHA)
Monica said: “Right, I am going to switch it back on again, and this might be very loud, so just let me know.”
And BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!
It was on.
Boy, was it on.
It was SO LOUD that when Monica said very quietly: “How’s that?” I nearly screamed! But she immediately turned it down by a couple of notches, and then WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everything was SO CLEAR!!! It was still the robotic sounds, but now they were more like R2D2 chirpy, clear, lovely lovely lovely!
I could hear every little crackle of my movements, I could hear her voice more clearly. It was just incredible. It really was better than the switch on, where I couldn’t really work out what I was hearing, and the sounds sounded kind of ‘messy’. Now the sounds were like a waterfall in the desert, my brain was lapping them up.
We decided to call Ben.
Once I had settled down, put the phone on speakerphone and dialled, I could hear him quite well, although we had a minor freak-out when Ben answered the phone with his trademark crazy high-pitched “Yeeeeeeee-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-rrrrr-sssss??????” which starts in bass, and ends in a screech (used to deter tele-marketers calling our home phone at night. It usually works every time.) But the sound had the effect of making it all jumbled, so I had no idea what I was hearing, though Monica looked horrified!
Monica: “What IS that? It isn’t Ben!?”
Me: “Uh…Yep, it should be Ben.”
Monica: “Riiiiight.”
And then I had a conversation with Ben on the phone! It was a bit hard with Ben because his voice is very deep and rumbly, and goes all over the place, but I was still able to understand most of what he said. I was elated! Usually, if I ever call Ben, it is to have a one-sided conversation, so I’ll dial and say:
“Hi Ben I am coming home, text me if we need anything from the supermarket. Bye!”
And I hear what sounds like a yes or a no, or a goodbye, usually have no idea what, and then I hang up. HA!
So, with this conversation, I asked him what he was doing, and I could very clearly hear him say he was walking around the loungeroom without his trousers on, in just his underpants! HAHA!
(Poor Monica, having to listen in on our first ever conversation, huh?)
Though also kind of worried that maybe it was just luck that I could hear. I kept thinking “It was just because it was on speakerphone, and perfectly tuned, and I was probably guessing.” I just couldn’t believe that I could hear him.
However, Monica confirmed for me, that I had, in fact, used the phone…
Wow….
In fact, after I hung up, I was so excited, I pleaded with Monica, could we please please please do a speech perception test. Told you I was a bossy client!
So, we went down to the audiology booth to do the test. I sat in the quiet of the room, and Monica started up the sentences… but before she did, she said: “Now don’t get too excited, you can’t expect too much in the first week. Most people only get 30% of ‘single words’, even after one year.”
I was thinking “30% after one year? geez. Oh well, I was getting 0% for words in my ear, so even 5% would be good.”
She started the test and …
I ended up getting 28% of single words in the first go!
Then, bouyed by this, we decided to try the sentences!
I got 88% understanding of the sentences, just using my cochlear implant, without the hearing aid. OMG!!!!!!!!! It’s a miracle! And I’ll tell you why. I was getting only 13% sentences with my hearing aid in that same ear before the implant. So that’s a HUGE improvement.
So, when I got home that night, I sent mum a long SMS to tell her what had happened. And then, just as I sent it I was thinking “Why am I SMS-ing??? I should CALL her!!”
I got my Telstra HipTop mobile phone out, put it on speakerphone, dialled, and then, mum answered, totally freaked out:
Mum: “Kate????? Is that you?????”
Me: “Yes, it’s me mum!”
Mum: “Can you hear me?”
Me: “Yes! I can hear you!”
Mum: “Oh my god!!!!! This is fantastic!”
And then we had a long conversation! Well, long for me is 6 minutes. I don’t ever use the phone. So 6 minutes is like a flipping miracle, I can’t tell you. And I heard every single thing she said to me, bar one, where I had to ask her to repeat a word I didn’t catch.
Wow. I was so stunned.
So I am pretty happy! There is still a long way to go, but holy-flipping-moly, this is better than I thought.
That night, Ben and I drove to the Blue Mountains for a weekend away, and he tested me out by making me have a conversation while he drove, in the dark, without me looking at him. I was able to do it, but I have to say – I really don’t feel like I am being polite when I listen to people without looking at them. In fact, it just feels plain wrong. And sometimes, just out of habit, even when I have heard something, I will say “What?” And then think “I heard that! Didn’t need to say what!”
Old habits die hard.
August 3, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Heh! That’s cool, I’m very happy for you.
It’s funny that I catch myself *not* looking at people and becoming conscious of the fact I should be looking at them.
August 3, 2009 at 5:24 pm
All I can say is WOW!!! At the moment I only get 54% of sentences correct at the moment.
You have totally made me excited about getting my implant now, knowing that over time (maybe not 1 week after like you!!) there WILL be an improvement.
Oh and Congratulations getting 88% and calling your Mum!! That rules!!!
August 3, 2009 at 5:31 pm
It’s pretty incredible isnt it? I mean, I was pretty worried last week, as speech wasnt making much sense, though I could hear it. So when I got the implant ‘mapped’, and the difference it made – well, I really felt finally like I had valid proof that I had done the right thing. So am very happy. I can’t wait to hear about yours… Are you definitely booked in, or still thinking about it?
August 3, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Hi Kate,
Funny you saying about feeling rude not looking at someone. I realised the other day that because I’m now so used to you lip reading, I’ve become much more used to looking directly at people when I talk to them (even if they have full hearing). A nice habit to have picked up.
Maryanne
P.S You might want to add to the list of ‘bad things’: now being about to hear friends being noisly sick aftr drinking too much wine ;), sorry.
August 4, 2009 at 3:51 pm
hahah! Love this!! Even the sound of someone being sick sounds like music with cochlear implants. That’s gotta be a bonus, right?
August 4, 2009 at 10:39 am
Wow, Kate this is amazing, talking on the phone – who’d have thought!! This must be such an amazing experience, I can’t wait to hear more stories and how it continues to change your life. Really makes me reflect on the little things I take for granted. Thanks for the blog, I really love hearing how this unfolds.
xxx
August 4, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Kate, I’m still hanging on your every word and following your adventures (oftentimes via my blackberry in the meeting after meeting that is my life – thank you for helping survive!). I can’t wait to speak with you on the phone all the way across the Pacific. xox
August 4, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Hi Kate
Just caught up on your blog since the days after your operation.
It is unbelievable what you are experiencing right now and totally amazing that so soon after switch on you can hear on the phone and got 88% on the sentences test.
Your experiences has now put doubts in my mind about not wanting a cochlear implant. I was always clear I do not want one but now I wouldn’t mind a little bit of the action !!
I cannot wait for the next time I see you for a fully informed and in depth chat about it.
Btw – after reading your blog, you should be a journalist/column writer. You are a natural.
Cheers
Nick x
August 4, 2009 at 3:50 pm
oh Nick!! Awesome! I will definitely sit down and tell you all about it – the good, the bad, the ugly, and the absolutely wonderful.
August 8, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Kate,
Have just caught up with your blog- sounds like you are making amazing progress since switch on. I have my first anniversary yesterday and had a review at the cochlear clinic. Was remapped which has been helpful- clearer than it was. We skipped the sentences as I scored 100% with those last time, but did the sentences with background noise- scored in the high ninety’s for those and the mid ninety’s for the single words. I have no hearing in my other ear now- my previously ‘good’ ear. My audiologist encouraged me to have my other ear implanted when I am ready. But no rush for me at present. Keep up the great work- I know as exciting as it is its also hard work.
August 31, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Hey Kate,
I read ur blog the other week, however have read it again tonight, and this certainly given me a feel of what to possibly expect.
So i say bring on the 23/11/09 for the CI op.
Cheers,
Damien