Update

Haven't posted for a while - but things have been wonderful. Last Tuesday I went back to Vancouver and Dr Pijl gave me back the ORIGINAL map I'd had from the beginning. Oh man it was SOOOOOOOOOOOO nice to have it back. He seemed a bit surprised, but what can you do? I like this one better and I'm able to understand speech better with it in *most* (not all) circumstances. Everybody is different though. I do think that the other program worked better for the phone, but this one works better for person-to-person speech. Maybe at the end of the trial I can keep the "main" program of the other map just for using the phone...we'll see what happens.

I'm still using the phone with this one too though and not having too much trouble, Had a convo with Mom (our first on the phone) the other day when she called me to see if I could come help her at a place she cleans for and she told me that after I had hung up she hollared in the kitchen with happiness (and was glad nobody was home there to hear her! *grin* ) It was pretty exciting.

At the end of the month, I'll be going to the Coombs bluegrass festival with my parents and my brother and his family. We went last year and while it was an enjoyable experience it was pretty much lost on me in terms of the music etc. This year should be MUCH different! I can't wait.

A few days ago I was having a nap, and my Dad woke me up and asked me to come outside and sit on the patio with him. So I did...he said "Shhhh...listen!"

and OH MY GOODNESS...I heard THUNDER!! For the first time since having my CI activated!! WOW! Unless it was a SUPER LOUD *boom*, I could never hear thunder with my hearing aids and I could hear all the rumbling, I could tell when the booming got closer, when it faded away...it was WILD!!!! My Dad just sat there grinning at me. When I was a child I used to LOVE to sit outside and listen to the thunder before a storm hit. He remembered that - and the fact that he woke me up to come listen to it with him made it a very special thing to share together.

I go back to Vancouver again next tuesday for a FULL day of testing which should be interesting. I'll also get the other program back for another 2 weeks but I'm not worried about that as I'd learned to use it even if I prefer this one for the time being.

We've not been able to re-add the missing 5 electrodes without stepping outside the protocol for the study, so that is something that we will play around with after the study is over.

Hold the phone!

Ever since that first phone call from Eddie, things have just been amazing. He and I have talked twice more since - both times for over an hour! I also spoke to my audiologist this morning (He called to change my appointment time tommorrow morning.)And he was flabbergasted to be talking to me on the phone. Its ONLY been 2 months since activation and I'm exceeding all expectations (his AND mine) for this implant.

Tommorrow, he says he's going to make some "massive improvements" on my existing program so I'm interested in seeing what's going to be done. Maybe they found a way to re-add in the 5 electrodes that we don't have activated because of the facial nerve bleed-thru(with those electrodes active, I get a facial tic every time they are activated by a sound, so we have them deactivated at the moment.) We'll see what happens. :)

In the meantime I'm just enjoying actually being able to talk on the phone again - Its just blowing me away every day!

Dad got things set up outside so I can sit on the patio, and listen to my CD's out there and it just totally rocks. I've never been so happy in my life :)

Tears in my eyes, and a smile in my heart

Today was just the most amazing day. I came home to see THIS on my kitchen table:



They were from Eddie - somebody very special to me, and the most beautiful card (with cats - he knows how I love them!) On the outside, "Wherever you are.....(inside) Is where I want to be"

He also called to see if I'd gotten them and gotten the answering service (me and Mom were up at Grandma's) and left his cell phone number. So Mom kicked me in the butt and said CALL HIM!!

"But Mom...I won't be able to understand what he says!"

"So I"ll use the portable phone and if you have trouble understanding, I'll interpret!"

so I call him up... he answers... the first couple mins were a bit difficult ...then after about 10 mins, after I'd gotten "used" to his voice... Mom put down the extention and walked away....

And Ed and I talked for another 25 mins on the phone

ON
THE
PHONE!

And I understood him. Amost 95% of what he said. He had to repeat a few things..but I UNDERSTOOD HIM!

My FIRST phone call...in 24 years.. with this CRAPPY program..

and I talked to him!

After we said our goodbyes and hung up I started crying.

Dreams keep coming true!!!

*skips away*