Finally wearing an implant

I have finally received my implant!

I haven't posted, mainly because I'm finding it extremely hard to describe what it sounds like.

When Abby first turned the implant on, it was a very surreal feeling. Of course, and this was expected, I could not understand voices or the sounds around me. Instead, I could hear what can best be described as the sound of bells. After a few minutes, I noticed that as people were talking, I could hear certain bells ringing. As soon as a person paused in mid-sentence or stopped talking altogether, the particular bells would stop ringing. My brain was already starting to process some information!

Next, I had to listen for beeps and raise my hand when I heard them. We also messed around with volume levels to see what volume sounded most comfortable for me. Eventually, after doing this, I had four programs loaded into my implant. Each program is louder than the program before it. Program 4 is louder than program 3, etc. I started on program 1 on Tuesday, and when it gets to the point that I feel like I am straining to hear people speak, then I will bump it up to program 2...probably very soon.

In about two weeks when I return to the hospital, I should be comfortable with program 4. Hopefully, too, at that point the voices will have begun to clear up at least a little! Already I feel like there is a bit of substance underneath the bell-like sounds...as if voices are a distant echo or are very far away. It's exciting to watch TV or read someone's lips and hear the noises following a pattern that corresponds to what is being said.

In order to force my brain to try and process these sounds and begin to understand them, there are a number of things I must do in the course of the next several weeks. First, I have to stop wearing my hearing aid in my right ear entirely. The only sound my brain is receiving is through my left ear. Secondly, I have to read out loud to myself. This is quite embarrassing, and is only done when I'm alone in a room. Nonetheless, my 'homework assignment' is to read the user manual for my processor twice in the next two weeks, out loud. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the exciting features that my processor has to offer! I am also supposed to spend some time watching movies with the volume up and with closed captioning on. If I really focus on the words being said and the corresponding bell sounds that go with each word, I might begin helping my brain process some of the information.

In any case, it can be frustrating, but the final thing I am required to do is to not complain. I can't complain to my parents, my dog, my friends, or even the doctors! Apparently, complaining won't make the situation any better. Plus, many of the things I might choose to complain about are things that will go away or end in time, I just need to be patient.

I'll post more later, including two pictures we took during the hookup at the hospital.