February 27, 2008

Happy Anniversary to Me!! Happy Anniversary to Me!! Happy Anniversary to Meeeeeeee!! Can you believe it has been one year since my surgery??!!! Wow! Where does the time go??

Of course I get asked how things are going. But also if I am happy I had the surgery. Do I regret having the surgery? Would I do the other ear?

Things are going very well. YES I’m happy I had the surgery! No regrets whatsoever. But no plans to do the other ear at this time.

I can truly say that I am very happy I had the cochlear implant surgery. I hear so much more than I used to be able to. It still amazes me sometimes the things I hear. Things I could not hear a year ago. But (there’s always a “but,” isn’t there), I am not where I had hoped I would be. I really thought I would be hearing much better by this time....being able to pick up more things, more words, more music, going to movies without captioning.....I know that things will continue to change and continue to get better. I’m not disappointed, I just had high hopes! One day those things may come.....but then again, they may not.

It’s still an exciting journey!!! At this time I have no plans to do the other ear. That ear picks up the bass sounds that my implant is not getting. The two ears work together pretty good. I think if I took away my regular ear I would not hear as well. So, for the time being, I’ll just stay the way I am. Also, it used to be so weird....I would definitely hear from a particular ear. It was very divided....but kind of cool too! It was like I would hear some stuff from one ear and other things from the other ear. Now, things just blend. I guess my brain has adapted and decided to put the two sounds together. Works for me! However, I can still tell what I’m hearing from which ear, but I have to think about it and pay attention. As I’m strolling through my day, I don’t have 2 sided hearing anymore.

I know things are still gradually changing, but they come on slowly and I don’t really notice them until one day I realize that Hey! I didn’t use to be able to hear that! Or I notice that something has a better sound. Such as music. Music has a looooooooooooong ways to go!…but it is much better than it used to be. I get more variance and more of a tune. A lot will depend on the song. Is it a song with lots of “noise” or more of a simple song without a lot going on? But it just hit me today that not too long ago I wasn’t getting any of it at all. It’s just a sloooooooooooow process....at least for me. I am so jealous of the other folks who get hooked up and can hear so quickly. You know...they kind of tick me off!!! :-)

So, all in all it’s been great! There are still things we need to work on and things that need to be changed. I go back to Meg in a couple of weeks for another tweaking. We’ll have to see what needs to be switched around. I’m also sure there will be testing done. She’ll put me in that booth!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I hate the booth!!! But after it’s all done, it’s cool to see the changes on paper. So, I’ll let you know what I find out.....it could be good, it could be bad, it could be downright U G L Y!!!!

I would have to encourage anyone who has a bad hearing problem to consider a cochlear implant. It can really change your life! Get evaluated, do the research, talk to the doctor, talk to those who have one, but really ponder the idea!!

As always, THANKS to everyone who keeps me on their prayer list!!

I can’t wait to see what is ahead for me in the upcoming year!! WOOHOO!!!

Is That Bass I Hear??

Yes!! Oh My!! I have probably mentioned in a previous post somewhere, but just to make sure, I'll rehash. I don't hear bass sounds with my implant. For me to explain it doesn't really make a lot of sense. I can tell a man's voice and things like that, but if a truck rumbles by, I don't hear the rumble. Well, not with my implant. Where I really notice it is with music. With my regular ear, I do hear the bass sounds so therefore I know it's there and I know I'm not getting it with my implant. This is one of those things that Meg has tried to straighten out, but it's just not been happening.

Well, on my way home this evening, I put in a Barry Manilow cd. Don't you just love Barry??!!!! Anyway, I'm listening to see if music is getting any better. I was a little shocked!!! I thought I picked up some of the bass!! So I plugged up my regular ear, ran back the cd and listened again..........YES!!! It was there!! No, it still doesn't sound real bass-y, but I'm picking it up!! Usually, it's just not there. If it's a bass guitar playing, I just don't hear a thing with my implant. But it's starting to come through!!! WOOHOO!!!! I need to let Meg know....she will be sooooo excited!!!

Then I threw in some Billy Joel.....got some bass there too!!! Life is good!

Hopefully it will keep getting better and HOPEFULLY one day I'll really hear music the way it's suppose to be. I'm headed in that direction!!

Oh, by the way......Jennifer and Cynthia are true smart alecks. Just thought you might want to know.

I'm Rested.....Well, Somewhat

Ok, let's see....what's been going on. Oh heck, it's been 3 whole months!! How in the world am I suppose to remember??!!! I don't remember what I had for lunch! And I have to look down to know what I wore today. It's really very sad.

Well, while we were at the beach (oh man, that was soooooooooooooooooo long ago!!), I did hear the whoosh whoosh of the waves. But let me say, we barely spent any time at the beach! We only spent one afternoon hanging out at the beach and the whole time we were playing in the sand with the girls. I literally had to stop for a moment to see what I heard. I was too busy with the girls!! Then later in the week, while riding bikes, we rode down the beach. Man, oh man, how I miss being there!! I should have taken more time to realize exactly what I heard. Maybe I need to go back!!!

On another day of bike riding, we were traveling down one of those beautiful lanes. You know, the winding road, the big trees making a canopy, the big southern clubhouse that looked like a plantation home.....it was absolutely beautiful!!! Anyway, while moseying down the lane, I heard a weird noise. Asked Rick what it was and he said a crow in the trees!

I can't remember much else from the trip. If something comes to mind I'll let you know!

In December Meg wanted me to come in for a "special" appointment when the Advanced Bionics rep came through. She passes by every few months and will see people who have issues to see if she can help with the programming. Well, we all know I am issue laden!!! So, in I go. Poor Rick missed this appt and he would have loved it! There were the 2 audiologists from UK, 2 women from AB and another girl.....not sure who she was. They hooked me up and they tried this and they tried that and how about this, no try that.....on and on and on. The AB rep says we need to try different things, push the limits, see what happens. So, when I left there, I had a new program. Rick says he could tell right off that I wasn't understanding things as well. When they change a program, and especially when there are big changes, the brain has to adjust. So, it took a few weeks, but I was hearing better again! A woman at work even mentioned that she could tell I was hearing better.

One person that I really have a hard time with is our sweet little pastor at church. For some reason he is very hard for me to understand. But finally a few weeks ago he started coming in much clearer!! Woohoo!! For 2 Sundays, I caught pretty much everything he said!! But then.........you know, there's always a "but." I went back to Meg last week for another tweaking. She didn't change a whole lot (I think), but expanded a few things. Well, this Sunday I didn't understand Jon as well again. I caught some things here and there, but missed a lot. Hopefully he'll be coming in clear again before too long!! Love that little fellow!!

Oh! I got one of those singing Christmas cards for Cynthia and Adam. I can never really "hear" those things......and music is still bad, but anyway, I got one that had the song Feliz Navidad in it. Well, lo and behold, I could hear the whole thing!! Come on now....EVERYBODY sing!!.....Feliz Navidad..bum, bum, bum, bum....Feliz Navidad, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, Feliz Navidad blah, blah, blah, blah......not sure what the words are. You get the idea. I love that song. It makes me dance!!

Is there anything else? Probably so. I'm trying to remember 3 months worth!

Another thing, since my last tweaking, I'm catching a few words of people's conversations around me at work. (I'm trying to listen to the guy that sits in the next cubicle over!) Or listen to people in the walkway. I'll catch a word here and a word there. Normally I don't catch anything! Soon I'll be eavesdropping on all the juicy conversations!!!

I've made a couple of phone calls to set up doctor's appointments. Yes, I was nervous, but I did good! Woohoo, watch me go!!!

So, things are still coming along. I have a looooooong ways to go, but improvements are still happening and will continue for a long time to come.

So, Jennifer and kids, and everybody else hanging around this blog, please keep me in your prayers! Don't give up on me!!

Fabio, Fabio, Where For Art Thou Fabio!?

Friends.......well, I thought I had some, but there I was at the beach......been there for 3 months now.....stuck in a rip tip!!! Striving to stay afloat. Trying to survive. Did anybody pull me in to shore?? Oh nooooooooooo. At one point I thought I saw Fabio pass by......I screamed...FAAAABIO......FAAAAABIO...... He didn't even glance over. So, as usual, I had to save myself. Took me 3 months but here I am. Once I catch my breath, I'll let you know how things are going.

Miss Fruity Patooty

ps - if this leaves you scratching your head and saying what??... check out a December 22, 2007 post from a dear old friend, Jennifer, on her blog.... There's a link over on the side....Jennifer's Blog.....that kind of makes sense, doesn't it?!! She's a true friend.

Going To The Beach!!!

Yes!!! Wheeeeee doggies!! We are headed to the beach!! We are going to Hilton Head for some fun in the sun, run my toes through the sand, frolic in the waves and just generally have a big ol' time!! We'll also meet up with some life long friends that we've not seen in quite a while......The Cochranes. They are the best....the greatest....and absolutely total loons!! We can't wait to spend some time with them.

Keegan and Romy will be there too, so we'll be playing on the beach with them. They have no clue what's ahead. They will be so much fun!!

I'm really anxious to see what I hear out on the beach. I'm hoping I'll pick up some good whoosh, whoosh!!! Maybe hear some birds. I don't know what else.....does a crab make noise????

Hopefully I'll have a really good update for you when we get back. Please say a prayer that we'll have a safe and fun trip.

Catch you later!!!

Just For You Jennifer!!

Well, I hope my links have made you happy Jennifer!! It's ALL about pleasing you and Cynthia. That's what gives my life meaning.

Just a quick note while I'm here. Yesterday, Rick, Sylvester and I were sitting on the couch. Rick was dozing in and out while Sylvester and I watched tv. Every so often I would hear some weird noise......Sylvester heard it too. He would lift his head and look. Of course I had no clue what it was. Finally, at one point, the noise happened while Rick was back in-the-moment with us. I said What IS that???? It was driving me crazy. Well, it was the buzzer on the dryer. I didn't know the dryer was going.....Rick had turned it on. But it kept buzzing every so often......buzz.......buzz.......buzz.......buzz........buzz........ You would think I would go upstairs and turn it off, but noooooooooo. That required too much effort!!! I just kept hearing that irritating buzzzzzz until it finally cut off.

That's it. That's all I have today.

Plop, Plop, Fizz,...

Fizz, oh what.....Oh, never mind. Wrong thing. Sorry. All I need is the "fizz, fizz" part. Friday, I was sitting at work with nothing to do. It was very quiet because there was hardly anybody at work. We had a 3 day weekend ahead and apparently the majority of the crew decided to make it a 4 day weekend! Anyhoo, I got a Diet Pepsi to drink and poured it in a cup on some ice. I started hearing something weird.....not very loud,....but what was it? AH HA!!!! It was the fizzy part going sssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!! I haven't caught that one before! That was pretty cool!! I had to pour more Pepsi on so I could hear it again!! Just thought you might want to know that.

Not much else going on. We've had a good weekend! Hope everybody else did too. Saturday, Rick's brother and sister-in-law, Buddy and Janelyn, came down to visit. It was great getting to spend some time with them!!! Sunday, after church, we got a lot of yard work done and it looks so much better. Then today, we've been over to Cyn's most of the day. We got a couple of Papa Murphy's pizzas and played a card game, Head and Foot, all afternoon. It's been a fun day!! Of course, we had to play with the girls too! If you haven't tried Papa Murphy's pizzas, you really need to. They are fabulous!!

Oh, by the way, those snide little remarks are just soooooo cute, Cynthia and Jennifer........