Kylie

Hi all,
I was implanted Nov 30th 2020, switched on Dec 15th.
So much to learn, and even thought the journey to surgery was long, wow post switch on I am realizing the rehab journey may be even longer.
I have a Live Production / Pro Audio background.
when my journey began I regrettably couldn’t find you all, so began a VLOG documenting my own.
if your interested here is the link and little snippets of my journey thus far.
My Cochlear Journey VLOG video series  
Now post surgery I’m exhausted, a little devastated but incredibly determined.
So many questions, so many emotions. 
thank you for sharing your journeys , I’m looking forward to reading here as much as I can find.
Thank you In Advance
John

Within 6 months I could close my eyes and not miss too much, if I concentrated very hard, though it sounded very tinny and electronic. Now at 18 months it sounds way better, more like voices than robots, but still definitely an electronic sound overall. Don't need captions now, can listen to any audiobook etc.

This is an excellent description of what I heard after my first activation.  I called them "the beepies" but it was also somewhat reminiscent of Minnie Mouse.  I was glad when that went away!  And it will, it's part of learning to hear when the input goes to your brain via electronics instead of an eardrum and a cochlea.  My second activation wasn't quite as beepy but it wasn't normal voices either.  It all works out in the end!

I heard beeps and everyone was a robot talking underwater. 

I heard beeps and everyone was a robot talking underwater. 

@Joan 
I’m not sure that the audiologist could help except provide guidance. My high pitched ringing was due to my brain never hearing at that frequency. I had to wait for my brain to sort it out which luckily was 2 days after activation. 
 
@Laura C I hope your high pitch whistling subsides soon. Force yourself to listen whenever you hear it, your brain is trying to figure out what it’s hearing. I heard the ringing terribly while watching tv but I sat through it and it helped. You got this 💪

Although the voices didn’t sound very human, I did hear voices after my first activation. Also heard a lot of things I could have done without! My first mistake was unloading the dishwasher the day I was activated....definitely NOT a pleasant sound! It took me a while to be able to distinguish a male voice from a female voice, especially on t.v. @Laura C as @Megan L. said, we all have to start somewhere and it DOES get better so stick with it. Patience and perseverance are so important in getting through your rehab! Best of luck to you. Hang in there!

@Laura C
I remember the first time I was doing rehab, it was the kid’s rehab so it was simple words and I couldn’t understand anything. And I started to cry because it was so frustrating and my mom was sitting across the table and told me it was ok and that it wouldn’t be like that forever. It gets better and we all have to start  somewhere 😊 Keep at it no matter how uncomfortable it feels right now. Sending you good vibes!!
 

My first activation I did not hear voices only ringing when people were talking. I heard music but no voices singing 🤣
The second activation on Monday, was like a cartoon! I was laughing so hard. It sounded so funny I had to double check with my audiologist that I was switched on 🤪 Obviously yes. Music sounded like a cartoon as well and still kind of does. I’m basically living inside Looney Tuned for the time being 😆👍
Congrats on your activation @Laura C Hope you are having fun!

@MaryGP
Scroll up.  I posted my favorite aural rehab apps/activities above.

I also wanted to mention that at 20months I was still adapting to sound, but that was around the time it started to sound "normal" to me. I hope you're adapting well to the change. There's a long learning curve with these devices.

Hi Kylie, Initially when I got my hybrid CI - my speech perception went from 24% to 80%. I lost some of the low tones ten years ago (6 years after my hybrid implant) and got the full CI on my unimplanted ear. I just upgraded today and they tested me -- my speech recognition with my hybrid is now only 3%! Not worth wearing at all. With the full CI processor it's 77%. So we're now considering whether I should remove the hybrid and put the full implant in my hybrid ear. I'm uncertain right now whether I need two if I'm already getting 77% word recognition. I would be interested to hear from others who had similar results if a second one helped them or not. I never realized until today how big of a blow losing the rest of my hearing all those years ago was.

Oh man, earlier on Sunday.  Well, I plan to be there, but I don't set an alarm on weekends so there's sooooome possibility of being a little late.

@Mary Featherston
I did move it up by 15 minutes.  Trying to not keep @Kylie up too late and trying to not have @Joan up too early due to the time change in the US.  Come and join when you are up.

Yes!!

@Megan L.
 
YAY!  I will plan the January HP chat for after your activation!

@Mary Beth
Sounds like a plan!! Yay 🤩 Looking forward to it!!

Hello HPs Crew 😁 Sending an update here. Hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Christmas 🎄🎅
Surgery went good on Monday, YAY. The anesthesiologist gave me a TON of anti nausea medicine and adjusted a few other things, so I felt pretty good after surgery. I did throw up 2x in recovery but just a little. This time has been a complete 180 from the first CI. But still taking it easy!! Activation is set for January 11 🦻 Maybe I’ll be switched on for our January coffee chat 🤓 wouldn’t that be fun?!

LOL I have a similar frustration with my ENT! They were so concerned about the risk to my residual hearing and expected me to feel the same but I did not care one little bit. It was not at all functional so what did I have to lose? Then after the surgery they excitedly told me that I had retained much of it, and I told them I didn't care (or more polite words to that effect) and they acted like I cursed! It was funny and confusing 😃

You can buy the audiostream in Australia for AU$490 including the battery frame. (That is approx US$372 at today's rate.) I have not yet purchased one as I am undecided about the value for the high cyst. Looking forward to reading others' reviews?

LOL I have a similar frustration with my ENT! They were so concerned about the risk to my residual hearing and expected me to feel the same but I did not care one little bit. It was not at all functional so what did I have to lose? Then after the surgery they excitedly told me that I had retained much of it, and I told them I didn't care (or more polite words to that effect) and they acted like I cursed! It was funny and confusing 😃

You can buy the audiostream in Australia for AU$490 including the battery frame. (That is approx US$372 at today's rate.) I have not yet purchased one as I am undecided about the value for the high cyst. Looking forward to reading others' reviews?

LOL I have a similar frustration with my ENT! They were so concerned about the risk to my residual hearing and expected me to feel the same but I did not care one little bit. It was not at all functional so what did I have to lose? Then after the surgery they excitedly told me that I had retained much of it, and I told them I didn't care (or more polite words to that effect) and they acted like I cursed! It was funny and confusing 😃

Yes as far as I know that is correct. 

I was activated in my right ear yesterday at Mass Eye & Ear in Boston, lost all hearing come four years in March and I would say for me the tinnitus has been equally as difficult to live with. No magic Hollywood moments so far but when the processor is on my tinnitus is def. masked and although I can barely make out the vocals  I'm listening actually listening to New Order directly to my right ear and that def. seems like a minor miracle as I hear the drums and bass. I can also get a sense of sound localization when for example water is running from a faucet. Overall very exciting & btw Mary Beth I've been reading a lot of your posts since before I decided to get an implant and they have been very helpful!--Chris good luck to you and I too had to wait a little extra because of T-giving here in the states and was literally jumping out of my skin to be activated.