Checking in on Cara Mia

[Ivana Marinac]

 

I like to move it move it! These CIs are amazing!

Here's my wow moment related to music

I was driving to work and deep in thought so I had not turned up the volume on the radio yet. (I always lower it before I turn off the car so it doesn't jolt me first thing in the morning.). I was stopped at a red light and could barely hear anything from the radio . Then I started singing a song. I turned up the volume and what do you know?! They were playing that song exactly the part I was singing! Blew my mind! I was hearing when I didn't even realize I was hearing!

 

     

 

amazing! -

 

This moment deserves another song for the WOW section:

[Cara Mia]

Ivana, thank you for posting that two songs. Both are the very inspring reminders about the right direction to move it Each word in them has meaning for me.

 

Kara and Mary Beth, your posts are inspiring too. They bring me a message that despite how our journeys are different you always can get the great result with some help of patience, persistent work, and believing.

 

Thank all of you for your encouragements, girls. Getting ready for a faith leap but after my next mapping on Thursday  ​

[Kara of Canada]

Good luck Cara! Remember ryouare also an inspiration!! We all need each other!! We all need somebody to lean on!!

[Mary Beth]

Cara,

I hope you have a great mapping on Thursday.

Getting back to the phone.....for the first time I synced my phone to the Quattro4 to practice making calls on it that way since I am meeting some Med-El users in NYC and one has asked for help with his Quattro4 and phone. Smile. If your HA has a T, this may be the most comfortable way for you to start expanding phone use. You can hear the phone in both your CI AND HA simultaneously. While on the phone you could always turn your HA back to M and listen only with the CI and know that a quick change back to T would give you binaural sound. You would have an auditory safety net. Smile. Just a thought.

[Sandy]

Ivana, thank you. That was so inspirational. Cara, good luck for n Thursday with your mapping. I go for my next one a week from Thursday.

[Kara of Canada]

I have to wait till the 13 of June for my six-month. Ca t wait to see my improvements.

[Sandy]

I think my next one will be quite the session. I've been having trouble with the pitches. Everything seems so high. I've had an echoing sound for the last week and now when driving I hear this low rumbling noise. I thought it was my muffler, but also heard it in my sister-in-law's car. She didn't hear it. It's amazing the sounds we hear, that people with "normal" hearing don't. I know most is filtered background, but... I was also supposed to change the program to the next level up, but after a week of trying and being stressed, I decided to go back a step. I think some fine tuning is in the works next week.

[Mary Beth]

Sandy,

Are you using the Sonnet?

[Sandy]

Mary Beth, I have the rondo.

[Mary Beth]

Sandy,

I'm just sharing something that helped me get a better map in case it may help you too. When I was having difficulty getting the low sounds and high sounds to seem balanced (not too bass heavy, not too high pitched) in my left ear, we decided to test each threshold. That is when the audiologist has you listen to the beeps but instead of saying when it is comfortably loud, you do the opposite. You track that beep down to the quietest level where you can detect it at all. Then the audiologist uses this info to set your threshold (which basically is the loudest setting on each electrode that we CAN NOT hear). Med-El has a default threshold setting and that works for many, many people. However, when we tested my left thresholds we found that they were not at all level with each other. By setting the thresholds and then adjusting the MCLs, we were able to balance out the low and high pitches.

Maybe this would help you too. Just sharing in case you want to discuss it with your audiologist.

I'm a fan of testing thresholds because even though my right ear had much more level thresholds, there is an improved quality of sound with these tested thresholds.

Best of luck,

Mary Beth

[Sandy]

Thanks, Mary Beth. I will bring this up next week when we meet. I know I've been told before that crossing the US/Canadian border doesn't affect the processor, but I'm still sceptical as this is the second time my processor has had this type of change.

[Corkie]

Ivana, how did you download those musical videos? I would love to do some of those onto my computer IF I get my cochlear to use hearing music and read the words as well. I have my evaluation for candidacy tomorrow with the audiologist in the morning and the surgeon in the afternoon. I was already sent home with all the medical info to fill in, a 3 ring binder full of all the info of what that facility does, the brochures of the 3 cochlear companies they work with, etc. so I'm just praying to hear "yes" we will implant you.

[Mary Beth]

Corkie,

That's so great! What an exciting time. Where are you located? I'm in NY.

There are tons of songs with lyrics on YouTube too.

[Mary Beth]

Sandy,

That's intriguing. Will you tell us more about your experiences with these changes in your processor?

[Corkie]

Mary Beth,

I live in Washington state just north of Seattle. Tomorrow will either be a great day or a very depressing day depending on if I get the go ahead. Can you just download music on Utube or do you have to buy them?

[Mary Beth]

Corkie,

That's cool! Which CI center are you using in Seattle? I've only ever watched the YouTube videos- never tried to download them.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you. These CIs are amazing!

[Corkie]

I'm going to Virginia Mason hospital in down town Seattle which is where they have their audiology department. My family doctor is at a Virginia Mason smaller outlet just 20 minutes from my home. Medicare requires a prescription from my primary care physician to the audiology department for each visit which seems ridiculous and an unnecessary burden on my physician, but that's what I have to do. If I qualify, I'll have to ask for a prescription for every visit to the Audi visit for the whole year of necessary visits.

[Mary Beth]

Wow I never heard of that before

[Sandy]

Mary Beth, after I returned home last week everything started to echo. I wasn't totally happy with my last mapping but thought okay it's a change and it will eventually be all right. The sounds became even more high pitched last week. I also hear a low pitched rumbling noise when I drive and thought it might be a hole in the muffler. No one else heard it. I heard the same noise in my sister-in-law's car on Sunday so perhaps it's just something new I am hearing.

[Cara Mia]

I'm going to Virginia Mason hospital in down town Seattle which is where they have their audiology department.

Hi Corkie, glad to have somebody from Washington State here. I am from Snoqualmie, working in Redmond. Virginia Mason is also my hospital I got implanted this year in February. I am very thankful to Dr. Schwartz, my surgeon. And I like to work with Ashley Evers, my audiologist.

 

I wish you to get your surgery approved. Will wait to hear about your CI journey. Best of luck. 

[Cara Mia]

Sandy,

I'm just sharing something that helped me get a better map in case it may help you too. ........ By setting the thresholds and then adjusting the MCLs, we were able to balance out the low and high pitches.

I'm a fan of testing thresholds because even though my right ear had much more level thresholds, there is an improved quality of sound with these tested thresholds.

Best of luck,

Mary Beth

Mary Beth, I printed out this your post. I believe it is something I need to discuss with my audiologist (at least). And I also have some strange changes to my processor - approximately a week ago my program 3 became quieter than program 1 and 2. It was not that way for sure. I am have no idea how to explain it.

[Cara Mia]

Cara,

I hope you have a great mapping on Thursday.

Getting back to the phone.....for the first time I synced my phone to the Quattro4 to practice making calls on it that way since I am meeting some Med-El users in NYC and one has asked for help with his Quattro4 and phone. Smile. If your HA has a T, this may be the most comfortable way for you to start expanding phone use. You can hear the phone in both your CI AND HA simultaneously. While on the phone you could always turn your HA back to M and listen only with the CI and know that a quick change back to T would give you binaural sound. You would have an auditory safety net. Smile. Just a thought.

Thanks all of you for wishing me a good mapping.

 

Mary Beth, yes, my HA has a T and since the last week I have started using it again all day long. I notices that recently my residual hearing are getting more and more down. So, I decided to add some stimulation for my regular ear in case if that decline is a result of under stimulation (as I didn't use my HA since February and each day I keep that my ear plugged).

I tested all mentioned ways for phone using. Seems that the best for me is (1) using a M holding the phone close to my HA with CI on program 4. (2) Use  T-hooks with HA and CI on T. Will see how this is going to change after I get more middle and low frequencies.

[Kara of Canada]

Cara I have this happen to me when my brain says ok let's change things. It means your brain wants more sound. That how I feel now. I have to wait till June 13 though. It doesnt bother me too much.

[Cara Mia]

Kara, I still think it is something with my processor setting. The program 1, 2, and 4 provides the same sounds level they were set up for, but the program 3 is now quieter than program 1 when it's supposed to be 10% louder. Not a big deal. Tomorrow it will be fixed. Just curious what happened here.

[Kara of Canada]

Well in the beginning I would get a new map and it would be quite loud for me. As I got used to it it would get too quiet. My brain adapted. So I always had to turn it up at the net mapping. It's normal for me.