New CI - focus on Rondo

[Jdashiell]

OK I too am a newbie.

My surgery was Mar 24, and activation 5 weeks later on April 29. I started out with the Sonnett (So very glad I got 2 processors?)  but 1 week later switched to Rondo.

1) I like that it is a single unit. Simplistic.

2) I like the my eyeglasses rule the real estate of my ear finally. As I used to me binaurally fitted with BTE HAs.

BUT, the battery life eats 3 batteries, UGH

Why can't we get these processors with rechargeable batteries. Why not have a system that recharges AND cleans at the same time?

 

OK enough ranting.

 

I progressed fairly well in the first few weeks but now I find my progression has hit a plateau.

I feel that my CI hearing is missing the middle range of frequencies. I get bass and I get some highs, especially very high.

Missing the middle range make for muddy sounds and thus undecipherable speech. Telephone is tough.

 

I do find that using the Telecoil is helpful to understand.

I use the Quattro4 connected to my iPhone via Bluetooth and T setting on the FineTuner.

I also looped my home TV room so I can use the T setting as well. This helps me to understand the news, a movie and some of the NBA commentary.

 

But when I need to use the M setting (microphone of the Rondo) speech recognition is tough unless I am 3-4 feet away and facing the individual.

Despite all this I am very happy with my decision and with my progression to date. I just want to be hearing perfectly again, like I was 30 years ago! ;-)

Joe

[Mary Beth]

Hi Joe,

I know you may not want to hear this but you are doing extremely well for only being activated less than one month! Patience is required on this journey. I encourage you to keep detailed notes of how things sound and share them with your audiologist at your next appointment. Our ears do not settle in at exactly the same rate across all 12 electrodes. This causes us to hear in an unbalanced way during the early months until everything stablizes and our ears hear in a more balanced way.

Listening through the T sounds different from listening through the mics. It is helpful to spend training time listening through the actual mics. Start with someone sitting next to you and gradually have them move further away as you progress.

I am training now with a person sitting across the living room (so at about 8-10'feet away) but I started out like this:

-person next to me on the couch

-person at opposite end of same couch

-person on separate loveseat further away from me

-person in chair across the room

Enjoy the journey. Sounds like you are off to a great start!

Mary Beth

[Sandy]

Hi Joe, like Mary Beth says, you seem to be doing great. It takes patience, practice and perseverance (our mantra - the 3Ps). Each mapping will take you a step closer. Keep react icing and enjoy the journey. We look forward to hearing more about your journey.

[Kara of Canada]

Wow you're doing better than me at that stage. I couldn't begin to use the phone till the one month mapping. Even then it was tough. I did telephone training for a month that made a huge difference for me. Also it does take lots of patience. So please don't feel too let down it will Improve in time.

[Ivana Marinac]

Excellent Joe - one vote more!  

[Jdashiell]

Well thank you everyone!

I was beginning feel "down" but now know I am one of the lucky ones

I really appreciate the kudos and reminder to be patient.

[Ivana Marinac]

That's why we are here - I have somewhere but I can't find it now, what is the importance of the social groups on the individual patient's success. It is not just - a placebo.

[Mary Beth]

So we are better than a placebo! That's good to know. Smile.

[Cara Mia]

Joe,

 

Of course you are doing well. I understand your expectation of doing even better. But we need to be not only patient, but reasonable, too. It is less than a month since your activation. Right?! I also was hungry for more on my early stage after I felt how much better my life became after I got my CI. But I became really confident about my results only when I got close to month 3. I showed very bad result in my test in one month after activation. I could not believe in that numbers because, subjectively, I felt that my hearing (and speech understanding) improved significantly by that time. But yesterday my test at three month mark showed a real measurable progress.  Just believe in yourself, technology, your little buddy, and your rehab efforts!

 

Of course, we are not a placebo. The placebo is a great medicine with its main cure component based on faith. Our influence is based on the trust that derives from our real experience

[Mary Beth]

Well said Cara.

[Sandy]

Yes, Cara that is well said.

[Kara of Canada]

Our philosopher!! Well one of them!! Well Said!!

[Ivana Marinac]

Joe,

 

Of course you are doing well. I understand your expectation of doing even better. But we need to be not only patient, but reasonable, too. It is less than a month since your activation. Right?! I also was hungry for more on my early stage after I felt how much better my life became after I got my CI. But I became really confident about my results only when I got close to month 3. I showed very bad result in my test in one month after activation. I could not believe in that numbers because, subjectively, I felt that my hearing (and speech understanding) improved significantly by that time. But yesterday my test at three month mark showed a real measurable progress.  Just believe in yourself, technology, your little buddy, and your rehab efforts!

 

Of course, we are not a placebo. The placebo is a great medicine with its main cure component based on faith. Our influence is based on the trust that derives from our real experience

 

 

Actually, there has been an update: a placebo effect is real

 

A book-worms   discovered that placebo effect is based on endorphines and auto-secretion of all kind weird substances in our body which allows us not just be feel than even - be better!

[Ivana Marinac]

Here...

 

http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/01/the-placebo-phenomenon

[Ivana Marinac]

So we are better than a placebo! That's good to know. Smile.

 

Of course - we're better!

[Cara Mia]

Ivana, I do think that the placebo effect is a real and can be effective medicine for some in some situations.

 

There is no doubt that placebo effects are based on a physiological mechanism that can be explained in various ways from classical conditioning to the shifts in an expression of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides that lead to changes in another regulatory systems.

 

For me, the most intriguing part of this topic is how a placebo triggers those physiological responses. It is about how some non material phenomenon (believes) can cause changes in material systems. And it seems that the stronger faith the placebo recipients have the more significant results they show (of course, with some deviation from this “rule” considering the type and stage of the health problems and the way a placebo is administered).

Looks like it’s time to discuss how psychosomatic can help us to improve our rehab results J

 

[Mary Beth]

It all goes back to our childhood book, I THINK I CAN I THINK I CAN. The Little Engine That Could

[Ivana Marinac]

Ivana, I do think that the placebo effect is a real and can be effective medicine for some in some situations.

 

There is no doubt that placebo effects are based on a physiological mechanism that can be explained in various ways from classical conditioning to the shifts in an expression of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides that lead to changes in another regulatory systems.

 

For me, the most intriguing part of this topic is how a placebo triggers those physiological responses. It is about how some non material phenomenon (believes) can cause changes in material systems. And it seems that the stronger faith the placebo recipients have the more significant results they show (of course, with some deviation from this “rule” considering the type and stage of the health problems and the way a placebo is administered).

Looks like it’s time to discuss how psychosomatic can help us to improve our rehab results J

 

I am a classical representative of the western medicine but also very liberal toward other people opinions. 

You are putting right questions - as many researches also but up to now the part of special interest: what starts the cascade hasn't been answered although even genes are involved. If we take as a fact that our thought is like a meal: a pure pleasure but, on the other sides 3 nutritional ingredients only, than we can separate a thought as an assemblage of ions - than it is right question to ask: what is a trigger. We still do not know the answer, but as we struggled to prove the process of neuroplasticity - this will still be a really good question.

A real question is - what is it exactly that promotes improved abilities, so called the process of neuroplasticity. An exercise? 

http://jonlieffmd.com/blog/how-does-neuroplasticity-work

 

Ti be continued...    Beware - philosophers in action!