Hello from Milan, Italy!

[Raschiapedane]

Hi everyone,

I'm Andrea from Italy, 47 yo. I was implanted on Jan 22nd and activated on Feb 19th (Synchrony + Sonnet) and, two days after the activation, I was able to achieve near ~100% text dictation accuracy in quiet conditions during loud and slow speech exercises with my wife. Since then, things improved a lot and I believe I have a good musical perception both in frequency (the CI gives me a frequency range from ~40Hz up-to 9100Hz well beyond my expectations) and in ability to identify pitch variation and musical instruments. Despite these good news, I'm struggling to understand speech of people more than 2 meters far. I feel pitch is off, 1 (or maybe 2 ??) octave down and everything is muffled and distorted. I have two maps: ABF and standard but the audiologist didn't disclose their position to avoid influencing me. For sure one map is clearer but not enough to improve my understanding that much.

I would play with maps every day and I am a bit frustrated by the fact that my audiologist says I need time and, so far, refused to apply new maps (I had 3 since implantation. Next one is scheduled for May 3rd). What do you think?

Thank you,

Andrea

[Mary Beth]

Asking for a MAP using omni mic setting may help you hear others from further away.  It helps me.

[Raschiapedane]

Hi Mary Beth,

thank you for your suggestion. I'll ask this to the audi next time. I'm sorry for being unclear in my ask in the previous post but I was wondering if it's normal to have a pretty fixed schedule for the mapping sessions. Should I push more to have additional sessions or should I give more time to the CI and ear to know each other ? What is your experience in the US? How many mappings session do you have typically in the first 2 months?

Thank you,

Andrea

[Mary Beth]

In the US this varies greatly from CI center to CI center.  There is no agreed upon schedule in the US.

[Radu Ciprian]

Hello,

I would like to share with you that in Romania the audio processor is recalibrated after 3 months from activation. Mine is due in June for the first time since the implant.

Probably, some time of accommodation is necessary for the ear and CI.

[Raschiapedane]

Hi Radu,

nice to know and thank you for sharing.  How was your first fitting session? So far, my mappings sessions went through ABRT on all electrodes and loudness levels definitions. Then the audi creates the MAP and loads it on the implant. That's it: no adjustments based on conversational levels and everything in a quiet room. No test & trial using recorded sentences or whatsoever. Very different from some youtube videos I saw.

[Radu Ciprian]

The activation of the audio processor was performed after the operation (about a month), by the audiologist only by adjusting the volume on each electrode, a kind of equalizer, nothing more, because it is too early for adjustments for conversations/high or low sounds. The set volume is lowered so that the nerve tries to perceive the sound.

The doctor warned me that the process is a long one and that full recovery can take from a few months to even a year, depending on each individual. He advised me to wear the processor for a few hours every day and to try listen to podcasts, audiobooks, conversation on TV. I do this with my Audiolink.

We just have to be patient.

ps: if it has any relevance, the absence of hearing in the ear was for a period of about a year and a half