Newly Activated Mapping tips?

[Ford]

 Hi All -- I was implanted in left ear early Jan and have been activated for about 2 weeks. My right ear has pretty bad SNL loss -- Low frequencies not terrible but no high frequencies. Everything I have seen described on other posts sounds familiar: Bloody nose, tinnitus, vertigo after surgery... but for me all pretty mild and largely gone now. My audi did an informal test at activation to test residual hearing in my left ear. Not sure the outcome -- I was supposed to get Sonnet EAS but they sent regular sonnet by mistake so they will swap my next visit which is this Wednesday. But it seems I'm pretty much deaf in the left ear now so not even sure I will use the EAS. I have to say after listening with a CI for two weeks I am kinda surprised I got along as well as I did with my hearing as bad as it was/is (my poor friends and family!) . My right ear and left ear started out as sort of two sound tracks that did not quite merge -- high frequencies on the CI left ear and low frequencies on the right ear. Over time these have merged and sound largely in sync now. The result is life changing for sure with respect to communicating with my family and friends. Music is definitely a challenge. As a professional jazz guitarist most of my life I can play stuff I have been playing for 30 years that I know like the back of my hand how it should sound and it is fascinating how the CI is trying to work out the overall sound. Lots of amazing new electronic beeps and buzzes. Perhaps the most exciting thing for me is that I can hear drums pretty clearly again: Cymbals, high-hat, snare, etc. . I love drums and when I listen to some tracks just being able to hear them in all their glory again is thrilling, despite the truly strange other sounds that just sound like squeals and such of the other instruments. This is not at all depressing to me as I was well prepared for this thanks to preparatory discussions from many of you 🙂
Anyway, I can see this is a long road, and I have not even done the first real mapping session yet, but even if nothing else changes it will have been worth it. I got a 2 for one deal so I have both a Sonnet and a Rondo 2. Tend to like the sonnet better for it's directional mics, but I switch between them for hours each and am getting used to the omni-directional mic in R2. I would think both would benefit from individual maps (my R2 is just my initial sonnet map copied over so far). My initial programs are just 4 different volume levels, and also I can adjust sensitivity. Any tips for what to put on the 4 different programs at my initial mapping session this week? I definitely want a music program with all the filters etc turned off...but any other ideas would be helpful.

[Mary Featherston]

Hi @Ford - yes indeed, is this cool or what?  🙂

If your audiologist is like mine you will get another round of volume increases this next time.  Your audiologist will want you to get used the volume before you start getting individual programs.

Once you do, though, typically you can have Omni (sound from all around), Natural (tries to act like the way sounds are funneled by the physical ear, so it's mostly forward sounds, and Adaptive, which is front and sides.  With my Sonnet I use Omni almost all the time, use adaptive in noisy situations like restaurants, and never do use Natural.  Some people will get their audiologist to make a program that helps with road noise for driving, but I am not having trouble with that so I didn't bother.  My Rondo2s have the same map as my Sonnets; I thought about getting a separate one but they've really started sounding good so I haven't bothered.  The only drawback of the Rondo2 from my point of view is that the single mic means no Adaptive.

The more you can tell your audiologist about what you're hearing and what you want to hear, the better he/she can help you.  It sounds like you're off to a great start!

[Mary Beth]

@Ford

WOW!  Terrific start!  

For the first couple of months my audiologist gave me progressive MAPs to move up to until everything stabilized.  Then we loaded MAPs for different listening options.

In the end, I didn’t need the music MAP nor the noise MAP.  My main MAP works great on all settings.  Music sounds lovely (but that took time).

 

[Ford]

Thanks for the info 🙂

[Jewel]

Hey @Ford

Sounds like you're off to a great start! My audi merely kept increasing volume levels for the first two months and then since it appeared that I had stabilised I requested maps in each of the mic settings. I personally love Natural the most. But omni is great for when we are in the car and have passengers. Adaptive is great in Noise. I also have one to cut out the wind noise I get when I am driving my car. But once I have company I use a different program. 

Everyone is different. 

Wishing you well with your journey. 

[Ford]

Had a good session yesterday -- things are stabilizing quickly so she gave me the various programs (Natural at 2 volume levels, adaptive, and a music with no filters). We also tried EAS but not even sure we will go there as my residual hearing is pretty bad for now...and there is enough to work on just electronically. Perhaps in a couple months after I'm totally comfortable with the electronic side.

It is really hard to imagine this static mess that is music right now becoming musical. I can hear rhythm fine and drums, but notes on any instrument are a real mess. I'm not discouraged, and I asked the MED-EL rep (they have been to all my sessions so far) if this really does turn into music at some point for most people and she said yes...so for now I will take everyone's word for it that with work this will change 🙂 

[Mary Beth]

@Ford

music made huge positive changes in my third or fourth month post activation.

My favorite Sonnet mic setting for music is omni.

[Ford]

Good to know -- I remain hopeful --  thanks!

[C T lex]

Hi All,

From Wednesday until today I was on my first mapping session.  My progress was great Wednesday and especially Thursday.  I was hearing the melody of  music and  understanding some words on TV and phone.  

Today before mapping my audi had me chose a volume level that was loud but comfortable.  After doing so she created four new programs .  When driving home and on program 1 everything was very loud including secondary sounds like the heater motor running.  It's like sound of incidental things are too loud and competing with mainstream stuff.  Sadly, at home with this program the melody of streaming music is now obscured by an edge of sorts.  Same with Audio on TV.  I am wondering if "loud but comfortable" was a baseline and as such was too loud?  Or am I supposed to suffer for the greater good...

If I use the remote and click volume down four clicks things are improved but still loud.  Can anyone  relate to my ramblings?  

Thanks,

C T Lex

[Mary Beth]

@C T lex

I understand.  

The best advice is to contact your audiologist and ask what she wants you to do.

Our brains need to learn to process all this sound and sometimes it does mean tolerating things for the better good BUT sometimes MAPs are just too loud and decreasing volume is a great idea.

 

[Ford]

Hi CT - I asked the Med-El rep and my Audi at my last session roughly the same question...are we supposed to find the loudest comfortable place for all the points (electrode points) and adjust to this? They both said it depends...loud is not necessarily best. It seems too much output/stimulation can cause "crosstalk" between the electrode points which can result in distortion (not sure if this is true...), but especially for us newbies that are just learning to hear with the implant our auditory nerve needs to get used to sorting all the various stimulation. Indeed, the whole mapping process is a bit of trial and error and each change takes time for the brain to adjust.

I would take Mary Beth's advice and ask the audi what she suggests. In the end I think whatever helps you hear the best is what you need.

I had them give me a milder program on program 1 and a slightly louder version of the same on program 2, but I seem to use Prog 2 most of the time. It seems that slowly my brain is starting sort out and distinguish more of the this and that...but I can see this will take time.