Saturday 31 May 2008

post Activation - 1 week and 6 days (Thank You)

It's nearly 2 weeks since i've been switched on, it's has gone pretty quick for me.

I really can't belive that the first week I was about to give up with the implant as the beeping sounds really annoyed me. Without the encouragement from Abbie, Laurie, Jenniefer blogs and of course the yahoo group. I probably would of given up with the implant by now which I would still be in the silents world and leaving the implant in the poor box.

Now it's the 2nd week things has changed alot for me. I've started to become more confident. I can't belive how much stuff I have heard that i've never heard before this week. I know it's early days yet which i've alot more mapping to come and voices still sounds a bit muffled (mickey mouse) etc

what I really want to say in this post, is a BIG THANK YOU to all those that supported me all the way on here the blog and the yahoo group. You have really help me alot and my life with the implant is getting better and I am proud to become a Bionic women :-D

will keep you all updated on the next mapping etc.

bye for now x

Wednesday 28 May 2008

1st Mapping. - Beeping has ended!

Today was my first mapping since the switch on. After having a week with those awful beeping sounds, today the beeping has finally ended. wohoo

The new sounds all started off with a new set of loudness and different range of frequency, which I and my audiogisit set up during the tuning session. When the tuning was done, Ellen then switched it on.

Firstly, I heard ellen going how does that sounds. I was speechless because her voice sounded weird, it was like a robot or micky mouse talking. I was so please that I heard no beeping while she was talking. I even heard some background sounds clear like paper russling and ellen typing on the keyboard.

Ellen and I went into another room to do some test. We had to do this test which I've done through my implant assessement with a grumpy old man on tv. I had to try guess what he said. It was very hard. I hardly got any right. I could hear him ok but couldn't really understood what been said as he had no facial experession and of course I couldn't lipread him. So i've alot of homework to do.

Also we did this enviourment test to try and identify some envouriment sounds, such as serien from police cars, telephone ringing etc. That test was ok, I didn't do to good but it was slgihty better than the assessement result. Sometimes next month I should have a result, so fingers cross that would work.

Since i've seen my audiogist. I manage to ask them for a smaller t-mic hook becuase the bigger ones kept making my implant fall off. Finally that problem has been sorted and hopefully i shouldn't have anymore.

so what a day, eh. I'm feeling alot more confident that this implant joureney could get better for me. After my first mapping i've already notice the different and I really can't wait for my 2nd mapping which is next monday.

Cant't belive how much homework the hearing therispt have given me. So, here i am practising with theses children audio tape that you can listen and follow at the same time. Really interesting stories though, it kept me motivated to work hard with my listening skill.

so that is it for me, so tired after a long day and i'm happy with the outcome of today appointment and really can't wait for next week. woohooo! bring it on!

Monday 26 May 2008

1-Week Post Activation


Hey all,

Sorry I haven't post recently. I've been so busy with my England squad. Over the past week I've found my C.I Pretty difficult to cope with. I haven't really heard a clear sounds since switch on. I've have experince alot of beeping over the past week when I or something esle make a sounds.

I can identify what cause my implant is beep at me. such as

* Door shutting
* my foot steps.
* water running
* chair moving
* Tv
*paper
*music playing
*dogs barking
* People talking

and many more... all these sounds I hear is in beeping sounds and not a normal sound.
I have found the beeping sounds very fusturated even though I am trying my best to keep going with my implant, as people said it will get better over time.
I'm due for my 1-week initail tunning (1st mapping since switch on) this wednesday coming. Hopefully things will get better since then.
Has any of you experince alot of beeping on the first week without hearing a normal sound?
Has any of you experince any soreness where the hook goes on you ear. I've seem to have a little blister on where the implant been place.

Anyway over the weekend I flew to Germany with my England sqaud for a Friendly match against to Germany. We lost the match, which we wasn't too bothered about because it would giver away our tactic in the world cup this June in Greece.
I played very well. And enjoyed evey minutes of it. especially when there was a stadiuam full of people watching us. The crowds was amazing. I am please that I flew home with another new shiney medal :-)

On a saturday, I didn't wore my implant at all because of the training all day and match too. I felt bad for not wearing it even though I did that for a reason as I didn't want it getting damange throughout the footie training etc but sunday it sounded all weird for a bit then got back to the the sound I heard before with the beeping. (is that normal)

anyway hope you enjoy some of the pictures :-D (i'm number 15 in the team photo)



Tuesday 20 May 2008

Activation Day!

*late Post*

Hey all,

Sorry didn't post yesterday on the "activation day" It was a long day and it worn me out quick!

Anyway the day went great, arrived there at 8:35 yesterday morning. Handed in the appointment letter to the receptionist and sat down with my sister etc waiting (I was very nervous) . 10 minutes later my interpreter arrived which I've met before so we were chatting away which has help me from getting more nervous. About 8:55 Ellen my Audiogist came into the waiting room and look directly at me, she smiled and said "are you ready"

My legs felt all jelly as i was walking to the room where I was gonna get switched on. Sat down on the chair, as soon as I sat down I saw my implant on the table all connected up and ready to attach to my head.

firstly she asked how my operation went, and she checked the scar area which was almost invisable already. I said it all went well and glad it's over and done with.

Ellen then took the implant off the table and place it in her hand and said right all we gotta do now is find your magnet area - there she was searching for it which didn't took long, actually didn't feel it going on as I thought I would feel something which i didn't which it felt strange.

finally I was all hooked up and ready.... she started off with some stimulation thing what ever it called to see how my nerves etc are responding. So, she said i can start talking to my sister etc for a bit while she readining it. She didn't say there would be sounds etc but as I was talking all the sudden I had this weird sound going through my head, it was something like clicking or tapping) I stop talking and said was this ment to make a sound, Ellen said "yes" I was like ooo my god! my sister cried which made me cried for some reason, she was shocked that I heard that and that it worked.

after 10-15 mintues doing the stimualation thing, I had this card given by ellen which numbered from 1-10 and I had to listen for beeping sound and tell her her if it too soft or to loud or confortable. finally we did all that and she was happy with the level of loudnes etc. Ellen the said right i'm going to switch it on now. I was like ooooooo. She switched on, all I can hear was a load of beeping sound everytime ellen, the interpreter or my sister talk. It felt strange everytime they talked. so, there i was switched on can't really hear anything but beeping sounds. Ellen asked me to take a break and go into the cafe for 20 mins. So i sat down in the cafe, same again I heard load of beeping sounds everytime something make a noise. it kinda sound horrible to me and was slightly disappointed with it. went back into the audio room, and she asked what did I hear. I couldn't really say much as I only heard beeping sound. Ellen showed me this big box which has good the C.I goodies in it - I was so interesting in all the colours she gaved me, I think i got about 14 colours which looked good also she showed me how the implant worked etc. and explain to me what will happen next week one 1 week tuning! so, finished with the audio and had to go back into the waiting room for the next appointment with helen (speech Therispt)

Helen called me and went into the room, she asked how I'm feeling right now, I didn't know what to say as I don't really know what I'm listening for because all I could hear was beeping. She said that was completely normal for the first day. Helen and I went through some test... I had to identify the different between AH, EE, S, SH with lipreading which I manage to do get 2 right. while she were saying it the beep sounded different so it was easy to tell which one it is. After going through that I then had to do that test without lipreading. It was hard but I was please I had a few right again. Can't belive the list of homework she has given me. can't wait to see how many boxes I could tick and decrible when I heard the sound.

That's it for me at the C.I centre, started to make tracks home on the bus. all I could hear was loads and loads of beeping. When I arrived home, the firs thing I did was I went to play with the new things that was in the box that they have given me and of course watched the Dvd which was so interesting.

So that's all I could say for the activation day. I do have photo's etc will post them up as soon as I uploaded them on the laptop.

c ya for now.

Sunday 18 May 2008

Switch On Tomorrow!

Right, it's almost less than 13 hours till i'll be switch on and who know what i'll be hearing.

I can't belive this weekend has been so quick. I guess the England Training Camp took my mind off the clock and waiting: it's was a hard weekend working on our fitness and ball work etc ready for Germany next weekend.

I'm sooo buzzing here I'm so looking forward to tomorrow and of course next weekend when we play against to Germany (friendly) i'll be make my 2nd cap for England!

Right, now it's just 9:10pm and I can't even waiting even long, actually dying to turn the clock forward to make it 9am for my Switch on!

anyway, I'm just a little nervous on what everyone will say, I'll be havin a hand full of question this tuesday at college and of course alot of attention as we are not allowed to wear our hair down at college due to it being a Sport Academy so my implant will be visable to others.

anyway - i'm shooting off now, think i'm gonna take a short jog with the dogs and off to bed hope I can sleep, usually can't if i'm so excited lol.

speak soon, will let you all know how the day went.

take care x

Wednesday 14 May 2008

Activation day - only 4 days to go!


The time hasn't gone slow this week, I can't belive it's is now wednesday. It felt like i've have been knocked out for a few days and did nothing.



I've been sooo busy just laterly with the football (soccer) training trying to keep my fitness up getting prepare for the "world cup" this june in Greece. It has been pretty hard training in this weather, It's has been so hot just laterly and Which I almost look like a tomato, I'm so red, covered in sunburnt even though i've put on loads of sun cream and still, it didn't work no matter how high the proctection result was I still got burnt! Arghh!


Anyway - thought i'll post a picture up of my other half (Richard) you can just see his implant.


He is an C.I users which he was born profoundly deaf and used hearing aids all his life. At the age of 15 he then decided to be implanted on the left ear and use hearing aids on his right ear. The implant helped him alot. He said it's far way better than a hearing aids which has helped him become confident in the hearing world after a while he decided to give up on the hearing aids and only use the implant which help him better. He has a nuscular freedom (3G)
anyway, I've a few question about the activation day.
Is there anything that I should bring to the activation day? what you think I should do to prepare for the day. I've notice alot of people get tired when they first been switched on : that worries me as I've college would it be to much to me and does it cause alot of distraction?
anyway that's it for me now
hope you all have a good week :D


Saturday 10 May 2008

My Clever Shih Tuz "Oscar"

Hey all,

I know this post it not a C.I related, but I thought i'll show you all a little video of my Shih Tzu (Oscar) He is only 5 months old - I've taught him a quite a few things just laterly and finally yesterday he started to "roll over" by himself - check it out, you'll see me signing to him tell him what to do.

Those who don't understand BSL - I said " Do you want this, sit, paw, good boy, roll over and
well done!"



Anyway C.I related : 9 days to go, woop!!!!

have a good weekend all :D

Wednesday 7 May 2008

Who stopped the clock?

It's starting to feel like someone has stopped the clock here, I've never realise the time could go that slow just for me to be "Switched On" - it is now 12 days left, actually it seems like forever.

Can't belive how many users I've known through C.I yahoo groups & Blogs that has been switched on already this month. It's really interesting to read their stories! Some of gain alot, which was unexpected. The good thing is that everyone of them went well.

anyway there me being so unpaitent. suppose i'll have to wait longer - bring on 19th may wooohoo

Anyway -" Happy Deaf Awarness Week" for those that don't realise that it is this week!

Friday 2 May 2008

Beyond Boundaries

Thought this might interest some of you, This show has 2 Deaf teenages trying to face the big challenge across the andes. Jeremy is a Cochlear implant users and Julie who is profoundly deaf and wears hearing aids. It would be interesting for us to see how they cope with the others through the challenge and how their communication skills were between the group.

Click the picture to see it clearer, also you could see Julie on the right behind the girl with red top and jeremy on the right (you can see the C.I)