I'm back!

Hey all,

It's been a while since I lasted posted on my blog. I know, I have been hiding. Over the past couple of months I have been on a rollercoaster ride - a big one! I had to have time out from alot of things. This is one of the reason why I haven't been blogging. So, what have I been up to over the past couple of months? Hmm, Let's see what I can remenber!

Early march wasn't a good month. I had an accident in football and reptured the ligaments in the knee which forced me out of football for a while and it has left me getting from A to B with these horrible crutches that seems to get in your way all the time. So plenty of physio treatments - they are so mean, especially when they like to hurt you. But then again thats there job and its no pain, no gain! Now my knee fixed I have spent alot of my time working on my fitness - alot of running and strength training and so far I had a great start of the season. Lets hope the rest of the season wil be as positive as it is now. Also got ill as well.

University - I had a bit of a downfall with family menber being ill and I got ill myself which I had to have time out in. I did missed an awful a lot of lectures and had a lot of work to do. So I actually spent my whole summer trying to catch up. I caught up really well and pass the year ...thanks to the wonderful support team at university. Just started started universtiy last week. I was so weird to be back. It's nice to see all my course friends again.

Summer '10 - didn't have much of a summer because the amount of university work I had to catch up on but I did manage to spare one week working at a children deaf camp. We had a full of fun fairs, beaches, day trip which was a HARD experince and hopefully next year i'll be doing some more camp work!

and finally - progress on my COCHLEAR IMPLANT.

As you all know I had a postive experince so far with my cochlear implant having new CI moment hearing new things all the time. Advanced Bionics has become part of me and it is something that made my life much more easier. My confident has grown with communicating with other and of course before the implant I refused to use my voice and now I am forever talking; that's what my friends and family says. ha ha.

Now I have had my cochlear implant for just over two year now which has gone ever so quick! I have still got a lot of things that I need to work. Especially Identfying or understand where the sounds is coming from. Which isn't always easy especially when you haven't heard as much as you can now. I do have to say - not knowing where the sounds is coming from or finding it hard to knowing what the sound is can bother you. When I hear a sound and don't have a clue on what it is...it bugs me, Sometimes it can make you very nervous. So that is one of the reason why I don't like to be on my own. I do like to have company so I have someone to ask what the sound is if I struggle to know what it is.
I do struggle to see where the sound is coming from. Hearing on one side is difficult and I do wonder if going bilateral would make things easier and better. So...I am still waiting to see if I could go bilateral - it'd be nice to hear out of both ears.

Anyway..... ClearVoice came out early this year. Late March I recieved the ClearVoice setting on my processor. I have a medium setting. I do have to say ClearVoice and made a big different in everyday situation, especiallywith background noises. Ever since I had ClearVoice setting I have found that communicating with other has become much more easier. Also because I drive the convosation between me and a friend/family or whoever is sitting in the passenger seat become much more easier too. The backgroud sound while driving such as; car engine, traffic noise, wind has cut out alot. I also notice that the music in my car is easier to listen to now than before the ClearVoice. Not that. I play football and in the changing room I do have problems listening became of how the room is. Since I had CV it has help me to listen much better and now I am much more confident. I have notice, well others has notice too that my voice seems to have gone a bit quieter. I think that because the amount of backgroud sounds has reduce my voice stays quiet and I don't realise on how loud the room actually is without clear voice. So I have to work on the loudness on my voice . So back at the speech theripst again - a wonderful team to help me.


Anyway - BEA as I mention before in my previous post - I am still a mentor so If you would like to ask any question about my cochlear implant journey feel free to post me a message on this link and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

BEA UK

www.BionicEar.com/UK

Right, I'm off for a long run in this horrible rain. It's not long before it snow - yep, xmas is just around the corner. Sorry to mention it early. Ha.

Take Care

Katie-Louise x