Connect
← Return to Cochlear Implants: How well do they work at an older age?
Discussion
Cochlear Implants: How well do they work at an older age?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Aug 7, 2022 | Replies (143)Comment receiving replies
Added more time to AB's Hearing Success, especially the SoundSuccess exercises. Noticed today that the CI sound is almost normal to that which is perceived using both the HA and CI. Yesterday there was a difference in sound quality between the two. With the HA plugged in the sound is louder. I switch back and forth. Just tried Tracy Adkins' "Just Fishin'" and with just CI not very good. HA helped some. However Frank Sinatra isn't bad with just CI, although in adding the HA his 'Strangers in the Night' sounds like I remember it. Could be difference in singers, crooner vs country, or the fact that I'm much more familiar with Sinatra's voice than Adkins. I've noticed if I repeat songs that I know each day the sound becomes better.
Another thing I've been fighting since activation is my ears hurt by the end of the day! My Audi said that is fairly normal as processors heavier (and I used ITE rather than over the ear HAs) and I have smaller ears. She indicated if they were still bothering me at next appointment (Jan 6) she would put some moleskin on the processors in order to pad them. I am wearing them from morning until bedtime.
Tomorrow I get to watch my granddaughter play volleyball. A different sound experience. I'm guessing a lot of teenage girls doing a lot of cheering in a gym setting. Should be interesting as well as fun. Regan has been telling her friends about my implant so I also have the feeling that a few of her teammates might be looking for my bionic 'ear'. Just a guess knowing the curiosity of children.
Now, poor me, I have to ignore housework and yardwork and go watch an old favorite movie I just found on the computer. But I'm dedicated to homework!
Replies to "Added more time to AB's Hearing Success, especially the SoundSuccess exercises. Noticed today that the CI..."
Connect
`Arrived at the Volleyball tournament at 9am (cold both outside and inside). They were set up for four games to be played at once. A lot of family members for all teams in the seats. According to my family the noise was incredible and they knew from before I wouldn't be able to hear anything. Surprisingly the noise wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it would be. Pre-implant I would not have been able to hear any conversations. Admittedly I did miss a few important words (like granddaughter's friends were going to Kansas for Christmas and not them).
One of the weird thing was daughter was on my implant side and I couldn't hear her very well. Shut off the HA and it was much better. It was almost as if the CI was slacking off and letting the HA do the work - only the HA was concentrating on the conversation going on on that side of me. Has anyone else come across this?
I did end up using both CI and HA as safest place for the HA was on my ear. Note to self is to remember to put case in purse in case I need to remove HA or CI! Sounds varied during the time we were there (9am to 2pm). As the day wore on I noticed I had to work harder understand conversations. Felt really good to get home. It was the teams first tournament and they did very well, winning one and coming close on the second and third matches. Everyone cheered both sides, including the teams themselves.
Afterwards we went to a crowded noisy restaurant for a very late lunch. Again I could hear better than pre-implant! Biggest problem in both places is noise made talking/hearing difficult - but apparently for everyone, not just me. As always, male voice (Grand son-in-law) was easiest to hear. His Mother has a very soft voice and she was the hardest to understand. I didn't increase the sound level, although my Audi had set it up on the iPhone so I could. I wanted to see how the AutoSense handled things on its own. And I'm not sure I could have handled louder cheering!
I figure between the volleyball and restaurant and being a Saturday I could take the rest of the day off and just pay attention to normal noises and conversations. Homework finished for the day.