Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Next day next sound please

Today I was able to pick out the sound of my car's turn signal blinking.
I THINK I heard the scanner beeps at the grocery store, but only a couple times, then I got to talking with my pastor who was in the store as well. Those beeps were so soft, that I am not even sure I heard them.
I am hearing what I know is the keyboard letters clicking, but it sounds like all other sounds to me, sort of an echo.
Voices are still doubled and high pitched in one ear, normal in the other.
If the kids are talking, I can't hear anything else but their "echoes".. like in the car today, the turn signal was blinking and I was actually enjoying that sound. HA. Then one of the kids said something and I lost the sound of the blinker. Same thing with the windshield wipers yesterday, and right now with the keyboard clicks, the kids are carrying on in the room here, and I can't pick them out.
The tinnitus is so loud in my ear that I think it is interfering with me trying to hear most of the time. It's like the tinnitus is a thick blanket over any sounds I may be getting in thru the implant. Some sounds are escaping thru the tiny gaps in the fibers of the blanket and all other sounds cannot escape. Make sense? It's kind of annoying actually. I don't need the blanket. But I can't throw if off. Mostly all I am hearing is the tinnitus so far this week. It's the same whether I have the headpiece on or not. When will the tinnitus go away? Can't it just calm down enough to be like a thin old sheet for now?

Another way to describe what I am experiencing goes like this:
This is what I wrote in an email to someone else:

I am not hearing too much of anything, but there is something there. Everything sounds so much the same that I can't figure it out, and then I tune it out because the sounds don't make any sense due to how they are all the same. Only a few times did something make a distinctly different tone that I seeked it out.
Nothing sounds muted, but rather it sounds like some screechy musical instrument playing the same note over and over in time to whatever sound may be out there, in addition to whatever regular sound I hear from my other side. The audi said it is turned down so low, that I am not even picking up all speech sounds right now.
I expect that it is going to be tough. I will have her turn it up significantly next time.
The tinnitus in that ear (my implanted ear) has been blaring loud since I got hooked up. Usually when I am in a noisy place, my tinnitus cranks up loud. Now with the seemingly loud input from the implant, the tinnitus is loud too. REALLY loud.....

I know I sound negative, but I really do have a positive attitude. I think anyone reading this can grasp a good idea of what it's like. Someone may be researching this device for themselves. Most important thing I have had to remember is that the experience and results are different for everyone. But everyone gets at least some benefit from this, and I will too in time. I have very high hopes and I will work to get to my goals no matter how long it takes.

Yea...I'm sticking with it...
I expect that everything will fall into place in it's own time. I have to be patient. Say that 100 times, Tallahassee Lassie. Be patient.

No comments:

My Page

Powered By Blogger