I might be late but at first I wanted to make my own post when Nucleus 5 is going to be in Greece.
But I can't wait! *smile*
I want to place my musings on that..
- After some asking around ( I even asked Cochlear offices here by email and they didn't know anything about it , will ask my audie when I next see him ) I deduced that anything that gets approved at US will be two years down the line for Greece.Freedom has been in the market for US around to five or six years ( can't recall exactly ) and it got approved in Greece two years down the line.Maybe this one will be speedier ( I hope so ) but I won't hold my breath yet.
Oh ok , everyone knows that I am holding it.
Frankly - lighter processor ? with all the trouble I keep having with my Freedom for me is a reason alone to upgrade!
A remote control ? it gets better! I like being flexible and not having to remember all combinations of buttons for this and that ( I remember them yeah , but that is not the point ) and have instant troubleshooting.
LiteWear? that gets me even excited.Granted , it might not be for me ( I hope! )
Seperate cable coil and cable button ? Wow.Just even better.And the lengths are the same money!I peeked into Cochlear Store..they're all $95 regardless of the length! And the coil button - you can have just the one and change the lengths however you like.a definite plus as I utilise shoulderworn a lot.And these cables can easily be tucked away in a small pouch that I have for most cables ( mp3 , cell , etc )
The two battery option even has me hooked.Although there IS going to be a rechargeable sold and soon as it gets FDA approved it is going to be available
online.
What was most dissapointing though was that there weren't much pictures.The only thing I managed to see was the Remote Assistant and the magnets for the coil ( they remind me of a clock by the way )
Also - the Freedom Cochlear Store has O-rings for sale for the rechargeable batteries and they are...a WHOPPING $2!!! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! My brown battery became useless a few days ago..and I put an O-ring from a battery cage I had lying around.
Greece , approve it already so I can start insurance authorization to get the new one...Yea , I'm impatient *grin*
I also need to shout out to Tammy who sent me some Topstick tape for free to try it out! She's the best!Thanks dear ,and do give a big kiss to Aiden!He is a precious!
*sigh* I am going to order some Freedom things I need and I wish it would be my last order..but it wont..
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Progress in Listening
I haven't been posting my progress at all lately..shame on me!
Hmmm what to write what to write....
In two days I'll be one month away from being 18 months implanted..wow time sure flies!
In speech therapy I've been doing oral motor exercises although I laugh sometimes in some of them because I find them a bit funny! I also started doing phone exercises.I have a text in front of me and my therapist has the same one..and we communicate via the phone in seperate rooms.Today's room was a bit creepy though, it was underlighted...
is the hardest right now , and I'm told not to use telecoil at all..hmmmm..any thoughts on that?
I also was suggested to start again studying on my electronic piano so I can distinguish tones ( I used to study the piano when I was in junior high , then stopped when went to high school..not much time. ) I'll have to get my parents to send it to me or bring it next time they come over.
My progress has me pleased and I'm also looking for fairy tales accompanied with CD audio.When I'm done with them I'll donate them somewhere or give them to kids!I might even start little Sophia to read to me something simple while I try to listen next time I visit!it will be challenging to listen to a little kids voice!When I was wearing my hearing aid I couldn't hear little Sophia's voice and I utilised lipreading a lot! I also had her sister help me a bit , but the little baby figured out she'd get more favors if she spoke deeply.Haha, the little devil!Now I can hear her but I can't listen so I still use lipreading.
After some comments - some well meaning and some expert too saying that, but also a couple have demoralizing me , I decided to put on braces.That will be probably sometime in November!
Also , the other day I was listening to some greek YouTube song..and I managed with some help to decipher the wording and I could even understand where the singer was stressing the word! that had me excited..maybe I need to do that more often!
Hmmm what to write what to write....
In two days I'll be one month away from being 18 months implanted..wow time sure flies!
In speech therapy I've been doing oral motor exercises although I laugh sometimes in some of them because I find them a bit funny! I also started doing phone exercises.I have a text in front of me and my therapist has the same one..and we communicate via the phone in seperate rooms.Today's room was a bit creepy though, it was underlighted...
is the hardest right now , and I'm told not to use telecoil at all..hmmmm..any thoughts on that?
I also was suggested to start again studying on my electronic piano so I can distinguish tones ( I used to study the piano when I was in junior high , then stopped when went to high school..not much time. ) I'll have to get my parents to send it to me or bring it next time they come over.My progress has me pleased and I'm also looking for fairy tales accompanied with CD audio.When I'm done with them I'll donate them somewhere or give them to kids!I might even start little Sophia to read to me something simple while I try to listen next time I visit!it will be challenging to listen to a little kids voice!When I was wearing my hearing aid I couldn't hear little Sophia's voice and I utilised lipreading a lot! I also had her sister help me a bit , but the little baby figured out she'd get more favors if she spoke deeply.Haha, the little devil!Now I can hear her but I can't listen so I still use lipreading. After some comments - some well meaning and some expert too saying that, but also a couple have demoralizing me , I decided to put on braces.That will be probably sometime in November!Also , the other day I was listening to some greek YouTube song..and I managed with some help to decipher the wording and I could even understand where the singer was stressing the word! that had me excited..maybe I need to do that more often!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Ooooohhhh!!!
I went to Athens again for a friends' wedding , via train...as the daytime train chugged due south , I enjoyed the scenery that was rolling from thw window , listening to music that was spewing from my PSP ( which I use as an mp3 player ) when suddenly the music stopped.at first I didn't even investigate it , thinking I was between songs.
As the pause grew longer , I thought that maybe my PSP had turned itself off.Weird , as I had taken care of charging it fully the night before , in preparation for the 4 hour ride.So I opened my bag , only to see that it was still actively playing..
What had happened? at first I thought..Hmm faulty coil? as I searched my head for the magnet that adorns my hair , I couldn't find it.My coil had popped off without me even getting wind of it.
That was unnerving me , as I had become used to the constant tugging of the coil.That made me wonder.What is the right way to wear the coil ? When you feel a little tightness or when you don't feel it at all and only thing to notice it has popped off is the clue you don't hear anymore?
What made me chuckle was that I immediately didn't even think to investigate the CI , but my music player first and then I did remember it.
Maybe it is finally becoming something I'm not anymore conscious of.Is that good or bad? I don't know , the only thing that I know is that makes me feel like I've achieved some step at last!
If only the weight problem could be magically rectified , I'd be happy!
As the pause grew longer , I thought that maybe my PSP had turned itself off.Weird , as I had taken care of charging it fully the night before , in preparation for the 4 hour ride.So I opened my bag , only to see that it was still actively playing..
What had happened? at first I thought..Hmm faulty coil? as I searched my head for the magnet that adorns my hair , I couldn't find it.My coil had popped off without me even getting wind of it.
That was unnerving me , as I had become used to the constant tugging of the coil.That made me wonder.What is the right way to wear the coil ? When you feel a little tightness or when you don't feel it at all and only thing to notice it has popped off is the clue you don't hear anymore?
What made me chuckle was that I immediately didn't even think to investigate the CI , but my music player first and then I did remember it.
Maybe it is finally becoming something I'm not anymore conscious of.Is that good or bad? I don't know , the only thing that I know is that makes me feel like I've achieved some step at last!
If only the weight problem could be magically rectified , I'd be happy!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A vote that led to unrelated things.
Greece has been in upheaval since Sept 4th when the ex-Prime Minister announced the start of elections.
The tv spouted election spots.Vote that one , this one etc.I always switched the tv channel when they got them on.Panelists were discussing about the wings that might win.Shouting was the proper word , but let's keep things civil here *grin*
The culmination was this weekend when voting was started.Voting stations are at schools , which finish the week a day early , so they can prepare the classrooms for votees.They remove all the desks , and keep only two - three for the voting leaflets ( yes we do it the old fashioned way ) and for the box were you put your envelope with your secret decision.
My family and I went on Sunday afternoon to vote.And that led to some other thoughts of mine , that are totally unrelated.
We went in to a school that was our assigned voting station, at the village that I am descended from my fathers' side.Me , my mother , my father and my brother.We found the classroom that we were supposed to vote in ( a few years ago , they were segegrated by sex.Now we're segegrated by alphabet letter our surnames start with. ) and the voting comitee that was looking in the books for names requested our ID's.And thats when I noticed I was hearing horribly.As I gave my ID card , I looked around the classroom.It was mostly empty except for three desks lined up.And the sound bounced everywhere.Plain white walls.Marble floors that cleaned up easily but were horrible for sound bouncing.Not much furniture.No carpet.
And after reading much blogs that had exactly that on their blogs, something clicked.I marveled that I was really struggling when I went to school.And I didn't knew that some factor had to do with the environment.Most of all the sound was a bit horrible.When it was my turn to vote I could hear from inside the curtain someone stamping some papers and it sounded 10 times more loud.I was glad to make my escape.W
But while I was taking my ride home , I suddenly realized that there ARE a lot of HOH and deaf kids across the country , and are really struggling here.The FM systems here are an unknown entity.And if they were known , the school system wouldn't provide them.The parents have to get them ( and it's not affordable thing ) and I wondered whether the FM system would help it or make worse the bouncing.Especially the ones that offer amplification to the whole class and are not personal like the Microlink from Phonak.
I'm eagerly waiting your thoughts.I'd love to try something or have someone try an amplification device in a similar setting and share his/her experience.Would it be okay? Would it be as horrible as I imagine ?
The tv spouted election spots.Vote that one , this one etc.I always switched the tv channel when they got them on.Panelists were discussing about the wings that might win.Shouting was the proper word , but let's keep things civil here *grin*
The culmination was this weekend when voting was started.Voting stations are at schools , which finish the week a day early , so they can prepare the classrooms for votees.They remove all the desks , and keep only two - three for the voting leaflets ( yes we do it the old fashioned way ) and for the box were you put your envelope with your secret decision.
My family and I went on Sunday afternoon to vote.And that led to some other thoughts of mine , that are totally unrelated.
We went in to a school that was our assigned voting station, at the village that I am descended from my fathers' side.Me , my mother , my father and my brother.We found the classroom that we were supposed to vote in ( a few years ago , they were segegrated by sex.Now we're segegrated by alphabet letter our surnames start with. ) and the voting comitee that was looking in the books for names requested our ID's.And thats when I noticed I was hearing horribly.As I gave my ID card , I looked around the classroom.It was mostly empty except for three desks lined up.And the sound bounced everywhere.Plain white walls.Marble floors that cleaned up easily but were horrible for sound bouncing.Not much furniture.No carpet.
And after reading much blogs that had exactly that on their blogs, something clicked.I marveled that I was really struggling when I went to school.And I didn't knew that some factor had to do with the environment.Most of all the sound was a bit horrible.When it was my turn to vote I could hear from inside the curtain someone stamping some papers and it sounded 10 times more loud.I was glad to make my escape.W
But while I was taking my ride home , I suddenly realized that there ARE a lot of HOH and deaf kids across the country , and are really struggling here.The FM systems here are an unknown entity.And if they were known , the school system wouldn't provide them.The parents have to get them ( and it's not affordable thing ) and I wondered whether the FM system would help it or make worse the bouncing.Especially the ones that offer amplification to the whole class and are not personal like the Microlink from Phonak.
I'm eagerly waiting your thoughts.I'd love to try something or have someone try an amplification device in a similar setting and share his/her experience.Would it be okay? Would it be as horrible as I imagine ?
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