Braces are going good.I've gotten used to them , and I've already seen a BIG difference , my teeth are straighter , and nicer.I really love it now.And I want to thank all the honest opinions that did tell me that I definitely need them.Although having to eat spaghetti with braces is annoying.Um , and lets not forget that I still have four gaps where I used to have four teeth.I also couldn't get used to that I should be careful when eating , and I had a wire popped off once.Yeah.Oops.Around Christmas too , when everything was shut off for holidays, so the wire really irritated me.Lesson learned.I'm more careful now.
I go back on the 9th to get them hopefully tightened.For the last few appts all I got was to change brace things.Oy.But , EVEN with them I've seen a difference.
Speech therapy goes too well.
Last session we tried something , don't know how to call it , I turned my back and my therapist said random words from random categories , without telling me first.I got almost all of them , and that kept me happy , because I thought my auditory memory had ground to a halt.I used to struggle in the computer program.Uh , apparently not so.I can listen to short excerpts of books while I have it in front of me and reading , so apparently that helped my word recognition.The words that I missed I had said something approximately close in pronounciation , and the same syllables so I'm coming close to hitting it.
Apparently it's harder for prelingual.Something I also noticed is that my lipreading skill is a bit more rusty as I don't depend on it as much as I used to.I also don't get fatigued if I lipread all day like I used to.I used in the end of the day to be really exhausted and I was always in bed by 11.Um , lets say now that my bedtime is around 2 am.*grin* it didn't click till now.
The one thing that really annoys me is that when CI battery dies , I'll always yawn in the 5 first minutes.Um , isnt that kind of rude ? Plus , it never happened with my hearing aid unless I was REALLY tired.
Apparently my brain works much more hard than I originally thought.Good to know , although I don't want my lipreading skill to fail, so I've been really concerned about it.But one thing I noticed is that a big change.
Before I'd just focus on the lips and sometimes ONLY the lips without reading the whole face/body thing unless it was something really obvious.
Now though it's another story.I feel like I know some people a LOT better.Um , lets say that now I know when I'm about to be pranked , as I can see the twinkle in somebody's eyes.
Or when they are about to cry , I notice eyes shining with unshed tears.And that makes me reel.For obvious and not so obvious reasons.The obvious , because I don't want anyone to cry.The not so obvious is that I reel with myself , recognizing depth of emotions , just from a more open look.I used to have tunnel vision and now it's broadened with just having the CI.
Sometimes when I think back on HOW MUCH I really struggled with my hearing aid , I wonder how on earth I did it.
But I didn't know any better , so I got on with WHAT I knew I had.
I got sidetracked, so , about lipreading.How to preserve that?
So far my solution is to have Sundays as deaf days , even if I go out ( although I do have my CI in my bag just in case. ) And I notice I struggle.But I want to keep my ability , because even if I cherish my CI and I marvel at my progress , I want to keep all tools in my belt , just in case.
And I noticed with some rest time I tend to function better on the hearing days.
One other thing , not so CI wise , but related is to CI anyway is this.
My purse got stolen the other day.Someone got it without me even knowing it.And I had all my bank cards and money in it.Which I got them cancelled and replaced , even if it was a drag.But my Cochlear Patient Card was in my purse too.With my phone numbers and address on it.And doctors phone and hospital.Um , yeah.I don't know how to replace THAT yet , although I'm trying to find out.
I used to have the hope that they'll contact me with it or at least mail the purse.Um , not so happening.
We also started our pre-Lent Carnival thing.I see a lot of kids dressed up.Little princesses , and spaniolas , pint sized Zorro's and Spidermans.Superman , Snow Whites.Carnival ends on the 19th and on the 21st I have my nameday celebration.
On the 8th I have also my birthday , and in anticipation , I ordered something for me.It's the Western Digital Media Streamer Live.Can't wait for it to get here.Plus , the latest expensive things I got lately always had to do with CI.
Speaking about CI.Around Christmas holidays , I actually mentioned that my battery broke.Well , it got replaced through warranty.And speedily.I was actually impressed with the service QUALITY I got from Ci-shop.Especially when I am used to the sometimes terrible and dodgy service on other things I am subjected every day.
Also , I decided after a bit of debating , to let my hair grow longer.So now they're kind of longish , so I pulled out a hard headband to wear , like I used to.
Um , big fail.The tips of the headband really bothered the skin over the internal implant.I was a bit dismayed , as I don't really like pins to keep my fringe in check.
I was really disappointed.They weren't long enough for a ponytail even.Then I decided to use a soft headband.That doesn't only works good , but it also helps to keep my coil in place.And my hair.
