Haven't posted since start of the month...well , I got snowed under with work, even if I don't have a proper job yet.
Still have speech 2x a week , it's been slow but sure work, I'm really seeing a difference lately , and I might stop it later this year. I don't mind going to speech therapy , it's something I always had to go to , I view it as a staple of my obligations, but it sure is a money eater! I've started watching parts of greek shows , and to repeat what I catch there..It's hard work , but I've kind of outgrown the Rosetta - it's EASY for me now ( two years ago , it was the bane of my existence , it was SO frustrating! what a difference two years make! )
I also had to go and spend a weekend with my family , helping them with notary/elections stuff.Sunday was really long too , I had to write a LOT , and it's been tiring.
I also am going to college - last semester I tried reading from home and doing online material.Didn't work out much , so I'm going as normal again.I've noticed a big difference though in my hearing.In the labs , I used to hear all 25 pc fans whirring away and it drove me completely CRAZY.This semester , I don't even notice it, they also installed silentier fans , but I do hear them , it's just when I concentrate to the professors talking or to my own work that they fade out completely.And I also can understand the professors a lot better ( still relying on lipreading ) but I can get more than before.And it's not as tiring as it was with my HA.I guess I'm just a slow achiever, and I had kind of been disappointed in the CI at first , but two friends said to me " Give it time , you're only two years post op " and " Every person progresses differently " and they were right! :)
Braces are going great :) My teeth have straightened a lot now , still going to appointments every month, last month I got the lower braces tightened a lot , and it was really annoying for the first week , I had been surviving on whatever soft I could eat.
Also , a greek channel decided to caption one of its GREEK shows.It was a surprise for me , as I didn't expect that :) it's a weekly show , and I'm on episode 3.LOVE it , even if it's on the sad side.I love stories.Histories.Everything.It's based on Hislop's book "The Island" which is sold on amazon :)
Sorry for not blogging that much , but I've been busy - I also have been made DeafVillage moderator , which keeps me busy , plus I prefer Facebook and chatting to catching up with my friends rather than blog , but I really don't want to neglect it either :)
Did I mention that I love my alerting system? It's been totally worth it's money.
till next post.
ps , I installed Disqus for comments under , I was fooling around.Do tell me if you like it or not :)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Coping at college with CI
Ooookayyy..another post :)
I've been busy since August , to be honest..and every time I'd get a blog started , I'd get sidetracked.
Hmmm , this seems to be a popular excuse in the CI/deaf blogger community lately! :P
I've been trying to restart college duties ( lessons started this week ) and to remember everything I've forgotten.
But I've been seeing progress.
Pre-CI , I used to have this professor in some lessons , and he'd had a stroke from an accident I think , and the result is that one side of his face is paralyzed , or at least not functioning like it used to.
Problem is, these sort of people aren't lipreadable.At ALL.I remember I used to struggle.I remember I'd curse my bad luck - he's a good teacher really , it's just that I needed clarity.Ugh.
Well , this semester I got alloted in one of his lab classes ( every Friday ) and I had the first class this Fri.
I was in for a surprise.
First , since it was the first day , he had to get roll.I used to keep close attention on roll , trying to not miss my cue , but I usually failed.I'd have to stay behind and ask for him to mark me.
Well , not this time.I was distracted , typing away on the lab computer.I hear my surname , and my hand goes up automatically.Then I realized , WTF ? Did I just do THAT like a hearing person?
Wow.I smirk to myself, feeling like I was in cloud nine.
Lesson starts ( and no , I don't have any FM ) and he starts talking , giving out his email , laying out lesson guidelines.I used to get nil with him, and I'd go by the whiteboard cues to try and orient myself, or take cues from anyone that was beside me.
Another surprise.
I could get 50% of what he said , as long as I had even a sideways view of his face.IF he walked around , I'd be totally lost.
Is there a cloud higher than nine , people ? I'd like to know.Because it was where I was! It still was hard.I still struggled.
But it was easier than pre-CI.A.helluva.lot.easier.
I still got out with the usual headache and a paper that is due next Fri.But I was feeling better than usually am feeling.and not as lost.
Cue in today.I had another lab class today.
It was a total disaster.Three professors , the two mumblers , the one that wasn't was talking all the time on his cell phone.And I didn't advocate for myself.Not good.
But the tail end of the lesson was completely hilarious.
I was trying to get started on the paper that's due for the 18th , when professor's phone started ringing, bothering me.At the same time , my iTouch dinged , alerting me on something off FB.Professor asked me to turn off my cell phone.I told him it's not a cell phone ( my real phone was on vibrate anyway ) and that his phone was AGAIN ringing.He did not believe me.(He had it in his briefcase , and the ringing was muted in the classroom noise , but my CI picked it up )
I insisted he goes and check it.He did.It was indeed his phone.He eyed me , a bit suspiciously.As he answers it , his eyes go wide , and he realizes I'm the one that I walked out on him almost two and a half years ago , when I was suddenly alerted for surgery on my ear.
I think he realized that I hear a lot better.Ha!
I've been busy since August , to be honest..and every time I'd get a blog started , I'd get sidetracked.
Hmmm , this seems to be a popular excuse in the CI/deaf blogger community lately! :P
I've been trying to restart college duties ( lessons started this week ) and to remember everything I've forgotten.
But I've been seeing progress.
Pre-CI , I used to have this professor in some lessons , and he'd had a stroke from an accident I think , and the result is that one side of his face is paralyzed , or at least not functioning like it used to.
Problem is, these sort of people aren't lipreadable.At ALL.I remember I used to struggle.I remember I'd curse my bad luck - he's a good teacher really , it's just that I needed clarity.Ugh.
Well , this semester I got alloted in one of his lab classes ( every Friday ) and I had the first class this Fri.
I was in for a surprise.
First , since it was the first day , he had to get roll.I used to keep close attention on roll , trying to not miss my cue , but I usually failed.I'd have to stay behind and ask for him to mark me.
Well , not this time.I was distracted , typing away on the lab computer.I hear my surname , and my hand goes up automatically.Then I realized , WTF ? Did I just do THAT like a hearing person?
Wow.I smirk to myself, feeling like I was in cloud nine.
Lesson starts ( and no , I don't have any FM ) and he starts talking , giving out his email , laying out lesson guidelines.I used to get nil with him, and I'd go by the whiteboard cues to try and orient myself, or take cues from anyone that was beside me.
Another surprise.
I could get 50% of what he said , as long as I had even a sideways view of his face.IF he walked around , I'd be totally lost.
Is there a cloud higher than nine , people ? I'd like to know.Because it was where I was! It still was hard.I still struggled.
But it was easier than pre-CI.A.helluva.lot.easier.
I still got out with the usual headache and a paper that is due next Fri.But I was feeling better than usually am feeling.and not as lost.
Cue in today.I had another lab class today.
It was a total disaster.Three professors , the two mumblers , the one that wasn't was talking all the time on his cell phone.And I didn't advocate for myself.Not good.
But the tail end of the lesson was completely hilarious.
I was trying to get started on the paper that's due for the 18th , when professor's phone started ringing, bothering me.At the same time , my iTouch dinged , alerting me on something off FB.Professor asked me to turn off my cell phone.I told him it's not a cell phone ( my real phone was on vibrate anyway ) and that his phone was AGAIN ringing.He did not believe me.(He had it in his briefcase , and the ringing was muted in the classroom noise , but my CI picked it up )
I insisted he goes and check it.He did.It was indeed his phone.He eyed me , a bit suspiciously.As he answers it , his eyes go wide , and he realizes I'm the one that I walked out on him almost two and a half years ago , when I was suddenly alerted for surgery on my ear.
I think he realized that I hear a lot better.Ha!
Alerting Systems
For a long time , I've been researching alerting systems to install in my flat.
I might have the CI , but essentially , I'm deaf . I do hear enviromental noises , and speech ( and my speech discrimination is going up slowly but surely.
Also don't forget..when I'm sleeping , or in the shower , or even just taking a break from hearing..what happens ?
At first I thought I'd get the cheaper option - a Geemarc alerter device with a remote doorbell.It was only 100€ in Greece.
I was told that the remote doorbell might be stolen , and anyway , I couldn't drill anything outside my door.There was still also the downstairs door buzzer to consider.So that was discarded.
Back to square one.
It was only this or the Bellman Visit 868 system in Greece.
The latter works a different way.The Door transmitter is hooked up beside the actual doorbell , programmed and it 'remembers' the sound of the doorbell to transmit an alert to the Bellman 868 receivers ( it also can be expanded with a baby monitor, fire alarm , telephone monitor , etc ) and has a host of receivers to get what suits you better.A friend loaned me the grey small pager to try out , and I got the Door Transmitter , hooked it up and I tried out the whole system.It works beautifully, dispelling all my doubts that I had initially , since it was completely wireless.It works like a charm ( had it for two weeks now , works better than I even thought! )
A thing that Bellman should make is a plug option for the travelling people ( in the age we live , where everyone travels , it's a must ! ) and also something that would be installable in the bathroom without needing any plugs. ( I , for one , do not have ANY plugs in the bathroom , or , at least any that are working , LOL ) And it would work with a battery ( with the ability to be switched on when you get to the bathroom to save up battery juice ! ) but maybe I'm dreaming.Who knows.
I'm researching my next options to be honest.I'd love to have money to fully outfit my condo , but I had only enough money for one door transmitter , and I'm planning to get another for the buzzer , sometime soon.Then next, who knows , it'll be based on what I'll learn.
I might have the CI , but essentially , I'm deaf . I do hear enviromental noises , and speech ( and my speech discrimination is going up slowly but surely.
Also don't forget..when I'm sleeping , or in the shower , or even just taking a break from hearing..what happens ?
At first I thought I'd get the cheaper option - a Geemarc alerter device with a remote doorbell.It was only 100€ in Greece.
I was told that the remote doorbell might be stolen , and anyway , I couldn't drill anything outside my door.There was still also the downstairs door buzzer to consider.So that was discarded.
Back to square one.
It was only this or the Bellman Visit 868 system in Greece.
The latter works a different way.The Door transmitter is hooked up beside the actual doorbell , programmed and it 'remembers' the sound of the doorbell to transmit an alert to the Bellman 868 receivers ( it also can be expanded with a baby monitor, fire alarm , telephone monitor , etc ) and has a host of receivers to get what suits you better.A friend loaned me the grey small pager to try out , and I got the Door Transmitter , hooked it up and I tried out the whole system.It works beautifully, dispelling all my doubts that I had initially , since it was completely wireless.It works like a charm ( had it for two weeks now , works better than I even thought! )
A thing that Bellman should make is a plug option for the travelling people ( in the age we live , where everyone travels , it's a must ! ) and also something that would be installable in the bathroom without needing any plugs. ( I , for one , do not have ANY plugs in the bathroom , or , at least any that are working , LOL ) And it would work with a battery ( with the ability to be switched on when you get to the bathroom to save up battery juice ! ) but maybe I'm dreaming.Who knows.
I'm researching my next options to be honest.I'd love to have money to fully outfit my condo , but I had only enough money for one door transmitter , and I'm planning to get another for the buzzer , sometime soon.Then next, who knows , it'll be based on what I'll learn.
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