Bullet list - an excuse to jump from topic to topic without preamble!

I haven't written anything for awhile..I've been a bit busy , and when I had time I wasn't in a creative/writing mood...plus , I didn't have anything to write about..

So I'll bullet some things...

• I got my braces in two weeks ago.They feel a bit weird.
• I decorated my Christmas tree a week ago.I usually do it a LOT earlier usually it is up by Dec 1st , but it was really warm , and I was feeling like an Australian ( no offence to my Aussie friends! ) so I didn't decorate earlier.
• I didn't even had layed the carpets , but I did one this weekend with my mom helping.And promptly falling over it.I tripped.Yeah.Carpet rash is unbecoming.Not to mention that without glasses I can't see where the CI went.Stupid living room carpet.Now I''m in no rush to do the other rooms!
  
• I'm not in a Christmassy mood - usually I am the biggest fan of Christmas..just because I like the trees the music , the mood.Even the family visit for a week and a half with them , then going up to Athens to see my friends there and celebrate.But this year , I'm not in the mood.I just want to stay in my apt and pretend there is no holiday.Hope that changes in few days.
• CI moment #1 I could hear creaking floorboards in the laundry / guest room combo.And it drove me nuts.And I was chuffed I was hearing it.And chuckling because it drove me nuts.
• I broke my nice pair of glasses.and I can't find a place here that can fix them.
• CI moment #2 I can hear the doorbell consistently now.No whining about it anymore. Turned out that I accidentally turned up my Sensitivity and that was the trick.What was going on.Also , my mother was getting up every time the doorbell was rung , so I could assiocate the sound.Weird thing , my brain!
• I had some troubles lately.I'm tired of always having something urgent to do.
• Speech therapy gets easy for me.I 've started getting a little bored with the repetitive pattern.But I try to do my exercises and move forward.Plus I can hear counting in Greek and distinguish up to 100.I can hear the bus stops even when I'm zoned out.Now we're working on correcting my pronounciation.That has a downside to that.When my mother used to correct me , I'd always get annoyed.And I still get annoyed.I have to work on that if I want to improve my pronounciation.That's not the best job to do over the holidays.
  
• CI moment #3 I can always now tell when my phone goes off.I can hear landline phone fron ANYWHERE in the apartment.I'll try to turn down the volume and start over..Neighbours don't complain much abt the sound as they know I need it.I can hear my cell phone from my bag if it's ringing.I can hear the text ping if I have it on the coffee table.
• I tried the other day to make some recipe with pita bread.The only edible thing was the pita bread.LOL.Then I smiled as I remembered a friend that LOVES pita bread...Hi if you're reading this!
• I'm having a row of bad days...I don't know..and I'm astral-challenged.I don't even read my horoscope.Some of my friends claim that is because Venus or Zeus or some planet or other is in a bad position and that won't shift until end of January next year.I.just.give.them.the.look...
• The last week I inevitably make something that will be with pita bread.Apparently steak goes pretty well with pita bread baked 5 mins on the oven , sprinkled with oregano and some olive oil.Forget french fries.it's just so easier throwing the pita bread in the last 8 mins of steak cooking.Forget about having to get at 9 am to get proper bread.I just get frozen pita breads from the store.That's Alexandra's fault.Hmm I'm going to go bake some more pita bread.(Plus , you know , pita bread doesn't stick to braces , you know ? )
  
• I'm again addicted to a tv show.That is usually an on and off relationship with the tv.I can go days without even switching the tv on , and to me it's just one more decor on the corner of the living room.Then I happen to just want some hearing company..and ..WHAM I'll get hung on some show..This summer was Extreme Home Makeover with Ty.After September I wasn't so keen on watching it anymore , partly because I had always something to do.Now it's December and I'm hung on some show they imported from Turkey.Good old drama soap opera ( I used to hate soap operas , what's that? ) but something about the different ways they do things addicts me.Plus , the place I grew up has quite a bit of Turks.I don't know much words but I'm used to hearing it in odd snatches when I went out with my family.Let's see when my interest will drop off that.
• Today I'm crass with my CI.I just wore it for speech therapy and the walk to there and back home.As soon as I got in I threw it on the hallway table.But it's not a mapping issue.it's that I'm in bad mood as I explained above.Today the random receiver was my CI.
• I'm just annoyed.With my building neighbours.They decided to get a new carpet for the entrance stairs.And to change the tiny lift which needs apparently replacing which didn't ever break down.I don't use that thing regularly , but I do notice when they have notes on it that it doesn't works.Hello , we have credit crunch?Plus , the torrential rains and leaking umbrellas are absolutely going to stain the new carpet.
• I just watch all the CI blogs and I'm happy for any progression/funny stories they share.I just am kinda jealous too because my own progression is slow as snails.
• Plus , my laptop needs a serious formatting on its hard drive , but I just can't face it.But in the meantime it's slow as anything and it's tedious work.You know..first saving up stuff , bookmarks , uncluttering too in the way, then doing the format/reinstall OS , then you go and install everything else.Then you realize you forgot some vital program , and you have to install it and reboot.install and reboot.Gets kinda repetitive , isn't it ?
• CI moment #4 I can now hear without looking what two particular tv commercials say without looking.Both of them are about adult beverages.Erm , maybe I need to get out more?
  

That was quite a long bullet list , isn't it?

Just Smile and Laugh

As soon as I hit publish , I noticed it was past midnight.

I'm officialy 18 months post implant.Post surgery.Wow! Time sure flies.

As I've been noticing it , I recalled a conversation I had awhile back..it was when I was 6 months implanted.

I was at speech therapy , and there was a boy with an implant and we chatted with his mom.

Me : How old is he?
Her : He'll be nine yrs old.
Me : ( Genuinely curious ) How many months does he has the implant?
Her : Erm he's had it six..no , seven years.
Me : ( getting a surprised face ) Wow , I can't imagine even having my implant THAT long!I can't even imagine myself hitting the one year mark.

She laughs along with everyone else in there.I did make myself sound stupid, yeah , but I simply couldn't imagine something like that.I couldn't wrap my mind around that.

Now I can.:) perspective has sure changed in a year!

Where you ever in my position , not imagining having the implant THAT long , or it's just me?

Also I want to say..

18 months ago I was waking up from surgery and feeling my head...and was feeling so confused.I felt like I was DRUGGED.Saw weird dreams.LOL.

18 months ago I can remember the hope I felt.and I still feel it.only that now it's accompanied with a sense of achievement.

I'll make a long list with what I can hear and can't maybe tomorrow.Now it's time to sit back and smile.

Smile at my blunders.Smile at my successes.Smile at my nerves I had 18 months ago.Yeah I was a bundle of nerves and was walking ALL OVER the hospital.NO KIDDING!!Smile to the new friends I made bc of the CI ( Hello Laura , Mei Mei , Char Char , Tammy , Rachel to just name a few ).Smile at my apprehension of using Facebook but I did , wanting to connect with the CI community more.Smile because after hospital I did try to research every website.Smile remembering my first chats with everyone.No I don't keep logs , but I have a good memory.

Most of all I'm smiling down to the sweetest faces I can finally hear.*smoooch*

And I'm laughing.To life.To me and my blunders.I did drop the kitchen curtain y'day , did I tell you? well it did an awful clatter!and I had to laugh , first for me being clumsy , second for hearing it , third for just the joy of hearing myself laugh.

And I do hope I made you laugh!

In Which I've been letting the blog slide waaaay back..

Oooops..I sure forgot I have blogs to maintain..well life gotten busier..

And anyway I didn't have much to post about lately..Plus my weekend started out early as I've been knocked out from the spacers..



I did say I'm getting braces sometime this month , but , they had to put spacers first and they bloody hurt..Not to mention that I'm always flexing and tightening my jaw , a bad habit that I always was said that I have to stop..well with the pain I had to cut it right back...

It's weird , with four teeth removed , I certainly thought the worst was behind me..not so..apparently moving your teeth and irritating your gums isn't too cool either! I certainly was getting to get cold feet last night , not to mention day before last.On top of that I had back pains.Yeah , this time of month always decides to come when I'm most miserable and glee on me.Weird , I know.so the last two days I've been complaining non stop on FB and to my friends , so I think they all cleared off me till I manage to say I'm back to normal.lol!

I'm not really normal , but I'm feeling better as long as I keep my mouth a bit open.Next Thursday I get the braces fitted I think, so there's a sure fire way of cutting my bad habit! I hope I get back to normal real soon , I'm sick of wondering what to eat and try to munch without hurting.

I also became a bit lazy around here and I didn't picked after myself , so my apartment looks like a tornado was through it! I have to get through a LOT of laundry and ironing.

On speech therapy , I'm going better and better , although I should get a mapping sometime soon as I'm starting to notice a decrease.I'll have to schedule that after I'm finished with the braces.Maybe sometime before the holidays.Phone calls sure are easier.The weird thing is that I hear pretty well when I'm with my cellphone , when my landling I can't hear crap.and I have a special phone from my HA days..Go figure.I'll have to get a normal landline and make comparisions.I was bummed though to cancel speech yesterday but I was feeling really miserable.I'll have to reschedule that appointment and I expect I'll have to cancel next Fri too.I don't know if I'll go on Monday either , I'm waiting to see how I'm feeling and if I can talk and eat normal.

Also with braces we'll have to stop the oral motor exercises for a little while , dunno how long.we'll see.I've been trying them now and they don't cause me any discomfort except that one I was failing anyway to do, so I think I'm good to go.

Nucleus 5 and the Cochlear Store

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..

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!

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!

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 ?