13. A Few Days Later.

I’ve spent a lot of time just using the CI with no hearing aid. With background noise it is difficult but without things are not too bad. I’m beginning to feel that my own voice is less shrill especially when I speak quietly and that’s true for my wife’s voice also.  However there is a lack of consistency and at times the chipmunks are out again.  When I use my hearing aid I obviously hear sounds in both ears but there is a huge difference between the two.  Because the hearing aid produces a more natural sound, even if it is distorted to some extent my brain tends to focus on that sound.  I have to force myself to listen to the shrill, squeaky sound in my CI ear where voices are actually clearer.  I’ve tried turning down the hearing aid and that seems to help.  When I use the CI alone it can be difficult to determine where sound is coming from in part because all sounds are similar. Is it my wife or the TV? If my ability to distinguish different sounds improves then that should assist in direction finding.

I used to be an avid listener of the radio so I’ve been experimenting to see if I can return to all those wonderful programmes on Radio 4.  There’s a brilliant BBC app, which provides all the stations including Radio 4 so I’ve tuned in on my iphone. It’s early days but I was able to hear some of the content especially where there is a single speaker talking on a given theme. The comedy shows are a bit beyond me at the moment but one day, who knows.  As I write this I have music in my implant ear courtesy of my wife. I can just about hear the lyrics but disappointingly the music sounds very flat so my ability to hear pitch is still not there.

The processor rests on the top of my ear and the only physical attachment to me is the magnetic link to the internal receiver. It is very light and I am unaware of its physical presence. So I worry that it will drop off or I will catch it on some object, which will dislodge it. As the audiologist said, I should soon know it was gone by the lack of sound. However, yesterday the rechargeable battery ran out and I did not have a replacement with me. I was leaving my daughter’s house and five minutes from home so simply left the processor in place thinking it was safe there.  As I put on my coat I must have knocked the processor off my head but was totally unaware of this until my wife noticed it at my feet. I’m going to ask for the magnet to be strengthened and will have to come up with some strategies to protect this expensive piece of kit.