Well here it is 29 days post op from going bi-lateral. Overall I love hearing in stereo or surround sound as some of us call it. I can tell a huge difference in watching TV. Went to a restaurant but at the time we went, it wasnt too crowded so not sure I can tell if thats a better quality or not. At times, I feel like I am hearing more and at a louder decibel. Not complaining, just noting the differences. IM still supposed to wear only my new processor but I still have a hard time doing so although I am doing it more than I had in the previous weeks. As for my incision, it looks really good. The steri strips came off yesterday (shhhh but I had some help pulling them off although they are SUPPOSED to come off by their ownself HA!) I have to get new glasses and I was waiting for everything to heal before doing so and now is the time! In addition to receiving my new processor, I also got the brand spankin' new Ronda put out by Med El. Like everything these days I see some pros and cons to this new device and I feel I can now weigh the pros and cons and pass on my findings. For those in my CI support group, many want to know what I think. I posted pic of the 2 so you can see what Im talking about.
Pros
1  When wearing the disposable batteries the unit attaches by a magnet and nothing is behind the ear. Great if you have long hair but I dont so I dont have anything to attach the unit to with its safety clip
Con:
1) I dont see how active men with short hair or no hair could wear this unit.
2) When wearing the Rondo with the rechargeable battery, you have a wire that attaches to a small battery pack that you have to wear in your pocket or clip on your belt. For me, I would clip it inside my shirt to bra to hide the pack, I sweat so that doesnt work. I cant carry it or attach it my pocketbook. I could run the wire under my shirt and attach to waistband but I dont want to. In my opinion I would think that the battery makers can come up with a rechargeable that we could place in the unit itself. (ANYONE working at those places listening??) Ill post a picture of what they call the Mini Battery Pack so you can see what Im talking about.

Keep in mind this is not a scientific opinion. Only an opinion of a domestic goddess who is trying her darnest to find the best way possible to enter the world of the hearing. As I said before, I see pros and cons and definitely a difference between an older adult as myself and a small child. While Im talking about new discoveries, I have discovered Ear Gear. You wear it on your hearing devices to protect them from dust, sand, wind and sweat. Ive ordered mine but have not received them as of yet. Im headed to the beach in a few days and hope they come so I can again give you my opinion of this new gear. I for one am excited! Hope your summer is going well. Mine is....Karen

I think I can I think I can I CAN and I WILL!

Ok you guys...although it is funny as I will be the 1st to admit, its not fun being in Munchkin Land. I woke up this morning determined I will wear one unit, my new one. Its hard. SO very hard. Please be patient with me as I can not tell who is speaking, where the odd noise is coming from and just so absolutely frustrated almost to tears. My lip reading has gotten lazy. I know this will work for me, I know it as the 1st was so successful. I do know that wearing 2 is ok but I have to go through this process. Im home with my dogs who warn me of passerbys on the street or in the yard. I cant tell if its a bark or not. I have the TV's on it just isnt working. Everyone is a lollipop kid STILL! I know you get tired of hearing about it. Its so strange to me that with the 2 CIs Im hearing fine and can tell a HUGE difference. But with the one, UGH! I am blessed, truly blessed and I will get through this. To my friends who live with me everyday, bare with me and thanks for all your patience while I learn to hear AGAIN! For my new found friends in my cochlear support group, thanks for your support. Its nice to be surrounded by friends who are going through the same as you. Karen 

Again?????? NO! Well, ok.

That was me at an appointment with my Super Duper Audiologist. Again? Yes again. With my new CI, Meredith told me I had to wear the new one by itself for awhile and get my brain used to the thing. Well, my brain is telling me to wear both CI's so I can hear! I mean really! When I am wearing two, I can hear. When I wear the one, I can not. Its hard y'all. Think about it for a minute and you'll know where I'm comin' from. Hear you are sitting listening to the sounds all around you then things go silent. Would you panic? Really. What would you do if all of a sudden your world went silent? That is what Meredith is asking me to do. Well almost. I hear so well with my CI of 18 months. Now I have to remove it and wear my new one and start all over. Welcome to Munchkin Land and come meet the Lollipop Kids! Two weeks out and everyone still sound like munchkins. I have to wear one. I know I have to wear the one but its soooo hard! I want to hear normally! Im tellin ya, its hard throwing myself back out there this time. I know what I am up against and I am struggling here. I dont want to start at the beginning again but I know I do. I know it! Then why dont I do it! I am wearing 2 as I write this. Why am I wearing the 2 in the privacy of my own home when I KNOW I should be wearing one???  OK, Im taking it off. I will do this but I need your help but I dont know how you can help me. Maybe pull it off my dern head if you see me wearing 2? lol Ok next topic....I got the new processor thats out. Im talkin a brand spankin' new one. Ill take a pic of it for you and post it. Might post the other type I have too. The new one is just a small magnetic disc with fishing twine attached to it with a clothespin on the end. The other type I have rests on my ear and magnet is attached to wire.

I can see the benefits of both but if you have short hair like I do, I dont have anything for the clothespin to grasp. I might shouldnt call it a clothespin since Im not pinning it to clothes...what should I call it? lol I like both and too another thing? Hubby likes to play with my hair. He might knock it off and I might lose the thang! Ill try it and Ill keep it as a back up or when I dress up to go out somewhere special but Im not so sure I will like it. Anyway. Here are the pics and Im not putting my other one back on since I took it off. Proud of me? I am :)

Just Another Sunday...N O T !!!!!!!!

Well as you know, my CI is not a big fan of Sunday mornings. Notice I didnt say I...I said my CI. My CI does not like music at all. My CI does not like large crowds. Well let me tell you this, MY CI's working together DO like Sunday mornings. Did you catch the plural? Yessiree. Today was a good day. Today was the 1st Sunday of me going bilateral (meaning with both CIs' to church) And OMG! (thats oh my gosh!)Today we had the timpani and brass, full choir. Didnt register as we have had them before.Well let me tell you... the music started and I just about died right then and there. I mean BAM...the heavens opened up and this glorious sound came like I have never heard before. It was amazing! It was awesome. I was so emotional from hearing all this wonderful sound! I just can not put it into words! I looked at mother in law and she just held me while I cried like a baby. For 30 minutes I had to keep telling myself to breathe Karen, take a breath, in and out. For real!You have no idea how long I have waited to get my music back in me! I didnt hear the country screechin' choir trying to get the high notes. I heard this magnificent full church choir sing with all their heart and soul. Today was the last Sunday for our minister at our church. His last sermon that I heard in stereo. Such an emotional Sunday for me. I could write about my preacher but I wont since this is about cochlear implants. So back on track. I heard it all. I heard the music! I understood the music! This is such a big deal for me since this was one of my goals. All week long I was poor me working so hard to get where I was with one CI. Now the work has started again with 2. Honey...IM BACK! As I said before the heavens have opened up. Its my turn. Thank you. My audiologist told me that I would love having 2. She just knew it. She also told me there were no words to describe what hearing with two was like. Shes right. I cant explain it. Everything just makes sense. Its all clear. Its all good. Now dont get me wrong, I still have work to do but buddy...come on. Im ready for anything you got to throw at me.  :)  I was so tired from the service and such a nice meal afterwards that I slept the rest of the day. Next week when I go to church Im going to try and sing to see how I do. Im tempted to sing at the house and record myself but Im not. No more Row Row Row Your Boat for me! Im on to bigger and better stuff....Yeppers, today was a good day. A really good day. Thanks for sharing it with me....Karen

15 days post op

Well here I am at the 15 day post op mark. I seem to be healing nicely but I swear the process is taking longer this time. Still walking around wearing glasses with one side arm removed so Im walking around with broken glasses, old ones to boot that are just plain yucky lookin'. Im sooooo looking forward to wearing my black and purple ones again :).  My steri strips are still on and looking nasty. Cant pull them off as it is still a bit sore around incision. I still have a metallic taste in my mouth. Its more like a metallic strip on my left side of tongue. Dont remember having one like this last time either. I do hope it goes away soon cause my chocolate does not taste like chocolate and this here chocoholic is SUFFERIN'! lol   I just got an early birthday present from hubby. A flight booked to Denver to see my niece and her family. For those of you that dont know, this is a huge trip for me. It was my trip to Denver back in 2011 that opened my eyes on how "profound" my hearing loss was (hate using that word profound but it is what it is) I was in a new and different environment then what I was accustomed to and I was, to be honest, scared. I was frightened to what was going on around me or what not was going on around me. It was a scary feeling and at one time there was one moment that I will NEVAH EVAH forget. My niece asked me to watch her small son while she ran an errand and I panicked. I NEVAH EVAH panic. It was right at that moment that I decided when I got home, my hubby and I were going to have a serious discussion on what to do next and here I am, a bilateral CI wearer one year and 1/2 later. My how my life has changed over the year. I am so much more outgoing. I attend events I NEVEH EVAH thought I would attend. I am going out and about flyng solo to places unknown and truly luvin' my life. I am so blessed. Truly blessed. And on that note, I am out my door, droppin' the top on my car and doing my errands. Have a great blessed day y'all and again, thank you so much for you kindness, patience and support while I adjust to my new life.

Munchkinland!

Well day 2 in Munchkinland has come to a close and day 3 is beginning. I have decided that not only does everyone sound robotic and mechanical, everyone is a munchkin! You know the munchkins from OZ? In trying to find the humor (so I wont cry anymore) I think of my husband as a munchkin? When my 1st CI was activated he was a duck. But a munchkin? For those of you that dont know my husband, he is not a munchkin, far from it! Its hilarious when you think about it. Here we are talking over  dinner and hes sounds like a munchkin. Ya gotta laugh.Well, back to yesterday. I woke up and had a pity party for myself. I was told to wear only my new CI for a bit so my brain would train itself to it or whatever the techno term is so I did. I couldnt hear a thing! I was back to being a lip reader. I sent hubby off to work (somebody has to work to pay for this thing ! :)) Sent him to work, put on both CI's and went visiting my mom in law for 1st time. Of course when she opened the door, saw it was me and those gracious warm arms opened up and just hugged me while I cried. She knew I was in for more work. She knew she was needed. I love that woman and am so blessed to have her in my life. Well pity party has officially started. Yes, I am blessed. Blessed as one can be. I should NOT be feeling this way. Its like 18 months down the tubes as I have worked SOOO bloomin' hard to make my 1st CI work. Now IM back to square one and a bit worse. I know I shouldnt feel this way but I do. I leave her house, come back home, hit the mattress and cover myself up with my sheets and nap the afternoon away. In waking up, I looked in the mirror and told myself "thats enough, put on your big girl panties and deal with this" thus turning into this super being with cape (and tiara). I WILL WIN THIS! I am ready to work hard and make the best of this wonderful and beautiful gift that has been given me. So here I am in the wee hours of the morning ready to start my day. Ready to watch the sun come up (afterall I slept the day and night away) and count my MANY blessings. So you guys sound like lil munchkins to me. I laugh on the inside at my own private images. I do hear, I havent a clue what it is I am hearing now but I do hear...in surround sound   :)  Have a great day y'all and count your blessings, I know I will!

Activation Day !!!!!

Well here it is 12 days post surgery from going bilateral. WHAT WAS I THINKING?????? Did I honestly and truly want to hear in stereo? Was I missing out on anything without having surround sound?  Well, let me tell you. Today was activation day and I had mixed feelings about the whole shebang. When I got hooked up the first time it was awful. It was soooo loud and everyone sounded so mechanical. Robot like and like ducks. So I went in there thinking , here we go again. Well guess what? I was right in assuming the worst as IT WAS! Everything I thought about and experienced with ear one happened with ear two. Meaning, I HEAR ROBOTS AND DUCKS AGAIN! But thats ok, I know it will get better in time. ITS GOTTA! lol Anyway, the drive down to Charleston today, I turned up the radio loud, popped in one of my CD's so on the way home, I can listen to the same song with one ear, two ears and compare the two. AINT NO COMPARISON! It was awful. I AINT LYIN! But I know it will be better. Meredith (my super duper audiologist) said to wear only the new one so I did that in the car on the way home. I didnt recognize any of the songs on that CD! I keep telling my self it will get better as I love ear one. Well Meredith put me me in the booth and she was so excited because she said I scored in the normal range and was so impressed I scored as high as I did first time out. I posted it here so you guys could see my score. Let me know what you think? Is it pretty good? lol  After I left Meredith I went for a stroll in the hospital thinking I knew all the sounds...WRONG. I hear the dings of elevators, all the lil electrical noises I know are there were louder and I caught myself looking around. Caught up with my kids and ate lunch, placed my own order and headed back. I still have my steri strips on my incision and Im ready for them to come off. My kids who will rename nameless and who were asked not in front of the other lol
refused to take them off of me saying they were on for a reason and will come off on their own. I WANT THEM OFF NOW! But I still have them on :( Thats today in a nutshell. Im tired, my head hurts and Im going to bed. NIGHT ALL! Oh I might add here that I met a friend in person today that has a new implant that I met earlier online....I was right, we did hit it off and we were meant to meet :)  Cant wait to meet again and compare notes and she is getting her 2nd CI in a couple weeks.