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We had a busy Christmas holiday, travelling to Florida to see family and getting in a little fun on the side, too.
Last week, I had my third mapping on my new implant which gave me the Hi-Res 120 quality programming, which is more than just the volume increases we were going for initially when getting that ear to "wake up". The Hi-Res 120 gives better sound quality, and as my brain adjusts to these impulses, I can expect to hear more nuances of voices and music. My daughter, Hilary, went with me to the audiologist's office for that mapping and found he whole process interesting. She saw the audiologist working with the computer and the programs to give me the best sound, but also doing some creative problem-solving to help rehab my hearing. Hilary thought it might be a good career consideration, except that it's a bit more science-oriented than she's been gearing up for.
I had another mapping yesterday; this time it was my 3-month mapping for my first ear and my 1-month mapping for my 2nd ear. But before we sat down at the computer, the audiologist took me to the sound booth to test how I was doing with my first implant. My mother-in-law came with me this time and sat in the booth while I listened for the quietest possible sound I could hear, and got in the normal range for that test. Also, I repeated sentences that I heard over the speaker with no visual cues, and I got 98% right! After that, I repeated random isolated words and got 20 out of 25 right. The audiologist was so pleased with my results, and so was I, of course.
Now, I'm getting ready to travel to our mission's headquarters with my hubby for two weeks of meetings and training. This will be a kind of test for me on a new level to see how I can integrate back into my functioning world, outside of my home or church environment where I am comfortable. We will be in small groups, big meeting rooms, workshops, and travelling on the train (just for a new adventure!). I am planning on bringing a few of my "toys", like my mini-FM system in case I need a little help in the big meeting room hearing the speakers or music. I anticipate that air conditioning fans and chairs moving around and other distracting sounds might be a problem in hearing a speaker, so this system might be a real help. I also have a mini-microphone for talking one-on-one in noisy situations, which might help me, too.
All-in-all I feel encouraged by my progress and can see that I'm improving in my ability to function as a normal hearing person (with a little help!).
