Cochlear implants Update.

[Rengar]

I posted this here from Facebook, in case I don't have you in my friends list.



Well I have good news and bad news....and more bad news.



The good news is my insurance approved for cochlear implant and surgery.



The bad news is every Friday in February is all booked, so my surgery is scheduled on Friday March 6th and have outer piece cochlear implant to able to hear the sounds on Friday March 13th.


More bad news, it will take 6 months for me to able understanding the sounds from cochlear implants. When I first hear it on Friday March 13th, my brain will not recognize the sounds of cochlear implants. It sounds like random sounds, or alien from space speaking. It will take weeks for my brain to readjust the sounds from eleco wires in cochlear to able recognized background noise.



In 6 months after cochlear implants, will able to conversation, but you all will sounds like Donald Duck, or Avalon(chipmunk), or robot talks. Should be able to hear more sounds and better than my hearing aids. 


In a year after cochlear implants, the sounds will back to normal.



Another bad news, I don't know how I will do in LARPs in first 6 months from March.

[tarathielle]

Congratulations on getting the implants and I wish you luck. Will look forward to seeing you whenever you can make it!

[Rengar]

Thanks, Tarathielle.

[Shallowmoore]

Oh yeah!! This IS great news, Congratulations! I am certain that we all can be patient with you as your brain adjusts.

-Dan
Shallowmoore

[Rengar]

Thanks, Shallowmoore

[Brenda]

I hope everything went well for you. We would be happy to get an update as soon as your are feeling well enough to post.

[Rengar]

Boy, I was away for while...

Back in March 6th, I have inner cochlear implant surgery, and it went successful. Inner piece is place under my skin, next to my skull. Electrodes wire go through skull to cochlear. But have to be careful nothing hit side of my head hard for four weeks after surgery. When I press side of my head lightly or blow my nose, I can feel blood flowing between my skull to behind my eardrum. That is inner piece, www.youtube.com/watch?v=02AHct0h39k Of course you don't understand how this work by watching this video. In next video explain how cochlear implant work. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM7ERa-Py1E

On March 13th, after it heal enough for me to wear outer Opus 2 XS cochlear implant. On first day of cochlear implant, the sounds like badly distorted. The volumes was out of control, it was like loud sounds cause felt uncomfortable. Normal sound is normal and can't hear any soft sounds. A month later, only sounds that I fully understand from speech is Ch, Sh, and S, the rest is still distorted, but it changing quiet a bit. Volume is now much stable that, I able to hear much softer sounds than it was. Able to hear louder sounds than it was without feel discomfortable, but hurt my ear. Loud sounds won't damage cochlear, but feel pain. I can control the volumes.

Even I learned new sounds from cochlear implant that I never heard in last 31 1/2 years using my hearing aids such from bird chirping, tiny bells rang, air come out of spray guns, sanding sandpaper, coin drop, water boil, blow whistle, my house smoke detector alarm, and able to hear ch and sh and s sounds. I couldn't identify the sounds of f, h, th yet. It will take 6 months to get more natural sounds. So far...1 out of 6 months.

I will able to combat on next Kyranthia LARP.

[Shallowmoore]

I'm so glad to hear your progress! I studied biology in undergrad and grad school and am now in robotics. I've always been super interested in man-machine interfaces and have wanted to work on bionic limbs for ages now. Hearing your story has been very cool for me and I want to thank you for sharing your excitement and progress with us. I'm sure that I speak for many of us when I say that we are very happy and very excited for you and look forward to hearing more! Best of luck!

-Dan McPherren