§ ¶Two years
Today I had my two-year post appointment. Hard to believe it's been two years! The first thing Sharon did was put me in the booth to see how I did with pure tones. The results were similar to the test I had in early September. With my CI, I show a normal to mild hearing loss, which is a huge difference from a profound loss. Sharon also did the Hearing In Noise Test (HINT), using sentences and a live voice. This was difficult, as the sentences were completely random. Not having context or any clues whatsoever is something I'm not used to. I got 29 words correct out of 106. In September, I got about 35 out of 106, but Sharon repeated the sentences then, and didn't this time. So 29/106 without repetition is actually an improvement.After that, we took a look at my programs and talked about what I wanted to do. I asked for a little more volume, so Sharon increased the M levels by six levels. Then we created a program in which the M levels were decreased and the IDR (see previous posts) was reduced to 60 from 65. This will hopefully eliminate some of the background noise that can be distracting. I'm thinking I'll try using this program when I'm in noisy environments, like restaurants, to see if I can better follow conversation.
Sharon says I'm doing well, and don't need to have another map for another year, unless I feel the need to come back sooner. I have two sessions of therapy left, and then I'll take a break for the summer. I'm looking forward to attending the AG Bell convention in Milwaukee this June, as there are two sessions in particular that will be of interest: one is on aural rehab for adults with CIs, and the other is on how to use the iPod in auditory therapy.
Erika joined me for this appointment, so she could see what a mapping involves. On the way out, we ran into Dave, who I worked with almost a year ago. See Dave, I'm blogging - you happy? :)
In the meantime, I continue to pick up the occasional phrase without looking. One time I was at my friend's house, when her son said something as he went up the stairs. I couldn't see him, but heard him. I asked if he said, "I tripped over the chair," and what he had said was, "I tripped over the stairs." Or something like that. I was proud of myself since I hadn't been actively listening, it was a random phrase, and this isn't a child I hear every day.
