A while after my last map, I started twitching again. I thought it was my imagination, but when I had to tell the kids to stop a) typing on the keyboard b) playing music or c) being themselves, I knew something was wrong. For a while, I was in denial. We had spent so much time at my last appointment making sure I wouldn't twitch. Why was I doing it again?
I kept putting off emailing Sharon. Finally, it was unavoidable - my eye was most definitely twitching. She said sometimes there are some slight changes in my electrical current needs which require reprogramming. Ok, I thought. Perhaps we wouldn't have to redo my entire program. Maybe...
I went in this morning. An hour and a half later, I had a new program, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Who knows why the twitching occurred. Sharon says I'm not alone. Let's face it: I have a friggin' chip in my head and am dealing with electrical currents. We deal with issues with our computers all the time. It's not surprising that it can happen with my CI too -- especially when electrodes are running right next to my facial nerves. Sometimes they can just get out of whack.
It took a while but Sharon finally hit upon the key: She lowered my M levels (most comfortable loudness) by four levels and slowed the rate of speed (pulse levels) and that eliminated the twitching. Interestingly enough, shutting down one of the electrodes (what looked like the key one), made it worse, because all it did was boost the energy to the other electrodes. Increasing the mid-range electrodes didn't do anything either, because it didn't didn't make the volume sound any louder to me.
Needless to say, after the last appointment, I didn't expect to deal with any twitching for a while. I like to hear as much as possible, especially when it comes to volume, loudness and sensitivity. To have to keep dialing it down is frustrating, to say the least.
And I like to wink on my own, thankyouverymuch!
Damn it! Wish it would be problem free. My problem is that I get a lot of tinnitus, or head noise which audiologists like to call it… I had to avoid wearing it at certain times… which is a lot of times…. noisy places, inside a moving car, or music if listening too long… which would trigger the buzzing…soft to loud.. and once I turn my CI off, the head noise won’t go away… till the next morning. Sometimes I would hear a screaming noise, sound like music in my head even though I haven’t worn my devise for some time…
I wonder about the babies and small children.. do they experience it… when they haven’t started talking… to tell their parents or audiologists… ???????
Hope something will work for you..
Penny Penny Atlee () - 24 02 10 - 00:03
Jeez – how frustrating! I’m sure it’s annoying to have to give up on volume in order to keep the side effects at bay. I hope you can find the balance on this one!
Suzy Suzy - 02 03 10 - 13:52