One Week Update!

So today was my one week mapping session! Let me just update first on how things have been up 'til today and then I will update on today. It's been awhile since I blogged bout this so bare with me if I'm redundant!

First off... the tinnitus is GONE! Thank goodness! When I do have it, it's very very minimal and I am able to forget about it. The new ear is so powerful! It just dominates what I am hearing! It's amazing, I would say I was hearing my voice 90% from the new ear, and 10% from the old ear. This isn't to say the old ear wasn't helping me. This isn't the case at all. It gave me the clarity that I don't have with the new ear. Also, the first few days, everything was like a fog. I couldn't quite understand what people were saying. However, now things are just clearing right up! I have been having Jase talk to me with his hand covering his mouth and saying random thoughts and words and repeating back to him. It has gotten a lot easier! I have also been hearing so much more sounds and noises! I can hear Jason cough and sneeze from the other room! I can hear the water swishing in the anti-freeze jug in the car (which drives me CRAZY)! I'm just hearing so much MORE!

People have asked me if I miss the hearing aid. It was strange to hear this question because I have almost all but forgotten the hearing aid! I do not miss it all, or feel that the aid gave me something the new implant didn't give me. Thank goodness! I would be devastated if that were the case. Someone asked if I can perceive a difference at night, when I'm not wearing my processors. I do not notice that I am now without any residual hearing. I truly do not notice that. Again, another question I had not thought of.

This was a fast week, and I just loved it. I have been switching the new ear and the old ear on and off, so I can see, comparatively, how I am hearing. Is it softer with just the old ear? Do I feel like I'mhearing more with both? The answer is always a resoundingly yes! I hear better with both!

So that's the background for what brings us to today. I had my one week mapping session with my MEEI audiologist, MBT (or as someone nicknamed her today... Mandy-bular!). At one week, I am hearing and understanding 52% of the words in my new ear (52% whole word, 72% phonemic), and with both processors (new and old), I understand 90% of the words (90% whole word, 97% phonemic)!

Just to put all this into perspective... I was hearing 32% alone with my hearing aid on that new side. That is an improvement of 20%! And I am only at one week! With the implant plus hearing aid I was getting 92% (92% whole word, 97% phonemically). So 90% today (with two implants) vs. 92% (cochlear implant and hearing aid) is the difference of me missing just ONE word today.

So basically, today's test results validated that I did the right thing for me. I am already getting just slightly more than 50% at 1 week, and I can only improve from here. It is a wonderful feeling to be so fortunate with my successful outcome.