New Sounds and Results from Doctors...

I have been hearing pretty well with these new aids. I find that everyday there is new sounds I am learning to hear.

A few weeks ago I noticed a BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ sound at nighttime around 8pm-1am. I found out those are CRICKETS and this sound happens to be every night at this time. It never stops. Pretty interesting to hear.

I forgot to meantain a few weeks ago my grandmother told me that TREES make a SOUND* Well one afternoon while I was at her house it was a BREEZY WINDY DAY. I heard the big beautiful green trees for the first time. I didn't really catch on to it at first because there where cars that kept coming down the street. I went down on the sidewalk where there was one small tree in front of there house and I heard "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH". That sound was interesting to hear.


Today I heard:
- Snuggles my dog walking... when I walk taking her for a walk I heard tap tap tap tap tap. It was so neat that I was so thrilled I ended up bending down while she was walking just to hear it closer.

- Cars slamming

- neighbors talking outside while my windows were open in my bedroom that is on the
2nd floor.

- myself eating a granola bar it was crunch crunch crunch.

- Trucks across the street because we have a family business right across from our house.

- I heard the Airplane from my room. I felt like it was right on top of my house!

- I heard the train that is 5 blocks away from my house, while I was in my bedroom on the 2ND floor.

- I hear the computer keyboard as I'm typing going " CLICK CLICK CLICK".

- I heard my printer for the first time when I was cleaning it and printing it made a " chuck chuck chuck" sound. I'm not so sure if that's the correct word.

I realize everyday there are at least 5-10 new SOUNDS I hear a day. It is very interesting.

Difficulties:
I am still having a hard time figuring out where the SOUNDS are coming from.

Having a hard time talking to someone and understanding there speech sometimes.

Cannot understand what is going on yet at the dinner table because 2 or more people are talking at the same time and its incredibly hard to understand.

I CANNOT* understand whats going on while I'm talking to someone and when another person either interferes or talks to another person. Its hard to comprehend whats being said.

I do prefer* QUIET places still.

I realize ALOT OF SOUND during the day gives me a headache.

I have to take my aids off at least 2 x a day in order for me not to get headache.


This past week I went for my MRI and CAT SCAN and everything came back NORMAL* I just got the results today in the mail. Since the test are normal and my AVG test wasn't good I have to get whats called BPPV EPLY MANUVER done because I didn't do so well on the VNG test because of my DIZZYNESS problems and VERTIGO. I CANNOT* bend down low because I get dizzy really fast and start to see a thousand stars in my eyes. However My Balance is really off so once I schedule this appointment next week for the Eply Manuever hopefully I will be back to normal again and be without vertigo for once.

Basically what the Eply Manuever is when the Dr makes you lay down on table FLAT. He then moves your head all these different ways to REPOSITION your neck.( This is what he told me). Then I have to go home and for 48 hours I have to wear a neck brace and sit up straight. I honestly am not looking forward to this appointment because I know I will get naucioous.

At night when Im not about to go to sleep I have to remember I cannot " LAY DOWN AS FAST". I have to lay down slowly. WHICH I NEVER DO!!!! If I LAY DOWN really fast. Then the Vertigo, Recruitment, Stars in my ears and Tinnitus APPEAR.Which is really no fun.

As for as the VNG test that I have gotten done two weeks ago, was HELL. I felt so sick. I thought I was going to die. I was so dizzy and that was basically the point but I CAN NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. EVER. The results was ABNORMAL of course and that is why I went for the MRI AND CAT SCAN OF MY EAR... which everything is NORMAL. So now that everything is Normal.. I have call my ENT again on Monday, to schedule the appointment for that Eply Maneuver. This better WORK!!

As far as Meinere's Disease So far I dont have it.

As far as the ITCHY EARS. I went to a second opinon ENT Dr. in my audiologist office and he perscribed me DermOtic Ear drops which I have to put 4 drops in my ears every night before bed for 7 days. So far its already day 3 and Its working great!! Wohoo.

I NEED YOUR INPUT ON THIS QUESTION:

" Have you ever been told that you TALK TO LOUD with your aids off"??

Well-- I sure have and its very annoying I keep telling my family members its because Im DEAF. Obviouslly that doesnt work! I got yelleda at last night because I speak to "LOUD".

Any suggestions???


Have a great Weekend!


Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

My Traffic Sign

On Friday, I got a call and was told that my sign was being put up today. Two months ago I wrote to my town and ask them to please put up a sign stating that I am deaf. My Block is the first block off the parkway and this street is always busy and not even that everyone speeds like crazy! A few weeks ago before I got my hearing aids, I was in the street crossing to go home someone swirved around me in the street and scared the hell out of me. I did look both ways as I was crossing, I dont know who the person was but all I know I was terrified. Between my seziures when Im in and out of attacks during the day this can also be dangerous. I am so glad that I got two signs. They put one up by the end of my block before you turn Left. Then they also put one in front of my house on the phone pole really high. I am glad they put the signs up for me!!! I hope this makes people more aware to " SLOW DOWN".




Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

TLC Approves Induction Loop Technology for Voluntary Installation across all TLC-Related Industries

Great News New Yorkers! NYC TAXI'S HAS INDUCTION LOOPS FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE HARD OF HEARING. WE ARE THE FIRST CITY IN THIS COUNTRY!! NOW WE CAN GET INTO A TAXI CAB AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DRIVER IS SAYING WITHOUT HAVING COMMUNICATION ISSUES.

TLC ( Taxi & Limousine Commission )

NEW YORK, September 17, 2009:

The Hearing Access Program today announced that the Taxi & Limousine Commission has approved the induction loop technology for voluntary installation across all TLC-related industries.

The announcement follows a 13-month pilot program where 15 taxis tested the technology. This technology has been used in London Taxis since 1998. New York City will be the first city in this country to have taxis with induction loops for people who are hard of hearing.

“No longer will a person who is hard of hearing have to worry that they will end up in NOHO when they wanted SOHO,” said Janice Schacter, the founder and chair of the Hearing Access Program.”

Additional details regarding induction loop technology can be found at www.hearingloop.org


Thanks to Janice Schacter from the Hearing Access Program.




Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

SoundProof Trailer....

This is such an amazing video please watch. It is Captioned.


This Video is Created by filmmaker Rebecca Haimowitz.

Enjoy!


Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

Oh What a Noisy World out there...

Wow I tell you it sure is a Noisy World out there. Honestly I didnt know I was missing all of this!!! It got to point where I said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH I want to be able to hear. I can hear now... thankfully with these amazing aids. I still cannot believe these little tiny amazing things HELP ME HEAR!!

I wasnt feeling well for 2 days. I didnt wear my aids much. Usually I wear them from time I wake up till time I go to sleep. I said to myself WOW I'M MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH.. WHAT AM I DOING!?!? So I put them in. I realized I cannot LIVE WITHOUT THESE HEARING AIDS. They have to be in at all times. I must say though I am paranoid when it rains and it was raining the other day I had to keep taking them off. I was under the umbrella. Its just now I have to carry an umbrella with me everywhere? I hope theres some protective thing for these aids. I been looking around and I saw that maybe Ear Gear would help protect from the rain... I really got frustrated when it started to rain then I had to run to the car take them off. They aren't cheap to just let it go... So I ran back to the car took them off then, I got out of the car, 10 min later it ends up stopping then I ran back to the car put them back on!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Do you think Ear Gear could help?

I finally purchased the Dry and Store for both of my aids. It should be arriving this week... and finally to end I'm going to list new sounds I have heard TODAY!!

Today this is what I heard:

1- Bird going tweet tweet tweet and it wouldn't stop. This is when I was walking my dog snuggles down the block!

2- I heard my father and mother talking in the street while dad was hosing the street down. I heard him say " Go Write it Down" From the end of the BLOCK!!! I was so happy...

3- I have been watching Lots of TV with my streamer ooh i love this thing. Its a life saver when I put the bluetooth streamer on my neck I click the bluetooth button and the voices from tv show go into my ear. It is amazing. I wanna tell you You all are aware that the Closed Captioning STINKS these days and You know what... for the first time today I realized my hearing friends and family members are right. The captioning is so slow it comes on 5 seconds later. Its way to fast, Its jumble, Sadly, 99.9% of the time IS WRONG. I tested myself with it today. I cannot believe it is this bad! It has to IMPROVE SOMEDAY!!! I have to use it because without it I am lost.

4- Car doors slamming from my Window in my room!

5- The Lawn mower while I was watchin tv. Its hard for all the sounds at once. I had to close all 3 of my windows in my room in order to watch TV.

A friend of mine named Sarah who happens to be hard of hearing started a shirt business for people who may have lost some hearing but not their sense of humor. The shirts are really neat. You have to check them out.I am going to be buying "SPEAK UP I WANT TO HEAR YOU SHIRT". Check out her amazing website by just clicking on the first LOGO on my blog which saids " SPEAK UP LIBRARIAN SHOP". That picture will take you directly to her website. Dont forget to read her awesome blog. Sarah- I wish you best of luck with this business. I think this is such a great idea that will help many of us!

Smile-Hugs,
Have a great night All

Danielle

First Followup at the Audiologist

Yesterday was my First appointment back to the Audiologist office. It has been 8 amazing days with these hearing aids. I wrote down many many questions for the Audiologist to answer. I have also brought my Journal log that I started doing to record what sounds im hearing what sounds I cant hear etc. My audiologist wanted me to just wear the aids for 5 hours for the first week but she noticed because of my log and the computer that I have been wearing them most of the day! Which is fantastic!!!!

I told her that the hearing aids feel so comfortable. I forget there in at times. They are also so small that you cant even see them. Now- I have worn hearing aids before but now for this long. I have been giving hearing aids that my parents purchased but never worn then for an entire full day or weeks. I am so happy that I am wearing this aids all day. At this point I NEED IT!!! I cant live without them now.

My audiologist setup with TELECOIL mode on the aids and the streamer so when I go to a HLAA meeting all I have to do is put it on Telecoil mode and the voices will come in my ear! I will be testing this out next week which is the first meeting for the fall.

I have also asked her a question that was one of them on the list. I asked her " How come the first day I wasnt able to hear my name " Danielle" I only heard " L". Then I asked her How come by day three " I WAS able to hear my entire full name Danielle". She said this is normal. That your nerve HAS TO WAKE UP... that explains it!

Dr Sharon Loved my log I was keeping and she was so thrilled and new these aids where just for me!!! We went over the entire log. I also told her I think its time to boost the R aid. Now the aids at this time are on LOW... so I dont get sick with a headache. I was fine all week! She tuned up the Right Aid Only because it was the lower one. I was fine in her office. I got home two hours go by and I get this really bad headache and I started feeling sick to my stomach!!! I was panicaking I was like ooh no not this!!! I knew it was because she put the Volume up on the aid. So I felt sick all night from 8pm to like 3am. I was up all night. I couldnt sleep.

I called her first thing tommorow and she said COME IN RIGHT AWAY itll just take 5 minutes to adjust it back to the way it was... So that is what we are doing today before I have physical therapy Im running over there to get this aid back to the way it was. Apparently my ears arent ready for the Loud Volume yet. Hopefully and eventually I will get above that line. Until then because its comfortable BELOW the line!

Its normal Its something I have to get used to!

Have a great day....


Smile-Hugs,
Danielle

Journal Log with my new aids...

I have only been wearing these new OTICON EPOQ aids as well as the streamer for only 8 DAYS!!!! I cannot believe how EVERYTHING makes a sound! It was shocking at first. What I did was I started to jot down all the things I heard day by day.
Here are few sounds that I have heard that are jotted down in my notebook. I'm not going to type everything being that the list are very long each day.

Sept 2,2009- Was the first day that I had worn the aids...
- heard wind chimes that was on my porch
- someone in the house calling my name I heard " L ". So I assumed they were calling me.
- parts of a conversation but at first it was mostly mumble.
- Chicken cutlet on the stove in the frying pan makes a "bubbly noise". That was a neat experience to hear. With my ear right by the stove.
- Boiling of water for Rice

Sept 3, 2009 - My 2ND day with the aids.
- used the phone with the streamer ( blue tooth device). I heard the entire conversation without needing to look at the captions on my CAPTEL phone! But I did anyway just in case I miss out on something.
- Used the streamer to watch TV!!!!!!! Now I been hating TV because of the CC issue but with the aids in and the streamer on and the Caption on all at the same time I was able to hear for the first time* ( still amazes me) an entire show of TWO IN A HALF MEN and Law and Order. Basically the streamer provides blue tooth. The sound automatically goes right into my ear.
- Heard someone in the house calling my name " Danielle".
-I was in my bedroom which is on the 2nd floor of the house, I heard two people talking. I looked outside of my door I thought someone was coming up the stairs but no one was. I still kept hearing the people talking but I didn't know where the sound was coming from. Sure enough it was my Future Brother In law outside talking to his friend about a STEREO!!!! Can you believe it. This really amazed me!!!
- I also heard at 11:30 pm when my sister came home. Because the CAR DOOR SLAMMED BOOM! I tell you that was noisy I ended up jumping.
- I hear the fan in my bedroom goes " BUZZZZ" Its pretty annoying at first I didn't know what that sound was I thought It was my aid then I was told by Will it was fan making noise.

I am hearing alot of sounds.... I cannot believe how well I'm doing!!! Those are just some sounds that I been hearing I already have 5 pages of sounds in my journal and its only been 8 full days!!!!

Most of you know I was excited to go to the ZOO. We went and this is what happened. Last Saturday September 5th,I went to the ZOO. Sure enough I get there and the animals were sleeping!!! Can u believe it?! Of all Times. We ended up going late because the bank was closed for 2 hours because of computer problems. So we get there at 1 ish and they already had there lunch and fell asleep. I was able to hear so many different noises but I couldn't understand what and where they were coming from. Its not that I didn't want to ask Will where the sounds where coming from. It was just that I was amazed that I was hearing different sounds. I was kind of in like SHOCK MODE. It wasn't the Bronx zoo. It was the queens zoo. It was a very small Zoo. We couldn't get to the Bronx zoo because it was to late in the day.

On Sunday- Will and I took his cousin to the same ZOO where there was a carousel outside. His cousin wanted to go on a carousel. As we were walking in the park to get the carousel, I heard MUSIC** I had idea that a carousel makes noise. So we get there Lucas and I went on the ride. It was so NOISY** LOL. It was my first time on this ride. I dont remember going on one when I was little. I started to feel nauseous because it kept going around and around and around. But, I wanted his little 4 year old cousin LUCAS to have a good time. He ended up wanting to go on again! I wasn't going to leave the kid on there alone just like the other parents did. That wasn't happening and I wouldn't do that to my own kids. Afterall, It was fun.. but two times was enough for me!

Then he wanted to go to the PETTING ZOO... which is the same zoo we went to yesterday, but didnt realize on the other side there was a petting zoo. So we went into the Petting Zoo and I heard " QUACK QUACK" from a duck that wanted Lucas pretzel. I Heard a " Baaa" from a sheep. It was so neat to hear these animal sounds. I also heard a Bird go " Chirp Chirp" But I didnt know where it was to run to it like a little kid.I been wanting to hear a Bird. For some strange reason.

It was a great experience we all had a great time!!!

Then we went home and Will and I made a BBQ for all of us... I heard his mom talking outside to Wills sister. Most of the conversation!!!! Will asked me to get Cheese while the water from the faucet was on!!!! I was slicing chicken in the kitchen and I heard LUCAS, Wills little cousin go " WHERE IS DANIELLE". I looked out the window and said " HI LUCAS IM RIGHT HERE IM IN THE KITCHEN". He then came inside and wanted to help me cook LOL. I never in my life thought I could hear voices coming from outside!!!!! It was the first time ever. I never experience this before.

So far this Hearing Journey is By Far Amazing. They are My life now! I cannot** Live without them. If I take the aids off I am in Silence. The first night I took the aids off to go sleep.. It was just dead SILENCE. I was scared to be honest with you. My ears just DROPPED. It was frightening. I DONT KNOW how I did it all these years. I dont even know how I sucked it up being profoundly deaf the pass 6 months. But, I did it! Thats all that matters. The aids are my Life. I am not saying that DEAFNESS is a bad thing. ITS NOT... its just alot has happened in the pass two years for me that I wasnt expecting to loose all of my hearing. If these aids werent out there for me then yeah I would be okay and I would accept that fact that Im Deaf. It wont change who I am.

Without the aids I am deaf. With the hearing aids Im hard of hearing. That is my diagnosis.

Im going to stop here because this is so long. Will be writing a blog now about my Followup yesterday from the Audiologist office.


Smile-Hugs,
Danielle