My last post for the year....

Wow! This year has gone by way to fast just like that. This year was a difficult one for me but I have so much hope for the new year! I cant wait to graduate in the Fall, continue to stay strong and fight this illness. Most importantly, get re implanted so I can enjoy all the sounds life has to offer and loose weight.

Be safe out there tonight!!!  I wanted to wish you all

New Sounds during Christmas

This was my first Christmas with my Cochlear Implant. What an amazing Experience! Christmas Eve there was about forty people here. Lots of kids screaming and opening up gifts, Christmas music, family members having conversations. It was LOUD! I had to come up stairs to my room to change my battery at one point and stil heard all the noise from downstairs the first level. Hearing my niece rip open many of her gifts on Christmas day was amazing. Ripping Christmas paper is very noisy! I was able to have a few conversations with ease and not being able to rely on lip reading. I was able to hold a conversation even with so much noise in the background. My Implant did shut off during the day while I was cleaning getting ready on Christmas Eve. Then the implant just made the sounds that I was used to so I just ignore it. Christmas Day my implant was okay until I took it off for a break for about twenty minutes. I turned it back on then I just took it off because I knew it wasn't going to work for the rest of the night.  Having the implant has been a great experience. My cousin started to talk to me and said's " You dont even have to look at me anymore." I guess I got into the habit of not looking at people when talking to them. She asked if I shower and go to sleep with the implant and I told her no. This was the first time some of the family members seen my implant.

I am nervous for Jan 3rd to see my surgeon to setup a surgery date for re implantation! I lucked out on Christmas this year, honestly I didn't think I was going to be able to hear because of the situation.


Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!!!

Happy Holidays

& Happy New Year!!

The Final Results.....

After all these months hearing all these crazy sounds Im not supposed to be hearing and my implant shutting off here are the final results. Two days ago my Audiologist called me. I have been emailing her since the last time I saw her. Cochlear and my Audiologist decided they are going to call my implant a failure. So basically I have to get re implanted. I had to schedule and appointment with my surgeon to set up a surgery date. I'm scheduled to see him on January 3rd, 2012.  Honestly, I cant believe this is happening but unfortunately there was a recall. Bottom line I NEED TO HEAR. I will be re implanted with the freedom and I will keep my N5 processor.  At this moment.. there is so much going through my mind the only worry is an " Infection". The pain is not on my mind since I have a high tolerance of pain and I will be given medication. Right now this is basically a WAITING GAME...  Cochlear called me yesterday and told me that I dont not need to worry about insurance issues. Cochlear is covering the cost of this entire procedure and even co-pays. Basically cochlear will be paying my insurance company. So thats a good thing now I dont have to worry about this.

Today was a good day, I cleaned most of the day and watched my niece and heard some new sounds. I heard the Christmas clock which is in my bathroom  while I was in the den which is two rooms away. So cool! I tried to figure out where the sound was coming from then my niece showed me. I also didn't realize   wrapping gifts makes so much noise. Ripping tape off the tape dispenser and cutting the wrapping paper with scissors. Soooo Cool. Then I was in Silence.... for about 2 hours. Then my implant came back on as I watched my niece dance to music. 

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Time is going by so quickly. I am excited for tomorrow since this will be my First Christmas with my Implant. Even though it shuts off most of the time I still wear my processor because I cannot handle being isolated and I feel like I " Fit In" when I hear.

I will be back tomorrow If I can. Hoping I hear some " New Sounds"

Hearing the Unheard

This is a great video.  You should watch this. It is captioned.

Cochlear Identifies cause of Failure

CHECK THIS OUT!!! This is from Today's WallStreet Journal.

 Click on link: Cochlear Identifies cause of Failure


 Dec. 20, 2011, 2:02 a.m. EST Cochlear identifies cause of implant failures Sponsored: TheStreet Raymond James' Best Stock Picks May Double in 2012 --

 Cochlear identifies cause of implant failures that led to recall -- Understanding forms basis for plan to return Nucleus CI500 series to market -- 1.9% of series devices have failed (Adds share closing price in third paragraph, CFO comments in fifth and sixth paragraphs, background in fourth and seventh paragraphs) MELBOURNE (MarketWatch) -- Cochlear Ltd. said Tuesday hearing implant failures that led to the voluntary recall of its un implanted Nucleus CI500 series were caused by microcracks in a joint that let water into the device. "This understanding of the root cause now forms the basis of the plan for the return of the Nucleus CI500 series implant to market," Chief Executive Chris Roberts said in a letter to clinicians filed with the Australian Securities Exchange. Shares in Cochlear, the world's biggest maker of bionic ears, leapt on the news, closing up 16%. Cochlear recalled its Nucleus CI500 range, which Cochlear says is the world's slimmest titanium hearing implant, in September after an unexplained number of failures. Chief Financial Officer Neville Mitchell told Dow Jones Newswires there was no time line "at this stage" for the return of the device to the market. "What we'll need to do is look at the design and then test that design again and then put it through regulatory approvals and market it after that," he said. Cochlear has made a provision of A$130 million-A$150 million to cover the cost of the recall. Roberts said in the letter about 1.9% of registered CI500 series devices had failed, but there were fewer reported failures in November 2011 than in October 2011. There are about 30,000 registered CI500 series devices around the world. He said the company's investigation into the failures pointed to unexpected variations in the manufacturing process resulting in a limited number of implants being more susceptible to developing microcracks. "These microcracks allow water molecules to enter the implant resulting in the malfunction of specific electronic components," Roberts said.


Update on the Nucleus 5      this is from Nov 11, 2011  


and this last letter is from Cochlear sent to all the Clinics...



Letter From Cochlear

Santa Signs

A friend sent me this i love it. Its new!

Bad News.......

Today I met with 3 cochlear reps that came from Colorado and two audiologist. My audiologist and another audiologist from my clinic. Cochlear kept asking me a lot of questions.. when the " ch ch ch" sound started how often does the implant just shut " on and off" etc. Then the other gentlemen did the integrity test. This time the test was done a little bit different. He put all the equipment on me. He turned it on and I wasn't suppose to be hearing this noise. I then had to listen to "WHITE NOISE" from a clock then take my implant off every few seconds, then put it back on my head.To see if this makes a difference and it did sometimes. It took over an hour to do this testing and nothing showed up on the integrity test. What another rep did was put the same program on but this program instead has alot more power then the implant. So another words I will be using more power and the batteries will most likely die faster. The entire time during the test I used the Freedom. Then finally I was able to use my N5. This new program is on my N5 and I have to ship back my freedom processor I no longer need it. I will continuing using the N5 now instead of the freedom since it was just a loaner. I was told that my device is failing. I was also told that there are few more people that had to get re implanted because of the re call and they are still trying to figure out why there is a recall. I was also told these noises are similar to the device failing especially the on and off. This man believes the sound will come back and if thats the case heres what I have to do.

I have to use the rechargeable batteries only. Then let say im on program 1 and I hear the sounds or whatever happens I have to take the implant off then get out my remote and switch it to program 2 to see if made a difference. If this doesn't I have to call my audiologist immediately. That means the implant is failing.... I also have to keep track of the remote " What does the remote say?" does it give me an error, des it show off or another issue. I only have 1 week to determine all this nothing later than 1 week I have to report back to my audiologist and cochlear..

This new program is so loud and its on volume 0.

I am frustrated and a bit upset because he did say it probably will come back. I am just really nervous because I dont want surgery...


Its a waiting game for now......

Keith Nolan- Deaf in the Military

This video is subtitled because Keith is profoundly deaf and communicates using ASL (American Sign Language). Keith wanted to join the military but was told he "COULDN'T" because he was Deaf. Find out what happens.


What is your reaction to this video??? I would love to hear your opinions.







Tomorrow is the day I go into NYC to talk to meet with COCHLEAR once again. Im really nervous...



I will be back tomorrow.

Deaf choir sings Christmas Carols

Wow this is amazing you have got to watch this!

Deaf choir sings Christmas Carols

My processor is not working. The processor was fine all day. I have been in silence for two hours. My backup is not working either. I am very stressed out about this. To be continued.... I will be back on Thursday with the update.

This Holiday Season

For those of you with hearing loss you all know how hard it is to communicate with family and friends during the holiday season. My entire life it has been difficult for me. I have always dreaded this because I just could never understand what was being said. During the Holidays there is so much music and noise going on. Here at my house we celebrate Christmas Eve around 50 people come to my house which is mostly family. Christmas is my favorite time of the year however this will be my first Christmas with my Cochlear Implant. Having my cochlear implant changed my life. I rely so much on my cochlear implant the moment I wake up and go to sleep. I wonder what this Christmas is going to be like. I heard a few new christmas songs I wasn't able to pick up on when I used my hearing aids. I am excited for Christmas this year! I cant wait to share all the new sounds with you all.

Yesterday, I found out something new about myself that with my cochlear Implant I rely more on my hearing more then visual cues. I did very well on this hearing part instead of the visual game. I was surprised but I didn't realize how much I am really hearing with my CI. This was interesting because I was always a visual learner because I couldn't HEAR well enough.

Here are Tips to help you Communicate better during this Holiday Season!

7 Tips for Better Communication- by Arlene Romoff

CI Update: So much has been happening with it. I am keeping a log. I go back into NYC thursday Dec 15th to meet once again with a cochlear rep. Hoping they can fix this problem. Same problem everyday " ch ch ch" shuts on and off some days I wont even have sound. I have to deal with it for now because I have to much going on with college and I cant get there sooner. I am hanging in there for now. There are days its very frustrating and overwhelming and I know Cochlear and my Audiologist are trying hard to fix it. Now that we know the freedom does the same thing my N5 does I have to do more testing on Thursday. To be continued...

Continental Airlines now has Closed Captioning

Hi Readers:

Today, I found out that Continental Airlines now has Closed Captioning on the TV's. How great is that? Now all we have to do is to get other Airlines to accommodate us with closed captioning, especially Jet Blue. In October when my family and I went to florida there was no captioning on the TV's. I wasn't surprised to that there wasn't any captions. I think its ridiculous though because so many of us with hearing loss struggle and cannot live without captioning.

Closed Captioning Now Available for Live Television OnBoard Continental Airlines

Melbourne,Fla./PRNewswire/--LiveTV has announced that, for the first time in history of inflight entertainment, closed captioning is now available for live television content onboard an aircraft. LiveTV says that this system enhancement is a major step forward in delivering the excitement of inflight entertainment to those passengers with hearing loss and continues to drive towards LiveTV's goal of a fully realized " At Home in the Air" experience for each of it's end-users. The closed captioning enhancement will initially be offered to passengers on all LTV3-equipped Boeing 737NG aircraft operated by Continental Airlines, a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, thereby putting each customer in control of the feature while interacting with the 100+ channels of DirectTV- provided satellite television available onboard. Continental will be the first airline in the world to provide this feature to its passengers.