tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136713632024-03-07T03:17:15.881-05:00Sheila's CI JourneySheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-39906394921446459632011-01-07T09:19:00.010-05:002011-02-17T22:51:22.119-05:00Cats, cats, and more catsBeginning a new year always gives me pause to reflect on the passing on the former one and to be conscious of the subtle tinge of excitement over the prospects of a new uncharted one that lies ahead. The year 2010 will be remembered in the Adams household for its hospital stays (Gerry and my Dad) and as a magnet year for attracting needy kittens.On St. Patrick's Day, we coaxed 2 stray babies out Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-70890480133501633332010-10-27T10:04:00.010-04:002010-10-27T23:08:42.330-04:00Wacky WednesdayAt the risk of sounding like I'm destined for a Halloween freak show, I'm going to admit to something here: I actually look forward to driving the work van through a car wash. For a mere $3.00 on Wacky Wednesdays, I've paid for a serenade of whistles, wooshes, and whirls that is a celebration of sound.Did you know that not all drive-thru washes are created equal acoustically? My favorite one is Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-42752422374666140662010-09-19T08:30:00.013-04:002011-03-24T18:04:51.911-04:00Tenth AnniversaryIt was ten years ago today (Sept. 19) that Gerry and I pulled away from the curb in front of our Virginia townhouse in the pre-dawn hours on our way to an event that would forever change my life. Yes, a whole decade ago I was clad in one of those non-fashionable surgical gowns and was signing all those anxiety-producing hospital forms that released Johns Hopkins from all liability should anythingSheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-26993544581777388312010-09-12T23:15:00.003-04:002010-09-18T23:28:30.180-04:00A New Product on the HorizonThere's a new external processor just released for my "first" ear, and I'm getting excited. I'll be sharing as soon as my C-1 Harmony arrives! Thanks, Advanced Bionics engineers, for continuing to work on behalf on us long ago recipients!Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-26986455244013539662010-03-02T23:35:00.022-05:002010-03-03T02:40:07.320-05:00A New Modus OperandiThe busyness of life has kept me from writing for two months but it has not kept me from thinking about writing on my CI Journey blog. Since Christmas, Gerry and I have experienced life as it is normally lived-out - - - with some joyous times, some very sad times, and mostly times of the drudgery of work and daily chores. Does that sound like your life, too?For someone who spent so much of her Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-41735209278192192462009-12-19T20:24:00.023-05:002010-03-02T23:34:17.556-05:00EmmanuelOh, to be able to hear Christmas music - - - how glorious!! I suppose it took years of sound deprivation to cause me to be forever in awe of the gift of music. At Christmas it comes home to me in spades. Gerry gave a mini concert on Thursday at our community celebration dinner. I sat in the back of the clubhouse to give him a "high sign" at certain times, signaling the adequacy of the volume Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-45066882171185194892009-10-02T23:00:00.002-04:002009-10-03T14:17:37.374-04:00RainYou gotta check this out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6ZVpZqistkMy goodness, people really can sound like rain! What blows me away about this video clip is that I can actually hear it so well and can make my own acoustic comparison with the sound of the authentic wet stuff. Now think about that for a moment. I had spent decades unable to hear any precipitation, with the exception of a Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-77020530241423452012009-09-01T22:01:00.010-04:002009-09-01T22:30:21.140-04:00N.C.I.S.It's time for N.C.I.S. - no, not the TV show but a "Non-CI Snippet". The last time I wrote something unrelated to my hearing journey was one year ago, so I suppose it's OK to get a tad side-tracked.My CI buddy Denise grew up on a farm. She knows all about such things as pullets and shares with such wonderful wisdom and whimsy. Maybe she was even a 4Her as a kid, won one of those ribbons at the Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-5443185564877512032009-08-13T22:37:00.006-04:002009-08-14T23:31:38.408-04:00A Dream CI Moment I awoke this morning with a marvelous, lilting melody replaying in my head. Instantly, I realized that my waking state was ending a delightful dream. I'd been standing at some kitchen sink, hands plunged in soapy water and crocodile tears streaming down my cheeks. My mom had approached me, a look of genuine concern etched on her face. "Shesh, what's wrong?"With difficulty, I gained enough Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-88459740615617919372009-07-10T23:19:00.026-04:002009-07-11T03:28:33.429-04:00Water: Acoustic Friend or Foe?The sound of a babbling brook is on my list of favorite things to listen to. Maybe its high rank is due to the fact that its soothing sound was lost to me for over 20 years. Maybe it's because mountain streams bring back memories of happy times in my youth. I was a water kid whose idea of a great time was hiking in or along a rocky creek bed, logging in endless hours at a water park, tubing in a Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-56772678026151869532009-06-01T23:25:00.000-04:002009-06-16T15:47:33.695-04:00A Unique Anniversary CardI have a cousin who has a heart of gold . . . and possesses disgustingly creative genes! The two of us have never lived near each other, rarely see each other, and are both too busy to maintain regular correspondence via email or snail mail. But she is one of those rare people who senses when you need a long-distance hug, a word of encouragement, or a simple thinking-of-you message.Sherry, who Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-61031174064632877152009-05-13T21:43:00.006-04:002009-05-13T22:12:51.345-04:00DiscoveriesLife is full of discoveries, mostly inconsequential tidbits rather than monumental, life-changing revelations. Yesterday I learned that donkeys (aka: burros) love human contact and possess the temperament of a devoted canine. I've lived for nearly 6 decades, and I never knew that. Important stuff, huh?Well, today I discovered that when I whistle, the sound registers as 2 distinctly different Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-52621259864133329492009-04-15T14:23:00.009-04:002009-04-17T16:04:51.716-04:00Bilateral BirthdayThe day came and went without fanfare - - - no birthday cake or even a cupcake with a single candle! A whole year of surround sound made possible by the "birth" of hearing in my right ear, yet we did not celebrate.Was it because it was the dreaded tax day? Was it because it was a typical Wednesday workday? The day that always marked the return of the hummingbirds when we lived in Virginia? Maybe Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-75911330135611289302009-03-07T19:55:00.012-05:002009-03-14T11:31:23.002-04:00Il DivoI have always loved acapella male choirs and the wonderful harmonizing of skilled quartets. Gerry used to sing barbershop when we lived in Virginia and his weekly practice sessions were such a treat for me.I'm a bit behind the times, I know, but I've only just discovered the foursome, Il Divo. When you consider the fact that Christians were tortured and executed in the Roman Coliseum, this Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-47610617507593533712009-02-14T01:21:00.020-05:002009-02-14T02:26:54.647-05:00Sousa I have always loved march music. Play me "The Stars and Stripes Forever" and I'm toe-tapping and on the edge of my seat in eager anticipation of the piccolo solo in the middle. I adore the piccolo, I suppose because it reminds me of a songbird singing its little heart out. Or maybe it's because that high frequency serenade was missing in my life for 20+ years.We attended a concert tonight that Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-31959359914806430592009-02-14T00:51:00.003-05:002009-02-14T01:16:31.715-05:00ImprovingAh, the look of healing. Ain't it grand? Gerry's now off his pain meds, and we are both rejoicing over the speed of his recovery. I'm often saying to him, "Hon, would you say that again, please." because his swollen tongue makes him sound like a TV drunk. I had forgotten how much clear diction affects how well my implants work for me. He's such a good sport about my frequent requests for repeats Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-19750842770878077892009-02-11T15:39:00.018-05:002009-02-14T00:49:39.319-05:00A Week LaterIt's certainly not a bowl of cherries to spend eight days in the hospital, but there are always blessings to consider in light of the alternatives. Apart from the obvious great medical care available in the U.S. of A. that so many other countries would die for (oops --- that didn't come out quite right), I'm so grateful that we have insurance to cover the whopping costs that Gerry's many tests Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-65612535748235407802009-02-05T15:12:00.004-05:002009-02-11T15:39:02.176-05:00Ears for EmergenciesI was never more grateful for my CI's and bilateral hearing than yesterday. Gerry had an "episode" while we were in the work van. He pulled over, white as a sheet and clammy to the touch, and said to me, "Call 911." Using my cell phone in my left ear, I could hear the dispatcher's questions, such as, "Is he having trouble breathing?", "Can he move his legs?", "Is the nausea any worse?", I could Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-31080135700239562912009-01-23T21:35:00.015-05:002009-01-24T01:45:16.072-05:00RiverdanceLast weekend we celebrated Dad's 84th birthday by going to the final Orlando showing of "Riverdance", the famous Irish music and dance extravaganza. Imagine the thrill for me to hear this marvelous production with both ears!I must confess, by the end of the show I had a dull headache 'cuz I just couldn't bring myself to turn down the volume on my CI's. I wanted to experience the full spectrum of Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-12652462728682582802008-12-18T11:43:00.002-05:002008-12-18T12:33:25.245-05:00Our Email Christmas Card, 2008Make a Smilebox scrapbookSheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-39690654014591962192008-11-21T16:48:00.005-05:002008-11-22T17:32:52.854-05:00Cell Phone SuccessI am so proud of my "new" bionic ear. I gave it quite a test today and it passed with flying colors. The work-out was a lengthy cell phone conversation - - - not a call in the quiet of my own living room and not with a familiar, "safe" voice of a family member. I was in the passenger seat of a very noisy Chevy van with my "new" ear next to the window. It was Friday afternoon and traffic was heavySheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-57625197240683854432008-10-22T19:27:00.029-04:002008-10-22T23:04:55.032-04:00Clues During our prayer request time after Bible Study on Tuesday, Linda quietly exclaimed, with her eyes gazing at her hands, "I have one kitty." My mind immediately began to consider the possible reasons for her obvious distress: something has happened to her other cat? She's about to tell us about something terrible that has happened to her precious kitty?Then I hear " . . . new doctor . . . in Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-19788201065751932052008-10-07T21:59:00.006-04:002008-11-17T22:39:10.800-05:00Electronic BuzzingThe mystery of that occasional electronic buzzing sounds since my last mapping has been solved. I had assumed it was the wider IDR on my new program slot, but not so. Strange as it may seem, I figured it out when riding in Mom and Dad's car.Gerry "looped" their car years ago so that my hearing-impaired mom could be a part of our conversations. All the passengers wear boom mics and Mom flips a Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-11273948396310836712008-09-15T14:50:00.013-04:002008-09-19T13:00:49.142-04:00CI SemanticsOh, the world of techo-lingo abounds with cochlear implants. Words and acronyms, such as threshold, compression, spectral channels, RF, NRI, AGR, IDR, HiRes -P, HiRes -S . . . . what does it all mean? Well, the bottom line for me is this: if my audiologist works her magic on the computer and I hear better as a result, I'm a happy camper.At my 6th mapping session today, I asked for a wider IDR forSheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13671363.post-28997645607087690182008-08-27T20:27:00.025-04:002008-08-27T21:49:53.050-04:00Non-CI Moment Some wonderful moments do not involve sound. It's no secret that I'm a butterfly lover, not because of their melody but because of their incredible symmetrical beauty and their remarkable power of metamorphosis. I even think the caterpillars are gorgeous.I love providing them with host plants for their eggs and with flowers for the adults to feed on. I do the gardening and Gerry takes the photosSheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10261369273144550199noreply@blogger.com4