Streaming music!!!

Well today as I was unpacking my sewing room, I finally had time to try streaming music at home. I was a little apprehensive of this, but thought- "what the heck, I'll give it a try."  So I grabbed my iPod out of my car and plugged it in to my roger pen, made sure I was wearing the battery with the roger receiver on it,put on some old music and let it go. I picked stuff I knew well and an artist I knew I wouldn't have any problem understanding just in case. Amazingly- it worked! I had a little trouble adjusting the volume at first until I found a comfortable level, but I was able to go about the business of unpacking while letting my iPod and roger pen sit in a safe corner of the room.
The range is great, too. I was able to walk through most of my house and keep signal. Now I know how far away my kids have to be before they lose me in school too. Good thing I take my mic off to visit the teacher's powder room! Admittedly, I don't think that's actually a problem at school with the thick, cinder-block and brick construction- but it does give me a better idea of true range with the roger system.
I did notice that using the roger system didn't seem to exclude everything else out there.. but again this could be odd circumstances. As I was listening and unpacking I occasionally turned on the vacuum cleaner and it drowned out EVERYTHING while it was on. This could be a combination of things, such as my proximity to the noise, the mic picking up the noise, or my good ear (with regular aid) hearing the noise and ignoring the signal coming from my processor.
So my second great try will be for using my phone on a bluetooth setting with my roger pen as a streaming receiver. I'll let you know how it goes.

On the sad side- it seems I am mildly allergic to my new house and have a never-ending case of sniffles *annoyed growl*.

post audiologist visit

Well I went to my audiologist appointment and we seem to have solved the problems I was having with the Auto Ultra Zoom program. We turned it off completely and fussed with my settings a bit so I could hear those softer sounds I was missing. I did another aided listening test and got about 50% of the sentences correct using only my implant/processor. We decided that my left ear was giving me more help than we realized- especially in the low tones and so we put an ear plug in that ear for the test. This helps us determine what I am really getting on just the implant.

Now, keep in mind that these tests are conducted in a sound-proof booth in a quiet environment. They are ideal conditions. Also keep in mind that these are sentences played on a speaker with no human reference and no context. They're a very good test of what can be heard and understood in an ideal environment- something that almost never occurs in reality. There is always background noise and usually some context (unless you're my husband- who is capable of coming up with things to say out of the blue  just to confuse the heck outta me).

After adjusting the programming and putting me back on a wide-band (hear it all) mode, I came home with two programs. One with more high-pitched sounds than the other. I think we may have gotten things a little loud. I am finding I turn the volume down when I put on my processor each day. We'll see if I adjust to it or not. I also got permission to wear my hearing aid in the other ear along with my implant.

At this point, my audiologist says they start scheduling programming appointments every 2 months, but because I teach (restricted schedule), and I work with both signers and students using Listening and Spoken Language we scheduled another appointment the week before school starts. Hopefully by that time I will be able to tell how well I am doing in the school environment- teachers go back the week before students- and will be able to have programming adjusted accordingly.

For now I seem to be doing MUCH better at hearing things! My only complaint has nothing to do with my implant/processor and more to do with the construction continuing around my house- ALL THE NOISES! I have no idea what they are...

AFK- moving

Well I've been off for about a week- we've been moving! Yes, you read that right. Amongst all of the other crazy, my husband and I have purchased and moved into our first home. It's been 6 months in the making. Before I even decided to be evaluated for an implant, we bought a house. We knew we'd be moving in June- there was no avoiding the timing.
So on top of teaching my first year, being a full time graduate student, getting a cochlear implant, and  taking several required district classes during spring and summer, we bought our first home and moved. It's been a crazy year!

So later today I will be going back in to see my audiologist. I'll admit I've been bad and used my other hearing aid for the last week. I haven't been able to hear almost anything unless someone is right in front of me, facing me. This is a problem when we are hauling and moving boxes and packing/unpacking. It's simply not ideal for having to be facing the person you're talking to every single time you speak. Both my husband and I were getting frustrated and with all the stress- it wasn't worth it. I think the culprit is the Auto Ultra Zoom function we put into my processor last time. We also seem to have solved the problem with sound randomly cutting out on me. I think it was the cord that links my headpiece to my processor. We replaced that last time to see if that was the problem and it seems to have been. We will have to order a replacement cord.

I've also learned that I can't hear our doorbell unless I'm in the hallway with it. *SIGH* how aggravating!! I think I'm gonna have to break down and buy a doorbell flasher... GRRRR...

I'll update as soon as I can with how we fixed the problem this afternoon at my appointment. I'll probably be a bit sporadic in the next week or so- I will be doing (yet more still) unpacking and finishing up the 6 modules I have left for my ESOL class and doing a little side work for my parents' company as they move into shiny, new, not-in their house offices!