Almost Six Months Since Activation

due to a variety of factors -- laziness, busy-ness, new-job-ness -- i have been very lacking in updating this blog. i see the (small) amount of people that actually visit this site and wonder if: (a) it's worth updating since not that many people read it anymore, or (b) it's worth updating so that more people will read it. obviously, i decided upon the latter...

in no particular order of importance, here are some CI moments/observations/experiences i've had since my last CI mapping in May:

• i thought i heard a dog barking in the hallway at my old job... i said to myself, 'what would a dog be doing at a medical billing company???' and then realized, it WAS a dog! i know i should trust my hearing more, but wow... it's still so new to me
  
• if i happen to be watching a television commercial that isn't close-captioned, i don't panic as much as i used to... i actually welcome the challenge of "having to" figure out what is being said by forcing myself to actually LISTEN to the narration
  
• at a friend's BBQ last month, a friend of mine whom i hadn't seen since BEFORE my CI surgery in January had called my name when i was walking away from him... i heard him (naturally!) and turned around to see what he wanted: 'just checking' is what he said to me -- he was testing out my CI to see if it really works... i was beaming when i realized that my CI had "passed" the test (not that i was surprised)
• whenever the cleaning crew at my old job would vacuum the office, i found it to be way too loud, so i'd just turn down the volume on my body-worn processor... now that i think about it, i don't think i will ever get used to the annoying sound of a vacuum cleaner
• my former co-worker called my name from across the room and i heard her... when i turned around, she had a huge grin on her face because she didn't have to call my name 7,392 times before i responded to her
• the clocks ticking at work -- they have gotten louder and more distinct than i ever remember clocks sounding
• female voices sound more normal to me than they did when my CI was first hooked-up, although my friend Rachel's voice is the most high-pitched i know... sometimes i have trouble following her on the phone because she sounds so squeaky... i wonder if this will ever change/get better
• whenever i hear children talking, their voices are difficult for me to "digest" as well... i guess i have to get used to listening to kids, but since i don't have any -- or know anyone that has any -- this may take a while (which is fine with me!)
• sometimes, when i'm tired or feeling lazier than usual, i "cheat" and read people's lips instead of really LISTENING to them... i realize i do this more than i should or more than i need to
  
• i find it harder to block out other people's conversations (on their cell phones, for example) because now i can understand what they're talking about... i have to learn how not to eavesdrop!
• i notice more and more that cashiers say 'Have a nice day!' when i am paying for something... it's amazing how polite some people are
• i also can hear the total cost of a purchase now without having to see the actual amount rung up on the cash-register... this is great and saves me a lot of embarrassment from giving a cashier the wrong amount of money
• i still listen to the radio every morning during my drive to work and then most afternoons when i drive home... i absolutely LOVE hearing the news and understanding almost everything that is being said
  
• on the other hand, i haven't really been listening to music because i enjoy listening to the talking part of the radio
  
• i really, really, really enjoy talking on the phone now -- especially my cell phone -- and find myself deliberately making calls to people just so i can hear them!
• if my CI batteries die, i abhor the minute or two of silence that i have to endure as i change them... if my hearing aid battery dies, it's NO BIG DEAL -- in fact, all the HA really does is slightly help me determine the direction sounds are coming from
• with the recent hot weather we've been having, the air-conditioning is constantly turned on in our condo... well, i find myself having an easier time hearing my husband than he does hearing me -- it's awesome!
• my brother has a tendency to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention -- i just tell him, 'you can talk to me even if i'm not looking at you' because he still hasn't gotten used to it... this is much fun for me
  

i am due for another CI mapping (tune-up) in August, so if anything new comes up or i experience any more exciting CI moments, i promise to update this site sooner. i guess that's it for now. thank you to those of you who still read my bloggings -- your patience is much appreciated!

:o)