sometimes it's best NOT to lipread

a client of mine -- we'll call her "Rudy" -- has no teeth. she doesn't bother with dentures because that is just a part of her mental illness (she has Paranoid Schizophrenia). the problem? i can't understand her.

you see, i "cheat" a lot (mostly because i'm lazy) and lipread more often than i really need to. well, whenever Rudy talks, i can't help but stare at her mouth to try and figure out what the heck she's saying. Rudy doesn't talk much, but when she does say something, it's usually VERY important. hence the reason why i practically strain my eyes trying to understand her.

last week, i tried something different -- i focused on a different part of Rudy's face (i think it was her eyes) and really LISTENED to her... and i understood what she was saying! imagine that.

each day that goes by, i am reminded of how well my cochlear implant works and how much it helps me -- WHEN I LET IT.

Mother Nature's Sound Effects... and ZAP!

since this is the first Autumn ever that i have my CI, new sound experiences keep popping up all over the place:

• leaves rustling in the wind
• the wind in general whooshing past me
• crackling of dry leaves under my car
• even the doorbell ringing every few minutes on Halloween!

i have also had the "pleasure" of being shocked by static electricity while wearing my CI. to the average person, this may not seem like a big deal... it happens all the time, right?

well... when *I* get zapped by static electricity, i actually go DEAF for a split second. it is the scariest thing! it is also NOT good for my processor because it can get disrupted by exposure to static electricity.

as the British Cochlear Implant Group says in their RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES ON SAFETY FOR COCHLEAR IMPLANT USERS:

Cochlear implant systems have some inbuilt protection from static electricity, but occasionally static electricity has corrupted the map of processors and very rarely caused damage to the internal implant.

it's not like i deliberately rubbed my body against my car seat and then touched the door to get a shock, though... i was not even expecting to go deaf, but when i did -- wow. i know, i have to be careful.

for anyone who is interested in more information about static electricity, Advanced Bionics has a good explanation at the bottom of this page.

happy Fall to everyone!

:-)

A Quick Update and An Apology

i know i've AWOL lately -- for very good reasons, too -- but i will be updating soon with some interesting stories... i promise!

the main reason i am writing right now though is to warn whoever reads this blog that my picture links may suddenly stop working. for the first time since i started using Fotopic as a hosting service, my accounts are being restricted... so much so, that i actually have to cancel/delete some of them. i am quite upset about this because i have many photographs posted through this web site and am NOT about to pay 45 Pounds a year (yes, they're British) for multiple accounts. yeah, i know -- i did a sneaky thing by signing up for more than one, but i didn't think i'd get caught when using so many e-mail addresses... sheesh.

anywhooo, if by some chance a fellow reader clicks on a link and an error message pops up instead of an image, please let me know. i will slowly, but surely re-link my pictures through Photobucket, a MUCH better (and unlimited) site.

thanks for your understanding, y'all!

p.s. also, thank you to whoever posted the "Anonymous" comment and clarified the Fotopic account issue for me.