WHOOOSSHHH! and Pop-pop... poppity-pop... pop!

two "new" sounds i've discovered recently:

• the pumping of the hydraulics on a NJ Transit bus as we're driving next to it;
  

• the miniature soap bubbles bursting at the bottom of the bathroom sink after i've washed my hands.

really cool stuff.

=o]

The future of hearing aids? Hmmm...

i happened upon this interesting article on the Healthy Hearing website:

"That’s a Hearing Aid?! Wait ‘Til You See This!"

who knows... maybe this is the future of hearing aids.

Red, Red Wine*

one of the best things about having my CI for so long (it will be THREE years on Feb. 7th!) is that i recognize songs more often. at the beginning, i didn't trust my instincts much because i wasn't used to actually experiencing it. something like, "ooh, turn up the radio... i love that song! Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's is great..." never happened to me. unless i heard something OBVIOUS like Madonna or Bon Jovi, i wouldn't have a clue what was playing.

but now? it's totally different.

these days, when i recognize a song, i'm not afraid to speak out and say what i think it is or that i enjoy it. saying, "i can't lip-read the radio" is not my mantra anymore. i can actually enjoy songs and feel confident about knowing what i'm listening to.

this is not an earth-shattering revelation, i know... but it's something i've had a chance to appreciate more often. i notice that hearing people take it for granted when they can sing along to songs on the radio like it's the most normal thing to do. for me it's a lot cooler than that!

*the title is in reference to the song by UB40 that i just heard tonight. i could tell what it was literally within seconds... and it was AWESOME!

Guess who...

yes, i'm alive -- and doing quite well, thank you.

life has been SO hectic lately, i'm lucky i find time to breathe.

my cochlear implant has been doing wonders for me and i hear just as great, if not better.

although i'm LONG overdue for my "annual" tune-up, i haven't gotten around to scheduling one yet (sorry, Judy!).

my friend dani j has inspired me to dust off the cobwebs and put something together... SOON.

in the meantime, enjoy what's been posted here for the last (almost) 3 years.

and stay tuned!

Fascinating Video

i found this wonderful video clip online about one person's cochlear implant experience.

i've never heard of Michael Chorost (a science writer), but now i know that he has a cochlear implant...

this is his story: "Electronic Listener"

p.s. i am scheduled to meet with my audiologist this week for a MAPping session... and i promise to keep you all posted!

Quick Update

i know i haven't been around for a while, but things have been going really well. i am due for my annual MAPping session this month, so i'll have a bigger (and better!) update to post real soon.

BUT the main reason i'm writing now is to bring attention to the following story: Former Miss America Gets Miracle Ear Implant

i am so jealous and wish this were me. hopefully, one day, it will be possible.....

Where is that sound coming from?

one night, after work, i was locking up the office when i heard people talking. i was there alone, so at first it startled me. when i realized that nobody else was there (it was 9:30pm on a Wednesday night, after all), i spent some time searching for the source of the sound.

well... there are 2 radios in the office -- one is by the front desk and one is in the back room where the charts are stored. both radios were turned off, so they definitely weren't the source of the sound i was hearing.

i was getting really frustrated. usually i'm lazy and just ask someone (with "better" ears) to tell me what direction noises are coming from and what exactly i'm hearing. obviously, this was not an option, being that i was all alone.

so.

i turned up the volume on my CI and LISTENED. VERY. CLOSELY. i walked around the office very slowly and focused as hard as i could when..... BAM! there it was: the television in the waiting room.

you're probably thinking, "couldn't she just see the t.v. playing? i mean, duh." believe it or not, the screen wasn't working. for some reason, the t.v. screen was black (maybe a screen saver-type thing was activated?), yet the sound was still coming through. so i shut off the television, all sorts of pleased with myself.

i know it's not that big of a deal, but these days my CI moments are few and far between.

ACTUALLY... let me rephrase that: my CI moments happen every day, but i notice them less and less. i guess as time passes, i take them for granted, which i know i shouldn't. sooo... it's random sounds from a mysterious t.v. that remind me every so often that, HEY, I CAN HEAR!