switch-on 3 of 5

Today I discussed the background siren-like noise with the audiologist and the speech therapist. The audiologist suggested it might be the processor picking up noises in the background which I'm not aware of, that or a mild form of tinnitus, which often happens in these stages then goes away. When I told the speech therapist that I can still hear the ringing noise for a bit longer after taking the implant off before it fades away she thought it was likely to be tinnitus. It's also very constant so I think she's right.

Now we've increased the volume once more the ringing seems greater than ever, but I am picking up more sounds and they mostly distract me from the ringing so that's an improvement. I would also say that by now the sensation is more like sound, but it's a gradual thing, encouraging though. I feel that I can start doing the listening exercises and ticking sounds off on the checklist now (we ticked a number off at the appointment itself). A week ago I was in a situation where I could not even hear the sounds I was hearing with the hearing aid, they all came through as beeps and all sounded the same so I couldn't really do the listening exercises properly. Now they have a bit of definition I can do some. They are loud sounds I heard with the hearing aid; now they're sounding weird and 'beepy'.

The speech therapist asked me to listen to the two words mat and mash. Mat came out as 'mat-i' and mash came out as 'ma-chee'. It's odd, I think the explanation for that is that 't' and 'sh' are fricatives, the hearing aid wasn't picking them out very well but the implant does, and as i did not hear them so well before they are less familiar so come out as squeaky sounds, 'i' and 'ee'. The second exercise consisted of picking out cot, cotton and cotton wool.

I asked how I might secure the processor so it doesn't fall off while running and was given a different earhook which will fit to the old hearing aid mould tubing so I can wear the mould to help secure it. I thought I might have to wear a big head band like an 80s tennis player!