Hi Sharon,

That's fascinating. I love the way you write and describe how you 
hear through all this techy stuff! Someday, you should write articles 
for publication.

I will pray big-time for your father.


IN THE MATCHLESS NAME OF JESUS THE CHRIST,

purple Mari



At 08:35 PM 2/6/2008, you wrote:
>Hi Sharon, Great news for you, keep up the good work.  I am praying 
>for your dad.  I hope he gets well soon.
>
>Virgie and Lady Hoshi
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Sharon Hooley" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 7:59 PM
>Subject: Third Sound Mapping, and Silence
>
>
>>All right, guys,
>>
>>I've been waiting for someone in my family to review this special 
>>update, but I guess they can correct me if I'm wrong on any 
>>point.  So here it is:
>>
>>Third Sound Mapping, and Silence
>>
>>Posted February 6, 2008
>>
>>
>>
>>Well folks,
>>
>>
>>
>>On January 17, my niece took me to see Jenna again for my third
>>
>>sound mapping. As we were walking toward the clinic, the mother of the deaf
>>
>>little boy that Judy and I had befriended greeted us, telling us that he did
>>
>>well on his activation! Jenna gave me even more sound to work with, and
>>
>>created the four programs to send alternative kinds of stimuli, rather than
>>
>>to be progressive in the same type. Number 1 is what we thought was my
>>
>>favorite setting so far. Number 2 is an automated sensitivity adjuster that
>>
>>changes according to my environmental needs. Number 3 is called adro, which
>>
>>is an alternative setting to try in any situation. And number 4 has a lot
>>
>>of low pitches which, so far, I don't like. I'll have to play 
>>around with the others to see which ones I like best for a given environment.
>>
>>
>>
>>I can now communicate more without using my regular hearing aid, and I find
>>
>>that I'm able to recognize some sounds, and hear some voices 
>>beneath the bells and whistles, which often seems to be decreased, 
>>and vary more widely with the added stimulation I've been given! I 
>>also realize now that voices do indeed sound cartoonish, as some 
>>have described them. Voices that I would otherwise recognize can 
>>sound distorted. Since the settings are not perfect,
>>
>>or my brain isn't fully adjusted, I hear some things in what I can best
>>
>>describe as a bad machine language accent. If I ask how you're doing, and
>>
>>you say, "I'm doing okay," it can sound somewhat like, "I'm doing o 
>>kerr." Although music is often not very recognizable yet, I can 
>>sometimes hear the rhythmic jingling and tinkling as my system 
>>picks out the beat, etc. It got me thinking of just how complex our 
>>technological minds are; whatever it is that makes the music source 
>>play, and the things that make my electrodes stimulate to tap out the rhythm!
>>
>>
>>
>>When I first turn it on in the morning, the sounds are an awakening 
>>shocker, sort of like when you sleepily walk into the bathroom and 
>>douse your face in cold water. Otherwise, I don't remember any 
>>sounds driving me really crazy, though I did feel tired, at least 
>>once. The most annoying ones I can think of are when I've heard 
>>myself speaking high-pitched consonants that I hadn't heard much of 
>>in a long time, like, "Thisss nexxxt Sssattturrday" and the "er" 
>>sound when others speak. But I gladly welcome the high pitches, 
>>which give me the ability to hear speech, and the world, more 
>>clearly, and I aint goin back!
>>
>>
>>
>>I still often use my microphone system with my hearing aid I'd been 
>>using before, but for part of the time, I turn my microphone off 
>>and leave my hearing aid in the mode that only picks up sounds from 
>>that, and nothing else. That way, my brain gets more of a workout 
>>with the processor.
>>
>>
>>
>>I don't have to go in for another mapping session until next month, 
>>hopefully February 14, if I can get
>>
>>a ride. I hope we'll play around some more.
>>
>>
>>
>>After I finished my mapping session, my niece and I went to the hospital
>>
>>where my dad lay in the ICU ward, unable to speak. He'd gone in to have his
>>
>>second carotid artery cleaned out, but the doctors discovered a hematoma
>>
>>near the surgery site, so he went back under the scalpel to get part of it
>>
>>removed. As a result, he swelled up so much that he could not breathe
>>
>>entirely on his own. Thus he was languishing on a ventilator, with a tube
>>
>>down his throat and toward his airways. It was the next day when we dropped
>>
>>by, and I later returned home with Judy, and my mom, who has been staying at
>>
>>her house at night.
>>
>>I appreciate the fact that I am capable of choosing how I view any 
>>given circumstances. I see an inspirational, yet funny picture with 
>>the positive and negative events that have occurred simultaneously: 
>>Me getting my hearing improved so I can listen, as part of the 
>>communication process, and my dad being unable to speak to me, the 
>>other side of the communication process. It is crucial that we 
>>talk, and listen actively, to one another, in order to boost our 
>>sense of well-being, and to keep any kind of relationship alive and 
>>burning brightly!
>>
>>And that's the news for today.
>>
>>Sharon
>
>
>--
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