Genius Hour 2

Monday, June 17th, 2019

You might be wondering why I am naming my posts so suddenly as Genius Hour but I am taking a technology class via the University of St. Francis at Joliet. As part of this class, we are creating and focusing on a passion of ours that we would like to develop more. Since I was already blogging about my cochlear implant journey and it was a passion of mine ; I thought it would be a perfect genius hour topic!

As part of my genius hour project, we needed to think how can we make this a part of my routine? This took some thought because the only way to hear better and get the brain used to sounds is to consistently make the brain hear. I have been told that even 15-20 minutes practicing a day getting my new cochlear implant  is good practice! SO THIS IS WHAT MY ROUTINE IS! Every morning and every evening, my commute is an hour ride to school and home. So I turn on the radio to a channel I know will be easy to hear and have clear slow speakers like NPR. I can hear well with both cochlear implants when it is clear slow speakers but I must use only the cochlear implant on the left ear to train it to hear. I used to do this but now am back at it again.  I heard quite a bit and am shocked to know I heard somethings.I am so excited that I can hear the words.  I did not hear all the words but can get the basic drift. I was sooooooo tempted to put my other cochlear implant on but didn't. The radio was talking about how Texas is now one of the states to require insurance companies to go to arbitration when it cannot decide a price on payment of services. Many people were complaining how insurance companies would exploit patients by charging ridiculously high prices. Texas has now passed a law that shields patients from surprise medical bills. When I got home, I researched this topic to see if I heard right and I did!! Some parts I did not hear and then when I read about surprise medical bills, then I understood! I feel like I am not so afraid to try this exercise and will endeavor to stick to these routines!

Genius Hour 1

June 10th, 2019



What can I do that I couldn't do last week? This is a tricky question for me because you have to pay attention to your hearing. I was coming down the stairs last Friday from the library on my way to pick up my fifth grade class to bring them to computers. However, as I was on the stairs I heard a teacher saying to her class to be quiet in line. For someone who relies on reading lips, this was GREAT!!! I told the teacher I could hear you all the way from the second floor(where the library was located) and she understood why because she knew about my cochlear implant! 

I am going to try and be more reflective here. I have noticed in terms of my hearing journey that after dinner during the weekdays , I tend to take my cochlear implants off. I think it is because I am so bombarded with noises that my brain (the one with the  new cochlear implant) is overwhelmed. However, I feel like I should try to diminish the length of how long I keep them off. How? I am going to do what I have always loved to do even when I was a kid. READ!! I am going to continue reading my books on kindle online with just my left cochlear implant. I need to recognize that I have superpowers. Two of them! Two cochlear implants and realize that they both need practice hearing and to be patient. In addition, my superpowers allow me to talk with others about my experiences and to encourage them to explore their options. I just met with a friend of mine at a hearing loss conference who told me that she was considering getting a 2nd cochlear implant and she told me she was so happy to talk to me because she felt better knowing what the surgical process entailed. 



I didn't realize I haven't posted in a while! I have been so busy !!! What have I been busy doing? I am a teacher so I have ten more days left of school and it has been hectic trying to wrap up fourth quarter.

I have been busy trying to fundraise for our annual Chicago Walk4Hearing this coming September. If you have not attended, please do. I highly recommend it. It is so great to see so many wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants. It reminds me that I am not alone in my journey.

I also was invited to a meeting to meet those work for the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission based in Springfield. It was great to hear about them and what they do. It was also nice to meet new people of other organizations.

I went to Aldi the other day. I love ALDI! This guy came up to me and asked me about my cochlear implants! He introduced me to his wife. It was so funny having complete strangers talk to me about my cochlear implants but I would rather have people ask me questions about them than stare at me. It turned out he had a granddaughter who was 7 and had cochlear implants. We were talking about sign, lipreading, speech therapy and it was so great to be able to talk about my experience with them.

My kindergartners have been asking what are those things on my ears so I am going to bring in my children's book I made in college that talks about my cochlear implants. I will keep you posted.

'Til next time,
Deirdre                               Me at top of stairs near library hearing a P.E teacher

P.E. teacher was behind those doors talking to her students

April 15th, 2019

Hi,

I am still here on my hearing loss journey!! I am still practicing and listening to new sounds. One thing I have found is to always check my remote control as even when it is locked, the volume control seems to go up or down in my purse. So when I am like why am I not hearing, I check my remote. I also remind myself to use the forward focus program when I am in meetings.

I do not have too much to report at this time but let me tell you I am exciting to go to Second City's comedy show tonight because it is open captioned! If you have not checked out their open captioned plays, I highly recommend them!!

Thanks,
Deirdre

New App

Hi,

I just wanted to update you about something I learned that might help you in your aural rehabilitation journey!Check out Cochlear new app called Bring Back the Beat. It is a music app and a game. I have not completed all the parts of this app. So far I have listened to several different instruments and notes on the scale. It is pretty cool. You can turn up the volume as well as tempo and pitch. It is also nice that it streams straight to my N7's !!! I will let you know how the rest of the app goes and btw, it is free!

Have a Marvelous Monday,
Deirdre

More Listening Practice

February 3rd, 2019


Wow ! I cannot believe February is here already! We have survived the Polar Vortex! It is now nearly 50 degrees here and it feels like summer considering the Polar Vortex!

I wanted to share something that happened recently to me and I am sure you can relate! I was coming home Tuesday just before the Polar Vortex hit. I had gone grocery shopping after work and came home. I had gone up to my condo and taken off my coat when I realized my cochlear implant on my left ear was missing! I had not realized it was missing because I still could hear with my right one. I was freaking out! Cochlear implants are expensive. I tore my condo upside down looking for it. I retraced my steps in the hallway and elevator and did not find it. I was like oh my gosh I hope it is not at Walgreens! The custodian was there by the elevators and he is usually not there after 4 but I asked him if he saw my cochlear implant. I showed him my other one so he knew what it looked like. We both went outside. He turned on his flashlight from his phone since it was rather dark and wouldn't you know it-It was right outside my car door! What a relief !

I wanted to also tell you about another listening tool that I am using on my hearing journey with my left ear. I am using Kindle and listening to a book with just my left ear on. I think this is great because the left ear can get exposed to so many words than the listening apps can give you. I would highly recommend doing this!

Keep Reading,( I am a librarian)
Deirdre

HLAA Chicago Lincoln Park Chapter

January 13th, 2019

I cannot believe I did not mention this earlier. What I have found that helps me tremendously in my journey is sharing my experiences with others who have a hearing loss. I am president of a wonderful non profit chapter called HLAA Chicago Lincoln Park Chapter. HLAA stands for Hearing Loss Association of America. They are the national organization our chapter falls under. The members in the HLAA Chicago Lincoln Park Chapter are wonderful and always willing to share ideas. Check out our website at : http://hearinglosschicagolp.org/. We have meetings that meet once on month at Second City on North Avenue and Wells in Old town. Various speakers come talk about topics related to hearing loss. Going to these meetings and talking to new people helps me to realize I am not alone in my journey!

Our meetings are posted on our website: http://hearinglosschicagolp.org/

January 12, 2019

So I wanted to tell you the latest in my journey. I met with my aural rehabilitation person. She helps me train my brain to listen better with  my new cochlear implant. I spent an hour and half with her. She started with a baseline and covered her mouth while I repeated words, sentences and sounds back to her. She could tell I was frustrated as I knew I was not getting them all but she said I was doing good. She said I could not tell differences between sounds like the letter b and v. It was a pretty informative session as she gave me a list of resources to help me practice listening skills. The first resource I tried was Advanced Bionics ipad app. It is pretty cool! There is a list of topics like weather, holidays, store prices and so forth. You pick one. Then there is a video. You pick a person( a lady or a man). There are several to choose from. You can also pick if you would like noise in the background. I started with a lady and no noise. The lady says a sentence. There are words for you to choose from. You need to select the words to make the sentence the lady said. I got most of them correct!!! So tomorrow, I will be trying the same test but I will turn the video off so I do not lipread! Wish me luck!
~Deirdre