Switched at Birth and a CI

A recent spoiler indicated that over the next several episodes of Switched at Birth, a character will be getting a cochlear implant, but we won't know who until the episode airs. I've read that it might be Daphne, but I also read it could be Emmet's father, who has a cochlear implant in real life and would be able to play the role the best.

However, in another episode, Daphne's character will enter a dream state of 'What If' she had a cochlear implant. Which is something she imagines she would have if she had not been switched at birth and the Kennish's raised her. How different would she be really if she was raised by the Kennish's? Do you feel she grew up into this amazing person strictly because she had Regina, who did everything in her power to make the World an easier place FOR Daphne, but causing her to have to fight for herself? There's something about being given an implant at a young age, in a rich family, that erases the possibility of that kind of learned behavior. I'm not saying she would have grown up worst, just different.

In any case, if you're excited to see these episodes, the episode of "what if" will be on July 8, and the character that received a cochlear implant will be on August 5th.

95 Decibels: A Film

 I recently discovered that there is a film premiering in New Jersey Sept 26, called 95 Decibels. It revolves around the difficulty parents face when they find out their child has a hearing loss, and then the process and drama they go through towards making the decision to give the child a cochlear implant.

ER actor, Goran Visnijc, will be in it, as well as Tyler Hollinger and Megan Corry playing the parents. There isn't much more news revolving around this film right now and unless you score tickets to see it in Jersey, most of us won't be seeing it until the end of the year or early 2014.

Here's the trailer with captions.

A night at the Races

A few nights ago my husband and I went to the NASCAR Nationwide race outside of Phoenix. We were convinced I would end up taking my implant off the moment the cars began racing. However, that was not the case! I found that the ClearVoice massively reduced the background noise to the point the cars were actually tolerable with the CI on. I can't say the same for my non-implanted ear though. I had to put an earplug in instantly before I went nuts. Again, my non-implanted ear hears around 120db, so it's not like I have great hearing in it or anything, but I do hear some things fine (like 20 engines roaring at once, or my husband talking next to me without the CI on). But overall, I guess this is semi-great news for some reason... that the CI can tolerate something so horrible sounding. I doubt I'd be saying the same thing if it was pre-ClearVoice, however.

 On a different topic, I was upset Danica wasn't racing that night. Apparently she was racing for the following night for the Sprint Cup, and even so, she was in the bottom 6 because of a crash. Lame.

AB's Got a New Processor!

Most of you have probably already heard about this news. Advanced Bionics has produced a sleeker processor, that is currently available in Europe. Upon FDA approval (which is likely), it'll be available in the US around this summer. Here's a brochure of it:

If you're looking at the processors on the right side, the new one is the middle white one. The current one is the left, and the right tan one is actually today's hearing aids. Most of the information just seems to point out that the new processor is much slimmer, which will be a breathe of fresh air to all of our ears. Yet, there has been more information that it will have wireless capabilities for things like using a bluetooth, hearing the TV directly and so on. So it'll also have the option of hand held remotes to control those things. I don't know if they will cost extra or be insurance covered, however.

Either way, I have to wait until October 2015 to get this upgrade. Quite lame, but that's how insurance rolls. And by then, it might be even smaller!

2013 Update

It's been 5 months since my last post. I'm sure I've had something to say a few times, but forgot  to write about it. For the time being, I can just update on my implant.

It's going as well as it has been for the past year. I do, however, feel I need another mapping, some more tweaks, to increase high frequencies. Some things are starting to sound a bit low to me. Yet, I still feel it might simply be due to ClearVoice, which did that when I was switched to it. In some ways, I've found it a nice program, in other ways, I've found it to be more limiting than I want my cochlear experience to be. I'm not sure if there's any middle ground around it yet.

I still have my days where I go the whole day without wearing the implant. Sometimes I just don't care to hear the TV, or the doorbell, or the dogs playing. But what can I say? It was my life prior to the implant and it's still a part of me to have complete silence. Plus, I always imagine the day when the implant could fail or break and I'd have to go weeks without it, anyway.