Twitchy New Life

My dad told me "Here's to a new life".... I said "Here's to a twitchy new life"

Let me explain.... This morning for my implant mapping, I sat in a room with my parents and fiance each holding their own camera or phone trying to record my reaction (not that there was one unfortunately). The doctor spent an hour programming 3 programs for me. I can't really explain how it all works, but I know I have 3 programs. They all work a little differently. He can set 100 different programs, but the implant can only have 3. He was trying to set the first program and the first sounds I heard were chimes...instead of voices I heard chimes and all I thought was "My brain has to interpret chimes??? huh??? How is that possible??" Well I realized that everything seems to chime like wind chimes until I figure out that I'm hearing.  The noise I know I'm hearing becomes the noise it should be and the chimes go away. I still hear chimes and until I figure out what I'm hearing, it's going to be a part of my every day life.

The first program was set to figure out how loud to set the volume and make it comfortable for me. The second one was more standard, but I noticed my eye was twitching. I kept thinking that maybe I was just really tired or something. The doctor went on to set the 3rd program and 2 seconds later the whole left side of my face started twitching like I had a stroke or something. It would twitch at every word he said because the electrical impulses were much stronger. The look I gave my doctor was "hmmm no... this is not going to happen". I don't think I need to be scaring my patients on a daily basis. The doctor switched it back to a better program...however my eye still twitches occasionally when the impulses are sent. My cheek and lip also twitches especially if it's louder than I'm used to. I manually turned the volume down to level 1 and used the loudest program so I can benefit from hearing more. It seems like the twitching decreased, but if my classmates laugh or if everyone starts clapping, the left side of my face is twitching in response.

Unfortunately...it may never go away....so here's to a twitchy new life. 

I'm amazed at how much I hear now... it's far from sounding "normal", but today I managed to pick up on raindrops, the vending machine sucking my dollar, sounds of cars passing by, window wipers, keys jingling, and the clicking of keyboards. I also heard voices....my dad's laugh sounds exactly the same as I've always heard it, my mom's voice sounds familiar when she calls my name....but my voice sounds like a complete strangers. I feel like every time I start talking I want to jump. I'm startled by how different it is. Most of the voices I heard today sounded relatively normal and not robotic as most people would say. It takes time to get used to it, but if I focus I can understand. My fiance tried talking to me through a wooden door and I was able to understand him. At the 11th hour I was sitting 2nd to last row in an auditorium for a convocation without an interpreter and I could hear words like passion, success, believe, nurse, goal....Little words like that came easy to me. I felt like it wasn't a huge struggle. 

I came home from class today and tried to listen to my stethoscope for the first time and it sounded the same as with a hearing aid but it was so much clearer and louder than it's ever been for me. So now my confidence should increase when I do patient assessments. 

My favorite part of today is right this minute..... I'm listening to music as I type this blog.... OMG It sounds soooo AMAZING!!! I can hear all the instruments and the voices are lyrical. I love hearing the drums, the piano, the guitar and everything in between. I don't think I've ever appreciated music this much.

This has been a crazy day, but one I'll never forget. I'm anxious to see how much better it will continue to get and hopefully I will be back to talking on the phone before I know it.

I'm loving this! It was worth the 6 month wait. :) Ok back to reality.... a little thing called homework. Till next time...