how a deaf fluteplayer gets to hear again

[djm]

I am not any kind of expert, but if your implant was only intended to go down to 300 Hz, isn't it likely that it's intended use is only for conversation? Is it possible that you are demanding more than what the implant can ever provide (i.e. music)?

If I recall correctly, a lot of bass response awareness comes from vibration of the skull, so that might explain your perception of some bass, but most bass notes are 20-200 Hz, so I don't know what you can expect from your implant. Perhaps you could change the shape of your head.

djm

[Berti66]

LOL djm!!!!!!! I wish........but regarding basses, I don't understand it either
I take it, the harmonics have something to do with it here, that is the only logical explanation.
berti

[Berti66]

This morning I found this email in my mailbox, from the President/ CEO of Advanced Bionics USA.

Dear Ms. Peters:

I am sorry to hear of your suffering. We will help you. Please know that with this email, I am asking the head of our European operations to address your situation immediately. This may mean more mapping and possibly an explant of a failed unit. We shall see. But, I believe the history you’ve described and want to help you resolve it expeditiously.

Kind regards,
Jeff Greiner

This should say a lot .......I have meanwhile let him know what is going to happen tomorrow and that I want to work with this person exclusively.
So if they need to get in touch with someone then they know who to contact.
Tomorrow night (wednesday 11th) you can be sure to see an update here ...........I feel very calm about the new appointment and go there with confidence.....

cheers
berti

[anniemcu]

Fingers crossed, wood knocked on, prayers aloft, meditations aimed, luck channeled, hope abounding!

[Cork]

That e-mail certainly does look promising, although I noticed that it mentioned the possible need for re-mapping, and perhaps other contingencies.

However, this time I get the feeling that you have become a priority for them.

Very good!

[Berti66]

thanks
re-mapping (programming the processor, the extern part) is no problem, and this is already planned for tomorrow as this is what you see an audiologist for.
I hope not the intern part is failing and causing these problems .......but first steps first: tomorrow.

it feels good to know that finally someone is taking action to get things sorted out.
when this nightmare finally passes, I have considered to start supporting other people who are needing info about cochlear implants or having problems and needing support.
by now I definitely know what it feels like to have your life on hold and be in the dark for so long.
but again, first things first.....

berti

[devondancer]

Wishing you the very best of luck for tomorrow, Berti. We are thinking of you.
Ro and Lesley

[Innocent Bystander]

May it all go well, Berti!

[Berti66]

one more hour before I have to leave house.
I feel still pretty calm but with a whole butterfly garden in my tummy.......
Last few days I have thought things over and have prepared myself well.
Hearing wise I have sorted out that mostly the problem lies between the 500 and 1000 hertz range which is only three electrodes or something which needs most adjustment.
That means that the past year, the problem has mainly stayed the same in the frequencies and not much changed.
I will report tonight when I get home .......
Last days I have got visions of things working well and in my mind tunes playing that I didn't think of but which did make sense....

berti

[devondancer]

You are taking the best wishes and support of all of us with you, Berti. Good luck.

Lesley and Ro

[peeplj]

Aye. Wishing for things to be better very soon!

--James

[Berti66]

home at last.........now I finally am sitting down with a whiskey I have some minutes to share this day with you.
when I say that we (audi and me) spent THREE HOURS trying to make a new programme, you should get an idea of his willingness to help me.

we started with testing the T levels (softest I can hear) and then the C levels (loudest )
it turned out that I needed less trebles BUT we ran across a problem when we were done setting all the electrodes (16).......around the 1000 hertz we reached a max.
I was shocked as I had not expected this and he told me this wouldn't be a problem but decided to try something else.
Also we ran across some electrodes where I could hear that sound level was staying the same all the time and the power in my head getting harder!
Bad news.

So his idea was to see and make the pulse width wider as this was actually very narrow.
Turned out that when we did this for all electrodes we needed less power (good).

We did some sound tests as he had some WONDERFUL speakers out there (yamaha's) and I could actually hear MORE details with the new programme so I thought it was an improvement.

UNTIL I left his office.........then things went from wrong to worse.
It came as quite a shock but at the moment when I am writing this, I am again testing the new programme out at home in quiet environment.
Tomorrow morning I will feel more rested and will try some more experiments to see what will happen as I have strong clues there is STILL too much trebles (some sounds make me cringe) and that we haven't got the balance right yet.
Especially in the earlier mentioned problem area, which has the vowels and such, very important for speech comprehension.

He has let me know today that he thought it okay to make a new appointment for next week already but we agreed I will first testdrive and see what happens with the new programme and try to gather more information which we can use next time.
I think we have to go back to the drawingboard as he had not yet found time to look into the last two programmes I have had, BUT he has taken my story about playing music MORE than very seriously and is willing to work using music as a guideline to see where things need adjusting etc.

So far I still have confidence but it is not going to be an overnight thing.
And now I will go offline and try to relax a bit.....I am actually a bit hyper because of everything today, it was very very very intensive and tiresome.

Goodnight my friends and thank you for your support!! I felt you were with me today and it helped.
berti

[mutepointe]

Everything is always so much hard work. But one day, you will laugh and laugh. And we will laugh and laugh with you too. This sounds like progress, especially since the CEO has his nose in things.

[Cork]

The integration of technology and human biology always comes at some risk, apparently, in that the integration might not be perfect.

However, it now seems that you are subject to a higher degree of medical concern, by the doctors and the medical staff, and that's a good thing!

Now, I know that you've peen patient throughout this process, very much so, but because of the potential "unknowns" between technology and biology, it may be necessary for you to have even more patience in the future, just as much as the attending medical team must have perseverance, in order to make the most of what realistically can be accomplished.

Nobody ever said that life could be perfect, eh?

Meanwhile, it's really great to learn that the power of the medical team is finally working for you! Congratulations!

[cowtime]

I am glad to see some promising things in the works.