Six weeks later - a running update

It's been six weeks since my cochlear implant was switched on and I'm trying to wear it for all activities now. I decided to go running with it on for the first time this week. My processor came with a headband to secure it in place for sports activities so I thought I'd give it a whirl. When I first put it on it kept slipping off the magnet and losing connection so I think there's a knack to attaching it properly. It worked pretty well once I'd fiddled with it a bit. It was pretty chilly and windy and it was mainly the wind that I could hear at the moment. I'm not really sure what the wind sounds like for normally hearing people but it was pretty loud today. To me, the wind sounds like a whistle kind of sound that was there most of the time. It did make me more aware of sounds around me, cars on the road... squawking birds... In some ways it felt quite disorientating and I wanted to keep stopping to work out what the different sounds were - that was my excuse anyway! 

Over the last few weeks I've had a few 'mapping' appointments - and am now at the point where my 'map' is pretty stable. Put simply, a MAP is essentially the amount of electrical stimulation required at each electrode (there are 22) to optimise the sound from the implant. Over the first few mapping sessions after the implant is switched on there is often really noticeable changes and improvements after each session. I am now at my probable 'optimum' map - which means it's over to my brain to get on with doing the hard work. 

I have quickly become used to having an awareness of sound on my left side and do notice a sudden quiet when I take the external processor off and quickly miss having the implant on. It certainly makes listening easier for me now in a quiet environment and I don't have to concentrate as much to fill in the gaps and follow what's being said. It's still very difficult to listen in noise and the implant still makes it a bit harder in this environment - I think mainly because i'm hearing so much more than I'm used to and it's all still quite overwhelming and tiring to try and pick it out. It's tempting to continue to avoid these situations as much as possible, and whilst I don't want to overload myself I'm keen to avoid just getting into a comfort zone. 

The implant on it's own without the hearing aid is still sounding quite beepy to me. It sounds like underneath the beeps I can tell that there is lots of good quality sounds but the beeps over the top make it difficult to listen with the implant alone. The only way I think this is realistically going to improve is if I listen more without my hearing aid in. If I'm honest I've definitely just been taking the easy way out and avoiding it and I know I need to work on this. Over the next week I'm going to aim to do at least an hour a day without my hearing aid in. Come back next week to see how I get on....!