random thoughts

I have been noticing that since school has gotten out i find it much easier to remove my sound processors then i ever have before... Its kind of a funny thing and yet a sad thing at the same time. I have been greedy about the noise... but, having the (no relief from it) has been hitting the ( i have heard ENOUGH today limit quite early) I'm not going to the Dr.'s this month, i really don't see the point in it, last week someone called from the (last scrap store standing) here (they had an used tool sale a few weeks ago and I hauled some of my carp into that) and someone from that store called my cell phone and left a message... and i usually just hand my phone to Tim when he's not busy and make him play the messages... but, my phone tends to turn on or send note (blank) if i hit the buttons without knowing it ( like dropping it into the purse) so i guess the what was up on the phone was to play the messages and it turned on and some gal started talking about being from the scrap store and they had a certificate for me and blah blah blah. ( was too shocked just listening to it to write anything down) the bossy computer voice that tells you push here to do that is way harder to understand so I really don't like that... oh speaking of bossy computer voices. The guys got me an GPS for my truck for Christmas last year, and its clear. I can hear and understand it and it pronounces things WRONG! (Tim says it says each syllable like it would sound if you were saying the alphabet it does not try to put it together right (street names mainly) and boy is it bossy turn right in 300 yards turn right on summers lane turn right turn right and it feels like the dang thing is screaming at you. ( I've been tempted more then once to smack it) but, it does come in handy going to yard sales so i think i will keep turning it on... oh and added to the EIEIO thing... we got a steer delivered yesterday... red suspenders i gotta find some for that man for fathers day for sure (and get his card done haha) And J did get into the theater boot camp... He started out as the narrator of one play and will work behind the scenes in the other but, they have since changed his role to someone who gets shot in the play he is on the stage for... and this goes on this month and next month and ends in the beginning of August... One more thought, tried to link a family member to my old old scrapbook albums that i had online... gulp, the sunroom is no more. the one at twopeas does not go back that far, the CX forums i cannot find, cannot log into the store either.... so... at some point if i get lucky and find the disc that those old scrap pages scans are on i may be plugging them all into here... I have not scrapped in a very long time the idea still makes me cringe (burned out) but, i do want a visual of what is done for other people to see...

2 little monkeys

Came across this stampendous changito's stamp in a clearance bin last week and thought ah you could have some fun with this one...

Basic Grey PP and May arts ribbon with an Inkadinkado sentiment. 6"

another Inkadinkado sentiment, used an EK success border punch on the blue Basic Grey pp. the ribbon is unknown, this ones also 6" square.

So Friday was my one month check up for this second sound processor and also the first time it has been officially "tested". not sure what you remember reading about the first one last year but, it was mostly an uphill battle with this testing that went on and at the first visit with the first one at one month my testing came out at zero percent comprehension. at the end of 11 months when i went in for the one year check up i was just hitting about 80% comprehension on that hearing.

so, Friday this second ears first time testing the comprehension level was coming out at 85%. in one month. this is really not a common thing, so my Dr. is a little surprised and told me that she would not tinker with the programming since i am doing "so well" and that if i don't feel a need to come back in two months for the 3 months check up i can skip if i so choose and just go back for the 6 months one... So no, i wont decide today because last year it seemed like the last few weeks/days before an appointment i was straining to hear and always needed more noise just before i went back in. so i will see how this one goes since it did not get turned up or adjusted at all this time before i decide.

adventures in Ipod Land...

and other random noise comments observations... so, last week we (mil and I) went over to Costco by ourselves & I purchased an iPod. (classic) 120 gb memory. black. :) Now keep in mind the last time i purchased music myself it came on cassette tapes. the first two hours out of the package I was very tempted to take it back, then Tim carved my name into the back of it... so that was a corker, had to learn how to use it... (not there all the way yet) but, getting there. can get music in no problems. ( have purchased hmmm 7 or 8 Cd's recently too...) today's was Beatles 1. ( so its playing now) :) the frustration begins when you try to load an CD audio book... the ones I'm currently listening to off and on are Harry Potter. the first few books have like 7 or 8 cd's to a book the books at the end have like 17 disc.'s. so, these books on CD are triple what it costs to buy the hardcovers but the good part is they are word for word and the person who reads them has an excellent voice, clear precise. I can listen to this without reaching for the books to decipher. One of the things that makes it harder is it doesn't come with an manual you have to go online and read it that way ( all 72 pages as an pdf file) which does not tell you how to load audio books and have them not listed as "music". finally i joined the iPod/apple "community" didn't have to make any posts to find someone else with the same problem and the answer she got was to go to this blog... http://aldoblog.com/2008/09/itunes-8-is-great-for-audiobook-lovers/ so, now at this point i can upload a book and have it show up as a book (with many many songs because an book with 7 cd's lists them as chapter 1 A ch 1 b ch 1 c etc etc... so the trouble starts when you load the second book you then get to hear book one ch 1 a then ch1a of book two...) so, fun thing we found an apple/mac store in Portland and now i have an geek squad (their term) ;) date in two weeks the morning after my next ear appointment. I'm too much of an overachiever to let it go in the mean time, will keep tinkering with it in my spare time but, it is very time consuming. I'm sure its one of those things that when you learn it, its not something you think about but, i am the only person i know who has one... so, today at best buy we picked up an cute iPod nano for J's Easter basket... kid picks up anything technology wise lickitey split... wants an ipod so bad, This is the sad part. I used to listen to music every day, for hours on end. played the stereo and do things around the music. and J's whole life, the only time he has heard music is driving around in his dad's truck. because, we don't have a stereo in the house and that was something that made me so very damned angry to lose when i went deaf, this was just as bad as losing family voices... sounds. which is where it gets even better, two ears hear this as music even more then just having one sound processor and even though i have only had the second sound processor for two weeks the clarity and the understanding are there Now, the programs this new one has are nearly identical to the the ones i have in the other ear now. in two weeks. i do not have the echo anymore. I never got dizzy. the rate the whole thing has healed and progressed is absolutely amazing. my Dr is very shocked by the whole thing, she had to fight tooth and nail to get me to accept the high definition sounds in the first ear, and the comprehension of spoken words took so very long this is really like having an utter miracle all over again. So, almost caved and told him we got him one when he was going on about them tonight... it was such a close thing. Think Tim really want to hand it over to him too... but, i am telling my self its only a week we can hang on to it for that long... I am the kind of person who buys an surprise and is so excited about it that when i was younger i would haha hand it over as soon as they came home, cool beans look what i found for you, which of course sends you out shopping again for a "surprise" closer to the occasion... if i had a smiley face for this blog that was rolling its eyes you'd have seen it a lot in here. there are other differences that are noticeable between having one sound processor on or both, and they do hear it differently at the moment, the new one has no "ignore" shocking eh? I would be the last person i would think who could take any noise for granted and yet i already do, take it for granted and tune it out... so, that part (lose the not as urgent/important noises) i think will come even more quickly for this second ear and in the meantime I'm enjoying the noise. (and the Beatles)

so 2 ears are better then 1

most of the time... :) I've had this sound processor for almost an week now. and its jumped a head a few steps when it was turned on, its just barley at a sound level below the one I've had for over an year. it only has one program (pure noise) with three volume settings so, if i get it to the top level before i go back to Portland again the ears would be about level noise wise... so, i never had the not high definition sound. which is good. but, still a little un-nerving when you've finally managed to ignore some noise. (what did she really say that?) yeah, there are noises you tune out. and I have even managed to do that... heating systems inside building walls, the echo noise you first when its first turned on, wind up the micro phone noises... so those parts are starting over again. but the funny thing is they don't seem to irritate me as much as they did learning to ignore them with the first one. crumpling paper noises, my paper trimmer. all of these are not good to listen too. (haven't made a card since I've been home) :) I've decided to get an ipod. will probably have to make time to stop by radio shack and look for some kind of a y splice thing so that i can use the one ear clip cord i have and be able to plug both ears into it. and i need an adaptor of somekind for the ears cord to plug into my cell phone. got a new one last month and this one has an micro-phone jack... I know that eventually this is supposed to make things sound better. the good part is that it seems to be progressing much faster then the first one did. On the home front All the electrical and lights are now in the laundry, bath and porch celing. :) next comes the plumbing. J has spring break this week and so this was not a good week to have a brand new ear... lol this child has no concept of quiet... and his cell phone rings off the hook.

A very Long Busy week

Here is an little advice... if you ever have to have an surgery, do not leave your stampy space looking like this, its utterly deafeating to view when your not standing up for long periods of time yet... ;) So, not sure where i left off last but, Friday a week ago i felt really good, i expected to go to to work, do the payroll taxes and such so while i waited i did three loads of laundry and pretty much stayed up all day. so Saturday i crashed and started over again, Sunday was better, then Monday i was thinking human thoughts again and ended up taking Grace to the vet diagnosis was an infection and an fever of 105 + and dehydration... was told if she wasn't drinking on her own by the next day on these pills bring her back, but she started drinking again and seemed to be getting better. so Tuesday went to work. didn't stay more then a few hours, wed same thing, Thursday i stayed home tackled that table and put together the card below that i had started before we left for Portland... then Friday was another short day at work, but by Friday night Grace seemed to be backsliding so i took her back to the vet this morning and she agreed with me that those pills should have killed the fever by now (this am her temp was 103 +) (normal for an lab is supposed to be 100-101 ish... anyways so Grace is at the vets they were going to run an new blood test keep her quiet and start new pills and work on figuring out what else is wrong besides the infection... (no word yet supposed to get an update tomorrow) which brings me to these cards (did them thursday, finally made it back up the stairs today to photo them...)

This is for Pam, I really don't think she reads my blog so its fairly safe to post. this is an PIF Elzybells UK sized image colored with prisma pencils. the circles are nestibilities dies and the pink shimmer shape is an SU top note die cut and the printed paper is from Basic Grey and the sentiments from Hero Arts. the cardbase is that newest su pink (this years in color cant spell it and am not going to go hunt up my book) the ribbons from May Arts and the glitter is Stickles... this is 5 1/2" square in real life. which brings me to the reason i went upstairs... today i am official the mom of a teenager.. (insert an smiley face with its eyes bugging out here)

This one is also an PIF image from Leibetty, (Thanks Leigh Anne!!) the whippersnapper Andre is colored with prisma pencils and the yellow mat was cut with an Martha Stewart "flourish" border punch. the mini brads are from doodlebug. the pp under that is Basic Grey (one of the very first lines they ever made) and the cardbase is bazzill. this ones 5X7 in real life.

So I guess i made such a cute card because it could be the last time i get away with it... its hard to make cards for teen boys. ( just ask me i will tell you) I guess what makes it hard for mine is he's still in the asking for toys mind set but, wants to be respected and talked to like he is more grown up then he is.

SO, everyone i see keeps asking me how is my hearing and what's new... well the thing is i still have the same programs in the original sound processor from December... so, most things sound the same thanks! I get the new sound processor on the 17th of March, so until that time no I'm not sticking my "ear" that has an years worth of learned sounds onto my stitches to test it... the surgeon already tested it while i was under so yes it works, and i have the patience to wait. funny thing i don't think of patience as one of my own virtues so it amuses me that i am willing to wait for this.

a shower is a glorious thing...

yep, had a shower just a bit ago... of course i have not un-packed my bag i took to the hotel with me yet so my razor is in the bag still... this may call for a second shower as soon as i get going again... lol... did not drain the water tank (this time) :) I have been on regular Tylenol for almost 24 hours now Yay me. hate the foggy sleepy thing the narcotic's do. people ask me all the time what i hear (as a totally deaf person now) its i guess the best way to put it is the sound of expectation. ( I know its imaginary) and i also know as a person who used to hear just how noisy things really are so my mind fills the void with this shoosh sound. it's almost like when you put your ear to a big seashell and listen... right when you first connect the sound processors magnet to the implants magnet there is this you can almost visualize the sound traveling through the wire. it gets louder and louder and wham! your ON! and the shock of being ON is always worse if you are say walking down the hallway and all the sudden walk into a room where the TV is on and you instantly connect there... (or the laundry room) or really any room where there is lots of noise going on. you get used to it but, that first instant is still a shocker. because, no matter what you imagine, I don't imagine it that Loud! :) I'm supposed to get "sprung" today to go in and pay the payroll taxes and Alice is gonna come by after work and volunteer to be an personal shopper so i guess i better get out of this robe and see if i have anything clean to wear i can fall asleep in... ( think I've just about worn all the sweats and work out clothes i own this week) :) might even do some laundry. any which way I'd rather be dressed before someone comes by so i will write more later. this is day 4. good news is i don't think i have the dizzy thing (that was the "risk", some people when they get a second implant get very dizzy with it) going on but i cannot bend over yet. so we'll see i guess.

this time

So, this time around the surgery seemed to be a little easier. maybe because i knew what to expect but, there were also differences because i had a different team of anasiaologists then the first time and this pair i think what may have happened is scrapped that tube inside my throat really badly. (this is kinda graphic and yucky ~ you may not want to read any farther if your squeamish) but basically i have been gagging up blood and or bloody mucus ever since i woke up from the surgery and what woke me up was the pain in my throat. they also you know cut some muscle in your neck too, forgot about that one too, can't turn my head to the right and have to turn my whole body. so have some pain in my abdomen too. that has been constant. This is not an intolerable pain its just pain. but the pain pills knock me out so this would be a good thing if i could get more then one hours worth of sleep at a time. the cat has this flop over on all his weight thing he does and has now done this twice to me (on my ear that is still has the dressing on it) and that is an rude awakening. but when i am awake i am alert. and this is good. but the pills seem to be kicking in again so am probably going to fall asleep again soon. have to make a note to myself to buy a spare battery and charger cord for the laptop that can stay it its bag.. got some happy PIF mail while we were gone too, will work on posting thank-you's later this afternoon maybe after the mail comes today so only have to do it once...