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During my life I’ve tested several new hearing aids programs which claims to reduce background noise and bring forth voices. My experiences have always been the same: all sounds were lowered instead of the noise only, so when I turned up the volume to compensate for the volume loss, I was right back where I was again. So naturally my hopes of hearing better in noisy situations have dampened, and they were very low when Advanced Bionics launched their “backgroundnoise-reducing-voice-enhancer”-feature, ClearVoice, a few months ago. But I’ve never tried such a program in a C.I. before, so I thought “why not”.

I got an appointment at Rikshospitalet in the beginning of July. When the technician recommended to keep my old programming in case I didn’t like the new one, I totally lost all expectations to ClearVoice. He couldn’t quite explain how ClearVoice can separate voices from noise either. I didn’t hear any difference after he’d programmed ClearVoice in and turned it on. Not really surprising since I was sitting in a small office without any background noise at all. The poor technician tried to cause some noise by throwing pens at his desk and rolling his chair around. It didn’t help, but he got bonus points for trying!

The first thing I noticed when I left the hospital and was out by a road, was lower volume than I’m used to. I actually prefer to hear traffic noise well enough when I’m outside, so I can place the cars better and not be run over or something. I decided to give ClearVoice a chance and got inside a tram on the way back to work. I noticed that the noise was at a more comfortable level, and I could hear the woman at the phone next to me really well. After that ride I never changed back to my old listening program.

I’m not sure how ClearVoice works, but it works. When I put on my C.I. I hear all the noise around me. After two seconds or so it becomes almost quiet. ClearVoice understands that this is noise. Voices and similar sounds remains at the same volume level. It took some getting used to lower volume, but when you’ve gotten used to it you don’t want to go back. But ClearVoice works at its best in uniform noise. If the background noise consists of voices, like when you’re in the canteen or in a pub, it doesn’t work so well anymore.

Last week in July I was at a vacation at Hvaler. On the way back home we drove inside a tunnel and the radio was blasting some pop-song. I’ve always had problems listening in cars, and it’s nearly impossible when the car I’m sitting in is in a tunnel. But there I was, hearing the singer’s voice clearly! ClearVoice singled out the voice, but not the music. It was kinda weird listening to, but amazing how well it actually worked.

As for me I always use ClearVoice. It’s not a miracle cure against the trouble hard of hearings have in noisy situations, but definitely a huge help.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Norsk.

It’s been a while since I’ve written something here – mainly because I haven’t had much new to tell regarding CI. The last months I haven’t had time or energy to write. I completed my Master’s thesis in the end of March, and early May I was so lucky to get my very first job!

Where I work, at Karl Johans gate in Oslo (from Google Maps)

Since May I’ve been working as web developer at TV 2 (Norwegian TV channel), and I enjoy myself greatly. It’s an exciting working place with many challenges, including challenges in hearing. All of a sudden I had to relate to lots of unknown people in many different situations. But it goes very well, even though I do not use an interpreter or any technical remedies! The only exception is the nemesis of all hard of hearing people: the canteen where we have our lunch. The canteen resides in a large hall with an open kitchen and a lot of people talking simultaneously. This is where I feel the voices are being blended with each other, but with a few repetitions and some luck I understand most of it.

So far I have had almost only positive experiences being hard of hearing in a work context. My colleagues were informed of my hearing issues before I started working there, and they are handling it well. They don’t get annoyed if I in a meeting ask if we could close the window because of the noise outside, or when I ask them to repeat what was recently said so I can be sure I got it right. Completely different from what I experienced at the University!

I have to admit I get a great feeling of achievment to manage at work without any help, even though it can be difficult at times. And I know that I wouldn’t manage half as good as I do now without CI. I’m looking forward to (and hope) I get CI no. 2, and I’m sure if I get CI on both ears, I’d manage even better. Including hearing in the canteen!

The student at work

I have completely put CI 2 (and CI-blogging) aside during December 2009 and January 2010 in order to focus on finishing my Master’s thesis. The last week before hand-in was tough and I was relieved when I finally, after 2 years, handed in my thesis February 1st 2010. After that I suddenly had all this free time and decided to update my CI blog.

Around December 2009 I got impatient waiting for a letter from a CI hospital and decided to investigate. At that time I had been waiting four months for an answer to my CI 2 application. I decided to first ask my hearing doctor to check whether he had sent the application at all, just in case. I then found out that they had received a rejection from Rikshospitalet only a month after sending in the application – the hospital just didn’t send me a copy. This means that my CI 2 application was, already in September 2009, rejected without me knowing it.

I was not at all surprised by the rejection, but was still disappointed. Especially because I have had waiting for several months without receiving any information. I asked my hearing doctor to send me a copy of the rejection, so I could have a statement, black on white, saying an ear going gradually deaf is not a good enough reason to get CI.

Piece of Rikshospitalet’s rejection (in Norwegian)

Subsequently I’ve learned that the hospitals are now going through all CI 2 applicants who fulfill certain criteria (as described in this post ). This means that applicants with Meningitis, severe tinnitus or visual problems are now receiving CI 2. The rest of us, who “only have hearing issues”, have to wait. Rikshospitalet finished my rejection stating that I am currently on a wish list, without any more information about how long I must expect to wait. Some months, or years even?

After several recent social arrangements, with many people at a time, I have begun to realise how poor my hearing is with only one CI. Even though everyone is behaving nicely and one by one are speaking, I have a hard time understanding everything that is being said. I now feel completely dependent on wearing my hearing aid in my other ear, but it isn’t good enough. In these days when I’m starting to look for a job, I don’t feel I can independently handle a job situation without any help.

I’ve been using CI for almost 2 years now and there’s not much new to tell. Large changes happened during the first year and they were so dramatic I couldn’t NOT notice them. Nowadays I still discover small positive changes, at random, because I’m now so used to hearing with CI.

I still notice small, but considerable, improvements in sound perception especially compared to listening with hearing aids. Just walking out of the apartment and into our stallroom down the hall to get something out of our freeser I notice pronounced hearing improvements. Using CI I hear the difference between the sounds coming from opening doors, keys that bump against something and pushing the key into the keyhole. I can also separate sounds coming from around me from the neighbor opening his or her door down the hallway. My hearing now perceive distance! When wearing hearing aids all the sounds sound alike and are at the same volume. It was not possible to hear how far away the sounds are.

Other small improvements and perceivement in sound nuances are happening everyday. When I’m sitting at my desk I can hear the washing machine spinning at maximum (the bathroom is some distance away and the door is closed) and when it “relaxes”. A lot of people probably think this is silly or are so used to hear stuff like this that they don’t really care. But I know that I wouldn’t be able to separate the sound nuances from each other when wearing hearing aids. I would probably confuse the noise coming from the washing machine with the noise coming from my computer sitting next to me. I can also recognize sounds while I’m in another room and the door is closed. I can for example recognize the sounds when Sindre is playing a racing game in the living room while I’m in the bathroom. With hearing aids I would never be able to distinguish the difference between Sindre playing music, playing a game, talking in the telephone or turning on the TV.

Otherwise I experience better sound perceivement in noisy situations. I feel I can better hear the voices to people I’m talking to at clubs or pubs, but when the background noise reach a certain level all sound is just chaos. When the DJ turn up the volume and people are getting loud I find sign language as support for speech a good partner. But that requires the people I’m out with actually knowing sign language, obviously.

Unfortunately I have some disadvantages to tell about too. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’m saying it again: Leaning back in a chair or similar is uncomfortable during a long period of time. My CI magnet is placed pretty far back on my head, and only a small leftwards rotation of my head puts pressure on the magnet. The magnet rarely comes off and thus cut off the sound, but if I lean back too long and “wrong” I get pains in the area around the magnet. I then have to take the CI off for a while, and thus not being able to hear. This is the only case I’m a little bit worried about getting CI no 2: What if CI 2′s magnet is placed just as far behind, or even further, making it impossible to lean back at all without getting pains? I then predict future pains in the shoulders and neck area!

Christmas, this year as well

The christmas and the cold is lurking closer. I recently discovered that something I’ve been annoyed at during my whole life was solved with CI: I can wear a (wooly) hat without worrying about “peeeep” sounds coming from my hearing aids! I have so many times NOT put on a hat when it’s really could outside because I would then either walk around deaf (hearing aids turned off) or with constant “peeeeep”.

For christmas I wish for wooly socks and a letter from a CI hospital regarding my CI 2 application.