This is my third sound processor, I consider myself very fortunate to have experienced the benefits of older processors and what each one has contributed to the recovery of my hearing.
My Nucleus 6 was activated last year on November 6th, and it was extra special for me because I’ve been waiting for so long for it and I had all these emotions contained in me. Usually, when I suppressed my emotions, I stay quiet like I was in That moment. What were my expectations? So many, what more can I hear? Is there any chance that I still don't remember a sound and this SP would give me the opportunity to hear it?, the sound of my voice would improve? The sound quality will improve? .... Anyway, a ton of questions in my head!
Once I was activated, I felt something weird... not in a bad way at all, I remember my answer to my audiologist question what am I feeling?, was: something weird, but good eh! that first activation of the N6 was like I relived my life as a hearing person, not a deaf person, it took me a few minutes to absorb what was happening to me, it was a unique moment because I never thought I would feel that way again. My voice has never ceased to amaze me since it's been the hardest thing for me discriminate, with this sound processor it got better. I'm comfortable with it.
The first week was full adaptation to the new system the Scan, IQ, this system automatically analyzes the sounds of the environment and changes in your sound processor, it took me days to get used it, specially to not to reach my control remote and change program myself. For example: if I was walking down the street and it was windy, or was listening to music, or was talking to someone in a noisy environment I feel how it changes to wind, to noise, to speech in noise, music, quiet, speech, without pressing a button. This smart system allows me to feel in a certain way like the hearing person I used to be.
The first week my husband bought a new iPod speaker, and he turns up the music in the living room, I'm like 2 feet away from the speakers and I felt that something change in my sound processor; when I check on the remote control reflects the symbol of music on the screen. Amazing! Talking on the phone exceeded my expectations I have no need to use speaker to talk anymore because the voices sounds very clear, without interference, echoes.
To have a pleasant conversation has become, without limitation, the I feel like the background noise is suppressed and my voice when I'm talking increases its sound quality and very nice sharpness or when the person are speech or two when they are talking in a group experience the optimization of the voices of others and also noise abatement without external deprive me of what happens in the atmosphere is awesome. Allowing me to follow a conversation in large groups, to understand what they are talking about and participate. It makes me feel like a person with bilateral hearing, despite my deafness. Was a very nice feeling.
What can I say about my dogs barking? Oh dear…! Another awesome thing, and I can clearly distinguish the barking of my german shepherd Ringo from my Labrador Onyx. And it’s not only my dogs barking that I can hear, it’s their growling when they are playing with anything they took from the laundry caddy, and even when they are walking behind me very quiet and I hear their paws; there’s no way now they can surprise me without me notice it. When we play in the backyard, I'm very comfortable with the breeze blowing my hair, and as it does I can see how my N6 control remote shows the Wind symbol, nothing sounds distorted and playtime is more enjoyable.
Now for my second week being in the classroom, at work, at home, was the time for me to get used to the automatic changes in programming.
Another improvement is that while in class I can project my voice better despite the background noise of people talking when I was doing a presentation, and also the acoustic of the classroom improve because taking notes while the teacher speaks wasn't that difficult anymore.
It’s been 9 months now since I have my Nucleus 6, and my hearing gets better every day, it has amazing features that I enjoy, like for example the cable coil is much easy to handle, so it won’t break. The coil, don’t have that rubberish material around the magnet, it won’t melt with the sun (happens to people who lived in hot weather), they make it of resistant material, so far so good!
Of course…. I'll tell you more in my upcoming articles and videos!
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