Skype conversation with a friend...

I recently had a conversation on Skype with a friend who was asking some questions about what I was experiencing. I thought that maybe these questions might be passing through the minds of others. I told my friend I wanted to save this conversation and post it (with some major editing of course!).

I had been experiencing some very bad headaches since my 2nd mapping on the 29th of December. After reading the blog of another CI recipient who lives in Australia, I am learning that experiencing headaches are a normal side effect from the mappings. I am happy to say that headaches have ceased to just a mild ache in the area of where I have the implant at the end of a long day-but it's tolerable compared to the migraines I was having daily. I'm nervous that the 3rd mapping experience will start the headaches again, but since I am hearing at such a higher volume than when the Jenny (my audiologist) first turned on the implant, I think my brain is finally starting to make a lot more sense of the sounds.

Below is an excerpt from the chat I had with my friend. I left out anything that was not really relevant to his questions about the implant. I hope you find it to be as amusing as I do...and a bit informative as well!!

Chat between Friend & Lindz........

Friend: how are the headaches?

lindz: getting better...

Friend: good

lindz: I get shots of tramadol to help.

Friend: any idea how long they are going to last?

lindz: well I have a feeling I will get headaches with each mapping...until my brain adjusts to the stimulation

Friend: that’s what it sounds like.

lindz: my headaches have gone away for now so I am happy about that...the swelling has gone down...I can totally feel my implant, it kind of weird’s me out

Friend: what when you touch it or always?

lindz: both... at the end of the day I can feel it kind of aching in my head and the magnet makes my skull sore.

Friend: well the touch thing will always be there, but you will get use to it

lindz: and yeah I will get used to it..It just feels really weird....

Friend: I bet. But you’re now a bionic woman

Friend: you voice is getting better.

lindz: you are the 3rd person to say that!

Friend: when did that start?

lindz: oh...i guess when I got the implant turned on.

lindz: I guess I am hearing my voice better?

Friend: like your speech is way better.

Friend: you have lost your deaf lisp

lindz: like I said...you’re the 3rd or 4th person to say that

lindz: I want to go back to speech therapy. It’s a bit tiring...because I feel like I am enunciating things differently

lindz: I guess....I feel a bit embarrassed about blogging....

Friend: why?

lindz: I don't want to seem vain..... But I do know people are interested.

lindz: I really have to save this convo!!! 

Friend: that’s because its technology being used in the way it was intended to.

lindz: pretty trippy huh?? I now understand a lot more of other people's perspectives about the implant.

Friend: if you had to do it again would you?

lindz: the implant????

lindz: well...

Friend: yes

lindz: I'm really glad I waited....

lindz: but I think I'm an exceptional case.

Friend: I don’t know.... what do the doctors think?

lindz: if they had the technology as well as they do now back when I was diagnosed...then that is a different story

lindz: they agree I would not have been a candidate back then

Friend: so I have a question

Friend: it’s a computer chip, do they have software updates.

lindz: YES!

lindz: that’s why I have to keep going back

Friend: I hope Microsoft is not doing them

Friend: LOL

Friend: what is it like after a new mapping?

lindz: very disorienting for the first hour or so

Friend: what are they doing?

lindz: my mom and dad was with me the first time, my stepdad the 2nd time

Friend: so, when you get to the clinic, do you unplug it?

Lindz: so yes when I go in...They set me up to a computer and reprogram it and increase the volume on 4 programs

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This is as far as our conversation got as my friend had to log off....but this is a great starting point to keep up my motivation to blog and answer questions that people have. So please! ask away...or have a chat with me about it online-just be warned that I might copy and paste what we discussed in a blog (and of course your identity will be protected).

More later!!...