I had the CAT scan today. This will give the doctor a way to see if one ear is "better" than another in terms of anatomy, for operating on. The image generated from the CAT scan will also be his "roadmap!"
It was funny because they had given me a paper at my last appointment that said before the CAT scan I couldn't eat for 4 hours prior, and it also mentioned I might get a shot (of fluid that would make parts clearer.) So I went in, having taken all my earrings out already and expecting to get a shot. But the wait time was actually LONGER than the actual scan itself.
All I did was lie down on my back and then on my stomach and the machine scanned my head. It was VERY wide and not what I thought it would look like. I was in and out of the scanning room in what felt like 15 minutes!! It seemed like no preparation was really required.
Now to wait for the results of THIS one. But really, you don't wait for results. It's more that if anything IS wrong they'll tell you. If not, they just don't mention it.
Another goalpost down.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Cruise/Journalism
I found out today via an email sent to me (and then later that day, an official acceptance letter!) that I was accepted into the journalism program, which is very competitive. I'm like, "Yipee!!"
Today was also the cruise for my oceanography class, which was a blast :)
It was a really nice way to start my day- psyched to go on a ship and then getting an acceptance email right before we all loaded into the van to go to the docks!
Sorry for the lack of details on this! We did a lot of scientific things, basically.
Today was also the cruise for my oceanography class, which was a blast :)
It was a really nice way to start my day- psyched to go on a ship and then getting an acceptance email right before we all loaded into the van to go to the docks!
Sorry for the lack of details on this! We did a lot of scientific things, basically.
Friday, April 11, 2008
ABR Test
I had the ABR test today at 1:30pm. ABR stands for Auditory Brainwave Response.
Basically what they do is they put a few electrodes on your head and you have to sit still for a hour or so with your eyes shut, while clicks occur. The electrodes pick up brain wave activity in the auditory parts of the brain, so that an estimate of how much hearing I have can be detected.
Simply put: It was really really boring! I had to keep my eyes shut the whole time and I didn't fall asleep until probably halfway through the test but I did keep waking up (without opening my eyes!)
However, this is another goalpost down since this is one of the requirements of the candidacy procedures. I've already had my audiogram faxed to them, so this was the next step- to retest hearing. I was a bit nervous that I would pass! I mean, I know I wouldn't but part of me was nervous that for some bizarre reason I wouldn't "fail" it well enough to qualify!!
I have to wait about a week or two for the results.... but I'm pretty sure I'll fail anyway. I hope. Hehe. It's funny to be hoping to fail a test!
Basically what they do is they put a few electrodes on your head and you have to sit still for a hour or so with your eyes shut, while clicks occur. The electrodes pick up brain wave activity in the auditory parts of the brain, so that an estimate of how much hearing I have can be detected.
Simply put: It was really really boring! I had to keep my eyes shut the whole time and I didn't fall asleep until probably halfway through the test but I did keep waking up (without opening my eyes!)
However, this is another goalpost down since this is one of the requirements of the candidacy procedures. I've already had my audiogram faxed to them, so this was the next step- to retest hearing. I was a bit nervous that I would pass! I mean, I know I wouldn't but part of me was nervous that for some bizarre reason I wouldn't "fail" it well enough to qualify!!
I have to wait about a week or two for the results.... but I'm pretty sure I'll fail anyway. I hope. Hehe. It's funny to be hoping to fail a test!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Blackbird
I've become a bit obsessed with this site: http://tonometric.com/adaptivepitch/
I'm determined to improve my hearing abilities/recognition. I REALLY want to be able to appreciate music and be able to distinguish songs if at all possible? I seem to have very low auditory memory for music. This doesn't stop me from enjoying it, true, but as a general rule I really can't distinguish melodies and as a result it doesn't even play in as a factor for when I hear music. This isn't "normal" and I really want to attain a deeper appreciation of music. So, I've become addicted to this site!
Ian and I hung out and played around with listening to music a bit. Before we started dating, he made me mix CDS of "great music" and we sat in my mom's living room with the lights dimmed, so I could just LISTEN.
Ian mentioned that I didn't seem to be able to keep the beat of any songs, which frustrated me because I felt that when I didn't use hearing aids I could find the beat by feeling but now that I use hearing aids the sensation of the music and the SOUND mix and confuse me. So I can't pick out the beat easily, oddly. The ONLY song I could find the beat to was a recording of "Blackbird" by The Beatles. This was only because it has a metronome steadily playing in the background, which Ian oddly said he never noticed before until I pointed out there was some kind of steady beat. I lose it though when he starts singing.
Upon closer reflection I found it REALLY ironic that the ONLY song I can confidently find the beat to has lyrics that seriously inspire me (they're the Beatles, man!) but also really reflect how I feel about my whole journey towards hearing music (and everything else) better. I feel like I've been waiting so long and that this could potentially really be a significant difference in my life.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird fly blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird fly blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
I'm determined to improve my hearing abilities/recognition. I REALLY want to be able to appreciate music and be able to distinguish songs if at all possible? I seem to have very low auditory memory for music. This doesn't stop me from enjoying it, true, but as a general rule I really can't distinguish melodies and as a result it doesn't even play in as a factor for when I hear music. This isn't "normal" and I really want to attain a deeper appreciation of music. So, I've become addicted to this site!
Ian and I hung out and played around with listening to music a bit. Before we started dating, he made me mix CDS of "great music" and we sat in my mom's living room with the lights dimmed, so I could just LISTEN.
Ian mentioned that I didn't seem to be able to keep the beat of any songs, which frustrated me because I felt that when I didn't use hearing aids I could find the beat by feeling but now that I use hearing aids the sensation of the music and the SOUND mix and confuse me. So I can't pick out the beat easily, oddly. The ONLY song I could find the beat to was a recording of "Blackbird" by The Beatles. This was only because it has a metronome steadily playing in the background, which Ian oddly said he never noticed before until I pointed out there was some kind of steady beat. I lose it though when he starts singing.
Upon closer reflection I found it REALLY ironic that the ONLY song I can confidently find the beat to has lyrics that seriously inspire me (they're the Beatles, man!) but also really reflect how I feel about my whole journey towards hearing music (and everything else) better. I feel like I've been waiting so long and that this could potentially really be a significant difference in my life.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird fly blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird fly blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
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