5 weeks later

Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure

(July 14, 2005) In late June, it was time for the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA), a yearly highlight for me. Since this would be my first long cycling trip with the implant, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited to see what sounds I would hear as we cycled, and was eager to converse with my cycling friends. At the same time, I was afraid that the processor would fall off my head as I rode.

My bicycle helmet is well above my ear, but the bottom of the helmet covers the circular headpiece that is magnetically attached to my head. Thus, it's easy for the helmet to knock the headpiece off. To help keep the processor on my head, I bought a new bicycle helmet. I detached the rigid plastic strap that goes behind the head, and scraped out a bit of the foam padding on the inside of the helmet. I planned to wear bandannas to help to hold the headpiece on, and my friend Janine gave me several. The bandannas worked well, but I found that a Coolmax headsweat (pictured at right) worked even better. It has a thin, stretchy headband that holds the strap to the implant headpiece on, and also covers my head with a thin cloth that wicks sweat away. I bought two of these from the vendors at GOBA, and used them all week. The headsweat had the added benefit of protecting my balding head from the sun that shone through the air vents on my helmet. Debby, my audiologist, also gave me a Mic-Lock tubing, a small plastic tubing that helps to hold the processor on the ear. I used this all week for additional security.

Once I figured out the logistics, I was able to relax and enjoy the ride. My older son, Alex, and I took turns pulling little Ryan in his buggy. We rode about 55 miles a day, enjoying the scenery and chatting with friends. It was nice to easily carry on a conversation as I rode, while also hearing the approaching cars and the chirping birds. In camp each evening, I could effortlessly chat with my cycling friends, something that would have been difficult before.

The Sound of the Ocean

Shelly's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the spring of this year, and asked their four children to bring their families and spend a summer week at the ocean together. Thus, we left the bicycle tour a day early, hopping in the car for a trip to Outer Banks of North Carolina. When it was Shelly's turn to drive, I worked on my listening skills by listening to audio books while reading along in the text. It was interesting to learn how many words I don't pronounce correctly. Fortunately, most are words that are not often used in everyday conversation. I continued to listen to audio books all week. I had forgotten to bring along the text for one book, but was very happy to find that I was still able to follow the audio version.

When we arrived at the ocean, we immediately walked to the edge of the surf. I was anxious to see if I could hear the sea. For the first minute or so, all that I could hear was the sound of the strong offshore breeze. As the wind hit the microphone on my processor, it created a loud static noise that drowned out all other sound. I turned down the volume and turned my head to the side, and soon heard the sound of the waves. I was expecting a steady roar, so I was surprised to learn that the pitch changed as waves broke near us. Once I knew what it sounded like, it became easier to hear the sound as the week went on.

We had a very pleasant and relaxing week, visiting, swimming, and walking on the beach. Each morning and evening, we would watch porpoises cavorting in the water.

Music

I've often read that cochlear implants are designed specifically to enhance the understanding of speech, as opposed to music. Many implant recipients do not enjoy music, so my music expectations were low. I assumed that if I did enjoy music, it would only be very simple sounds, such as a single instrument or an unaccompanied vocalist.

After listening to four recorded books, I decided to try listening to music for a change of pace. Having no idea what type of music I'd like, I wanted to sample a variety of styles. My coworkers helped me in the effort by giving me a package containing several different types of songs. I also went through my childrens' CD collections, looking for songs to try. We have a collection of CDs in the pharmacy, so I took a CD player to work and listened to several CDs through headphones during my lunch break. My daughter Emily introduced me to several web sites that provide streaming audio online, and I used them to sample many different types of music.

When the implant was first activated, I was unable to separate the sound of the lyrics from the music. Five weeks later, I can understand the lyrics to many songs if I have the words in front of me as I listen to the song. I've enjoyed some country songs, as well as a few big band songs and some familiar Christmas tunes . I especially enjoy Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel, and seem to most enjoy songs where the lyrics are not drowned out by the music. I'm also enjoying jazz music, which brings back happy memories of a long-ago visit to Preservation Hall in New Orleans. As I type this, I'm enjoying mellow tunes from Branford Marsalis. I'm very much looking forward to continuing to explore the world of music.

Move on to the next page, for some "CI Moments"

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