tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67014075090457236052012-01-18T08:42:05.441-06:00Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-24137106083580142742011-09-07T13:36:00.000-05:002012-01-18T08:30:49.101-06:00

Hi all,Wow - it's been a whole year since I last posted. I can't believe how fast time flies. A lot has happened in the past year. I am now engaged to a wonderful woman and we are getting married in October. I have not had time to work on my book or keep up with this blog, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifdue to wedding planning and pursuing other interests (such as cycling and the MS 150)

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-25688701623911337222010-06-01T22:00:00.021-05:002010-06-01T23:03:29.979-05:00

Today marks exactly one year after my CI activation. Wow, I can't believe a whole year has gone by already... it seemed like I got activated only weeks ago!!Now, how do I feel about it? Good? Bad? Indifferent? I'd say I have mixed feelings, but more good than bad. I'll start with what I don't like about CI. The CI lacks the deep bass that I've grown accustomed to with hearing aids, but I

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-19236885996323508732010-03-30T11:40:00.007-05:002010-03-31T11:16:07.821-05:00

Today I got hooked up with a Phonak Naida V hearing aid on my left ear (the CI is in my right ear). The sounds were much clearer and more crisp, and the ear mold is much more comfortable. My audiologist put me in the testing booth to see how much I could hear with my new hearing aid. I don't have the audiogram with me, but it shows that I could hear at 40-45 dB in the lower to medium

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-70396216088779198562010-03-05T09:03:00.013-06:002010-03-05T09:40:08.219-06:00

My new favorite song... recently shared by someone who means a lot to me. The music is great and the lyrics are easy to hear and follow.Banana Pancakes - Jack JohnsonAnd a brief update:Sorry, my loyal readers, I haven't been keeping up with this blog. I've been busy with the wonders of life, including training for the MS 150 and writing the book inspired by this very blog. I haven't been doing

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-77635274438087354312010-02-03T18:28:00.002-06:002010-02-03T18:30:31.553-06:00

I'm starting to localize some sounds with my CI + hearing aid bimodal hearing, and even speech sounds better and easily understandable! However, the ear mold I'm using is chaffing parts of my ear's pinna. So I don't wear the hearing aid as much as I should. I've decided to run with the hearing aid on my left ear a while longer (as opposed to getting a 2nd CI), but I really need to replace that

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-47467226259178214082010-01-21T18:44:00.002-06:002010-01-21T18:48:02.193-06:00

I just got a Phonak Naida V loaner hearing aid to wear for a month to see if I like it or if I really want another implant. I was, and still am, hesitant to get another implant on my left side because I feel it is too soon, and I don't see the logic in getting a second implant while I'm only starting to get used to the first implant. My hope is that with the loaner hearing aid, I will start to

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-46371782934457949092010-01-16T17:49:00.001-06:002010-01-16T17:50:46.972-06:00

Just a quick note to say that I downloaded all my listening exercises onto my iPhone, so I can practice listening anywhere, anytime. Before I couldn't do it anywhere and anytime so I didn't do this everyday. Now? Problem solved.

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-52482899578861309452010-01-05T18:08:00.004-06:002010-01-06T12:09:04.534-06:00

Since I started this blog, many people have told me that I should write a book about this in a couple of years.I think that is a great idea. I'll be getting started on my book, but I don't intend to make it only about my cochlear implant experience. Instead, I'll write about what it is like to be deaf.I don't know how this book will turn out or what form it will take, but I'll start with my

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-44784324077890174052009-12-13T20:58:00.012-06:002009-12-13T21:46:20.650-06:00

I met with my ENT and audiologist for a 6-month checkup. First, the ENT (who did my surgery) checked my ear with an otoscope and tested for vertigo or any other side effects. All is good on the physical side. No pain, no discomfort, and minimal vertigo.Now... the hearing test. My audiogram stayed about the same (20-25 dB) and I had two tests. First, I had to listen to a set of sentences with

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-10274126357116050652009-12-02T21:24:00.002-06:002009-12-02T21:38:20.233-06:00

Here's a great story written by a friend of mine, who has had the CI for 11 years. This is a beautifully written piece that encompasses an entire decade of using the CI, the milestones and frustrations that come with it, as well as the misunderstandings some people have about deaf people and cochlear implants. Per request, some edits have been made by myself to keep this person's identity

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-65757272769580161362009-11-30T09:23:00.012-06:002009-11-30T15:45:27.427-06:00

I went in for a mapping two weeks ago, and I left the audiologist's office thinking that I was not sure if I liked this new map.Sure enough, I felt some really strange electrical stimulation near the magnet just above my ear whenever I heard the high pitched noises. The "shhhhhh" sounds and clattering silverware were getting especially bothersome. I wasn't able to concentrate on understanding

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-30361555246474710442009-11-19T22:22:00.003-06:002009-11-19T22:48:24.075-06:00

One benefit that I immediately got from my cochlear implant was rather unexpected. Not my speech comprehension skills, which are a work in progress, but my own speech. Even with the new auditory input to my brain, my vocal facilities have somehow managed to match the words I hear daily. I can hear how people talk, and in turn I can produce sounds out of my own mouth to match how people

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-36455541280082573542009-11-12T15:07:00.006-06:002009-11-12T15:29:30.181-06:00

There are days where I don't feel like I'm making any progress with my speech comprehension. Today is one of them. I feel particularly tired today and I don't know why. The speech exercises that I've been practicing on are becoming too easy. The closed set exercises are a piece of cake, and starting to get boring. The open set is still as challenging as ever.When I have the TV on at a high

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-42861817519555903722009-11-04T21:10:00.009-06:002009-11-04T21:44:22.679-06:00

Sorry, my loyal readers, I have been AWOL from my blog but rest assured I didn't abandon it. Lots of things going on in my life right now, so I haven't been thinking about my cochlear implant or how I'm progressing. I'm just using it as it is literally a part of me now. In fact, I think my lipreading skills have atrophied a bit as I've grown to depend partially on my new sense of hearing.In

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-90624991128501773322009-10-22T11:22:00.005-05:002009-10-22T11:31:16.876-05:00

I'm reading the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol, and I have been reading aloud as I go along.Photo Credit: Amazon.comReading aloud helps me to hear the words I'm reading. I can get a good feel for what they sound like, so that if I hear them again in conversation, I'll be able to match those words with what I heard before from my own mouth.It also helps me practice my speech. Since I can

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-49177934463587609862009-10-21T09:01:00.015-05:002009-10-21T21:53:43.923-05:00

Sorry for not embedding the video here, its HTML code just doesn't work with Blogger and I'm not gonna drive myself mad trying to figure it out. So just click on this link:Cochlear Implant VideoEnjoy!*** Correction: Thanks to Chris the first commenter below, it was pointed out that Sam isn't a Gallaudet professor though Josh is at GU. So, to avoid further confusion, I renamed this title and

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-16256240418838670682009-10-17T11:48:00.010-05:002009-10-17T11:59:42.587-05:00

I get this question a lot. Most of the time they ask in terms of what it's like to not hear anything, not in terms of communication or how I live my life.Ironically, I had never been able to explain it properly because being deaf was all I knew. Having no meaningful point of reference, I would fumble or grasp at straws in my answers, only to get blank stares in response. Until I got my

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-77481563261555850732009-10-13T22:47:00.003-05:002009-10-13T22:56:47.278-05:00

I've been struggling so much with telling the difference between the R and L sounds, as in "right" vs "light", or "feel" vs "fear". Those sounds sound so similar to me, and they almost sound like vowels. When I first started listening with the CI, and even now, the R and L sounded virtually the same to me. It was driving me nuts! Now, I practiced listening on this site my speech pathologist

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-10556385014039008842009-10-12T22:17:00.002-05:002009-10-12T22:28:03.563-05:00

Dear readers,I recently started a team to take on the challenge of participating in the Walk4Hearing produced by the Hearing Loss Association of America. This Walk4Hearing is a 5K walk-a-thon that takes place in many cities around the United States, including Houston on Saturday, November 7th.The purpose of the Walk4Hearing is to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of hearing

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-62217497903158068502009-10-06T22:37:00.012-05:002009-10-06T23:12:17.385-05:00

Take any one skill - chess, baseball, playing the guitar, reading lips - and master it. How long does it take to master any one of these skills, or any skill?I've been reading the book, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and in one chapter he talks about The Beatles, and a star computer programmer turned billionaire Bill Gates. Those people mastered one skill and got rich and famous for it,

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-88456080400436756282009-10-05T09:58:00.004-05:002010-03-05T17:59:28.915-06:00

I've been thinking more and more about getting a second implant in my other ear. After getting adjusted to my CI, the hearing aid in the other ear just isn't working out, except perhaps for listening to music. Other than that, it's been screwing up my ability to understand speech and doesn't help with localizing sounds. I guess I love my CI so much that I'm thinking about another one!Even so,

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-49835479919572612782009-10-02T15:32:00.005-05:002009-10-02T15:38:12.600-05:00

I can now understand conversation fillers now. Here's a partial list of fillers that I can comprehend without looking at the person or reading lips:Uhhyeahmm-hmmUmmokayalrightOhYa know?And as Homer Simpson would say, "D-oh!"Soon after the novelty of being able to hear them wears off, I'll probably find them annoying.

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-54637587826149148852009-09-28T11:35:00.002-05:002009-09-28T11:47:55.882-05:00

I had the TV on, but I wasn't watching it. I was working on my computer, cleaning my apartment, and laying on the couch reading a book. Then I doze in and out, while the news came on. I don't understand anything that was said, but I'm not really paying attention... until I close my eyes and I hear the words: "in other news, an eight year old child has been reported missing by her parents and

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-6931358689214822062009-09-15T22:15:00.007-05:002009-09-15T22:22:49.849-05:00

Remember I posted about that loud squealing noise I've been hearing but could not identify it for the life of me? Well, I figured it out.It was my alarm clock!Specifically the Sonic Alert SB1000ss:It had been set to go off at 7:00 PM, not AM. And I've been wondering why my alarm clock hasn't been going off in the morning lately.Go figure!

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-30574873217090753352009-09-13T21:37:00.004-05:002009-09-13T21:46:37.757-05:00

Am I on a blogging kick or what?Just to see if I could do it, I talked to my mom on the phone twice the past week, the first time at my uncle's house in Dallas over Labor Day weekend. We kept the conversation simple, but I understood a good portion of what she said. A sample of our conversation went like this:"Hello?""Hey mom, its me Nabeel.""Hi Nabeel, this is Mom. How are you?""I'm fine, how

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-87801738178980429672009-09-11T19:15:00.002-05:002009-09-11T19:20:53.718-05:00

I'm sitting in my apartment when this really high pitched pulsating squeal reverberates inside my brain... I get up and go around my apartment turning off every appliance I see. Things go quiet. Problem solved, right? SQUEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeWhat in God's name is THAT? I look outside, and see nothing out of the ordinary. Been going on for 2 weeks,

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-6561731714643844062009-09-09T11:21:00.003-05:002009-09-09T11:35:08.310-05:00

Anybody can lipread that. That phrase is often said without voice, so the listener automatically looks at the moving lips. I don't know whether it started by George H.W. Bush saying his famous one-liner, "read my lips, no new taxes", or it is just that obvious. Even a horrible lipreader can lipread "can you read my lips".So whenever somebody asks me, "Can you read my lips?" I don't say yes.

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-40601002711027743792009-08-31T19:47:00.003-05:002009-08-31T19:49:27.069-05:00

I'm going on work travel to Portland for a few days, then off to Dallas for Labor Day weekend and won't be blogging for at least a week.Meanwhile, I'm curious as to what you think... what is the most annoying accent you've heard?Have at it, people. This might be entertaining...

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-15694669754472822992009-08-28T23:12:00.013-05:002009-08-29T00:03:04.377-05:00

When you have a cochlear implant, or a hearing aid on, it's easy to hear. Hearing requires no effort on your part. But understanding and comprehending speech is a whole another game. And I'm starting to have fun with it.A portion of today's appointment with my speech pathologist went like this:"Okay, what we're going to work on is your voiceless consonant recognition within sentences. I will

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-77795798924920510192009-08-18T22:55:00.006-05:002009-08-18T23:50:06.821-05:00

Last Friday I went in for a mapping and a session with my speech pathologist. Nothing really exciting there, and the novelty of the CI has worn off already. When the novelty of having a CI wears off, that's when the real work begins. The real work is learning how to listen.Photo Credit: Gina Baksa Life Coaching, May 2009Lemme back up a bit... I have already accepted the fact that I will be

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-78354577360080241512009-08-17T20:30:00.005-05:002009-08-17T22:30:36.657-05:00

Today's post isn't going to be about the new mapping; that will come later this week. For now, what I wanted to share is a little pet peeve of mine.Since the Internet came along, you've probably filled out a lot of forms and applications online for whatever purpose (applying for credit, replying to a job posting, and just about everything else). Ever notice the asterisks (*) next to the fields

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-75564380176180611542009-08-13T21:40:00.002-05:002009-08-13T21:44:08.165-05:00

Tomorrow will be my 5th appointment with my audiologist and my 2nd with the speech pathologist. An exciting morning, that's for sure. Then I'm going to San Antonio on Saturday and Austin on Sunday with my cousins and their friend. I'm going to go see the caverns with little waterfalls and then ride down the zip wire from a tower. It'll be nice to hear the soothing sounds of waterfalls and

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-59317654387523136272009-08-07T15:38:00.021-05:002009-08-07T16:25:02.507-05:00

I have a confession to make. I haven't been as bimodal as I should be, or wearing a hearing aid in the other ear apart from the CI. I would go for hours and hours without hearing anything through the hearing aid, while everything I'm hearing comes through the CI. So I would put my hand up there to turn it on.Only it's ALREADY on!So I checked the hearing aid battery to see if it's dead. The

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-56054306241195860262009-07-26T08:37:00.012-05:002009-07-26T09:56:40.738-05:00

With the cochlear implant comes with several listening options depending on which environment you're in. I have four programs within the external implant processor, and I can switch between them anytime I felt I needed to. These are:P1 - Everyday sounds and normal listening environments. Could be at home, at the office, or the outdoors. This program uses the regular MAP and doesn't make any

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-32741651635356729682009-07-23T11:30:00.006-05:002009-07-23T11:42:09.521-05:00

I was walking in my office one morning when I hear something like:*ssswhoooshh whoooshh whoooshh*Then I stopped to listen.*silence*I hear a few voices but no swooshing sound. Maybe it's my imagination. Plus it was 8 am and I was still waking up. Then I start walking again.*ssswhooosh whoooshh swhoooshh whoooshhh*I stop again, looking around, flabbergasted. WHAT is making that sound? I listen

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-91488338385981899312009-07-17T23:12:00.010-05:002009-07-18T00:02:50.889-05:00

Six weeks to the day since I got activated, I found myself back in the audiologist's office telling her about what transpired since I last saw her. I was telling her how I felt about the implant, which is mostly positive.Sometimes I could get almost everything in a group conversation one day, but the next day I would be completely and totally lost. Just like good and bad hair days for women, I

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-65248989358973055732009-07-11T15:12:00.008-05:002009-07-11T16:17:07.060-05:00

I've been making progress with my hearing, but there actually hasn't been much to tell. I've already picked up most environmental sounds and committed them to memory - I made fast progress on that. Speech understanding is coming a lot more slowly, especially when it is open set and most especially when it's noisy. Here's where I'm at: Let's imagine for a moment that you are a speech trainer

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-13154911854563532112009-06-27T19:47:00.008-05:002009-06-27T20:14:07.086-05:00

Here it is again - as promised: The good, the bad, and the ugly of using a cochlear implant in the first month since Activation Day. It has been an experience, that's for sure. The Good* The last time I said voices are beginning to sound natural was a few weeks ago. But what it sounded like before doesn't even compare to what it sounds like now. Voices and almost everything else sounds "

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-69641875114672425092009-06-24T19:42:00.003-05:002009-06-24T20:11:24.975-05:00

On Friday, before leaving to Nashville for the weekend, I got a new map for my CI and the sounds are much fuller and richer than before. The first couple of programs now sounds pretty vanilla without much detail compared to the program I have now. After telling her everything that I've experienced in the last two weeks, my audiologist said that I've already surpassed her expectations. Now the

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-28783190598343187882009-06-21T19:36:00.012-05:002009-06-24T22:04:37.117-05:00

This weekend I went to Nashville for the HLAA Convention and had a great time, though I missed the first two days. Having gone only for one day, the highlights of my convention experience didn't include any of the workshops I attended:1. Meeting people from all over the country who also have a hearing loss and use cochlear implants or hearing aids, and want to participate in both hearing and

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-52450260327914729112009-06-15T09:45:00.015-05:002009-06-15T11:07:11.337-05:00

Today marks exactly two weeks after my cochlear implant was activated. I'm already starting to tune a lot of sounds out, especially when I'm focused on something. Even the most annoying sounds don't bother me as much. Could be time to crank the volume up a little more, though.I had gotten a lot of questions about my implant seemingly everywhere I go, so this post is going to be an ad-hoc

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-73503533940491525802009-06-07T14:39:00.017-05:002009-06-07T15:56:17.827-05:00

I've decided to start a biweekly or monthly series about the good, bad, and ugly throughout my CI journey. That way it will keep things honest and help people who are considering getting cochlear implants make the best informed decision for themselves. As other bloggers have expressed, we only seem to hear the good stuff about having a cochlear implant.When I was making my decision to get one,

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-46441520038755519432009-06-04T23:19:00.013-05:002009-06-05T09:42:03.924-05:00

The past few days have been very interesting to say the least. Oh, where do I begin?Today's tune up was more of the same as the last time, except my audiologist turned on all the electrodes and fine tuned half of them, every other electrode in the array. She'll fine tune the other half in two weeks. I had told her of my hearing experiences, the good and bad, and the fact that I could not hear

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-89586426334095199532009-06-01T18:37:00.020-05:002009-06-07T15:30:21.533-05:00

...Tinkerbell!Birth date: 6/1/2009Place of residence: Nabeel's Right Ear, P.O. Box 29Alright, I'm getting ahead of myself already. This is going to be a LONG post, so go grab a cup of tea or a snack, and make yourself comfortable.Okay, you settled in? Good. Here goes.This morning, in sunny and hot weather, I headed to the audiologist's office to turn my implant on and get fitted with a BTE

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-33495480502443737272009-05-28T22:02:00.004-05:002009-05-28T22:15:01.467-05:00

Only 3 days to activation. The moment of truth. No more waiting, which is the worst part.I'm excited and also nervous - even more so than before the surgery. I know to keep my expectations low, but my hopes could not help but creep up a little bit each day. I'm trying to keep my hopes from going into the stratosphere because I don't want to set myself up for disappointment. However, I am

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-22881938918622488192009-05-21T23:50:00.005-05:002009-05-22T08:12:12.145-05:00

I was thinking about what sets apart the people who do really well with a cochlear implant and those who don't do as well. How long the person has been deaf and how often their auditory nerve has been simulated are factors that affect performance. But there may be a factor far more important than anything else: AttitudeAfter talking with many CI users, I noticed a pattern. The CI users who

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-960877908735711162009-05-19T11:15:00.007-05:002009-05-19T11:27:54.030-05:00

1. I can blow my nose now. Okay, just a little bit.2. The Yao-less Rockets had a good run, but lost Game 7 to the NBA powerhouse Lakers.3. Me thinking I shoulda pushed for an earlier activation date.4. Booked a flight to Nashville for the HLAA Convention on June 18-21. Registration deadline is May 24.5. Now that the TV show season finales are done, the rerun season has begun.6. Memorial Day

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-65685630074712368122009-05-11T15:36:00.012-05:002009-05-11T18:58:14.419-05:00

Today, 12 days after the operation, I can say that I don't feel anything in my ear or skull. I can almost yawn as wide as normal. One week ago, I could not open my mouth wide enough to take a bite out of a cheeseburger with tomato slices, lettuce, juicy angus beef, ketchup with a dash of spicy Tabasco, and cheddar cheese coated with delicious grease that can act as a tranquilizer for

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-65002959388040918032009-05-08T14:47:00.009-05:002009-05-08T18:25:34.823-05:00

Feeling almost back to normal today, I went to the doctor for a post-op follow up visit. I also could not wait to get the surgical tape off the back of my ear. For some reason, the tape on my ear was making me feel that I'm still not recovered from the surgery even though I felt fine.The doctor peeled the tape off easily, and poked a little at the incision. Anyone who saw it said it looks

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-80230534334603849152009-05-05T11:05:00.005-05:002009-05-05T11:20:53.859-05:00

Today is the best day so far. No pain, no dizziness, no headache, and the incision is still dry as a bone. Yesterday I had a headache which got progressively worse through the day, and I found myself asking my post-implanted friends if that was normal (yes).All I feel is an itch on the incision and all I have to do is resist the temptation to scratch it. Being a mosquito magnet, I am a

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-62290981101920714312009-05-03T11:10:00.006-05:002009-05-03T11:38:24.374-05:00

Feeling much better today. The swelling is slowly going down and the lightheaded-ness is gone, and I drove my Mom to the airport this morning without a problem.Mom has really been helpful around here, cooking me food, reminding me to take my meds, and watching the swelling on my head. She brought some books for me to read and we watched a couple of movies, Slumdog Millionaire and Marley & Me,

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-39346345671320467002009-05-01T14:32:00.002-05:002009-05-01T14:37:28.851-05:00

I'm still tired, sleepy, and a bit light headed today, but feeling better overall than yesterday. The swelling has gone down a bit, which is an encouraging sign that things are healing the way it's supposed to. The pain is maybe 2 or 3 on a scale of 1-10, nothing that Tylenol can't handle. My appetite is as strong as ever, eating 4 or 5 good meals a day. But I still can't open my mouth as

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-29926545114298390812009-04-30T11:36:00.005-05:002009-04-30T12:05:31.801-05:00

Friends, now that I'm feeling well enough to write, I'll tell more about my surgery and the post-op.I went into the hospital at 630 am with my mom, minimal waiting time, and before I knew it, I had an IV set up and they were wheeling me into the OR. Each of the nurses and the anesthesiologist had asked me the same questions: "what is Dr. Vrabec doing today?" "Which ear?" "What's your name and

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-20778239096443673612009-04-29T16:42:00.002-05:002009-04-29T16:44:06.912-05:00

I'm at home now, the surgery went fine. More later. I'm on pain meds so I'm somewhat loopy right now. It took a couple attempts to log in because I typed in the wrong password. Stay tuned.

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-81436660080231990692009-04-27T20:14:00.006-05:002009-04-27T22:00:12.852-05:00

If you've seen the Monday night episode of House on April 27 (FOX channel), you probably watched House and his team trying to treat a deaf guy who suddenly got sick during a high school wrestling match and ended up getting a cochlear implant. There were so many things that were factually incorrect about the CI and they showed a lack of understanding of the deaf community.I know I said my next

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-44289074887878434102009-04-27T09:38:00.002-05:002009-04-27T09:41:10.217-05:00

The clock is ticking. 48 hours from now, I will be under the knife for what I hope will be a successful operation. Other than that, not much has been going on. I've been working out a lot lately, to get myself in optimal shape and I've inspired myself to do another bike tour or even a triathlon this fall. My next post will be after the operation, hopefully on Wednesday evening. Stay tuned.

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-87064108063264226402009-04-22T18:57:00.005-05:002009-04-22T18:59:15.215-05:00

Most these pictures were professionally taken, and I put them up on My Facebook. Enjoy!Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to the surgery only a week from today!

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-20090502804443901442009-04-21T18:53:00.012-05:002009-04-21T19:19:45.339-05:00

This past weekend, I rode the MS 150 charity bike ride to raise money to combat Multiple Sclerosis. Usually this is a 150-mile bike ride split into two portions, a little over 60 miles the first day and almost 90 miles the second day.Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. The first day of the MS 150 was canceled because of flooding rains. Imagine riding in this:Saturday was simply not

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-69084064888308356282009-04-16T14:18:00.007-05:002009-04-16T18:09:06.306-05:00

I went in today for the pre-op appointment, and I met with the audiologist first to give me a chance to ask any questions I had about the surgery and post-op. We also confirmed which device I wanted to go with, just to be on the same page. I asked about how long the incision would be (3 inches behind the ear), whether she would test the implant before they closed up the incision (yes), and

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-29133882728576129182009-04-07T11:47:00.002-05:002009-04-08T09:40:39.279-05:00

Just a quick note... April is shaping up to be an interesting month. The MS 150 is finally coming up on April 18-19, something I have been training long and hard for. I will be riding with some people from my company along with over 10,000 riders. I'll try and have someone take some pics of the ride for you guys to see.We also have performance reviews at my company, and my desk might be moving

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-82139318244365894092009-03-30T18:08:00.005-05:002009-03-30T18:46:27.844-05:00

After my previous post, a commenter asked about my audiogram and how deep my hearing loss is, aided and unaided. So I took a picture of one of my audiograms from the year 2000 and am posting it here. I don't have a copy of my most recent audiogram so this one will have to do for now.A brief explanation of this audiogram for those who never seen it: The left up-down Y axis represents the volume

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-50754981015692501872009-03-25T15:17:00.005-05:002009-03-26T09:44:46.308-05:00

Ladies and Gents, we have what I and everyone has been waiting for.... the highly anticipated surgery date:April 29, 2009Less than a month from now, and it falls on a Wednesday. My mom is gonna fly down to Houston from DC to be with me while I go under the knife, drive me home afterwards, and help me heal up at home.I also have a pre-op appointment the week before, on April 16. This is

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-84045355333307120272009-03-24T17:58:00.003-05:002009-03-24T18:08:35.549-05:00

Today I got an email from a nurse who works for Dr. Vrabec at Methodist saying that insurance called - they're going to cover my implant surgery and the device! The next step will be setting a pre-op and a surgery date, and I will know more by the end of the week.This is becoming more and more real. Before today, it felt like this is something that "might" happen. Now this is really happening,

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-43760769444529700082009-03-13T16:38:00.005-05:002009-03-13T16:50:28.337-05:00

It's been four weeks since the doctor's office sent the information to my insurance for approval. I expected it would take at least this long, but I couldn't help calling my insurance company to check on things. The rep pulled up my information, and said that they did get the information but the predetermination hasn't been made as of yet. Not wanting to push too hard, I said I'd call back

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-25251983223747125902009-02-23T21:11:00.007-06:002009-02-23T22:26:29.507-06:00

Not much to report these days, still waiting for the OK from insurance. I probably won't know my surgery date until my next appointment with the ENT, which could be around the end of March or early April. However, I called the ENT's office and asked if we could schedule the surgery after April 20 because I wanted to plan around the MS 150 bike-a-thon on April 18-19. Yes, that's 150 miles that

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-45648185482421698172009-02-11T20:05:00.015-06:002009-02-11T21:44:57.568-06:00

A lot of people have been asking me about the controversy within the deaf community over cochlear implants. I was a little hesitant to post this, it is a very touchy topic because there are so many factors that play into a decision to get an implant. Up until the late 1990s the deaf community was completely against cochlear implants, especially at Gallaudet University. I've known deaf people

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-80354151928811864422009-02-09T21:03:00.006-06:002009-02-09T23:35:09.984-06:00

Waiting for insurance doesn't always mean plopping on the couch and watching the clock tick. I decided to take an active role in getting insurance coverage for my operation. I'm doing this because I really don't want a $10,000 bill showing up in the mail - now that would really spoil anyone's day, wouldn't it?First, I called a rep at my insurance company to find out whether they cover cochlear

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-52458136794587048272009-02-05T10:38:00.000-06:002009-02-05T10:50:11.678-06:00

I’ve been spending the last two weeks researching the two implant options – the HiRes 90K and Nucleus Freedom. Everyone kept telling me that they’re both good, but that only made the choice even harder. I also looked at the way the companies market their implants; you can tell a lot about a company by looking at the ways they do this. The competition between them is extremely fierce.The

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-47196182153385443822009-02-02T22:09:00.001-06:002009-02-03T16:20:30.860-06:00

On the same day, I met with Dr. Vrabec. We had a conversation about cochlear implants where I was asking the questions about the procedure and the risks. The doctor was very professional, succinct, and conveyed much information with the fewest possible words. His mannerisms were deliberate, precise, and without wasted motion. He had the qualities that I would look for in a surgeon. Indeed,

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-73095622018982201492009-02-02T21:47:00.000-06:002009-02-03T15:23:21.413-06:00

Although my appointment wasn’t until 9:15 am, I got up at 5:45 am after a fitful sleep. Could not go back to sleep, so I used the extra time to make a list of questions that I wanted to ask. My list was 40 questions long. I arrived at the medical center half an hour early, and was heartened to see that my interpreter showed up early as well. I made sure to request an interpreter because I

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-27124332323078483532009-02-02T21:19:00.001-06:002009-03-02T23:33:39.309-06:00

I wanted to be able to participate more in meetings, especially those outside of my immediate department, in order to grow professionally. I also wanted to participate more in group conversations so my social life can improve. Would a cochlear implant enable me to do these things? Even with minimal benefits of a cochlear implant, would I be able to lipread better and follow group conversations

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-4540988672264486992009-02-02T19:54:00.001-06:002009-02-02T21:13:01.945-06:00

At UVA, I met a few other deaf students and a successful deaf professor, Christopher Krentz, who taught English and American Sign Language (ASL). We’d get together for regular “silent dinners” where we would communicate only in sign language. My interest in the deaf community started growing. After a while, I wanted to socialize with more deaf people but the population of deaf students at UVA

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-5681374644118743222009-02-02T19:47:00.002-06:002009-03-23T15:42:55.735-05:00

I was born congenitally deaf in November 1979. My parents did not find out I was profoundly deaf until I was 14 months old, and they were devastated. Hearing tests at the Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC showed that I had a loss of 90 decibels in the low frequencies and 100 decibels in the medium-high frequencies. The range of normal hearing is less than 20 decibels through all

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6701407509045723605.post-16117541878644119252009-02-02T18:34:00.000-06:002009-02-03T00:28:47.361-06:00

I’m a 29 year old deaf guy currently living in Texas and I have just decided to get a cochlear implant. There was not a single significant cataclysmic event that helped me arrive at this decision; it was a combination of a series of small events that unfolded throughout my life shaping my identity, my desire to experience life to the fullest, and the next personal milestones I strive for.I had

Nabeelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265022139149123383noreply@blogger.com