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My Seventh Week

This week I noticed that I can distinguish between certain sounds all the time. Pepper barking, the telephone ringing and running water. Every once in a while I hear words very clearly. I always hear my name being called - it helps if there is no other noise happening - but usually I will hear it if someone repeats it a couple of times even in noisy places. I heard pepper eating and drinking in the kitchen the other day and turned to look at him...I guess I never heard it with all the other kitchen noises happening. Anyway all the sound separation makes me happy. It means I am mastering this hearing everything thing...Yes I hear everything! But I want to know what each individual thing sounds like too - not all things at once.

This is Lisa and I working on speech - she uses my external mic.

I am still going to speech and I like it. I am still working on consonant blends like 'sh' and 'sk' and 'sp' lipreading different words and I am working really hard on my voice. I visited my parents the other day and they called my brother's house. It was his machine so when the beep came - I left my message. They emailed me back and it said "There was MY SISTER on the phone talking to us... Jim and I both cried over it; we heard you say "Jimbo and Terry" and "Call me" and "Bye." We have saved the message and played it several times. You sound very clear on most words; I am very, very VERY impressed and can't wait to see and hear you soon..."   This is me with Lisa my Speech Therapist. I highly recommend her!

This weekend I went to see "Ragtime" at the Performing Arts Center at UT. I tried to use the FM assisted listening system - it didn't work. But really I didn't need it because I could hear the music and singing just fine. The show was interpreted, but the placement of the seating was too far to the right and uncomfortable for the signing deaf attendees - oh well - I will try it again next season, maybe I will be understanding more speech by then.

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