Leaving Boston
As they were leaving Boston, Tammy noticed how loud everything was. She could hear everything but there were too many sounds going at once and she did not know what they were. It was all a "blur of noise." Among the many sounds pouring into her implant were buses, squeaking and hissing of vehicle brakes, air being pushed, construction...etc. Tammy had lived in DC for four years while at Gallaudet University and had never noticed the city sounds before.The entire time they were in Boston, there was one constant whooshing sound Tammy kept hearing. By the time they got home to the suburbs she had realized it was the sound of cars passing! Now the sound of cars drives her nuts. Before she could not hear a car coming, and now she hears them even long before they pass. That's not all...she can also distinguish the "car sound" as a truck, bus, car, motorcycle, or airplane and even hear vehicle problems and the distinct difference between diesel and unleaded gas powered vehicles.
On the way home, music "sounded completely awesome" to Tammy, who "couldn’t get enough." She found herself not having to concentrate as hard as before to understand her husband even when he was not looking at her. They tried the radio and Tammy could hear the weather forecaster talking. She "got bits and pieces" of what was said, which was enough to understand the weather report.
Back Home
Returning home, Tammy over the next few days embarked on a series of what can only be described as "Sound Adventures," or as Tammy prefers, "CI Moments." Just a few of these adventures:- She heard her husband and child chomping tootsie rolls and throwing wrappers in the garbage can.
- A pair of her child's pants were found to be noisy! Now Tammy understood why her father had been telling her not to wear noisy clothes for hunting.
- While eating at an ice cream shop, Tammy heard people in cars pulling up. A diesel sounded terrible, one car had a severe engine problem. Newer cars were less noisy.
- Listening to an answering machine for the first time, Tammy understood most of what a friend said.
- Her husband walked downstairs while Tammy stayed upstairs, listening. He kept repeating, "Can you hear me now?" every few feet. He got almost all the way to the bathroom downstairs on the other side of the house and Tammy was still saying yes right up until he could no longer hear her. Tammy's husband now thinks Tammy "can actually hear better than he can."
- Tammy heard the furnace running in the basement even with the basement door closed.
- She heard water running down the drain into the pipes.
- She heard the washing machine on spin cycle downstairs from upstairs.
- She discovered that grocery stores are louder than she thought. Shopping carts squeak, music and overhead speakers play. It "is really annoying" and Tammy found she missed shopping in a "quiet" environment. She even overheard a conversation between a grocery store employee and another person. She was able to take and receive directions from grocery personnel easily.
- Entering the video store, she heard one employee say "Hi, Tammy" as she walked in. In the store, she heard what could only be described as elevator music.
- Tammy enjoyed informercials on television. Although she used closed captioning she could hear everything on the tv and could even tell how far behind the closed captioning was on other channels.
- Cutting her husband's hair, she could hear the snipping the shears as she went along.
- She discovered that doors and floors in her home creaked, sounding haunted.
- Starting up the computer, Tammy can hear it dialing up and connecting.
- She heard the microwave beep from the back room of the house.
- Tammy took down a persons address one day without ever having to look at the person giving it to her.
In her new world, Tammy has found several sounds that she loves, such as:
- Whispers
- Kissing. She is always saying "I love that sound."
- Flying Crickets- She heard and saw a flying cricket fluttering in the air in its place and thought it beautiful.
A common goal of CI recipients is to be able to talk on the phone. Tammy and her husband tried out the phone. Tammy could hear the dial tone, ringing, signals, and voices. Actual words were a bit unclear and much of it sounded like mumbles (but this too is said to get better with time).
A friend called and Tammy spoke with her. The friend had to repeat a couple of times but Tammy got most of what she said. After a few minutes Tammy decided to call her back on the TTY because it was exhausting guessing and her friend was ironically having a hard time too because her friend's hearing was getting worse.
Tammy has started using the phone and can get bits and pieces of what is said, but quick changes of topic are still difficult.
