What does Lotte feel, what does she hear...??
One problem for parents with young children that have CI is to grasp what the actual experience of CI is like. Obviously, these children have no previous experience of sound, so there is nothing to compare it with. Their experience is as it is. For them it's normal.
In a previous post, there was focus on how we as parents of young children with CI go through the same experiences and how this makes an invisible bond.
But also the older people that actually have CI in the messageboards are close to us. This because they can give us an insight in our childrens world.
One example, discussed before, is the feeling of the CI or coil being put on or taken off.
I have copied part of the posts (that I copied into the comments) below, but a couple of experiences I have put down here. It's a wonderful insight about how it might be for Lotte; even thought every experience might be different. (As said, more info in the comments...)
AllDeaf, september 2006
Its more like a whine - its the complete *absence* of sound -like severe tinitus that lasts about 30 seconds. I think its the auditory nerve getting used to going from a state of high stimulation to nothing. |
| whoosh or whine, well stand in the room where your tv is with sound on. blow a whistle to yourself then suddenly stop, notice it is quiet for a second the sound start hitting your ear eh. |
| When I attach the coil I hear whatever is in the vincinity - be it voices, music, whatever- there's no "waiting period" or needing to get used to it - [...] However, when I take the coil OFF, I get what is like a high pitched "whine" sound - [...] |
| I always get that weird sensation when I take my coil off, it lasts about 2 seconds. [...] As for putting on the CI, I get like loud beeps [...] for 3-4 seconds...not too loud, but is noticable. |
