Self-help.... with CI....

When Lotte started with her CI, it was obvious that even though she liked wearing them, putting them on was not a necessity. She could be walking around without sound, not being bothered about the silence. After all, it's part of her life....

Gradually, she became more aware of this, and she would be quick to put them on..
(I recall an episode where she had a tantrum, let herself fall on the floor, crying, and when the CI came off, she made sure it was put on again.... I guess part of crying is hearing yourself...) But she could still go around a while with dead batteries without telling us. We use to normally change them every 3 days. But it seemed that if the sound was gone, and the coils were still there.... Ah, well, she just continued in silence....

About a month ago the next phase started. She notices when the batteries are dead. She'll alert us, and we will change them. Not long after that, she showed that she couldn't wait for us... ....
I was sitting at the table, and Lotte indicated that the "ears" didn't work. I wanted to check the display, and told her to come to me. First with my voice - she refused..., then voice and sign, but she had still no intention of coming to me. She wanted to go upstairs and get the batteries herself.... No time to loose!!!

I love to see her enjoying the CI, enjoying the sounds around her. And I also enjoy how she is perfectly comfortable without the sound. Sure, during the day, she wants to hear and will insist on new batteries. There's too much to miss I guess.
But when we take her to bed, take off the CI (pinned to her cloths on her shoulder..) she continues as if nothing happened.
And I guess she's lucky that she has absolutely no negative experience with putting them on either. She just does it and is up and running...