I am shattered...

...went to hospital to get the upgrade for my cochlear speech processor.

The upgrade was fitted and it is much smaller and much more comfortable. The old speech processor was bigger, so much so it kept getting knocked off from behind my ear. This new one stays in place, and the magnet that attaches to my head is comfortable and doesn’t hurt (the old one did).

Sound was different. A more softer sound. The sound is more comfortable to hear. I don’t know how much I can hear with it yet in different situations.

It is the end of the day, and I have been wearing this new upgraded cochlear speech processor since 12 hours ago, and I still have it on.

The old one I had to take off as soon as I got in from being out. The magnet of the old speech processor was doing my head in, so was the sound, it was uncomfortable etc.

This new one is very small, the magnet and holder is not touching the processor as it did on the old one, rubbing and making everything noisy and uncomfortable. They couldn't do anything about it before because that was how it was.

Sound is different, softer. Not sure yet how this new cochlear speech processor works for all different situations, but I will explore that in next few days. I think they have learnt from the problems I had the other year with the older processor, and they are not doing any drastic changes this time, but only in the smallest increments so as not to upset my brain.

But the problems came when they were trying to connect up to the app on my iPhone. I now control this new processor through an app on my iPhone.

The iPhone is up to date with its software. And is compatible.

We installed the app. The technician went into the settings in the iPhone, so you had to go into a setting, and then further and further and further again a few times in order to set the parameters on the speech processor and set the ratios and other stuff.

Then you can go into the app, and do volume control from that. Also you can do some other stuff, change programs, and for the first time I have a treble and a bass which i can adjust. So, I am thinking this is fantastic.

But, after it was all set up and working with the app, the app suddenly decided the speech processor was not on my head (it was) and that it was not paired with the iPhone (it was because the technician had paired it).

Sigh...

A phone call to Cochlear and the technician comes back awhile later with further instructions on how to do this.

It is all finally set up and tested again. It works now. So we say cheerio.

But i have a gut feeling...

So I go into the hospital cafe and have something to eat and a coffee. The cafe is noisy so I want to play with the bass and treble to see if I can make the sound better.

I go to the app, but it says again my speech processor is not connected to my head (it is), and neither has it been paired with the app (but the technician had done that shortly before).

Back to audiology I go, but the technician is busy with another patient. So someone else comes out to help me.

She connects everything up but app won’t accept my new processor. Tries several things. Finally she goes away and another long phone call to Cochlear. She comes back and goes into depths of my phone again. App is deleted for a second time. App is reinstalled. Finally it does all connect up and it is working again.

So I say cheerio and set off home. I have a gut feeling this is not properly sorted still, but I am tired now, it has been a long day, and I need to get home.

I stop in a cafe on the way home, for something to eat and a camomile tea. The coffee machine is a bit noisy, etc and I want to try and adjust what i can adjust through the app to make it sound better....but alas, the app tells me the sound processor is not attached to my head and neither is it paired to the phone...sigh...

I text the hospital. In the meantime I delete the app yet again. I hope I can remember everything that went on earlier to reconnect and pair etc etc.

I manage it. Get it all up and working again and manage to change the treble. I took some of the treble out. It made the sound in the cafe more comfortable.

I get communication off the hospital and i am being sent a more direct way of communicating with Cochlear so their advice team hopefully can sort this. But I got it working myself this time. The technician thought something was wrong with the processor and I have another appointment in a few weeks where they will try and get another processor. They didn’t have a spare at the hospital.

Technology is fun isn’t it?

I do know a recent cochlear implantee who hasn’t got to grips with the app to control his new processor. The app keeps giving wrong information.


This new processor is so comfortable I still haven’t taken it off yet. This is the very longest I have ever worn the speech processor in one continuous go...or am I too scared to take it off in case...

Oh well, i will have to take it off in a minute. I won’t be able to sleep in it will I? The old processor fell off when I tried to sleep in it. I wonder what this one will do?

I might try and sleep with it on...I haven’t got my horrendous tinnitus while I am wearing it. When i took the old processor off the tinnitus hit me like a ton of bricks and carried on all night...

I am going to google and see if people do sleep with their speech processors on at night...what would it be like to hear night sounds?

The photo by the way is the ceiling of the cafe in the hospital...