Spencer Tracy, get out of my dressing room!

What a day!

The grey day started with the collection of my father from hospital after an overnight stay. Not good, but we're not talking about that here.

We headed to Gladesville a little early to start the video footage [movie in production, be patient]

Monica started the process. We opened the case - it's so big with so many bits and pieces in it!
OK We were setup and ready to go. I turned off implant #1.

We started with the tones, in a beep beep beep sequence.
I could hear them but they weren't a 'pure sound'. But thats the way I've always heard the audiologist tones.
Then we went for the volume settings and about 15 different tones, bringing them up to comfortable level.

Then the big moment - voice.

I could hear a voice thru the curtain of squelching. I realised it was Monica saying something and I concentrated on what she was saying. I could make it out! I had  to lip-read quite intensely at first [Thanx Mary].
We tried a few more things and Monica asked how that sounded. I realised that I was hearing the voices of the four in the room [including myself]. We all sounded like Katherine Hepburn!!

I imagined that the voices might have said [using the Katherine Hepburn guise]
"Spencer Tracy get out of my dressing room!" as the star of the big screen herself may well have said.

Monica pointed-out that this scenario was unique [for each recipient], after implant #2 was turned on but before the influence of implant #1impacted. The sensation of individual hearing thru implant #2 was something which would fade with time and once the two implants worked together as they would be soon enough! It was an amazing experience.

So continuing with the testing we came to the point with both implants on. That was amazing. Initially, I could see Monica speaking in front of my face but I could also hear extra parallel versions over my left and right shoulders! This sensation lessened after a while but the squelchiness was still there. It's quite a distraction to the established hearing.

Now, I'm not finished with you yet. There is about an hour of video footage shot and in the can. There will be a movie but, yes I know, you'll just have to wait. It might be ready by the time the 2011 oscars are nominated, so got your nomination forms ready...!