Our brains are really strange things. Mine seems so simple, but the things it does blow my mind (HAH).
Today, I woke up early to do some Cochlear Implant rehab before the family gets up and starts making noise. For some reason, the television remote is nowhere to be found, so I went to the Screen Actors Guild Storyline Online website. On that site, there are videos (with captions) of actors and actresses reading childrens' books. I started with Guji Guji, being read by Robert Gilluame (I managed to get my implant's Bluetooth streamer paired with the computer - that is SO much clearer than the computer speakers). Anyhow, Robert Gilluame sounded like Mickey Mouse on helium. High-pitched. I could understand the sounds when I used lipreading and the captions to help. I watched the entire story, and he still sounded like Mickey Mouse. I went to the next story, read by Haylie Duff. Strangely - she sounded almost "normal" (whatever "normal" means). After 10 seconds of that, I went on to the next one, read by Elijah Wood - he sounded just fine.
Now for the really weird thing - I went back to the Robert Gilluame video, and HE SOUNDED LIKE ROBERT GILLUAME. How strange... I took a break for a while and then said a few words to myself - *I* sounded like Mickey Mouse. I then watched 10 seconds of James Earl Jones reading a story and said the same few words to myself and I SOUNDED FRICKING NORMAL (excuse my almost French). One minute, pouring coffee sounds like beeps and squeals, and then after listening to some different stuff, it now sounds like a waterfall.
I had no idea that things would be this weird, but they are weird in a great way. I can see myself making huge progress - the trick is to listen to different things and to identify them so that my brain knows what they are and can then deliver the right interpretation to the other parts of my brain.
I knew things would get better - I just didn't know that they would be this strange and wonderful.
On to more listening!
Today, I woke up early to do some Cochlear Implant rehab before the family gets up and starts making noise. For some reason, the television remote is nowhere to be found, so I went to the Screen Actors Guild Storyline Online website. On that site, there are videos (with captions) of actors and actresses reading childrens' books. I started with Guji Guji, being read by Robert Gilluame (I managed to get my implant's Bluetooth streamer paired with the computer - that is SO much clearer than the computer speakers). Anyhow, Robert Gilluame sounded like Mickey Mouse on helium. High-pitched. I could understand the sounds when I used lipreading and the captions to help. I watched the entire story, and he still sounded like Mickey Mouse. I went to the next story, read by Haylie Duff. Strangely - she sounded almost "normal" (whatever "normal" means). After 10 seconds of that, I went on to the next one, read by Elijah Wood - he sounded just fine.
Now for the really weird thing - I went back to the Robert Gilluame video, and HE SOUNDED LIKE ROBERT GILLUAME. How strange... I took a break for a while and then said a few words to myself - *I* sounded like Mickey Mouse. I then watched 10 seconds of James Earl Jones reading a story and said the same few words to myself and I SOUNDED FRICKING NORMAL (excuse my almost French). One minute, pouring coffee sounds like beeps and squeals, and then after listening to some different stuff, it now sounds like a waterfall.
I had no idea that things would be this weird, but they are weird in a great way. I can see myself making huge progress - the trick is to listen to different things and to identify them so that my brain knows what they are and can then deliver the right interpretation to the other parts of my brain.
I knew things would get better - I just didn't know that they would be this strange and wonderful.
On to more listening!