Being Bionic

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We have now completed Week 7 since Harry’s Switch On date. So we are clocking up close to 2 months of hearing and a baby getting very close to 11months old.

The cartoon I’ve referenced is the Bionic Six so allow me the pleasure of some Blog- poetic license in my inspiration today. In the family of Bionic characters the son Jack has the ability to repel metallic objects through his electromagnetic powers.

As you can gauge the magnets are still very much a constant source of time investment for me. Repelling the magnets has become a favourite game of Harry’s – just pulling them off or rubbing his head against something to knock them off, appears to be more fun than any game I can particpate in with him.

I have started to think it is just the positioning of the internal magnets on Harry’s skull that is the cause. (Possibly due to the shape of his head). Looking at photos of other people and kids with the CI’s on, the magnet sits almost exactly above the ear. Harry’s left one is almost at the back of his head. I have decided I can learn to live with it as it is not going to change in my lifetime and I am sure he will love its position when he is older as it is less prominent from the front. Living with the magnets was even more palatable with last weeks agreement from the CIC to give me a number 2 magnet . Yippee…. Thank you and finally. I hope that this will be my last posting discussing the trials and tribulations of magnets and we can concentrate on Harry’s many other superpowers.

The incredibly creative and visual mind of our friend Jane has given us a new version of the HearingHenry headband. I say visual as she created the headgear without Harry around just from pictures I posted on the Blog and her memory of seeing him – I AM IN AWE . Jane’s version has pockets to hold the processor in each side with popper studs to open and close them for easy access that is so much more economical than the braces elastics which we were working our way through faster than a teenager can eat hot chips. The pockets have been designed so the flashing light on the processor is fully visible ( this is our indicator for whether the magnets have fallen off as I ‘ve ditched the remote to save my nervous system) and Jane has also thought about an open area for the microphone so sounds are not muffled in any way. Combining this band with the new no.2 magnets we are so close to finding the solution to keeping Harry consistently with sound. If Harry is busy and happy with the sounds he is hearing we are onto a winner.

It is funny; this last week I have noticed him pulling the device off for attention. How convenient for him- remove the Ears and mum comes running. If I am not around the girls have taken to screaming “Cochlear alert, cochlear alert”. This has no impact on Harry’s behaviour of course as he has already removed the Ears and is in his own pleasurably silent world.