Welcome to Sam Spritzer’s Web Site

Results of a mentoring experience

I was at an after track BBQ at a friends house when I received a text on my Blackberry from Evelyn. Evelyn is a fellow mentor and a good friend who I’ve had the opportunity of meeting at the BEA mentor training weekend and the HLAA convention. She is the sweetest person you could ever meet. Together, we mentored this one person and received the email, below.

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To my dear friends, Evelyn and Sam,

Again I must apologize for not keeping in touch. It has been a a very emotional expereince since I was activated on June 11th and then the 12th. I cried that first day as I couldn’t believe I was hearing my audie speak through my CI.

I was always thinking of you both and forgive this one email to you both. It is going to take time for me to catch up with my emails as I must practice and listen to speech but I couldn’t have arrived at this point if it was not for both of you. I do not know how to work the computer that well so I hesitate trying something new on computer.

Each time I have seen the audie (3x) she inserts new programs. Between keeping the processor on my ear and switching programs to see which I like best I thought I’d go nuts. My audie suggested wig-toupe tape to keep the processor on my ear as I have very small ears and if I have to change volume or program I had to take processor off- hopefully in time this won’t be a problem. Sam I do not know how you can run with the processor on your ears and keep it there.

Happy to say today was a very good day- the processor “behaved” and stayed on my head (smiles) and I didn’t have to change programs- I have a brand new program that I didn’t realize I had on and said “oh the first program in processor is so good- and it turned out to be the third program audie inserted and said I should try. I’m so eager to put on processor in am that I didn’t look at the program I was using. So maybe I will be able to keep this program and it will be my everyday one. I know as I’ve heard this is an ongoing process and it changes as the brain adjusts. I had so many doubts as to if the CI would work as I do not know if I told you both that after I had my first son I had post-partem depression and shock treatments. My surgeon Dr. (name removed to protect the innocent) said it would not affect my ability to hear but the worrier that I am I had my doubts. As they say this is a brain thing. It works and I’m crying now, knowing that I’m hearing not perfect but 100% better than I did with the hearing aids.

When I was being activated they had a young woman who was training to be an audie and the next time they had a fellow doing research- all of them were amazed that I was doing so well- I only hope it continues in that direction. I was asked by (name removed to protect the innocent) (he is doing the research) if I would partake in this reasearch for CI and I said yes- because if I can help another humana being so I will. It is at another hospital in NY. (Bellevue hospital)

G-d Bless the two of you for helping me achieve what I have in the journey to hearing - It is never to late to be able to hear.

With love and thanks,
(Name removed to protect the innocent)

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June 24th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA | 2 comments

June 14th mentoring experience

This is a continuing of an email exchange that started at the end of May…

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Hi Sam…I am almost ready to commit…they all seem really good…I haven’t had my MRI yet and I am waiting to get the green light from our insurance company…hoping the surgery part of it isn’t that bad…how long did it take before you felt better?? It is the part after where you have to relearn to recognize words and speech…that is what I am concerned with…I hope I do have a Rip Van Winkle experience…that would be great…thanks for your concern…I see you are a runner…my daughter works in the Athletic dept. at UB and has done the corporate challenge in the past…she is an all around athlete and at age 31 got a gold medal in the Masters Womens Volleyball Division at the Empire State Games…right now she is sporting crutches…a result of a torn Quad muscle in her left leg…did it playing on a softball league…she loves sports of any kind…good luck in your upcoming race and have a great day…(name removed to protect the innocent)

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Good morning (name removed to protect the innocent),
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner but with summer here, it seems I have more of a reason to be outside and less, inside. And of course, I am looking forward to the Hearing Loss Association of America convention in Nashville, this Wednesday.

The surgery part is not as bad as one would expect. In some cases, Dr. (name removed to protect the innocent) does it at Windsong which is an ambulatory center in Williamsville. In others, he’ll do it at Sisters Hospital. I had my first surgery at Windsong and the second at Sisters. The first time around, I was good to go after about five days. The second time, believe it or not, I was actually outside running by the 3rd day! Everyone is different so it’s hard to say what your experience is but I generally hear five days is the norm. You might want to take advantage of that for pampering purposes!!

Since you were a teacher assistant, you probably understand how the brain works during the learning process. In your case, since you lost your hearing about 12 years ago, your brain will still recognize many of the words you have known over the years. It is really a matter of waking it up from its Rip Van Winkle state and I think most of that depends on your persistence, perseverance and patience. It will not be like in my case, a whole new learning experience where my auditory system is still in its infancy since I was born with a hearing loss.

You must be really proud of your daughter. I am sure she knows the coaches on my running club, Checkers AC. These would be (names removed to protect the innocent).

As for making your choice of devices, can you tell me what you deciding factors are now and which way you think you are leaning? I hope you’ll give me one last opportunity to tell you why the Advanced Bionic’s device is the superior choice. I would be willing to meet you for coffee if you would like to talk about this face to face.

Have a great Sunday and hope to hear from you again,
Sam

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June 14th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Uncategorized, Cochlear Implant, BEA | no comments

Another June 1st mentoring experience

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Thanks again Sam…I do feel more confident the more information I am given….today was a really big day for me…we scheduled my cochlear implant surgery for July 10th at Sisters Hospital…with Dr. (name removed to protect the innocent)….after all the information from you and the fact that (name removed to protect the innocent) says that after she was upgraded from the Clarion Device to the Harmony that her understanding of speech increased 90%…that is pretty impressive…I am now leaning toward the Harmony Device and have until 7/01 to let (name removed to protect the innocent) at the Doctors office know which implant I will get…we are seeking approval from our insurance company and then I get the MRI and if all goes well I will be good to go….I guess one thing that appealed to me about Med-El was the fact that is it said to be the thinnest and lightest implant of the 3….but what I really want is to understand speech and hopefully music again and my grandaughter(from the backseat of the car) that would be heaven!!! throw in the telephone and being able to watch tv and go to the movies and my life would be fantastic….I won’t be unrealistic…but boy it would be great…I take nothing for granted at all anymore…I know the road ahead is not going to be easy…but I hope in time I can be successful like you, (name removed to protect the innocent) and many,many others…thanks so much just setting up a date for surgery feels like a ton of weight lifted off my shoulders…I should sleep good tonight…(name removed to protect the innocent)

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Hi (name removed to protect the innocent),
I don’t know how much the Med=El device weighs but I can assure you that even with a larger battery, the Advanced Bionics processor sits snuggly behind the ear. I doubt very much the weight is significantly different to make a difference but I can tell you that if it device is small and light enough, it could fly off! The Advanced Bionics t-mic, which extends over the front of the ear to the bowl, can be shaped so that it firmly holds the processor in place. As a runner, I feel very comfortable and confident that my processor will not fall off. The Med-El device does not have that anchoring capabilities. Check them out! I am sure you’ll feel better knowing the Advanced Bionics processor is designed to stay in place even under the most strenuous of conditions (except for total upside down which I doubt you’ll do!).

So now that you have a surgery date, I am sure you’re excited! I guess we can move onto the surgery itself so if you have any questions there, please feel free to ask! Have you told your family yet and what has been their response? Can you still make it for this Saturday? I am sure you won’t be disappointed!
Sam

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June 7th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA | no comments

BEA Cochlear Implant Social, Saturday June 6 2009

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June 5th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA | no comments

June 1st mentoring experience

This is a continuing of the ongoing email exchange between myself and a CI candidate…and now a message from our sponsor….(canned Sesame St. music in the background)….

And now for the continuation of the mentoring experience….

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Dear Sam…thanks for all the e-mails…I am very happy that each of the people I have conversed with are truly very happy with the implant they choose…(name removed to protect the innocent) sings high praises of the Cochlear brand…I have conversed with a fellow who has the Med-el and insists it is the best and now you…so (name removed to protect the innocent) (name removed to protect the innocent) wife pointed out to me that all 3 are good and that I shouldn’t stress over which one to go with…is the Harmony MRI Compatable??? I know 1 company isn’t….I do like many of the things you reported about your implant….do the voices sound natural or do they all sound very momotone?? can you distinguish a male from a female voice?? this is all so new to me…thanks again (name removed to protect the innocent)

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Hello (name removed to protect the innocent),
The Harmony is FDA approved for MRI at .3 and 1.5 Tesla with the magnet removed. Cochlear America’s device has a similar clearance and the Med-El device is only FDA approved for MRI at .3 Tesla with the magnet. Most MRI machines scan at 1.5 Tesla.

I can tell you that the voices sound as natural as I can perceive them and when compared to a hearing aid which I have worn all my life, they sound so much better, clear, richer and deeper. And because I am bi-lateral, I can localize the sound meaning I can tell where it’s coming from. Because of the t-mic, Advanced Bionic’s CI makes it even easier to determine where sound is coming from because it takes advantage of natural hearing, sitting right in the bowl of the ear.

I can tell you that I can distinguish between a male and a female voice because with my CIs, my hearing consists of the full sound spectrum. With my hearing aid, I only heard one tone and couldn’t tell if it was a male or female. The other thing to consider…because the Advanced Bionic program can process up to 83,000 pieces of information per second (I apologize but in an earlier email, I said 81,000) it has that much more capability of fine tuning to truly distinguish a female voice from a male voice.

(name removed to protect the innocent), please do keep the questions coming! This is what I love doing the most….giving back what I received and sharing the most wonderful sense a human being can enjoy…hearing. Have you gotten a chance to check out Hearing Journey? (www.hearingjourney.com).
Sam

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June 3rd, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA | no comments

Another May 31st mentoring experience

This is a continuing of yesterday and the day before email exchange between myself and a CI candidate…Before I carry on with the exchange, I would like to invite you to take a quick survey which can be found here about choosing CIs.

And also don’t forget about the BEA Social this Saturday….

And now for the continuation of the mentoring experience….

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Dear Sam…you have been so helpful to me…I got all my information from the 3 packets they gave me at Dr. (name removed to protect the innocent) office…and I have been going over and over them…it does however seem that the majority of the implant receipients listed in the BHSC Directory have chosen either Advanced Bionics or Cochlear and only about 6 have chosen Med-El….I will have the surgery done by Dr. (name removed to protect the innocent) and I am very close to setting up the date with him (that is why I need to make my decision now)….the stats that you have forwarded to me are very impressive…. is the implant you got the Harmony HiResolution Bionic Ear System??? I have that packet here… is it different from the Clarion???.my husband is hoping I will call the Doctor on Monday and get the ball rolling…we live in Florida during the winter months so I need to proceed soon and have been looking into all these implants since last October and saw Dr. D. when I returned back here in May about 2 weeks ago…so once I decide I will anxiously look forward to stepping into this journey…thanks for all your insight…I will keep you posted…(name removed to protect the innocent)

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Hi (name removed to protect the innocent),
Yes, it is the Harmony HiResolution system. The Clarion is an older generation cochlear implant made by Advanced Bionics and then it became the Auria and then the Harmony. When you are implanted with the internal piece that comes with the Harmony, you will be assured that it will work with future generations of the processor. If you are still unsure about which device you are considering, please let me know what your concerns are and I will do my best to address them. I will tell you that from my experience, I am extremely happy with the AB device and the best part is I’ve been connected with other AB users. I don’t think I would have gotten that level of support with the other brands. Please try to come to next week! I would love to meet you and your husband.
Sam

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June 2nd, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA | no comments

May 31st mentoring experience

This is a continuing of yesterday’s email exchange…

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Wow Sam…thanks so much for all the information…sounds like you are very happy with the implant you chose…and I am very happy for you too…probably about 12 years ago I started losing hearing and people were noticing it..I had a hearing test and at the time I was down in both ears…then suddenly my left ear went completely deaf(not hearing aid adaptable) so they put an aid on my right ear…I did pretty good for several years but the hearing in the right ear kept declining and I had 3 different aids e ach one more powerful than the other…then all the sudden the right ear took another dive and I now have the most powerful aid on the market…I am hanging on by a thread…I had to retire from the classroom after 20 years as a teacher assistant at (school removed to protect the innocent)..my life has not been the same since…I too nod alot and smile alot and inside feel very frustrated..I have felt my world close in on me…talking with folks like you and (name removed to protect the innocent) has given me much hope…the things I liked about Med-El were that it claims to have the only electrode in the industry that can stimulate the entire cochlea mimics hearing more naturally,leads the industry in research and developement,has fine structure which enchances pitch and sound quailty,lightest and thinnest speech processor available today…I don’t know all 3 companies have quailities I like…my husband says I am stressing too much on which one to go with…but I think it is a very important decision to make…thank you so much for your imput…I will think about the Darien Lake Event…it would be nice to meet you…(name removed to protect the innocent)

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(name removed to protect the innocent),

I would be interested in knowing where you got your information on the Med-El device because it seems that what you said about it can be said about Advanced Bionics, if not more.

Also, in my earlier email I mentioned two reasons why the AB device is superior (t-mic and AutoSound). One thing that I didn’t mention is the sound processing. The AB Harmony comes with Fidelity 120. This is a feature that is capable of so many things including grandkids and music!! It is the only system that has 16 individual output circuits; the other companies only have one. With Fidelity 120, you get 10 to 20 times greater resolution.

Think of it this way, sound has three primary components: frequency, intensity, and time. Only a small portion of these components is needed to hear words. To appreciate the richness of sound and to go beyond words, more detail is needed. It’s the details that distinguish not just what a word means, but how it’s said—with enthusiasm, sarcasm, or passion and to fully enjoy music, even more detail is needed. This is what Fidelity 120 is about. Fidelity 120 vs conventional processing is like listening to a piano with just 16-24 keys vs listening to a piano with 120!!! ( yes, piano’s only have 83 keys, but just imagine if they could have more!! ).

I am attaching an independent study (if anyone who reads this would like a copy of the study, please email me and I will send it) that was done and released in April 2007. Hopefully it is not too technical for you but considering you were a teacher assistant, you have a lot of patience! I think you will see clearly the superiority of the Advanced Bionics device.

As for me, I was born hard of hearing but my parents didn’t find out until I was 3. I guess I was that smart! Since you are considered what is known as late-deafen, your auditory system has already been stimulated. I think you’re going to be mildly surprised to find that it may just pull a Rip Van Winkle and remember what every thing sound like 12 years ago!

I strongly encourage you to come to the Darien Lake event and its only 20 miles from (city removed to protect the innocent). You’ll get to meet other implant recipients as well as an audiologist from Advanced Bionics.

Do you have a surgery date yet and if so, when…and where will you have it done?
Sam

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June 1st, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA | no comments

May 30th mentoring experience

Yesterday, I received an email from someone locally who is became a successful CI candidate. I thought I would post the email and my reply for any others who may be interested.

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Dear Sam: I am a patient of Dr. (name removed to protect the innocent) and have been chosen as a successful candidate for a cohlear implant…I have research all 3 companies and feel that they all proclaim characteristics that appeal to me…somehow I have been drawn more to the Med-El product but I also notice that more of the people listed in the Implant directory seemed to go with the Advanced Bionics or Cochlear brands…what are your thoughts and could you tell me alittle of your journey with your implant…can you talk on the telephone and understand music…right now I struggle with my amplified phone and don’t understand music (it is just noise for me) unless it is a song I know then I might get some of it…I met ( great people) they told me not to stress out so much on choosing an implant…to choose one and go forward…but this is a huge decision to me…I hope to be succesful enough with the implant to regain some of the life I used to have…

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Goof morning (name removed to protect the innocent),

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner and welcome to the world of cochlear implants or CIs, as we lazily call them! Let me tell you that you are in excellent hands with (name removed to protect the innocent). And of course, I know the (name removed to protect the innocent). They are the most wonderful couple and you could even call them Mr. and Mrs. CI-Buffalo! They are the founders of what is now known as the Buffalo Implant Group (B.I.G.).

I am a bilateral CI recipient with my right (and worse) ear done in January 2007 and my left ear, January 2008. I wore a hearing aid all my life, mostly in my left ear. That ear was my favorite. Since it is very rare for both ears to sound exactly the same, my left ear’s frequency range is in the lows to mid-range and my right ear is in the mid-range to highs.

I chose to do my right ear first because I had “everything to gain, nothing to lose”. It took a while but with practice and patience, that ear slowly became usable to the point where I no longer needed my hearing aid in the left ear and, it was at that point in time I decided to go bi-lateral. Since you mentioned music, I will tell you that it had never ever sound so much better with one ear, I couldn’t imagine what it sounded like in true stereo. My speech comprehension being 0% with the hearing aid, slowly and gradually improved to about 25%. Now, that is not a bad figure considering I am talking about my worse ear AND, like the old adage, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” because I was a kind of lazy when it came to practicing.

Finally, in January 2008 I had my left ear done and when that was activated in February, I was totally floored! Not only did it sound better than with the bearing aid but together with my right ear, my hearing became phenomenal! I am like, “this is what I had to wait 50 something years for?” After about 2 visits for mappings, my speech comprehension slowly increased to 75%.

However and unfortunately, because I have not been really practicing, the use of the phone has not been good enough but you will have to blame me for that. I am slowly getting there and a lot of it is psychological. I am much more open because no longer do I have to nod in agreement when I don’t understand someone. Following conversations are a breeze. Music is so much more enjoyable. And life is grand after all!!

Now about the device itself. I chose Advanced Bionics. The biggest factor at the time was they were the only company with a rechargeable battery. And, their marketing material was the most educational of all 3 companies. Plus, they are an American company. Other factors include the device itself.

It has a unique part called the t-mic which is the microphone that extends down to the opening of the ear. It can be bent so that it takes advantage of the bowl of the ear, giving you the maximum benefit of natural sound.

It has AutoSound. Like the commercial for the Ronco Rotisserie, “Just Set It and Forget About It!”. You won’t have to constantly adjust the dial to adapt to the environment. No matter where you are…quiet, normal or noisy, the program is design to take those environmental situations into consideration. For example, in a restaurant if it is too loud it adjusts to reduce the amount of background noise but increase the emphasis on conversations up close.

The processing speed is another consideration. The current program can process up to 81,000 pieces of information per second. I believe that is almost twice that of its nearest competitor. What that means, is the information gets through faster…there is no hesitation. Have you ever watched the news where there is an interview with a correspondent on the other side of the globe and there is a hesitation before they answer? That is the difference between Advanced Bionics and the others.

And, independent studies show that AB has the highest reliability factor and, the lowest return rate. In fact, AB’s device is more upgradeable than the others meaning 20 years from now, the current internal device will more likely still be functioning with the processor of tomorrow than that of CA or Med-El.

There is so much more that you can get out of Advanced Bionics. They are also the sponsor of the largest independent cochlear implant community in the world called Hearing Journey (www.hearingjourney.com). And even better, you will find free listening lessons with there. You will also get to meet some of the best CI friends you could ever have. And on Thursday nights at 8:00, they have on-line chat where you can get to meet these folks and me.

I would also encourage you to visit my blog, Welcome to Sam Spritzer’s Web Site at www.samspritzer.com and if you go back to 2007 and 2008, you’ll see my story in more detail.

Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to invite you to meet other CIers and learn more about the Advanced Bionics device at:

Well (name removed to protect the innocent), I don’t want to take up your entire day reading this but I guess this is a good start. I would love to learn more about your loss, decision and answer any questions you may have. And I hope to meet you at the social next week. And if you want, I can meet you for coffee if you like. In the meanwhile, can you tell me why you are leaning towards Med-El? What are your expectations and concerns? What is your hearing history?

Please do keep in touch and please do not hesitate to answer any questions you may have.
Sam

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May 31st, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA | no comments

Buffalo Marathon Co-Ed Masters Result

click on photo to enlarge

3 3716 Checkers 50 3:20:58 MRLYMX 3/10 7:41 3:20:58 Williamsville NY
Sam Spritzer
Stephanie Spritzer
Diane Sardes
Anthony Garrow

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May 24th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Running, Checkers AC, Western NY | no comments

COME JOIN US!!!!

If you are an Advanced Bionics CIer or you are considering getting a cochlear implant, please join me and others at the
Buffalo Rochester BEA Social
When: Saturday, June 6, 2009
11am-1pm
Where: Darien Lake State Park
Shelter #2
10289 Harlow Rd, Darien Center, NY 14040

click here for directions
RSVP to Katie Peter at kpeter@advancedbionics.com
or contact me for additional information.

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May 8th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, Western NY | no comments

Since when is free better than “getting your money’s worth”?

I received a very interesting email today from someone associated with a competitor of my CI manufacturer, Cochlear Americas. The email wanted to pass along some information on their newest listening rehabilitation program. Click here for the press release.

What is so amazing about this email? It doesn’t mention that this “listening rehabilitation program” costs money….$99 to boot. NOW, why would I pay $99 for something I can get for free? Check it out! Its right here…the Advanced Bionics Listening Room. Not only is the Listening Room free but it is constantly updated…something you won’t get from a CD.

And on top of all this, I don’t think you will find anything better for practice than books on tape (or CD). Just make sure you get the unabridged version. Oh, and yes…that is free too!

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April 27th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant | 4 comments

I love the Buffalo News

I woke up this morning posting on the wall of my Facebook from fellow runner and good friend, Budd Bailey. Budd is a reporter for the Buffalo News. Every two weeks, his running column appears in the sports section of the Sunday edition. He told me to check this out…Sports, Ink .

Thanks for the shout-out, Budd! And thanks for your stellar and inspiring contributions to the running community of Western NY!

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April 24th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Running, Western NY | 2 comments

Today is Earth Day

And you know what, the land of the beautiful reminds me of a major reason why I chose Advanced Bionics’ cochlear implants. At the time I had to decide back in 2006 for my January 2007 surgery, AB was the only company to offer rechargeable batteries. THAT, is their contribution, and mine, to Earth Day.

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April 22nd, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant | no comments

We have a purpose

The other night, I was in a chat with a fan of my website who has been religiously following my adventures for two years. We were talking about what it was like for this person to all of a sudden lose whatever hearing she had left. The subject evolved to how others perceived that sudden loss without so much as realizing it as if nothing ever happened. And then finally, we got down to where we started talking about how “normal” hearing people will probably never understand our lives and culture as CIers. In the midst of this conversation, she said…

…
he had a testimony
he had a story to tell
and he had a purpose
everybody has a purpose
finding it can be hard sometimes
but I believe that I have found mine
and I am happy being me

Tears welled up in my eyes as these words flashed across the screen. I was like, “WOW, she does have a purpose! What an inspiration!” As much as we were brought together by fate, our cochlear implants have taught us that no matter what, there is a purpose behind what we do. The cochlear implants that have bond us forever gave rise to two sites that are forever our home, Hearing Journey and the Bionic Ear Association.

Many friendships have been forged out of these two sites. And in one weekend, many of us were brought together for the first time. All of this is transpiring to my purpose…to help others who have lost their hearing but with hope and technology, will be able to regain it as I have.

And towards the end, she said

I want to make a difference
and I am doing it

If you are hearing impaired and considering a cochlear implant, please do reach out to me and please take a moment to visit Hearing Journey and the Bionic Ear Association. And if you ever have any questions about what it is like to hear again with cochlear implants, please drop me a note.

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April 19th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA, Hearing Journey | 8 comments

Sam is bbbaaaccccccckkkkkkkkk…22:49!

117. Sam Spritzer Williamsville NY 0:22:49 0:07:21 15/M50-54 100/M

Today was my first real race of the year…the Bengal Run. It was a cool sunny day out with 644 diehard runners. I actually took 117th and place 15th in my age group. Not shabby considering I took a 2 month hiatus and with this winter being the coldest in a long time, there wasn’t much opportunity to run outdoors.

My goal was to get under 23 minutes and determine how far along I have come. My time being 11 ticks under that and I felt I had plenty of gas left when I crossed the finish line. It was a happy moment, felt good to be doing what I enjoy doing the most and should set the tone for what I expect to be another successful running season.

It also felt good to see all of my running friends. Western NY does have the greatest running community and the greatest running club, Checkers AC.

Lastly, a great big shout out to fellow runners, Guy George and Uncle Herman for placing 1st and 3rd in the junior AARPer age group! I’ll be glad when I get bumped up in September and not have to deal with these two!

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March 14th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Running, Checkers AC | 2 comments

Colorful!

Today was time for my six month mapping. I was really trying to figure out what kind of adjustments to make. But first a trip to the sound booth. There was an improvement as my sound levels improved from 30 decibels to 25, and I was able to get about 85% of the words. Not bad! The interesting part is you never know the improvements are there until you’re tested.

Then we went to make some adjustments but instead, we decided to try something different. When I wake up in the morning, I always start out with both CIs at their lowest settings to avoid shocking the brain into oblivion. And sometimes I leave it there. It really doesn’t sound bad. Sound is softer and not necessarily lower. Whether the dial is at 7 or 12, the same amount of sound still comes in. This is known as the IDR (Input Dynamic Range). Its like a window. The recommended setting for my device, the Advanced Bionics Harmony is 60. So if 100 is the maximum, that means the window is about two-thirds open. We decided to try to open the window by raising the IDR to 80. I was warned that because more sound will be processed and since we were in a small room, it would be overwhelming.

So, I got outside and all of a sudden sound has more clarity and crispiness to it. I could actually hear squishing of the gum I was chewing. It was like sound had an extra dimension to it. As I was texting my CI buddies the results, Jennifer of Surround Stereo asked me what it sounded like. After much thought…..Colorful!

Also, a great big shout-out Abbie of Chronicles of a Bionic Woman. Abbie underwent the knife, gas and all, to become bi-lateral last Monday. Go check out her blog for her humorous take of the surgery!

And for those of you who follow my running adventures, I’ll be doing the Bengal Run, 9:30 AM on the campus of Buffalo State. If I break the 23 minute mark, I will consider it a good start to the running season!

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March 13th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Running, Cochlear Implant | one comment

3 and 3….

A 3 mile run this morning with 3 miles of speed work this evening tells me…I am close to ready to running competitively! Sooooo, Saturday is going to be the true test. I’ll be at the Bengal Run, 9:30 AM on the campus of Buffalo State. Come cheer me on and help me add a few more dead rabbits to the list!

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March 10th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Running, Checkers AC | no comments

Why I am not doing the Shamrock Run

This is the first time I am not doing the Shamrock Run in three years and it looks to be a gorgeous day for it. Instead, I am going to take my truck in for servicing and then meet Mike for coffee, maybe hit the mall. A lot of you have written, spoken to me or wonder why I am not running the Shamrock Run.

The truth is no matter how physically prepared you can be, if you are not mentally ready it can be worse. Three weeks ago, I did the Lockport Y10, a 10 miler that runs along beautiful but hilly country roads. The weather was perfect. I started out slow because I wanted to pace myself and determine how prepared I was for the upcoming running season.

By the time I got to mile 3, the Checkers members of group 30 were already passing me. I am in group 25. By the time I got to mile 5, one of my dead rabbits passed me. I had to stop to catch my breath and get water. At mile 7, my legs were spaghetti. And at mile 9, the big hill, I was dragging my feet…so glad there was a lot of gravel on the road to act as rollers. By the time I crossed the finish line, I felt like I had been to hell and back more times than anyone cares to know. No matter how good I felt physically, my mindset simply wasn’t there.

Mornings of treadmilling and weight lifting simply does not have the same effect as preparing oneself mentally. We had one of the coldest winters in history so outdoor running was rather limited. Cabin fever settles in and before you know it, you lose all interest. And having issues of my own only compounded the problem. Life is funny sometimes…it can play a joke on you but along the way, it can deal some severe blows to your ego as well.

Four years ago, I was over 30 pounds heavier smoking almost 2 packs a day - enough to make a monthly car payment. My first race in 2000, 29 minutes. My race in 2005, 27 minutes. My current personal best - 21:15 in 2007. All in all, 117 races. But if the mental challenge is not there, its all for naught.

For someone with an extreme competitive fire, it is very unbecoming of me not to join the masses of over 3,000 runners in one of Buffalo’s premier races. I am just simply not prepared mentally. And by running the race, forcing myself to do it, I run the risk further injuring my pride. That is no worse than a hamstring pull, shin splints, or a stress fracture.

Racing is a challenge to see who is prepared physically and mentally. You need both just like you need both ears to hear, both eyes to see, both legs to walk…without both, its more demanding. Just like you have to be in the mindset to want to do it, to fuel that competitive fire. Many of you who get my e-mails or see my favorite quote here and there will know what it says and means. Those of you who dont’, here it is.

I shall be back…….

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March 7th, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Running, Checkers AC | no comments

Posting tidbits

Ever since I was implanted, I have been pretty active in the CI community. It’s my way of saying thank you to those who helped me while I was researching, having the surgeries and going through the post-activation process. And one of my most favorite haunting places is Hearing Journey. And, I am also a mentor at the Bionic Ear Association.

For those of you who have not been to either of the sites, I want to share with you a small tidbit of the questions and concerns I come across on the Hearing Journey forums as well as referrals made to me via BEA. I will be doing this on a regular basis as the questions and concerns come in. In the meanwhile if you have one please do feel free to drop me a note.

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Thanks for sharing me your blog and I found your blog very informative. I am profound deaf and do not have the capability to discriminate speech. I want to thank you for sharing tons of information… especially the links to CI websites and technical information about differences between HiRes 90 and 120.

I have questions about your auditory training. I heard from some audiologists and other CI recipients about “Above and Beyond” and “Making a Connection” auditory training software. I was wondering have you used them for auditory training? If you have, were they helpful? Would you recommend them?

And my response…

Glad to hear from you. And no problem, its what BEA and AB has us for!

Giving up, I returned it to the library and I told the librarian of my dilemma. She took one look at the cover, one look at me and asked if I was newly implanted. I said yes. She said “sir, you have the short cut version” and we both laughed. So to make a long story short, Books on tape/CDs are a great way to learn. Just make sure you get the unabridged version! The rest of the learning process was a natural progression since the CIs made it so much easier to lipread.
Keep in touch!
Sam

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March 3rd, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Cochlear Implant, BEA, Hearing Journey | no comments

Food for thought…

This is a totally unrelated topic but last night on my facebook, I mentioned that I was going to have a Jewish burger. I wasn’t exactly prepared for the response but anyway, today’s posting is being inspired by some of my favorite foods and everyone whose only vocabulary is “yum!”. Credit to mom…she is the one who originated these recipes. I don’t know what her secret was but if it looks good in there, throw it in!

The Jewish Burger is named appropriately because it involves jewish rye bread which was a staple in mom’s house except it was sliced fresh at some bakery named ICan’tRememberTheName, in Albany NY. I am not exactly sure why but the vast majority of the good real rye bread is by someone with a Jewish name…in the case of Buffalo it would be Al Cohen’s famous rye bread, seeded of course! It has to have New York something in it or else it’s fake! The secret is in the crust.

Now that we got the bread out of the way, we can concentrate on the meat. It absolutely has to be ground sirloin. Anything else will either be too dog foodie or just not right. Ground sirloin and don’t worry about it getting dried out. What goes into the recipe from here on it entirely up to you. I like mine with slight salt and pepper, fresh garlic (not the cheap imitation dust), chopped onions (again, not the cheap imitation dust), a dash of oregano, and if you like extra bite…throw in some crushed red pepper. For an added bonus, get some really good sharp cheddar cheese diced up small. Mix everything together, clean hands and all! Be careful not to squash the meat, it is very important that it does have some air!

Now for the final prep. First turn the oven on broil. Put a nice thin layer of aluminum foil on the top rack, preferably the second slot from the top. Take a nice small meatball size portion and cover the ryebread. Make sure you cover it entirely including the edges. Take extra to pat it down…as if you’re patting your momma’s fanny, not sisters’s (or the wife’s). Once you have the entire slice covered, take a folk and press down on the meat so that it makes grooves on the top. When you’re done, it should look as wrinkled as grandma’s crows feet or, forehead.

With the oven blasting hot, toss the whole she-bang in. And while the she-bang (you have time to do that too!) is cooking, prepare a plates with whatever fancies your gourmet dreams. Personally, with two of these delicacies, I don’t need anything else except for some pickles. Sometimes we’ll have a side of krinkle fries but other than that, I assume you’re going to love these heavenly patties so much, anything else is irrelevant.

Now comes the BIG question…HOW LONG? For those of you Food Network pundits who even how everything gets cooked in a half-hour and so succulently tasty and raw, this is not the time to do any guessing because there isn’t any! I say…cook the crap out of the whole she-bang….COOK IT, COOK IT, COOK COOK COOK COOK IT!!!!! Cook it like you hate your stockbroker! Cook it like you are letting out a lifetime of frustrations! Cook it like you hate your ex (or ex-to-be)! Raw, medium raw, medium…ALLLLLLLLL OUT THE DOOR! The name of the game is well done…no wait, more than well done! Just cook the crap out of it…come on, its only about $1.50 worth of meat and bread and whatever else. A buck 50???? Trust me, its gonna be the most worthwhile buck fifty you ever spend. When the edges of the ridges that you made with the fork are blacken brown and the meat is all curled up on the rye bread, NOW is the time to throw some extra slices of cheese before taking it out.

When you take it out, extra care should be take to make sure you delicately slide at spatula under the bread to avoid ripping it. Lay it down on your already fully prepared plate. And finally, give it a dash of your favorite topping; in my case, horseradish sauce. I promise you will never ever have such a juicy, tender, crisp slab of ground meat ever in your life when you get done. The next time I make it, I will post some pictures…before and after. Oh…and the secret about the crust…it’s like a belt that keeps everything from falling apart and oozing all over your oven. For good measure, figure about a third to a half pound per slice, just enough to make a flat thin layer about 1/4 inch.

Oh and did I mention my famous mac and cheese casserole? Try it…with diced ham-cooked, in a cassarole dish and a big fat layer of swiss cheese melting down from the top.

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March 2nd, 2009 Posted by Sam Spritzer | Western NY, Food | 3 comments