Sorry for lack of updates second year of university has been pretty hectic, lots of practical reports to hand in not to mention the fact that I am in around 20 hours a week, compared to some of my friends who's courses only require that they be in for a tiny 7 hours. I'm pretty worried about exams as I have had literally no time to go over my notes and do extra reading but hopefully with it tailing off before Christmas I'll be fine.
Don't really have anything relevant to talk about today other than the fact that yet again I've been asked if I want a BAHA, the fact that I've been asked so many times almost makes me not want one. As I've said before I am pretty happy with what I have at the moment, its definitely not top of my list of things to do.
In other news finally realised that the reciever that I use with my new radio mic system actually works with my old system so I can use that with my ipod although this means I have to carry two systems to uni (whenever I'm not using the new system it goes in my bag) and make sure both are charged/have fresh batteries. Also got a hard case to protect my expensive ipod but of course like everything not even that was simple, you see to use an mp3, headphone jack on pc etc. I have to connect them to my radio mic system using a special cable, apparently these cables only come with angled jacks and of course the hard case doesn't like angled jacks as they won't fit properly. It does work but it comes loose very easily, just another example of how TCS affects almost everything.
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Parenting
Saw this the other day and I have to say I think the mum shouldn't have done this:
First of all I cannot understand why she seems to have forced her child to appear on youtube and essentially telling him what to say and secondly he clearly isn't happy doing it.
I'm all for raising awareness and standing up and being proud but this is taking things a little too far. I think children with TCS should experience what I had which was a childhood as normal as possible, its bad enough having all the hospital appointments and other issues without your parents forcing you to appear on youtube.
Also its not like she can even show him the nice comments from people without him seeing the comments from trolls. These comments make me so so very angry but they want a response they seem to get off of it so the best thing to do is just flag their comments as spam and report them to youtube.
First of all I cannot understand why she seems to have forced her child to appear on youtube and essentially telling him what to say and secondly he clearly isn't happy doing it.
I'm all for raising awareness and standing up and being proud but this is taking things a little too far. I think children with TCS should experience what I had which was a childhood as normal as possible, its bad enough having all the hospital appointments and other issues without your parents forcing you to appear on youtube.
Also its not like she can even show him the nice comments from people without him seeing the comments from trolls. These comments make me so so very angry but they want a response they seem to get off of it so the best thing to do is just flag their comments as spam and report them to youtube.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
My looks do not define me-Part Two
Welcome to part 2 of this series, today I'm going to talk about TV series that I like.
Might as well start off with the most ridiculous one-Dragonball Z, not sure if many people got my its over 500 reference but that's where its from. Dragonball Z is based on a manga series and is the sequel to Dragonball. In Dragonball Z we follow the story of Goku, who is now grown up, married and has a kid (he is a kid in Dragonball) and his friends on their adventures and battles and their quests to collect the magical Dragonballs which when collected allow them to make a wish. Some people will probably love the show and others think it is ridiculous nonsense but the main draw for me are probably the brilliant fights. I think it is awesome and I would still go back and watch episodes from time to time.
LOST is another ridiculous show but in a totally awesome addictive way. To give anything away would just be wrong but lets just say that these plane crash survivors have a lot more to worry about than just surviving. It spans 6 seasons and whilst it turns get ridiculous and confusing at times it is still far better than most TV shows, great acting, great story and great music. I highly recommend it.
Dexter, now this is definitely more for adults. It is based on the series of books by Jeff Lindsay but the TV show follows a different storyline to that of the books. It follows Dexter Morgan who by day works as a blood splatter analyst at Miami Metro Police Department but at night he is a serial killer. The unique thing is that Dexter does not just kill anyone instead he only kills those people who he thinks deserve it for example murderers and rapists who have escaped the law. It deals with how Dexter deals with his double life and you actually find yourself cheering for him and laughing when he gets into awkward situations.
Doctor Who, I never watched the old series but I understand it is quite different than those from after the revival. It tells the story of the man known as the Doctor (who is actually an alien) as he travels through time usually with one or more human companions having adventures. One unique thing about the Doctor is that he can regenerate which means he can change his body and his personality which is why 11 actors have been able to play him so far. I would recommend that you start from the beginning of the revival but it is not necessary to be able to follow whats going on but I would recommend that you at least start from the beginning of season 5 as with Matt Smith as the Doctor and Steven Moffat as head writer the storyline has been overarching over 2 seasons and into next season as well.
Smallville, I used to snigger at the adverts for this but I later got into it and I have now watched all 10 series of it. It follows the story of a young Clark Kent starting with the day he came to Earth and then skipping forward to his time at high school. We see how he deals with controlling his powers whilst developing new ones, his attempts to play football against his father's wishes, his crush on Lana Lang and his new friendship with Lex Luthor. Of course not all 10 series are set during his time at high school and as it progresses we start to see who he will become. As much I like this show I would say at 10 seasons it is rather long it also has a limited budget which means it does not fulfil its potential at times and some of the special effects/cgi are rather lacking on the positive side it features some great acting (Michael Rosenbaum is in my opinion a far better Lex Luthor than Kevin Spacey and Gene Hackman), great banter between characters and a good few funny moments as well.
Has the best theme song ever as well
This is obviously not the full list of shows that I like but its a good sample.
Thanks for reading!
Might as well start off with the most ridiculous one-Dragonball Z, not sure if many people got my its over 500 reference but that's where its from. Dragonball Z is based on a manga series and is the sequel to Dragonball. In Dragonball Z we follow the story of Goku, who is now grown up, married and has a kid (he is a kid in Dragonball) and his friends on their adventures and battles and their quests to collect the magical Dragonballs which when collected allow them to make a wish. Some people will probably love the show and others think it is ridiculous nonsense but the main draw for me are probably the brilliant fights. I think it is awesome and I would still go back and watch episodes from time to time.
LOST is another ridiculous show but in a totally awesome addictive way. To give anything away would just be wrong but lets just say that these plane crash survivors have a lot more to worry about than just surviving. It spans 6 seasons and whilst it turns get ridiculous and confusing at times it is still far better than most TV shows, great acting, great story and great music. I highly recommend it.
Dexter, now this is definitely more for adults. It is based on the series of books by Jeff Lindsay but the TV show follows a different storyline to that of the books. It follows Dexter Morgan who by day works as a blood splatter analyst at Miami Metro Police Department but at night he is a serial killer. The unique thing is that Dexter does not just kill anyone instead he only kills those people who he thinks deserve it for example murderers and rapists who have escaped the law. It deals with how Dexter deals with his double life and you actually find yourself cheering for him and laughing when he gets into awkward situations.
Doctor Who, I never watched the old series but I understand it is quite different than those from after the revival. It tells the story of the man known as the Doctor (who is actually an alien) as he travels through time usually with one or more human companions having adventures. One unique thing about the Doctor is that he can regenerate which means he can change his body and his personality which is why 11 actors have been able to play him so far. I would recommend that you start from the beginning of the revival but it is not necessary to be able to follow whats going on but I would recommend that you at least start from the beginning of season 5 as with Matt Smith as the Doctor and Steven Moffat as head writer the storyline has been overarching over 2 seasons and into next season as well.
Smallville, I used to snigger at the adverts for this but I later got into it and I have now watched all 10 series of it. It follows the story of a young Clark Kent starting with the day he came to Earth and then skipping forward to his time at high school. We see how he deals with controlling his powers whilst developing new ones, his attempts to play football against his father's wishes, his crush on Lana Lang and his new friendship with Lex Luthor. Of course not all 10 series are set during his time at high school and as it progresses we start to see who he will become. As much I like this show I would say at 10 seasons it is rather long it also has a limited budget which means it does not fulfil its potential at times and some of the special effects/cgi are rather lacking on the positive side it features some great acting (Michael Rosenbaum is in my opinion a far better Lex Luthor than Kevin Spacey and Gene Hackman), great banter between characters and a good few funny moments as well.
Has the best theme song ever as well
This is obviously not the full list of shows that I like but its a good sample.
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
A quick update
Sorry for lack of updates, they weren't kidding when they said level 2 at university was a step up.
For those wondering my lower eye lashes have grown back which is rather annoying but I will not be trying the laser treatment again no matter what.
Also found out about a new hearing aid that operates similarly to the BAHA but works through magnets which means that you don't have the implant sticking out which means no maintenance, no bald spot and it heals quicker than the BAHA site, http://sophono.com/products/, will definitely be keeping an eye on this but apparently its processor is not as strong as others and so it will not work for some people.
And finally, reached 600 views recently, thanks again for all the support and positive feedback!
For those wondering my lower eye lashes have grown back which is rather annoying but I will not be trying the laser treatment again no matter what.
Also found out about a new hearing aid that operates similarly to the BAHA but works through magnets which means that you don't have the implant sticking out which means no maintenance, no bald spot and it heals quicker than the BAHA site, http://sophono.com/products/, will definitely be keeping an eye on this but apparently its processor is not as strong as others and so it will not work for some people.
And finally, reached 600 views recently, thanks again for all the support and positive feedback!
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Hearing aids
I thought I might as well post about hearing aids since as far as I know anyone affected with TCS will have hearing loss. I am old school in that I haven't upgraded to a digital aid but like with what happened with my radio mic system I will be forced to upgrade if it breaks as the parts aren't available any more.
There are several different types of hearing aids:
Behind the ear hearing aids-what most people use especially older people with hearing loss, not really suitable for people with TCS who don't have proper ears.
Bone conducting-this is what I have, it consists of two pieces on connected by a wire, it is mostly used on a removable metal band which is placed on the head with each piece on either side of the head but I find a fabric band to be much more comfortable.
Bone anchored hearing aid (or BAHA as it is more commonly known)-for this you have to get a screw implanted in the side of your head, once healed you can then attach the small hearing aid.
I have not included cochlear implant as apparently it is not considered a proper hearing aid.
Recently it seems every doctor I meet asks have I considered a BAHA and to be honest whilst I've thought about it I'm just not fussed on the idea of having a screw on the side of my head which requires surgery and which could possibly but not very likely be knocked out along with a bit of skull (I had asked a doctor about whether or not it could be knocked out and he said very rarely but told me of an instance where a mother had hers knocked out by her child's shoe...) The line I always seem to use is "what if something better comes along in the next few years that doesn't require surgery" but I may be kidding myself. The fact is I've heard a lot of positive things about the BAHA and also that it is a lot better than the bone conducting but for now I think I'll stick with the one I have at the moment as I've managed pretty well with it up to now.
There are several different types of hearing aids:
Behind the ear hearing aids-what most people use especially older people with hearing loss, not really suitable for people with TCS who don't have proper ears.
Bone conducting-this is what I have, it consists of two pieces on connected by a wire, it is mostly used on a removable metal band which is placed on the head with each piece on either side of the head but I find a fabric band to be much more comfortable.
Bone anchored hearing aid (or BAHA as it is more commonly known)-for this you have to get a screw implanted in the side of your head, once healed you can then attach the small hearing aid.
I have not included cochlear implant as apparently it is not considered a proper hearing aid.
Recently it seems every doctor I meet asks have I considered a BAHA and to be honest whilst I've thought about it I'm just not fussed on the idea of having a screw on the side of my head which requires surgery and which could possibly but not very likely be knocked out along with a bit of skull (I had asked a doctor about whether or not it could be knocked out and he said very rarely but told me of an instance where a mother had hers knocked out by her child's shoe...) The line I always seem to use is "what if something better comes along in the next few years that doesn't require surgery" but I may be kidding myself. The fact is I've heard a lot of positive things about the BAHA and also that it is a lot better than the bone conducting but for now I think I'll stick with the one I have at the moment as I've managed pretty well with it up to now.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Its over 500!
Over 500 views, have to say I'm thrilled with how successful this blog has been. I have had nothing but positive feedback and I hope to repay this by continuing to write as much as possible. Unfortunately since I'm back at uni it may be that I do not update as regularly but I will try and make each post as informative and interesting as possible.
Thanks for the support.
Thanks for the support.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Technology
Isn't it great? Well the answer is yes most of the time but if you depend on it and it does not work then it is a real pain in the rear. Because I am partially deaf I have to use a hearing aid so I am dependent on it, so there is always the worry of the battery dying when I'm out and about, it is rather surreal when you are walking along and suddenly its like someone is turning the volume down slowly. Its even more worrying if you realise that you have forgotten to change it and then you hope that it will hold out until you can change it.
What's more annoying than the very occasional dead battery is the constant need to improve things. I use a radio mic system in order to hear the lecturer more clearly and have used the same one from primary school to high school. But last year I was told that if the university was going to supply a system it would have to be an upgrade as the one I had wasn't being made any more and if it broke the parts to fix it would not be available. What a lot of hassle it turned out to be, needed a new receiver, couldn't figure out how to work it properly, it wouldn't work etc. etc. So last year at uni I had just used my old system as it was a lot easier to use and it actually worked but of course the night before I go back to uni I check that its working only to find out that the mic cable has split open...Thankfully between today and yesterday it has decided that the new system will work but we shall see.
Lets compare the two systems shall we:
Old system:
What's more annoying than the very occasional dead battery is the constant need to improve things. I use a radio mic system in order to hear the lecturer more clearly and have used the same one from primary school to high school. But last year I was told that if the university was going to supply a system it would have to be an upgrade as the one I had wasn't being made any more and if it broke the parts to fix it would not be available. What a lot of hassle it turned out to be, needed a new receiver, couldn't figure out how to work it properly, it wouldn't work etc. etc. So last year at uni I had just used my old system as it was a lot easier to use and it actually worked but of course the night before I go back to uni I check that its working only to find out that the mic cable has split open...Thankfully between today and yesterday it has decided that the new system will work but we shall see.
Lets compare the two systems shall we:
Old system:
- On/off switch
- Low battery indicator
- Requires one AA battery usually lasts more than a week
- Small and light, clip is built in
- Mic cable is removable, just need to remove it and plug in audio cable for music
New system:
- On/off switch
- Mic mute button
- Synch function
- Monitor function
- Menus with settings
- 3 level battery indicator
- Requires to be plugged in to charge
- Clip is removable but is very bulky
- Mic is much larger, removable but only with a lot more effort
- Has settings for audio devices which include general and ipod nano...and both don't seem to work properly with my mp3 player
Yes the new system has more features and is apparently an improvement, I just can't understand why people should be forced to upgrade when the old system works so well and they are used to it.
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