"Houston, we have a problem..."

Well, not quite as significant as Apollo 13, perhaps, but a problem none the less.

The 'lock' or 'hold' enabled by the CI processor is usually fairly robust. Bang a drum next to the mike in the earpiece and, while there may be an overwhelming sense of noise followed by momentarily depleted 'hearing', things soon return to normal. The CI can 'hold' the signal.

Not for me of late though. While my audiologist has been thinking of every conceivable way of tackling the problem (and, Vicky, you have gone above and beyond the call of duty on this one) - from increasing the RF signal between the internal receiver and the external headpiece transmitter, to reducing 'volume' at all frequencies, to changing the headpiece itself - the problem is still there. Maybe not as acute a problem as it was three weeks ago, but a problem nonetheless.

Maybe it's me, maybe it's my head that is the problem (too thick a skull? too delicate an auditory nerve?). Whatever causes this, one thing is undoubtedly true - the progress of the first few weeks has stalled a bit. I;ve even been having to ask people to repeat things for the first time in ages...not good.