This new implant is wonderful. I am now able to use the phone with confidence at long last. I was forced into it really as I have had to ring around all the vets to see if my old grey girl has been handed in. Unfortunately - she's still missing and i'ts now 9 days. Her poor mate sits at the top of the stairs every night waiting for her to come up. Sad.
Anyway, for the past two weeks I've been pleasantly listening to a kid practising his trumpet or french horn. I figured this kid must be in a band or orchestra gearing up for a concert as it would simply go for hours.
Bron came over yesterday and we were having a coffee and chatting when the trumpet or french horn started up again. The conversation went something like this...
Bron: "Can you hear that"
Me: "Yes - this kid has been practising for two weeks now - very dedicated budding musician obviously"
Bron: "It's a dog howling"
Me: "Rubbish - it's a french horn or something"
Bron: "no it's a dog - I can hear the voice breaking, but it is very low, and quite weird for a dog"
Me: "Really?"
Bron: "Yes - it sounds like a World War II bomb raid warning"
Me: "I guess my implant needs adjusting again!"
So gone are my visions of this dedicated budding musician practising for all he/she's worth, and instead I have the vision of my neighbour's lonely dog howling mournfully for company.
Live and learn :)
I'm not alone in 'mishearing' with a new cochlear implant. A friend wrote.
"The first time I went running with my second implant I kept stopping trying to figure out what the God awful noise was. I was running on a wooded trail and started to get freaked out thinking something was following me. Seriously it took me a good mile to figure out I was hearing myself gasp for air."
I have this vision of monsters breathing down her neck while on her run - I'd be freaked too, as I've heard my own footsteps echo at night and wondering if someone is following me too.
I guess it takes time for the brain adjust all over again, but in the meantime, I'm sure I'll end up laughing a lot at my ear mistakes!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Missing - Lost
Missing/Lost
Northcote/Hillcrest Area
Northcote/Hillcrest Area
Much Loved Family Pet, Burmese Blue, 13 years old
Healthy but slightly arthritic
Very Vocal, Likes cars, Nosy
May be locked in a little used shed/garage.
Answers to the name of Mika (Meeka)
Owner desperate to find her.
Healthy but slightly arthritic
Very Vocal, Likes cars, Nosy
May be locked in a little used shed/garage.
Answers to the name of Mika (Meeka)
Owner desperate to find her.
That's the flyer I have been delivering around my neighbourhood today. I've searched high and low, canvassed the neighbourhood, and put up flyers in the local businesses and shops, and all the vets in a 2km radius.
She's old, doesn't ever wander, and recently I bought a new bed complete with an electric blanket for her which she loved. I haven't seen her since Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday night was awful - she's slept on my bed for 13 years, and I really noticed she wasn't there. I keep hoping she'll walk in, demand food, then head to her new bed. But I have a sinking feeling she's not coming back.
We have a safe neighbourhood. There's nothing that's dangerous out there. No Snakes, Bears, wild animals. She doesn't go near the road as she doesn't like cars, in fact I've been scouring hte roadsides/verges in case there was a cat who has been knocked over, but there has been nothing. No sign of her at all. i suspect she got nosy, climbed in an open window nearby, or walked in the door, and got locked in without someone realising.
While my cochlear implant is fantastic, I doubt I will hear her meow over the other noises around, but it's the sound I most want to hear right now.
She's old, doesn't ever wander, and recently I bought a new bed complete with an electric blanket for her which she loved. I haven't seen her since Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday night was awful - she's slept on my bed for 13 years, and I really noticed she wasn't there. I keep hoping she'll walk in, demand food, then head to her new bed. But I have a sinking feeling she's not coming back.
We have a safe neighbourhood. There's nothing that's dangerous out there. No Snakes, Bears, wild animals. She doesn't go near the road as she doesn't like cars, in fact I've been scouring hte roadsides/verges in case there was a cat who has been knocked over, but there has been nothing. No sign of her at all. i suspect she got nosy, climbed in an open window nearby, or walked in the door, and got locked in without someone realising.
While my cochlear implant is fantastic, I doubt I will hear her meow over the other noises around, but it's the sound I most want to hear right now.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
It's a Success...
It's now two weeks since I was switch-on with my new ear. These are the things I have been hearing...
Indian Mynah birds fighting on the neighbour's roof.
When someone talks to me from Facebook there's a quiet 'click' sound that alerts me to the fact they've messaged me on chat. I had no idea that it gave a sound at all.
Spider Solitaire - has the most wonderful sound when you move the cards. I can't stop playing it just to hear it.
You Tube - Susan Boyle. The implant still sounds a bit flat, but I know the song and could follow aong. I long for a more depth of sound, which I know will come over time. But it was nice to actually watch her vid when I had no sound, and then a week later when I did have sound. The difference was palpable!
You Tube - Sound of Music at Grand Central Station - Antwerp. Wow - to hear the music and and see the dancing as well. I've watched this 100 times already. Fortunately my friend showed me how to download it onto my HDD so I wouldn't use up all my internet alllowance!
The Cats - man - they're loud - have they always meowed this loud?
The Phone - am phoning lots of people and can even pick up the phone when it rings without breaking out in a sweat! I hadn't realised how nervous I had become of the phone in the last two years.
Skype - After much angst getting the microphone to work on my computer, I can now use skype and rang a friend I hadn't spoken to on the phone before. Talked for one hour without any difficulty at all.
Hired DVD - plugged my cable into my laptop and have been listening to movies with and without captions no problem at all.
Talking Books: - listening through my laptop a talking book. Can get about 90% without reading the book with it.
Just hearing the keyboard as I type is lovely.
I keep thinking there's something wrong with my car when I drive it - it's been so long since I've heard an engine, I'm not used to it - so I turn the implant off while driving to stop me wondering if the motor is about to fall out!
Talkback Radio - can follow along in the car and get 95% of what is happening, even those that phone in, where it's not as 'clear'!
Wow - I can't believe two years have gone by and I missed all these things so much. Most people would take all these for granted, but each new sound I hear gives me a thrill that I cannot explain.
I finally feel reconnected again. Long may this current cochlear implant live!
Indian Mynah birds fighting on the neighbour's roof.
When someone talks to me from Facebook there's a quiet 'click' sound that alerts me to the fact they've messaged me on chat. I had no idea that it gave a sound at all.
Spider Solitaire - has the most wonderful sound when you move the cards. I can't stop playing it just to hear it.
You Tube - Susan Boyle. The implant still sounds a bit flat, but I know the song and could follow aong. I long for a more depth of sound, which I know will come over time. But it was nice to actually watch her vid when I had no sound, and then a week later when I did have sound. The difference was palpable!
You Tube - Sound of Music at Grand Central Station - Antwerp. Wow - to hear the music and and see the dancing as well. I've watched this 100 times already. Fortunately my friend showed me how to download it onto my HDD so I wouldn't use up all my internet alllowance!
The Cats - man - they're loud - have they always meowed this loud?
The Phone - am phoning lots of people and can even pick up the phone when it rings without breaking out in a sweat! I hadn't realised how nervous I had become of the phone in the last two years.
Skype - After much angst getting the microphone to work on my computer, I can now use skype and rang a friend I hadn't spoken to on the phone before. Talked for one hour without any difficulty at all.
Hired DVD - plugged my cable into my laptop and have been listening to movies with and without captions no problem at all.
Talking Books: - listening through my laptop a talking book. Can get about 90% without reading the book with it.
Just hearing the keyboard as I type is lovely.
I keep thinking there's something wrong with my car when I drive it - it's been so long since I've heard an engine, I'm not used to it - so I turn the implant off while driving to stop me wondering if the motor is about to fall out!
Talkback Radio - can follow along in the car and get 95% of what is happening, even those that phone in, where it's not as 'clear'!
Wow - I can't believe two years have gone by and I missed all these things so much. Most people would take all these for granted, but each new sound I hear gives me a thrill that I cannot explain.
I finally feel reconnected again. Long may this current cochlear implant live!
Wired for Sound once Again
The 22nd April took a long time to come. In fact I was emailing my implant team my countdown on a regular basis in the last week. I think my Facebook friends also got sick of it!
I didn't take anyone to my switch on this time around. I think the Novelty of being switched-on has worn off the third time around!
I arrived and the usual thing happened - just like last time. First I had to listen to the sound I could just hear to set my threshold levels, then I had to apply each electrode to 'medium' loudness for my comfort levels. A few sweeps to make sure I could hear each beep, and they were all even, and then I went live. This process would have take the best part of an hour.
Ellen did the usual thing and told me that I would not like the sound all over again. I did my nod - of course - I've been through all this before - of course!
And so Ellen and Gayle started talking to me.
This was the conversation...
Me: "Oh my god - Oh my god"
Ellen: "What - something wrong?"
Me: "There are no chipmunks this time - it sounds almost normal"
Gayle: "Yes - well - we shot them all before you arrived!"
I could not believe it. We sat and talked for half an hour, then my brain wanted more. Everything was becoming quiet after just half an hour. So we did another mapping right there and then and I got a lot more volume.
It was now lunchtime so I went up to the cafe and sat on my own eating my lunch and revelled in the noise, just hearing everyone talking around me at other tables. Chairs scraping, cutlery banging, the coffee machine brewing. It was bliss. These are sounds I had not heard for the six months I was totally utterly deaf. I once again felt 'connected' to the world and it's a really really nice feeling.
After I had finished eating, I thought about texting my friends and family to let them know of my success. But I was hearing so well that I decided to ring them. So then spent the rest of my lunch hour ringing up all my friends and family to tell them I could hear.
Wow - this is definitely not normal, and it's not something I could have done at my switch on day last year. A lot of family weren't home, but the people I did get hold off were amazed and thrilled, and very excited. I dread my phone bill!
I don't think it was something the Audiologists were expecting either! After lunch we did one more mapping, and I was itching to ring the surgeon to tell him and to organise a appointment with him to check my ear as it was still painful. However, Ellen did that while I went off and had a session of testing with Gayle. It was promising and I did well, but I was getting really tired.
I was surprised when I got into my car that the radio was on. It's probably been on the whole time I've had it and didn't know!!
Called into my surgeon, Robert Gunn on the way home. My ear had fluid behind the drum which caused the pain, but no infection (thank goodness) and a small course of anitbiotics to make sure it didn't turn into an infection got rid of it over the next few days. He looked very happy with the outcome this time around.
That night I sent an email to him and to Bill Baber who jointly operated on me in March, thanking them for placing the electrodes so perfectly, and that I realised that without their expertise, I would not be hearing so well.
By the end of the evening, I was not hearing as well again, so was thankful I had another day at the Implant clinic the next day.
Another mapping session, then a break, in which I caught up with Colin who was also there for a mapping session, then I went off to get tested again. By the end of the test, I once again had lost all volume and needed more. My brain is so greedy for sound after so long without it.
We broke for lunch and I spent the hour catching up with Colin and his wife Carmen, and their wonderful children I actually didn't want to part ways - the lunch hour was over far too soon. It's always nice to talk to people who have had many similar experiences who actually understand you, and understand where you are coming from.
I then went and had yet another mapping, and that was that. Off into the big world to learn to make sense of all this sound again.
I didn't take anyone to my switch on this time around. I think the Novelty of being switched-on has worn off the third time around!
I arrived and the usual thing happened - just like last time. First I had to listen to the sound I could just hear to set my threshold levels, then I had to apply each electrode to 'medium' loudness for my comfort levels. A few sweeps to make sure I could hear each beep, and they were all even, and then I went live. This process would have take the best part of an hour.
Ellen did the usual thing and told me that I would not like the sound all over again. I did my nod - of course - I've been through all this before - of course!
And so Ellen and Gayle started talking to me.
This was the conversation...
Me: "Oh my god - Oh my god"
Ellen: "What - something wrong?"
Me: "There are no chipmunks this time - it sounds almost normal"
Gayle: "Yes - well - we shot them all before you arrived!"
I could not believe it. We sat and talked for half an hour, then my brain wanted more. Everything was becoming quiet after just half an hour. So we did another mapping right there and then and I got a lot more volume.
It was now lunchtime so I went up to the cafe and sat on my own eating my lunch and revelled in the noise, just hearing everyone talking around me at other tables. Chairs scraping, cutlery banging, the coffee machine brewing. It was bliss. These are sounds I had not heard for the six months I was totally utterly deaf. I once again felt 'connected' to the world and it's a really really nice feeling.
After I had finished eating, I thought about texting my friends and family to let them know of my success. But I was hearing so well that I decided to ring them. So then spent the rest of my lunch hour ringing up all my friends and family to tell them I could hear.
Wow - this is definitely not normal, and it's not something I could have done at my switch on day last year. A lot of family weren't home, but the people I did get hold off were amazed and thrilled, and very excited. I dread my phone bill!
I don't think it was something the Audiologists were expecting either! After lunch we did one more mapping, and I was itching to ring the surgeon to tell him and to organise a appointment with him to check my ear as it was still painful. However, Ellen did that while I went off and had a session of testing with Gayle. It was promising and I did well, but I was getting really tired.
I was surprised when I got into my car that the radio was on. It's probably been on the whole time I've had it and didn't know!!
Called into my surgeon, Robert Gunn on the way home. My ear had fluid behind the drum which caused the pain, but no infection (thank goodness) and a small course of anitbiotics to make sure it didn't turn into an infection got rid of it over the next few days. He looked very happy with the outcome this time around.
That night I sent an email to him and to Bill Baber who jointly operated on me in March, thanking them for placing the electrodes so perfectly, and that I realised that without their expertise, I would not be hearing so well.
By the end of the evening, I was not hearing as well again, so was thankful I had another day at the Implant clinic the next day.
Another mapping session, then a break, in which I caught up with Colin who was also there for a mapping session, then I went off to get tested again. By the end of the test, I once again had lost all volume and needed more. My brain is so greedy for sound after so long without it.
We broke for lunch and I spent the hour catching up with Colin and his wife Carmen, and their wonderful children I actually didn't want to part ways - the lunch hour was over far too soon. It's always nice to talk to people who have had many similar experiences who actually understand you, and understand where you are coming from.
I then went and had yet another mapping, and that was that. Off into the big world to learn to make sense of all this sound again.
It was All Worth It!!!
This scar of mine - I have to say I'm proud of it because....
It was all so worth it. I'm sitting here tonight, watching 'Stars in their Eyes'. I can follow the music and lyrics, and it's so pleasant. Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to do this.
I know the scar is a bit in your face. But I remind myself that it was a such small price to pay for an amazing, exciting result. People have said I was so brave, but in all honesty, bravery didn't really come into it. If I had been really brave, I would have had it done without an anaesthetic, but being blissfully asleep I didn't feel a thing!
The last two years have been absolutely crap. For 15.5 years I had wonderful hearing with my first cochlear implant. I was able to get 98/99% open set sentences without lipreading. For those that doesn't know what open set is, it's a series of random sentences that are read out to me, which I repeat back. With my first implant I wouldn't only get 1 or maybe 2 words wrong. Even in background noise, I did extremely well with the implant. In fact, I have to admit, I then took my hering for granted.
Then in June 2007 I was thrust back into silence overnight when it failed. Not complete silence, but the implant was uncomfortable to wear, and the amount I could hear was then only about 20 to 30% - A huge difference. Fortunately, I could still lipread and I got by, but phone use was out, and socialising became difficult in background noise. I began to become a bit of a hermit. However, I kept a brave front, and I put my trust in my implant team to get me right again.
During this time of waiting, I was shocked about how difficult it was to deal with every day occurances. I had simply forgotten over the previous 15 years, just what it was like being totally deaf. Many of my past blogs deal with the difficulty in getting good customer service. I hope I never forget now, and will continue educating people despite my newfound hearing.
In March 2008 I was finally reimplanted and the initial switch on with all new technology went really well. It didn't sound as good as my first implant, but that was to be expected as I had been without useable hearing for 9 months, and the electrodes were all different - it was like being switched on for the first time again.
But after that first day, it never really improved. The chipmunks never went away, and the twang was awful. I got facial nerve stimulation (FNS), and over time, the sound got worse and worse. I was often reduced to tears of frustration and I finally asked for an x-ray. Sure enough, the electrodes had migrated out of the cochlea. At least we had a reason and I could now be re-implanted once funding had been approved. Unfortunately this took too long and by Christmas/New Year I was so miserable that I took myself off to my GP and sat and cried her office. She put me on anti-depressants, stating that no matter what has happened to me in the past, I've always maintained a good frame of mind, but this was tipping me over the edge this time. I had reached the end of my coping strategies.
I took one anti-depressant, then decided that I didn't want them. I sat down and worked out different strategies for coping, which included in keeping busy and socialising more. It worked.
Funding happened and I was finally re-implanted on March 30th 2009, and I was activated on the 22nd April 2009, just three weeks later.
Next blog post: The Switch-on ...
It was all so worth it. I'm sitting here tonight, watching 'Stars in their Eyes'. I can follow the music and lyrics, and it's so pleasant. Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to do this.
I know the scar is a bit in your face. But I remind myself that it was a such small price to pay for an amazing, exciting result. People have said I was so brave, but in all honesty, bravery didn't really come into it. If I had been really brave, I would have had it done without an anaesthetic, but being blissfully asleep I didn't feel a thing!
The last two years have been absolutely crap. For 15.5 years I had wonderful hearing with my first cochlear implant. I was able to get 98/99% open set sentences without lipreading. For those that doesn't know what open set is, it's a series of random sentences that are read out to me, which I repeat back. With my first implant I wouldn't only get 1 or maybe 2 words wrong. Even in background noise, I did extremely well with the implant. In fact, I have to admit, I then took my hering for granted.
Then in June 2007 I was thrust back into silence overnight when it failed. Not complete silence, but the implant was uncomfortable to wear, and the amount I could hear was then only about 20 to 30% - A huge difference. Fortunately, I could still lipread and I got by, but phone use was out, and socialising became difficult in background noise. I began to become a bit of a hermit. However, I kept a brave front, and I put my trust in my implant team to get me right again.
During this time of waiting, I was shocked about how difficult it was to deal with every day occurances. I had simply forgotten over the previous 15 years, just what it was like being totally deaf. Many of my past blogs deal with the difficulty in getting good customer service. I hope I never forget now, and will continue educating people despite my newfound hearing.
In March 2008 I was finally reimplanted and the initial switch on with all new technology went really well. It didn't sound as good as my first implant, but that was to be expected as I had been without useable hearing for 9 months, and the electrodes were all different - it was like being switched on for the first time again.
But after that first day, it never really improved. The chipmunks never went away, and the twang was awful. I got facial nerve stimulation (FNS), and over time, the sound got worse and worse. I was often reduced to tears of frustration and I finally asked for an x-ray. Sure enough, the electrodes had migrated out of the cochlea. At least we had a reason and I could now be re-implanted once funding had been approved. Unfortunately this took too long and by Christmas/New Year I was so miserable that I took myself off to my GP and sat and cried her office. She put me on anti-depressants, stating that no matter what has happened to me in the past, I've always maintained a good frame of mind, but this was tipping me over the edge this time. I had reached the end of my coping strategies.
I took one anti-depressant, then decided that I didn't want them. I sat down and worked out different strategies for coping, which included in keeping busy and socialising more. It worked.
Funding happened and I was finally re-implanted on March 30th 2009, and I was activated on the 22nd April 2009, just three weeks later.
Next blog post: The Switch-on ...
Monday, April 20, 2009
Waiting for Switch-On
My third Cochlear Implant operation finally happened 3 weeks ago on the 30th March.
Just a quick recap - I was originally implanted in March 1993, and switched on in April 1993. I had 15 years of near normal hearing with this implant (Cochlear Corp N22). This failed in June 2007. In March 2008 I was reimplanted with the new Freedom implant and switched on in April 2008. All went well for a few months, then disaster struck and my implant electrodes migrated out of the ear. A very rare occurance. I was reimplanted for the 3rd time on 30th March 2009 - and switch on is scheduled for 22 April 2009.
Funny how all my implants have happened in the month of March.
30th March has been and gone and I'm now the proud owner of another lovely scar. Once again the original 1993 incision was used - the big old fashioned C.
This was taken on my phone so the quality might not be the best!! I can't help think my surgeon should change jobs and apply for the a Hairstylist Position in Vogue!!!
Because of the same scar tissue that dogged the March 2008 implant, only 17 electrodes were able to be inserted, but that was the same as 2008, so I have high hopes that, providing the electrodes do not migrate, that I will hear very well indeed with those 17.
Unfortunately I don't know much more than this as once again I reacted to the operation and woke up with my terrible vertigo. I stayed 2 nights in the private clinic, then was sent home. 4 hours later I hadn't moved off my couch, couldn't eat, drink, and was pretty sick, so my daughter and my mother called an ambulance and had me carted off to North Shore Hospital. I was admitted and only got out on Friday. Spent most of the time with my eyes shut as the vertigo was pretty bad. Which meant communication was difficult as to 'lipread' I need to open my eyes, but when I did the world spun. A pretty miserable state.
The vertigo finally subsided and I got home on Friday, nearly 3 weeks after my operation. It's nice to be home, but I'm very weak - flat on your back in hospital does nothing for your fitness!
Since the operation, my tinnitus has been going like the energiser bunny with those Duracell batteries - going and going and going. It's been driving me nuts. I have percussion in my dead non implantable ear, and a full orchestra in my implanted ear. Trumpets, fanfares, piano, strings, voices. I go from classical, to rock, to spanish, to latin music. I have no control over it. I cannot change the pitch, or rhythm, or even the tune. Lucy in the Sky of diamonds was with me for 6 hours yesterday. Most of the time I have never heard the music before, and I can't help but feel I should be notating it for some future concert!
Today it has suddenly become quieter. Maybe it knows that once I'm switched on in 35.5 hours (not that I'm counting or anything), it will be banished forever.
Switch-on can't come fast enough now. Total silence for the last 4 months has been a trial. My lipreading has improved dramatically, but it's still tiring, and I long for my usual energy levels.
Bring on the Chipmunks - I want to be wired for sound once again!
Just a quick recap - I was originally implanted in March 1993, and switched on in April 1993. I had 15 years of near normal hearing with this implant (Cochlear Corp N22). This failed in June 2007. In March 2008 I was reimplanted with the new Freedom implant and switched on in April 2008. All went well for a few months, then disaster struck and my implant electrodes migrated out of the ear. A very rare occurance. I was reimplanted for the 3rd time on 30th March 2009 - and switch on is scheduled for 22 April 2009.
Funny how all my implants have happened in the month of March.
30th March has been and gone and I'm now the proud owner of another lovely scar. Once again the original 1993 incision was used - the big old fashioned C.
This was taken on my phone so the quality might not be the best!! I can't help think my surgeon should change jobs and apply for the a Hairstylist Position in Vogue!!!
Because of the same scar tissue that dogged the March 2008 implant, only 17 electrodes were able to be inserted, but that was the same as 2008, so I have high hopes that, providing the electrodes do not migrate, that I will hear very well indeed with those 17.
Unfortunately I don't know much more than this as once again I reacted to the operation and woke up with my terrible vertigo. I stayed 2 nights in the private clinic, then was sent home. 4 hours later I hadn't moved off my couch, couldn't eat, drink, and was pretty sick, so my daughter and my mother called an ambulance and had me carted off to North Shore Hospital. I was admitted and only got out on Friday. Spent most of the time with my eyes shut as the vertigo was pretty bad. Which meant communication was difficult as to 'lipread' I need to open my eyes, but when I did the world spun. A pretty miserable state.
The vertigo finally subsided and I got home on Friday, nearly 3 weeks after my operation. It's nice to be home, but I'm very weak - flat on your back in hospital does nothing for your fitness!
Since the operation, my tinnitus has been going like the energiser bunny with those Duracell batteries - going and going and going. It's been driving me nuts. I have percussion in my dead non implantable ear, and a full orchestra in my implanted ear. Trumpets, fanfares, piano, strings, voices. I go from classical, to rock, to spanish, to latin music. I have no control over it. I cannot change the pitch, or rhythm, or even the tune. Lucy in the Sky of diamonds was with me for 6 hours yesterday. Most of the time I have never heard the music before, and I can't help but feel I should be notating it for some future concert!
Today it has suddenly become quieter. Maybe it knows that once I'm switched on in 35.5 hours (not that I'm counting or anything), it will be banished forever.
Switch-on can't come fast enough now. Total silence for the last 4 months has been a trial. My lipreading has improved dramatically, but it's still tiring, and I long for my usual energy levels.
Bring on the Chipmunks - I want to be wired for sound once again!
Friday, March 27, 2009
The Last Flatmate I'll Ever Get
I've always had language students live with me to help pay the mortgage. I'm pretty easy going, and most of my language students have ended up staying with me for much longer than they were going to. Renee from Indonesia was with me for 3 years, then Wendy from Hong Kong was with me for 6.5 years! Kitto was with me for 2 years from China, and I've also had short-term students from Japan and Brazil.
Wendy left me at the end of last year. My daughter was flatting and I had a reasonable sized 3 bedroom house that I was rattling around in. However, I really didn't want another student, as part of the deal of having students is that you are around cooking meals for them each night. I hate cooking, but apart from that, I've come to the time where I don't want to be tied down. If I get invited out at the last minute, I'd like to be able to, without having to cook a meal before I do. That applies to holidays as well.
So after discussing this with my daughter, we decided a flatmate would be the best answer and an advertisment was placed on Trademe. At the time, there were not many people applying for the position, so I took the first person who came along - and ran into my first difficulty. Fortunately this person didn't move in as he showed his true colours beforehand - you can read about it here !
Shortly after someone else came along. He seemed a likeable guy, friendly. Said he worked 3 days a week on Shortland Street as an Extra, and that he owned 10 rental properties, but had a negative cash flow so needed to rent one place out and flat for a while. I accepted this, and we arranged a date to move in.
I told him he could have the room upstairs, plus we could share a study, so he could put his computer and desk downstairs in there, alongside my desk. He asked if he could store a few boxes in the garage, and told me that they would be neatly stacked up to the ceiling, and he would use no more space than what was already there (which wasn't much). I reluctantly agreed. When my 'stuff' was at the end of the garage, I could still park my car, and walk around it to get to the Laundry without having to go outside.
I erected a garden shed, and moved my stuff to the shed so he could put a few boxes at the end of the garage.
He moved in end of February. It wasn't pleasant. The very first thing he did was argue about where he wanted to park the car, yet had he parked it where he wanted to, I would not have been able to easily get out of my garage. It took him 3 days before he moved the car where I asked him to.
He moved in on a Thursday. By Saturday I realised he had far too much in the garage than what he had originally said he would. Take a look...
As you can see - it's a). more than just a few boxes, and b). it's not really boxed up. And I can no longer get to my Laundry easily, or out the back door easily, because there is too much stuff, AND his bike was in the way. You can see just how much difficulty I had in parking my car in there by the following two photos...
You can see how in this photo how close I had to park to his stuff, so I could just get my car into the garage.
When my garage door shut, I culd not even walk around the car to get to the Laundry. The only way to my laundry now was to take the dirty washing out the front door, and then walk into the garage. Apart from the inconvenience, the house no longer had a back door that was easily accessible in case of any emergency.
On the Saturday, two days after he moved in, I asked the Flatmate to move his stuff to storage. He agreed there was too much and said he would. By monday nothing had happened, so I asked him to have it out by the end of the week. He refused and said he would do it in his own time.
This was not all.
The shared study - where he was meant to have only a desk and computer, was full of his stuff as well. So much that I could not even get the single bed that was meant to be in there on the floor where it belonged.. Let me show you..
Very little floor space as you can see as he was using this room as storage, which was never in the agreement.
Here you can see clearly the bed lying up against the wall - the only way it would fit, but useless in terms of anyone who might want to stay over!
And this is was what I was meant to share. He could see no reason why I couldn't work on that desk surrounded by all his stuff.
Anyway - my daughter asked if she could come home before she went overseas on 12th April. Of course my daughter comes first, and so I said yes. I went into the study where the flatmate was and asked him to clear his stuff out of the study as I will be needing the room for my daughter who was going to come hoome for a few weeks before going overseas.
He flatly refused. See in the first photo of the study above, he pointed to the bits of blue carpet and said she could live there no problem, around his stuff!!!! Seeing it was an outright refusal, I then gave him 2 weeks notice to move out, and told him he had to be out by 26 March. He refused and threatened me with court action over this, so I went and discussed it with my mother, who works for a lawyer. After writing everything down, my mother phoned her boss. We found because it is my own home, then the Tenancy Act doesn't apply, and he basically has no rights. So I typed up written notice requesting him to leave, as well as asking him to clear the study by Sunday. I then went to the police and asked what I could if he still refused to leave. They gave me trespass notices and said I could serve these on him. If he didn't leave, the police can then evict him. I really hoped it woudln't come to that. I didn't need the stress!
I gave him the written notice.
He stopped paying the rent. Initial agreement was that he paid 2 weeks rent in advance, and 2 weeks rent as bond (in case of damages that would be returned when he left). Unfortuantely, my mistake - I didn't have this in writing, so he said as far as he was aware he has paid 4 weeks rent in advance. This meant if he damaged anything it would be much harder to get.
Further - he refused to pay me for the internet as he reckons I was unhelpful getting him on it in the first place. Well. As soon as I heard he had problems, I suggested to him it was his WiFi card that wasn't strong enough to get to the modem upstairs. He didn't believe me. So I gave him the phone number and passwords to ring Vodafone - remember I can't use a phone. Vodafone told him his Wifi card wasn't strong enough to reach the modem (I am after all just a dumb blonde!) He asked if he could move the wireless modem downstairs, but I explained the wireless was hooked into that computer and so by moving the wireless, the computer upstairs would no longer be hooked in. I do use that computer as all the printers are attached to that one.
I explained I had a wireless USB Wifi on my downstairs computer and suggested he get one like that as it's strong enough. He promptly took that and used it. Now I didn't have to supply the hardware for him - but I let it go. So here he was - up and going on the internet on the second day. And he refused to pay the internet charges as I was unhelpful, all because I was kicking him out. I just changed the password on my broadband connection and cut him off. I saw no reason for him to use my Gigb allowance when he wasn't going to pay for it.
By Sunday morning, there was no movement on the study, so my mother came down and together we moved all his stuff to the garage. We left his computer and desk in there, but I was finally able to get the bed on the floor and make it up.
While my mother was there, he had a long talk with her. As I am completely deaf, and my communication skills are not so good in situations like this, I left it to her. As soon as he went out, Mum wrote everything down on paper to what he said so we had a record.
This is what she wrote... (I've put my answers in brackets).
1). He is upset that he has to move out after only being here for 2 weeks.
(Whilst I can empathise that he is upset, if he hadn't been so difficult, argumentative, and unhelpful it would never have happened. The whole reason he has to move out was that he refused to make way for my daughter who was coming home briefly before going overseas).
2). He is looking for storage today (Sunday) with the aim to move stuff from tomorrow (Monday)
(It took him 5 days to move the stuff from the garage. Even when he had finished, the remaining stuff he left in a pile using up the same amount of room. I'm not sure if he was being purposefully obstructive or not. In the end, I had to pack the remains up at the end of the garage myself so I could fit my car in.)
3). He told mum that I had said I don't watch TV, and said that he could take the big TV in the lounge and put it in his room, then reneged on the deal!
(Huh? Huh? Why would I let him take the big TV to put in his room? For one it wouldn't even fit!!! He's dreaming! Absolutely Nuts - !)
4). He said that I didn't ask for bond, nor anything in writing, so as far as he is concerned he has paid 4 weeks rent!
(The deal was 2 weeks rent in advance, the equivalence of 2 weeks rent as bond money (damages) and the first lot of rent in advance to go into my account on 12th March - unfortunately I didn't put this in writing so I have no comeback there legally, but he is now effectively living here for free - however by saying this he was lying.)
5). He told mum that I had misled him - that Anne was coming home end of April, but it is only March now.
(I told him that Anne 'might' come home before she goes overseas, and 'probably' in the first two weeks of April. I would never have said end of April as Anne leaves on the 12th to go to the UK. And anyway, this is the family home, and he has no right to think he comes first.)
6). He told mum that I had told him he could store stuff in the garage up to the curtain.
(The curtain is quarter of the way down the garage. I told him he could store stuff in the garage, but no more than what I had already there, that was moved in the shed. Had I allowed him to the curtain, my car would not fit into the garage - he's deluded!!! - Mum actually told him that she understood that he could store a few boxes but not as much as he had.)
7). He told mum that the deal was that he could share the study, and so shouldn't have to move because Anne was coming home.
(Mum told him yes, study was to be shared, but not used as a storage. At this stage he told mum that he sees no reason why Anne just can't fit amongst his stuff.)
8). Mum told him he had no rights under the Residency Tenancy Act Section 5 Clause (n), as he is living in the landlords own home. He asked her very rudely 'are you sure about that'. Mum said yes she was, as she has had 30 years law experience. Once she had said that, he took a more gentle approach.
9). He said he would dispose of his rubbish
(He did)
10). He also said he asked me to fill in a form for the tenancy tribunal, and said I had refused.
(He never asked for this, and in any case, it's not a requirement of law as this is my own home, and not under the residency act.)
Anyway he has left. It's left a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm not likely to get another flatmate. I will get another language student once I have hearing again. Interestly enough, a friend of mine knew him from 20 years ago. (I wish I had known this before he had moved in) I asked my friend about him and they said he couldn't be trusted, and was dishonest. Obviously he hadn't changed.
Wendy left me at the end of last year. My daughter was flatting and I had a reasonable sized 3 bedroom house that I was rattling around in. However, I really didn't want another student, as part of the deal of having students is that you are around cooking meals for them each night. I hate cooking, but apart from that, I've come to the time where I don't want to be tied down. If I get invited out at the last minute, I'd like to be able to, without having to cook a meal before I do. That applies to holidays as well.
So after discussing this with my daughter, we decided a flatmate would be the best answer and an advertisment was placed on Trademe. At the time, there were not many people applying for the position, so I took the first person who came along - and ran into my first difficulty. Fortunately this person didn't move in as he showed his true colours beforehand - you can read about it here !
Shortly after someone else came along. He seemed a likeable guy, friendly. Said he worked 3 days a week on Shortland Street as an Extra, and that he owned 10 rental properties, but had a negative cash flow so needed to rent one place out and flat for a while. I accepted this, and we arranged a date to move in.
I told him he could have the room upstairs, plus we could share a study, so he could put his computer and desk downstairs in there, alongside my desk. He asked if he could store a few boxes in the garage, and told me that they would be neatly stacked up to the ceiling, and he would use no more space than what was already there (which wasn't much). I reluctantly agreed. When my 'stuff' was at the end of the garage, I could still park my car, and walk around it to get to the Laundry without having to go outside.
I erected a garden shed, and moved my stuff to the shed so he could put a few boxes at the end of the garage.
He moved in end of February. It wasn't pleasant. The very first thing he did was argue about where he wanted to park the car, yet had he parked it where he wanted to, I would not have been able to easily get out of my garage. It took him 3 days before he moved the car where I asked him to.
He moved in on a Thursday. By Saturday I realised he had far too much in the garage than what he had originally said he would. Take a look...
As you can see - it's a). more than just a few boxes, and b). it's not really boxed up. And I can no longer get to my Laundry easily, or out the back door easily, because there is too much stuff, AND his bike was in the way. You can see just how much difficulty I had in parking my car in there by the following two photos...
You can see how in this photo how close I had to park to his stuff, so I could just get my car into the garage.
When my garage door shut, I culd not even walk around the car to get to the Laundry. The only way to my laundry now was to take the dirty washing out the front door, and then walk into the garage. Apart from the inconvenience, the house no longer had a back door that was easily accessible in case of any emergency.
On the Saturday, two days after he moved in, I asked the Flatmate to move his stuff to storage. He agreed there was too much and said he would. By monday nothing had happened, so I asked him to have it out by the end of the week. He refused and said he would do it in his own time.
This was not all.
The shared study - where he was meant to have only a desk and computer, was full of his stuff as well. So much that I could not even get the single bed that was meant to be in there on the floor where it belonged.. Let me show you..
Very little floor space as you can see as he was using this room as storage, which was never in the agreement.
Here you can see clearly the bed lying up against the wall - the only way it would fit, but useless in terms of anyone who might want to stay over!
And this is was what I was meant to share. He could see no reason why I couldn't work on that desk surrounded by all his stuff.
Anyway - my daughter asked if she could come home before she went overseas on 12th April. Of course my daughter comes first, and so I said yes. I went into the study where the flatmate was and asked him to clear his stuff out of the study as I will be needing the room for my daughter who was going to come hoome for a few weeks before going overseas.
He flatly refused. See in the first photo of the study above, he pointed to the bits of blue carpet and said she could live there no problem, around his stuff!!!! Seeing it was an outright refusal, I then gave him 2 weeks notice to move out, and told him he had to be out by 26 March. He refused and threatened me with court action over this, so I went and discussed it with my mother, who works for a lawyer. After writing everything down, my mother phoned her boss. We found because it is my own home, then the Tenancy Act doesn't apply, and he basically has no rights. So I typed up written notice requesting him to leave, as well as asking him to clear the study by Sunday. I then went to the police and asked what I could if he still refused to leave. They gave me trespass notices and said I could serve these on him. If he didn't leave, the police can then evict him. I really hoped it woudln't come to that. I didn't need the stress!
I gave him the written notice.
He stopped paying the rent. Initial agreement was that he paid 2 weeks rent in advance, and 2 weeks rent as bond (in case of damages that would be returned when he left). Unfortuantely, my mistake - I didn't have this in writing, so he said as far as he was aware he has paid 4 weeks rent in advance. This meant if he damaged anything it would be much harder to get.
Further - he refused to pay me for the internet as he reckons I was unhelpful getting him on it in the first place. Well. As soon as I heard he had problems, I suggested to him it was his WiFi card that wasn't strong enough to get to the modem upstairs. He didn't believe me. So I gave him the phone number and passwords to ring Vodafone - remember I can't use a phone. Vodafone told him his Wifi card wasn't strong enough to reach the modem (I am after all just a dumb blonde!) He asked if he could move the wireless modem downstairs, but I explained the wireless was hooked into that computer and so by moving the wireless, the computer upstairs would no longer be hooked in. I do use that computer as all the printers are attached to that one.
I explained I had a wireless USB Wifi on my downstairs computer and suggested he get one like that as it's strong enough. He promptly took that and used it. Now I didn't have to supply the hardware for him - but I let it go. So here he was - up and going on the internet on the second day. And he refused to pay the internet charges as I was unhelpful, all because I was kicking him out. I just changed the password on my broadband connection and cut him off. I saw no reason for him to use my Gigb allowance when he wasn't going to pay for it.
By Sunday morning, there was no movement on the study, so my mother came down and together we moved all his stuff to the garage. We left his computer and desk in there, but I was finally able to get the bed on the floor and make it up.
While my mother was there, he had a long talk with her. As I am completely deaf, and my communication skills are not so good in situations like this, I left it to her. As soon as he went out, Mum wrote everything down on paper to what he said so we had a record.
This is what she wrote... (I've put my answers in brackets).
1). He is upset that he has to move out after only being here for 2 weeks.
(Whilst I can empathise that he is upset, if he hadn't been so difficult, argumentative, and unhelpful it would never have happened. The whole reason he has to move out was that he refused to make way for my daughter who was coming home briefly before going overseas).
2). He is looking for storage today (Sunday) with the aim to move stuff from tomorrow (Monday)
(It took him 5 days to move the stuff from the garage. Even when he had finished, the remaining stuff he left in a pile using up the same amount of room. I'm not sure if he was being purposefully obstructive or not. In the end, I had to pack the remains up at the end of the garage myself so I could fit my car in.)
3). He told mum that I had said I don't watch TV, and said that he could take the big TV in the lounge and put it in his room, then reneged on the deal!
(Huh? Huh? Why would I let him take the big TV to put in his room? For one it wouldn't even fit!!! He's dreaming! Absolutely Nuts - !)
4). He said that I didn't ask for bond, nor anything in writing, so as far as he is concerned he has paid 4 weeks rent!
(The deal was 2 weeks rent in advance, the equivalence of 2 weeks rent as bond money (damages) and the first lot of rent in advance to go into my account on 12th March - unfortunately I didn't put this in writing so I have no comeback there legally, but he is now effectively living here for free - however by saying this he was lying.)
5). He told mum that I had misled him - that Anne was coming home end of April, but it is only March now.
(I told him that Anne 'might' come home before she goes overseas, and 'probably' in the first two weeks of April. I would never have said end of April as Anne leaves on the 12th to go to the UK. And anyway, this is the family home, and he has no right to think he comes first.)
6). He told mum that I had told him he could store stuff in the garage up to the curtain.
(The curtain is quarter of the way down the garage. I told him he could store stuff in the garage, but no more than what I had already there, that was moved in the shed. Had I allowed him to the curtain, my car would not fit into the garage - he's deluded!!! - Mum actually told him that she understood that he could store a few boxes but not as much as he had.)
7). He told mum that the deal was that he could share the study, and so shouldn't have to move because Anne was coming home.
(Mum told him yes, study was to be shared, but not used as a storage. At this stage he told mum that he sees no reason why Anne just can't fit amongst his stuff.)
8). Mum told him he had no rights under the Residency Tenancy Act Section 5 Clause (n), as he is living in the landlords own home. He asked her very rudely 'are you sure about that'. Mum said yes she was, as she has had 30 years law experience. Once she had said that, he took a more gentle approach.
9). He said he would dispose of his rubbish
(He did)
10). He also said he asked me to fill in a form for the tenancy tribunal, and said I had refused.
(He never asked for this, and in any case, it's not a requirement of law as this is my own home, and not under the residency act.)
Anyway he has left. It's left a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm not likely to get another flatmate. I will get another language student once I have hearing again. Interestly enough, a friend of mine knew him from 20 years ago. (I wish I had known this before he had moved in) I asked my friend about him and they said he couldn't be trusted, and was dishonest. Obviously he hadn't changed.
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