Change of Heart (Mind) regarding CIs

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Endy

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Greetings,

I'd like to reach those people have CIs, or consider getting CIs that were "Deaf Militants," ASL Militants" and those Deafies graduated from the Deaf residential schools (ASL users), even attended (or attending) Gallaudet University. I happen to be one of those above is considering the option of getting CIs. So, I'd like to get in touch with those people that fall in the category stated above.

I am not interested into arguing or fighting with people who oppose CIs. I gave up on those militants who opposed CIs. They have no idea how I feel about being stuck in the hearing crowd for a long time without a sight of Deaf person in the public every day. Let's say that I haven't spotted a Deafie in my area for 10 months. Strangely, I am losing my sanity for not using my ASL and very heavily on written communication -- Thought I give this an opportunity to get CIs and to be part of the hearing world. No more "left-out-from-the-crowd" every day. It's getting so old and tiring of being lonely, alone, left-out all times, and a nice break from daily writings. It's time to end my experience and come up with a solution.

So, I am interested to meet those people that I wanted to get to know and how did they decide to get one (changed of heart/mind). I am looking forward to hearing from ya.

Endy
 
Endy, it's awesome that you're thinking about CIs. I see they're getting less militant about them. I think in 5-10 years they'll be pretty much accepted overall.
Thought I give this an opportunity to get CIs and to be part of the hearing world. No more "left-out-from-the-crowd" every day. It's getting so old and tiring of being lonely, alone, left-out all times
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Endy, I hate to tell you this, but CIs only offer partial access to the hearing world. You're functionally hoh with them, so you're not deaf any more.....but neither are you hearing. It does offer more access to the hearing world, but it doesn't offer complete access. Just as a person who can hear really well with HAs is not hearing, neither is a person who can hear really well with CIs.
 
Now I am just sending in my 2 cents. I do believe deaf children need to have ASL as their first language. But I also believe that oral approach is needed as well. May not work for all. But the opportunity should be provided.
 
Of course!

deafdyke said:
Endy, it's awesome that you're thinking about CIs. I see they're getting less militant about them. I think in 5-10 years they'll be pretty much accepted overall.
Endy, I hate to tell you this, but CIs only offer partial access to the hearing world. You're functionally hoh with them, so you're not deaf any more.....but neither are you hearing. It does offer more access to the hearing world, but it doesn't offer complete access. Just as a person who can hear really well with HAs is not hearing, neither is a person who can hear really well with CIs.
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I am totally on your side, I know that this is NOT "Cure." It's just a tool to enable my function being in the hearing world. I'd always rely on ASL and writings. I am aware of this issue - it is not a cure, however it would accomplish you few things such as answering the phone and keeping up with the conversation in the crowd that does not sign, even participating a conversation at the water cooler at a work. That is the solution I need to do something with that.
 
Good luck to you, I find it amazing that a person could believe that CIs could be either right or not right for everyone, it is all so individual, we are all so different. I am glad to hear you are pursuing what you feel is right for you.
 
Babyblue said:
Now I am just sending in my 2 cents. I do believe deaf children need to have ASL as their first language. But I also believe that oral approach is needed as well. May not work for all. But the opportunity should be provided.
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This may not relate my topic - but you are right, kids should learn ASL in the early age. It's up to parents decision.

Options and Opportunities should always be availabe to everybody.
 
Wishing the best of luck! Hope the CI meets your expectations.
 
I wish you luck with your CI journey, Endy. I, too, hope that it meets your expectations.
 
Endy said:
I am totally on your side, I know that this is NOT "Cure." It's just a tool to enable my function being in the hearing world. I'd always rely on ASL and writings. I am aware of this issue - it is not a cure, however it would accomplish you few things such as answering the phone and keeping up with the conversation in the crowd that does not sign, even participating a conversation at the water cooler at a work. That is the solution I need to do something with that.
Click to expand...

I understand that -- You want to be able to find anything as much as possible to make it easier for you to blend in with the hearing world and that's acceptable but I just have a question for you. I hope it will meet your expectation.

But - The question is - What if it doesn't meet your expectations? What will happen until then?
 
Endy,

Two things:
1) Even expecting to be able to talk on the phone seems too high of an expectation for me. I am not saying it won't happen but if that's what you're focusing on.... I dunno, it just seems better to me to keep your expectations lower to have less frustrations.
2) I am definitely not a Deaf militant or anything remotely like that since I grew up mainstreamed and never learned any sort of sign language, but I was very against the CI for several reasons. One was simply anger from the fact that even though I worked harder than others to do well academically in a mainstream school and to speak well, it still isn't "good enough" and I'm supposed to risk my life? For what? To speak a little better for other people's benefit? And to hear some damn birds sing? However, I got over it and got the CI. :)
 
Endy said:
So, I am interested to meet those people that I wanted to get to know and how did they decide to get one (changed of heart/mind). I am looking forward to hearing from ya.
Click to expand...

I decided to receive CIs in order to increase my own personal safety as a totally deafblind person. I was also frustrated by how slow and tedious some communication techniques for the deafblind were to use (such as print on palm and a Braille/raised print alphabet card). I'm now able to understand speech and hear much better than I ever thought I would.

However, my expectations have always been low, so I wasn't disappointed.

If you decide to receive a CI, I hope it provides you with the best hearing possible.
 
Hear Again said:
I decided to receive CIs in order to increase my own personal safety as a totally deafblind person. I was also frustrated by how slow and tedious some communication techniques for the deafblind were to use (such as print on palm and a Braille/raised print alphabet card). I'm now able to understand speech and hear much better than I thought I ever would.

However, my expectations have always been low, so I wasn't disappointed.

If you decide to receive a CI, I hope it provides you with the best hearing possible.
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Just curious.

Are you able to hear enough, with out using Tactile Sign Language?

If a person walks up to you to speak to you? Do you hear enough to understand what they are saying?
 
Babyblue said:
Are you able to hear enough, with out using Tactile Sign Language?

If a person walks up to you to speak to you? Do you hear enough to understand what they are saying?
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The answer to both of your questions is yes.

Now that 6 high frequency electrodes have been turned off on each CI, I'm able to hear extremely well in a quiet one-on-one environment.

I still have difficulty hearing in background noise and on the phone with people whose voices are unfamiliar to me, but I don't mind because I can always ask the person I'm speaking to if we can move our conversation to a quieter room and I can use IP relay when placing phone calls. I can also use my Comtek FM system if I can't avoid background noise.

Long story short, I'm very happy with how well I'm able to hear.
 
On the other hand, Hear Again you did have a postlingal loss.
it is not a cure, however it would accomplish you few things such as answering the phone and keeping up with the conversation in the crowd that does not sign, even participating a conversation at the water cooler at a work
Click to expand...
Well it gives you the best of both worlds.........being deaf AND hearing! However there are a ton of downsides of being hoh.
 
Jolie77 said:
I understand that -- You want to be able to find anything as much as possible to make it easier for you to blend in with the hearing world and that's acceptable but I just have a question for you. I hope it will meet your expectation.

But - The question is - What if it doesn't meet your expectations? What will happen until then?
Click to expand...

Hmm, I am not saying that I am looking for something easier for me to blend in with the hearing world. You and I know that this part of CI normally comes with rehabilitation (So far, from what I learned from the information package) that a person who receives CI will take rehabilitation and works with the staff who helps a person scoring one's goal one time at a time. It depends on individuals, they go on their own pace, some of them are FANATICS making their results as they wanted to accomplish and the last group who are still "yet" reaching the goals. It depends on individuals how many supports one have... the encouragement they have, they'd do well. It's impossible to distinguish the sounds and suddenly, you speak the clear sentences after implants overnight.

So, what this means to me is to set the goals, keep my focus stronger and keep my mind on the rehabilitation program to accomplish. I have hearing friends, my family and my neighbors who agreed to be a part of my process, working on my hearing skills, speech skills and so on. Someone offered me singing lessons for free in return of taking care of a dog. Anyway, I am doing my homework finding the links (just like some girls mentioned Clix, Listening practices, etc), building the goals, building network with people who would help with my therapy-as-I-go. I am creating the goals and it'd be more likely to arrange my goals with an audiologist.

It's like people telling the patients that they cannot walk again. Patients won't take it and commit themselves that they will walk soon. That's the focus I am talking about. Even, I tap the Law of Attraction, it will turn the table around for me, just work along with the Law of Attraction. The focus is the key, I believe.

Expectation is of course, gradual process. It takes time, one time at a time, score each goal one time at a time. Practice, Practice, Practice until you get it right. Just like moms teaching you how to ride for the first time... you can't bike it right on your first try. Practice, practice before moms taking trainer wheels off to let you off riding a bike. Does this make sense?

My "gradual" expectation will be different steps. First step is to hear and deal with the shock, and adjust. There will be many steps to take and score every time. At the end of the step, I can answer the phone, or even sing in the American Idol. Who knows! LOL! Who knows!??!! Baby Steps first.
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, Hear Again you did have a postlingal loss.

Well it gives you the best of both worlds.........being deaf AND hearing! However there are a ton of downsides of being hoh.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I expect that too and my goals are to turn the table around, somehow.
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, Hear Again you did have a postlingal loss.
Click to expand...

True, but I couldn't take advantage of lipreading and other visual cues like sighted CI users can.

Postlingual deafness doesn't always determine how well a person will do with a CI. Even postlinguals like myself can do poorly.

I know 3 people who are prelingually Deaf. They communicated in ASL and could not voice for themselves yet they learned how to use their CIs to the fullest extent possible. All of them can speak, talk on the phone and hear in background noise.

This just goes to show that length of deafness is not always a determining factor as to how well someone will perform with a CI.
 
Daredevel7 said:
Endy,

Two things:
1) Even expecting to be able to talk on the phone seems too high of an expectation for me. I am not saying it won't happen but if that's what you're focusing on.... I dunno, it just seems better to me to keep your expectations lower to have less frustrations.
2) I am definitely not a Deaf militant or anything remotely like that since I grew up mainstreamed and never learned any sort of sign language, but I was very against the CI for several reasons. One was simply anger from the fact that even though I worked harder than others to do well academically in a mainstream school and to speak well, it still isn't "good enough" and I'm supposed to risk my life? For what? To speak a little better for other people's benefit? And to hear some damn birds sing? However, I got over it and got the CI. :)
Click to expand...

I can assure that my expectation will be moderated with proper guide provided by my staff who tracks my process. I mean, the way that higher expectation would crush me down. The lower expectation would hamper my process. With the guide, it'd help me seeing the process "as of today" one step at one time. By the way, do you have the support group? As I am speaking, I am checking the support group... and if there is not, I'd create one for myself or request a staff to coordinate one for me. It won't hurt me trying.

I can share your anger that we worked so hard than others to do well academically. I feel ya on this part regarding for other people's benefits.

I am doing for my benefits because I keep getting stuck everywhere I go and I haven't spotted a Deafie for a long time. So, I want to change my own experiences, probably my benefits for the better. I will use my judgment when someone says that I am doing for one's benefit, the one I will kick one's ass. Oh sure, I will --I mean it.
 
DD,

Note that I did not say my CI hearing was perfect. I said that I have difficulty hearing on the phone and communicating in background noise. Despite the fact that I'm postlingually deaf, I still do not hear as well as some people with CIs.
 
Endy said:
This may not relate my topic - but you are right, kids should learn ASL in the early age. It's up to parents decision.

Options and Opportunities should always be availabe to everybody.
Click to expand...

I understand.

but I also said, they should have the opportunity to learn to speak.

I am sorry for being off topic.


but I was referring to your frustration of not being able to communicate with hearing people.

Hearing aids, CI, Speech therapy, Is all great. but... You will still be deaf in the hearing folks eyes.

No matter if they are your best friend or not. They know. They see. As for the public (other people that may not know you) You may or may not understand what they are saying. That is why I feel that the opportunity of oral approach should be there.
 
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