Considering an implant?

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kuifie--

I am not missing the point. I just want to see your messages about this. So, you are happy with who you are and then that not a problem. I am just curious on their option about this issue. :)

I only disagree the people to focus on you or telling you that will change your life unless you agree or disagree. Simple say, "No." They should accept your words as mark their life. -- know what I am saying. --
 
Look what happen today and the past
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Yes, back when hearing aids were first popularized, a lot of deaf leaders thought that hearing aids would mean the END of deaf culture!
I have nothing against CI. I am not against it like crazy and mad about it. What MAKES ME MAD is the fact that CI group practises audism upon us and try to force me into thinking that deafness is something to be ashamed about. It is like saying that I will never be "normal" unless I have CI.
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Oh, not nessarly. I mean I totally know what you're talking about b/c of some morons who think that b/c they can hear better it means that they have 100% access to the hearing world and who decide to dump the deaf-world...however I also know of many people who have CI who identify as culturely deaf.
 
I know a few Deafies with CIs near where I live who tend to think they are better than the Deafies who don't have CIs. Blah. :-X
 
Originally posted by deafdyke
Oh, not nessarly. I mean I totally know what you're talking about b/c of some morons who think that b/c they can hear better it means that they have 100% access to the hearing world and who decide to dump the deaf-world...however I also know of many people who have CI who identify as culturely deaf.
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Right, that is why I have nothing against CI. If I met deaf ppl who use CI, I can be friendly with them and be normal, view them normal. I just am tired of ppl telling me that I should have one, thats all. *smile*
 
Sometimes, when I meet people with CIs, then they brag about it and try to push me into getting one. I usually give out that mock scream and run like the Japanese, clicking a pretend camera, saying: "It's the CIzilla!! It's the CIzilla!"
 
Wow, seems I've really opened a can of worms with this thread. Sorry to those who asked me questions- I haven't been able to come back to this forum for a while.

First of all, I do very well with my one implant. I was born deaf, raised both orally and on sign, but didn't hear shit till I got the implant. Now, I can talk on the phone and basically can hear speech just fine without having to lip-read or anything. That's why I'm considering two. I'd like to be able to tell where sound is coming from and, statistically, people tend to do better in background noise with 2.

Am I proud to be Deaf? Of course, I was born deaf and grew up this way and it's made me who I am today. I am also very proud of my cochlear implant. It has given me the world of sound. I am who I am, because I grew up Deaf, and I still am. To me, the CI is not different than the hearing aids I wore, the contacts I wear to see better, or the surgical wire that mended the broken bones in my arms after an accident and still holds them together. It is simply a tool to help me hear. It's a hearing world beyond the Deaf community whether you like it or not. The CI has helped me interact with that world and I get the best of both worlds now. When I put it on, I am hearing (or close enough) and when I take it off, I am Deaf. I don't have a scar, the CI doesn't look any different than a hearing aid, I can do all the sports and activities I used to do before the CI, including scuba diving and football. The technology had come a hell of a long way.
 
What I'm wondering about, and what I don't seem to be able to find on the CI sites I've seen on the web is: how well do they really work? To some extent it's like the "deep philosophical conversations" you have with friends: "What if what I see as green everybody else sees as red?" but there ought to be some reproducible tests. Do people with CIs learn to speak intelligibly? To vary pitch and volume in their speech the way other spoken language users do? Do they like music? Can they sing, or play music--the trombone or violin or fretless bass or theremin in particular, since their pitch varies continuously. OTOH, lots of hearing people can't sing or play music worth a hoot...so maybe a better test is whether someone with a CI can tell when other people are singing badly!
 
Yes, there is probably dozens of studies you can find. Everytime you go in for a CI they will test you on your ability to decipher speech before your implant, one month after, 3 months after, 6 months and a year after. Prior to the CI, I was scoring 0% on sentences. Now I score 100%. In background noise I score about 73%. You are able to speak a little clearer because you can hear your own voice so much better. Better speech usually still takes speech therapy- it's just easier and a hell of lot more effective with a CI.

I love music. I started playing the guitar about 8 months ago, since my dad plays guitar, and I can now tune a guitar by ear. My mother also plays piano and I can tune certain chords on the guitar to her piano. Before, music was just beats and the thump of the bass, but now it's amazing to finally understand such concepts as melody and harmony. And it's pretty amazing to hear.
 
Originally posted by Deaf258
Sometimes, when I meet people with CIs, then they brag about it and try to push me into getting one. I usually give out that mock scream and run like the Japanese, clicking a pretend camera, saying: "It's the CIzilla!! It's the CIzilla!"
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:rofl: That's a nice come back!
 
and basically can hear speech just fine without having to lip-read or anything.
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:roll: Oh, god.....another one!
I've noticed that a LOT of deaf people seem to think that hearing is a stand-alone sense. However the truth of the matter is that hearing is more like taste (lots of what you "taste" is actually smell) Even hearing people read lips! Ever play Telephone? Enough said! Hell...I read lips and I am more of an AURAL learner, rather then a visual learner!
I'm not against CI per se....as a matter of fact I think that most people who are against CI are probaly the same morons who are against people like me (hoh) identifying as Deaf. You don't have to be stone deaf to be Deaf, and you don't nessarly have to be deaf to be Deaf...hey there are HEARING people who identify as Deaf (and not just CODAs, there are hearing people with things like tracheostomys, apraxia etc. who use ASL as a primary langague!)
 
Originally posted by radiohead
Yes, there is probably dozens of studies you can find. Everytime you go in for a CI they will test you on your ability to decipher speech before your implant, one month after, 3 months after, 6 months and a year after. Prior to the CI, I was scoring 0% on sentences. Now I score 100%. In background noise I score about 73%. You are able to speak a little clearer because you can hear your own voice so much better. Better speech usually still takes speech therapy- it's just easier and a hell of lot more effective with a CI.

I love music. I started playing the guitar about 8 months ago, since my dad plays guitar, and I can now tune a guitar by ear. My mother also plays piano and I can tune certain chords on the guitar to her piano. Before, music was just beats and the thump of the bass, but now it's amazing to finally understand such concepts as melody and harmony. And it's pretty amazing to hear.
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If you can tune a guitar by ear, why get another implant? What do you expect to accomplish with a second implant?
 
Originally posted by VamPyroX
If you can tune a guitar by ear, why get another implant? What do you expect to accomplish with a second implant?
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Directionality mainly. It's hard to tell where sound is coming from with only one ear.

Also, people do better in background noise with two implants as opposed to one. It's called a "head-shadow effect." Sound can be 3 dimensional as well, but you need two ears to be understand a 3D sound field.
 
I learned today that a 2 and a couple months old child I know of that has an implant since 12 months born profoundly deaf was recently tested hearing at 10 decibels.

And receptive communication was at a 3-4 year old level.

Expressive is at 2.


Thats the answer to those that want to wait around before implanting.
 
I thought I'd step in and tell you guys a little bit about myself.

I was born profoundly Deaf, and diagnosed at 5months old, and shortly after that started wearing hearing aids. Then we left our old country and moved to NZ, my parents - from advice from Advisers of Deaf Children - decided to choose the bilingual approach etc, which worked well. they did a lot of reading with me, one-on-one speech etc. I was above average in my classes. And then when I was 12 - I heard about CI and thought to myself "I am deaf, but I dont have any deaf friends" (as i live in a small town) I talk with my hearing friends etc, play sports with them - I only knew one or two deaf people, and so i decided to go ahead with having a CI as i believed that i would never meet more Deaf people.

But curiously - as we often went to the big city, for programming of my CI etc i met a few more Deaf, and then in 2000 I went to Sydney, Australia for 3 months as a student exchange, I met all these Deaf people and i was blown away by how fantastic it was.

I had finally met people who i could relate with, and i started learning sign language and loved it. I felt comfortable with it.
I came home, and started to seek out more Deaf people here, by going to Deaf clubs on friday nights etc, and yeah I just loved my time with all the deaf people etc.

When I look back at getting the CI, if i had KNOWN all these peoplea lready, i wouldnt have gotten the CI, but since i knew no Deaf people I got it so that life would be easier with hearing people (and it did - i could understadn my hearing friends more clearly - hear people calling me etc).

Now, im in both hearing and deaf world, with hearing people I usually wear my CI, but with Deaf ppl I don't (what's the point - you can't hear sign language can you?)

And it was as i got older that i started to realise the extent of the debate on CI - the CI team was telling my mother to stop using sign language with me and to be totally oral with me. She's refused to do that, and we carry on with bilingual conversations etc.

If you're wondering about my speech - yes it got better after using a CI. But even when I don't wear the device, according to my friends, I still speak clearly and they understand me fine.
 
Uhh, after posting my previous message, i realised some sentences were missing, so here is my full message:

I thought I'd step in and tell you guys a little bit about myself.

I was born profoundly Deaf, and diagnosed at 5months old, and shortly after that started wearing hearing aids. Then we left our old country and moved to NZ, my parents - from advice from Advisers of Deaf Children - decided to choose the bilingual approach etc, which worked well. They did a lot of reading with me, one-on-one speech etc. I was above average in my classes. And then when I was 12 - I heard about CI and thought to myself "I am deaf, but I don’t have any deaf friends" (as I live in a small town) I talk with my hearing friends etc, play sports with them - I only knew one or two deaf people, and so I decided to go ahead with having a CI as I believed that I would never meet Deaf people.

But curiously - as we often went to the big city, for programming of my CI etc I met a few more Deaf, and then in 2000 I went to Sydney, Australia for 3 months on a student exchange program, I met all these Deaf people and I was blown away by how fantastic it was.

I had finally met people who I could relate with, and I started learning sign language and loved it. I felt comfortable with it.
I came home to NZ, and started to seek out more Deaf people here, by going to Deaf clubs on Friday nights etc, and yeah I just loved my time with all the deaf people etc.

When I look back at getting the CI, if I had already KNOWN all these people, I wouldn’t have gotten the CI, but since I knew no Deaf people at that time, I got it so that life would be easier with hearing people (and it did get easier - I could understand my hearing friends more clearly - hear people calling me etc).

Now, I'm in both hearing and deaf world, with hearing people I usually wear my CI, but with Deaf people I don't (what's the point - you can't hear sign language can you?).

And it was as I got older that I started to realise the extent of the debate on CI - the CI team was telling my mother to stop using sign language with me and to be totally oral with me. I didn’t agree with that. She's refused to do that, and we carry on with bilingual conversations etc.

If you're wondering about my speech - yes it got better after using a CI. But even when I don't wear the device, according to my friends, I still speak clearly and they understand me fine.

As I’ve said before, I’m not 100% against CI, but I’m also not 100% for it – I don’t like parents implanting their babies for the wrong reasons etc, and like, telling them that they are hearing, not Deaf. Some students have come to me (when I visited the Deaf school) and said they are getting a CI, and I asked “Oh really? How come?”. They replied “My dad says I have to.” This was coming from a 12 year old with no verbal skills. Totally 100% sign-language realise. It is cases like these that I cringe about the CI Team and the doctors giving out biased information (REMEMBER – this is coming from a perspective in NZ – it’s different in America, I believe)

But, it all comes down to one thing – the individual’s choice (or their parents’ in some cases).
 
My dad and my mom asked me to get a CI when I was 17 years old and I said,"I have considered about and I have done some researching on it but I decided not to because it may not work on me and cause problems so I am proud to be deaf and wear hearing aids.So, No thanks." My dad respected me and said,"Oh Ok, whatever you want to do is fine with me. If you don't want CI, that's fine with me. I still love you no matter what." He supported my decision on it. But on the othr hand...my mom was upset and pressuring me to change my mind. I don't think my mom fully accepts the fact that I am deaf. When I talk with her.. she uses oral and does not sign much. When I am with my dad.. he signs 100 percent with me and we are very close together. I can talk to my dad about anything. I don't like the idea of parents putting implants on babies.. for my future kids.. I d rather wait until they are old enough to decide if they want CI or not. I want my future kids to experience both worlds (Deaf and Hearing). They will learn how to speak and use ASL and English. I don't care if deaf people wants to get CI..that's fine but I hope they are positive sure about it. I just don't like it when people tells me that I should get a CI and why it's better than hearing aid and etc. I am fine with my hearing aid! :D
 
Originally posted by WildKaTReSS
My dad and my mom asked me to get a CI when I was 17 years old and I said,"I have considered about and I have done some researching on it but I decided not to because it may not work on me and cause problems so I am proud to be deaf and wear hearing aids.So, No thanks." My dad respected me and said,"Oh Ok, whatever you want to do is fine with me. If you don't want CI, that's fine with me. I still love you no matter what." He supported my decision on it. But on the othr hand...my mom was upset and pressuring me to change my mind. I don't think my mom fully accepts the fact that I am deaf. When I talk with her.. she uses oral and does not sign much. When I am with my dad.. he signs 100 percent with me and we are very close together. I can talk to my dad about anything. I don't like the idea of parents putting implants on babies.. for my future kids.. I d rather wait until they are old enough to decide if they want CI or not. I want my future kids to experience both worlds (Deaf and Hearing). They will learn how to speak and use ASL and English. I don't care if deaf people wants to get CI..that's fine but I hope they are positive sure about it. I just don't like it when people tells me that I should get a CI and why it's better than hearing aid and etc. I am fine with my hearing aid! :D
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I agree with you... that is the hardest decision to make. A lot of my friends who have gotten CIs between the ages of 18 & 25 have ended up not using it after a month. One big pro for getting implants at childhood is the opportunity to improve your speech as you grow up and the big con is that we took away their choice. At an older age, the big pro is that we are giving them a choice and the big con is that it's difficult to improve speech.
 
he CI has helped me interact with that world and I get the best of both worlds now. When I put it on, I am hearing (or close enough) and when I take it off, I am Deaf
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Yes, radiohead! You rock! I wish parents of kids with CIs would read your words, so they could understand that it shouldn't have to be an either or choice when it comes to commuication, cultural identity etc. On the other hand I do quibble with your statement that when you put your CI on, you're hearing. What's your audigram when you wear your aid? I know some people with CIs score in the hearing range, but most of those people were late-deafened, or heard speech normally at one time. Most of the time a CI simply ameilarates the loss from profound/severe to mild/moderate. Now HOH people can hear very well, but that doesn't mean they are hearing...they are "almost hearing" (even with hearing aids) Despite the opinons of out of it professionals, (many professionals have the opinon that hoh people have more in common with hearing people then with deaf people) HOH people have JUST as much in common with deaf as with hearing!
 
Originally posted by deafdyke
Yes, radiohead! You rock! I wish parents of kids with CIs would read your words, so they could understand that it shouldn't have to be an either or choice when it comes to commuication, cultural identity etc. On the other hand I do quibble with your statement that when you put your CI on, you're hearing. What's your audigram when you wear your aid? I know some people with CIs score in the hearing range, but most of those people were late-deafened, or heard speech normally at one time. Most of the time a CI simply ameilarates the loss from profound/severe to mild/moderate. Now HOH people can hear very well, but that doesn't mean they are hearing...they are "almost hearing" (even with hearing aids) Despite the opinons of out of it professionals, (many professionals have the opinon that hoh people have more in common with hearing people then with deaf people) HOH people have JUST as much in common with deaf as with hearing!
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With the CI on my audiogram is in the 15-24dB range. My speech recognition scores on sentences in quiet is 100%. My phone sentence recognition is 100%. My sentences in noise is 70% and monosyllabic word scores are around 80%. According to my audiologist, I'm "not missing much more than hearing person does." So I feel pretty confident that I'm as close to hearing as you can get with a CI. I wouldn't know, though, since I was born profoundly deaf and never heard normaly.

So really, how can you define hearing or deaf? It's all relative. To me, with a CI on I am hearing and with it off I am deaf.
 
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