Decision is Made

Am I misunderstanding about the colours? I buy the Nucleus 5 processor covers for my hearing aids and there are about 16 colours of them which just snap over the processor so you can change the colour every day if you want to. There is one size of cover for the standard or zinc air battery case, another size fits the compact battery. Doesn't fit with the snuggie thing or certain types of wear method, though.
 
Yes, Cochlear, from what I have seen, only has 5 colors, none of them pop, but I guess It wouldn't be the end of the world if people couldn't tell that either of us were wearing a CI.

What we have to hold her hearing aids in place right now, and it has been working fairly well, except they are a bit big on her right now, is what is called a Pilot Cap during the winter time, and on cold days, it works very well, but the closer we get to summer and the 90+ days we have been having... it just makes it difficult to get her to be ok with it on. I like your idea having them on her back, or Grendels of putting them in her hair (if she ever gets any hair!) Do you have any patterns that you would be willing to send me for them?
Not really...
Have a look here to see the size..
IMG_5798.JPG


And a mother in Australia ..made these for Lotte. A huge step forward.. She experimented a lot with them so she might be able to help you.. Click the pictures for the blog-posts..
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Ok, so after looking through all the information again... my husband left the decision up to me... which was a petrifying scenario... but it happened, and I have come to my decision. Though I was very interested in the MedEl for myself, I do see that both of us having the same company would make life so much easier on the entire family. I am going to be implanted with the Cochlear Brand... and what sealed the deal? This. I like, no I love the idea of both my husband and I being able to just look quickly and see that her implants are on, that her batteries are charged, when she goes to school, her teachers easily being able to check that she is in the right program. I also like the idea for myself... something that I have been very spoiled with, switching both side at the same time... not having to do one by one, with the remote it is possible. When Looking at the remote from MedEl... it was very low tech, and only provides information to the processors, and doesn't relay the information. I also really like the idea of being able to look at the remote and see if MY batteries have enough charge in them to last me through the day... with my current aids, i get maybe 30 minutes of warning before they die on me, and sometimes, especially with my little princesses at tow, that just isn't enough time to get them switched. I couldn't find any information from AB on a remote... but I really think, we are going to be N5 users!
 
Am I misunderstanding about the colours? I buy the Nucleus 5 processor covers for my hearing aids and there are about 16 colours of them which just snap over the processor so you can change the colour every day if you want to.

I did see the covers... but the physical processor itself these are the colors it looks like.
colors_image.jpg
 
I also really like the idea of being able to look at the remote and see if MY batteries have enough charge in them to last me through the day... with my current aids, i get maybe 30 minutes of warning before they die on me, and sometimes, especially with my little princesses at tow, that just isn't enough time to get them switched. I couldn't find any information from AB on a remote... but I really think, we are going to be N5 users!

Congrats.

I have 2 N-5's, and am very happy with them. My only issues about them (all minor):

Cochlear's customer service seems to be a bit crude & slow. If you call them to discuss a problem, they open up a 100 page book and ask you all the usual questions before they finally believe that you have a real problem.

When switching between the 4 program settings, it feels like an eternity before you hear something. Not good when someone is talking to you and you switch in the middle of conversations.

675 battery covers feel like they are going to break every time you pull them off.

If you have 2 processors, there is no way to tell which goes on what ear unless you mark them.

The rechargeable batteries are AWESOME, pop them off every night, stick them in the charger, pop them back on....but, they have a 2-3 year lifespan, and are $300 apiece...if you don't have insurance, ouch.

Other than those issues, they work very, very well. Love the slim fit compared to the Freedom and 3G's which are obsolete.

Oh, and the remote......trust me, you are not going to use it as much as you think. It is good for checking battery levels and switching programming....that's pretty much it....
 
If you have 2 processors, there is no way to tell which goes on what ear unless you mark them.

Well, I have only one processor, so I don't need to guess which one goes on what ear, but .. the cord between processor and transmitter is (after few months of usage) a bit "deformed" .. so if I would try to put it on my second ear (if I had CI there), I won't be able to to twist it so that it would fit there :)
I guess that if I manage to get second CI, I will be able to tell which is left/right even without marks.
But yeah, when the cords are new and flexible, it is impossible to tell the difference :)

Oh, and the remote......trust me, you are not going to use it as much as you think. It is good for checking battery levels and switching programming....that's pretty much it....

that's absolutely true .. I don't know when I last looked at my remote .. maybe I should look in my bag if I still have it :hmm:
It is a good toy for start, but now I'm able to estimate the battery level and if I even change programms, I do it on the processor. I use remote only for changing volume/sensitivity settings, but I do it very rarely => almost no need to use remote :)
 
The pink processors you see in the photos are the older Freedoms, they came in great colors. She loved the pink ones and I could always find them. The N5s are limited to those 5, I think, that you posted pictures of, although you can get colored sheaths or "bling" them with removable stickers and sticky jewels. We got black, although I think the white ones are really nice looking. Nice as all that is, though, it's not what it looks like, but how it works and what it feels like on that matters, but I think you know that :). Our clinic let us "try on" the different brands, handle them, and get a sense of how you turn them on/off, change programs, feel their weight on your ears. That might be a helpful approach for you.

We use the remote all the time -- easy for me or for her to adjust programs on the remote than to fiddle with the processors woven into her hair, see if her batteries are getting low, trouble shoot the system ... But, it's also yet another thing to keep track of. But it's a bit difficult to determine what program you are on with the N5 (vs the Freedom, which had a display) without it -- you have to count blinking lights or listen to the beeps (if it's on you). Or you can glance at the remote and see how much battery you have left, what your settings are, whether you are on your music program or you are set up to watch a movie using t-coil. I find it very hard to determine if it's on t-coil or not without the remote. I have a love / hate relationship with that thing. And you know how remotes tend to walk...

We had a tiny sticker on her right processor, although that fell off ages ago, now I have a 50/50 chance of getting the right one on (green light) or seeing yellow when I hit her contact point with the coil. She seems to have better odds than I when my daughter puts them on, maybe she knows some subtle difference in the way they feel.

Our rechargeables from 4+ years ago are still working, but I don't think they hold a charge nearly as long as they used to (hard to tell though, bc different maps use different amounts of power). But when we were upgraded to the N5s, we got a whole new set of accessories, and we're still using those rechargeable from 2 years ago, and haven't needed to buy new ones yet. Our only cost outlay has been for disposable batteries, funky processor covers, and a disposable battery cover ($$) to replace one that "walked" at school.

I've always been lucky with customer service, I guess -- have never hit a slow response from them yet.
 
Excellent info...
We have done similar things. The thing we also tried.. very briefly was wig-tape, but Lotte hated that... And it would come loose anyway.

Basically, having them off the ear makes life so much more comfortable for the child, and nothing to worry about for the parents... Win-Win..

btw.. GrendelQ.. Can I use your post in my blog?
It's a great explanation and the more people see it the better..

We tried wig tape, too -- once -- it raised a small welt on her skin, she must be too sensitive for that kind of thing. Her ears are so small, and were flopping down under the weight. Your daughter's shoulder approach was what convinced us to go off the ear, too! ON using the info (yes, of course!) pm me if you need direct links to photos or anything.
 
Regarding which side:
Isn't there a marker in the display when you turn the processor on?.. On the right / left side.. Not sure (Talking about Freedom..)

But it's not an issue since there are earplugs on the BTE's, so they only fit one way... Before that we had different color on top of the BTE's, indicating which side they needed to go on..

Wondering now what Lotte would say if we changed the BTE's around... The mapping is quite similar, but still. Perhaps she'll notice...
 
Regarding which side:
Isn't there a marker in the display when you turn the processor on?.. On the right / left side.. Not sure (Talking about Freedom..)

But it's not an issue since there are earplugs on the BTE's, so they only fit one way... Before that we had different color on top of the BTE's, indicating which side they needed to go on..

Wondering now what Lotte would say if we changed the BTE's around... The mapping is quite similar, but still. Perhaps she'll notice...

that is a very scary thought... putting them on the wrong ears... me putting my daughters on... putting mine on hers... ok... her an I have to have different colors...
 
The pink processors you see in the photos are the older Freedoms, they came in great colors. She loved the pink ones and I could always find them. The N5s are limited to those 5, I think, that you posted pictures of, although you can get colored sheaths or "bling" them with removable stickers and sticky jewels. We got black, although I think the white ones are really nice looking. Nice as all that is, though, it's not what it looks like, but how it works and what it feels like on that matters, but I think you know that :). Our clinic let us "try on" the different brands, handle them, and get a sense of how you turn them on/off, change programs, feel their weight on your ears. That might be a helpful approach for you.

We use the remote all the time -- easy for me or for her to adjust programs on the remote than to fiddle with the processors woven into her hair, see if her batteries are getting low, trouble shoot the system ... But, it's also yet another thing to keep track of. But it's a bit difficult to determine what program you are on with the N5 (vs the Freedom, which had a display) without it -- you have to count blinking lights or listen to the beeps (if it's on you). Or you can glance at the remote and see how much battery you have left, what your settings are, whether you are on your music program or you are set up to watch a movie using t-coil. I find it very hard to determine if it's on t-coil or not without the remote. I have a love / hate relationship with that thing. And you know how remotes tend to walk...

We had a tiny sticker on her right processor, although that fell off ages ago, now I have a 50/50 chance of getting the right one on (green light) or seeing yellow when I hit her contact point with the coil. She seems to have better odds than I when my daughter puts them on, maybe she knows some subtle difference in the way they feel.

Our rechargeables from 4+ years ago are still working, but I don't think they hold a charge nearly as long as they used to (hard to tell though, bc different maps use different amounts of power). But when we were upgraded to the N5s, we got a whole new set of accessories, and we're still using those rechargeable from 2 years ago, and haven't needed to buy new ones yet. Our only cost outlay has been for disposable batteries, funky processor covers, and a disposable battery cover ($$) to replace one that "walked" at school.

I've always been lucky with customer service, I guess -- have never hit a slow response from them yet.

Yes I do know that although looks is nice, functionality is much more important. which is why, with the advantages that Cochlear has, I am going with them. Though I have been told that AB is cutting edge technology wise, I still feel safer with a different company, I have heard too many bad things about AB. I'm glad to know that what I thought the remote should be used for is what it can be used for!! Thank you!
 
that is a very scary thought... putting them on the wrong ears... me putting my daughters on... putting mine on hers... ok... her an I have to have different colors...


As for the Freedom, yes, on the little display window it will tell you which side it goes on. Not with the N-5.

No need to be scared, the processors will not work if you mix them up...they are programmed to recognize the respective internal antenna.

Like Z said above, the antenna cable will harden over time and it will be obvious which one goes where.
 
For adults I wonder if any of the companies have developed a remote combined with a wrist watch? One of the guys from church has hearing aids that he can control from his watch! There are times when I so wish I had that when switching between T-coil and regular mike on my HA because of times when there are comments from the congregation (which, of course, is not into a mike) during parts of the service.
 
that is a very scary thought... putting them on the wrong ears... me putting my daughters on... putting mine on hers... ok... her an I have to have different colors...

:) You are so lucky that you will soon have such a great and unique perspective on what your child will experience! I think they now only work with the paired internal device . The freedoms used to be different, though, you could mix them up and get a somewhat painful (too loud) or just plain wrong response (all static) if the audi didn't set them to only connect to a specific implant. My daughter and her van-mate would do an elaborate mix and match of their processor components and so we had to bring them in to be set ONLY to the recipient's internal component. She would come home with a complete working set, but her processor would be pink, her battery / controller would be brown, the cords would be black ... :) Once they get past the Transformers stage (mixing and matching), the kids tend to find ways to differentiate theirs from one another, one may have stickers, one may put a sleeve on the processor, etc. We used to have tiny initials on each part. Now, she just has a few tiny jewels stuck on hers to identify them.
 
:) You are so lucky that you will soon have such a great and unique perspective on what your child will experience! ...
Yeh.. Sometimes I would love to hear what she's hearing... (or hear nothing like she can..)
... Now, she just has a few tiny jewels stuck on hers to identify them.
The coils are also great to decorate. We had a sapphires on the top, above the magnets.. Looked good...
But without other friends around her that have CI, she doesn't care what they look like.. For her it's something she puts on in the morning, off in the evening...
 
My N5 coil hardens up as it ages and "stays" in place so the coil transmitter faces towards to the right which is for my right ear.

No need to worry about putting wrong processors on as they are designed not to work when accidently put on wrong ear. Thought about using different colour battery compartment? whole color one ear, for the other ear, different colour bottom half... looks strange but might be easier when the child is small.

Stickers is another thought.
 
CreatedNat


And I am sure that I have made it abundantly clear... I want my daughters to be multilngual... ASL first, and then english and spanish as it comes... it is important to me that my girls, ally especially have access to LANGUAGE first, so their cognetive ability is not diminished. But I want to have her implanted early so she has as little as possible to make up speech wise. I know what it was like being made fun of for my speech, and that is not something I want for my child.

CreatedNat- Do you sign with them?

How long have you have been ASL since? with parents and friends? do you still hang out with ASL users?
 
I have heard too many bad things about AB. !

I am interested in knowing what and where you are hearing too many bad things about AB. There is a lot of misinformation and propaganda floating around out there.

I do have to wonder where you got the idea that an electrode with deeper insertion doesn't make a difference. Indeed, there isn't much difference in speech discrimination scores across the brands.. but there is a difference in sound quality and access to stimulation to hear complex sound (I stress "access" because not everyone has the ability to process advanced strategies optimally.) A deeper electrode yields more bass frequencies, which are traditionally lacking in CIs (the cut off is at about 250 hz, which is about middle C on a piano.) Both Med El and AB have multiple current sources which can also allow for steering current deeper into the cochlea which would also stimulate lower frequencies. Cochlear lacks these capabilities. You will perceive bass via harmonics, which normally takes time.

It sounds like have worked out your reasoning for your decision, which is great! That is an important factor.. knowing that for you it is the best choice for you and your daughter's needs. When it comes to the basics of hearing, you can't go wrong with any of them.
 
I know of a little boy who has bilateral N5 processors. 1 is white, and the other is black, so I'm guessing his mom did that on purpose so she would know which processor goes on which ear more easily. I thought that was interesting. And they had different cover sleeves on them too.
 
I am interested in knowing what and where you are hearing too many bad things about AB. There is a lot of misinformation and propaganda floating around out there.
....
It's difficult to get a clear view.
Had AB been an option making a decision would have been more difficult.
But I understand the concerns. AB has had very bad press on at least 2 occaisions over the last 10 years. Cochlear had one recently..
It's easy to get scared by these incidents, and for the people affected it's terrible. In the end it's how the company reacts to the crisis that makes the difference.
I think that people want to go as high-tech as possible, and AB is doing great work there, or they seem to be doing great work. In the end, deaf people with MedEl, AB or Cochlear all lear to hear, listen, speak. And for all there's a difference of how good/bad their performance is.
I think difference of performance has not so much to do with the device itself.
Performance with Ci has all to do with a good surgean, a body that can adapt, a person that is willing to work, parents that are willing to be engaged and support organisations that do a good job.
And it's almost like a chain.. if one of the links break... no result...
 
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