Let me get this straight...

ravensteve1961

ravensteve1961

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You mean to tell me that cochlear implants would work best for people who had normal hearing at one time OR lost around 60%-50% hearing and heard well but all the sudden lost 90% of hearing. They wear BIE hearing for 20-40 years aid but no longer use a hearing aid. So thats the only way people can do well with a cochlear implant?
 
You mean to tell me that cochlear implants would work best for people who had normal hearing at one time
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Yes. If the normal hearing was during infancy, then they might need work for therapy which isn't bad. It's just that you have to put work into it.

OR lost around 60%-50% hearing and heard well but all the sudden lost 90% of hearing.
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Yup.

They wear BIE hearing for 20-40 years aid but no longer use a hearing aid. So thats the only way people can do well with a cochlear implant?
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You mean BTE (Behind-the-ear)? Yes.

It also depends on what you want to achieve. If in your mind you're looking to hear without lipreading--then recent hearing loss like Rush Limbaugh or you had normal hearing for years but lost it recentely or 20 years, you might achieve that range because your brain already has a memory of sounds.

If you were deaf since infancy and wore hearing aids all your life, then what it means is that you will be more familiar with sounds and adapt to it easier than someone who never ever or never heard since infancy (meaning they were hearing at birth but lost it in their 1,2,3 or months phase of their life).

You should really talk to a health professional. First, find out how much your insurance covers for the visitations and testings. I think mine was covered with maybe a little co-pay. Second, your last visit will be to discuss your expectations (how much you'll hear and what range your hearing (decibel) will go in the audiogram)which you should believe what they say and listen carefully.

Ask them questions. They'll best be able to answer your questions. My CI team was very realistic. You can also 'shop' for doctors that you feel best meet your needs if you can. If you feel they don't answer your questions or want to be over with, then move on to the next clinic. Remember that they will do your surgery and updates for programming. They shouldn't have to be bothered by your questions. I heard a woman gave up quickly because she expected too much at first and got into depression.

RavenSteve. How much did you hear before? Did you hear radio and without lipreading, etc? Tell me your history. Also, what are your expectations right now with the CI? Let me know so that we know if you are expecting right. You can PM me if you want. I have been through the process and researched a long time for this and can tell you an estimation about expectations, but you should consult with a CI team for more information.
 
Well if insurance refuses to cover it then i might wanna go to a lawyer and sue my medical doctor cause i have a feeling my blood pressure medicine destroyed my hearing. And if john kerry loses im contacting this guy to be my lawyer.
john-edwards.jpg

John Edwards has been a successful trial lawyer. He actuly sued a doctor that caused a 14 year old girl develop cerbral palsy by giving her the wrong medications.Theres an old saying ""If it aint broke dont fix it"" Well my medical doctor insist i take the blood pressure meds or i was gonna have a heart attack. I rather see if i get a heart attack first than rather lose the rest of my hearing. I cant wait to put this guy on the streets and find out what being poor is all about. If i gotta put up being deaf hes gonna put up being poor. And learn how to survive on the streets and eat out of the salvation army soup kitchen.
 
ravensteve. You seem to have a lot of anger. I am not trying to make you feel bad or wrong. I am trying to point that maybe you should have some kind of 'talk' with a counselor? I have done that and no one needs to know about it. It's for yourself and your own good. Are you more angry than before you lost more hearing? You know anger can raise blood pressure? Heart Attack is painful you know? It's a numbing pain. It's not pretty and never mind you could have died. Don't tell me you would have rather died. You should subscribe to magazines like Hearing Loss from CIAI and SHHH. Do a search and you will find suppor there. There are some chapters you could find in your area to find support from people like you. They know much more what you are going through that people who have been deaf all their lives. I have heard that it has helped people cope with their hearing loss and find assistive devices (CI too!) support to help you cope. People find their way to cope. It's manageable. You're life won't always be hell unless you let it. Please give this some more thoughts.

I hear of a girl whose parent gave a lawsuit on this girl who had a fever and the doctor had to save her life with antibiotics. They sued her because the antibiotics made her deaf. She won, but these parents probably don't realize that it was necessary to save the girl's life. The girl's unhappy, but maybe she picked it up from her parent that it was a terrible thing and doesn't find that it's okay to be deaf and have a great life by adapting.

I just want you to learn to calm down however you can do it. I want to let you know that Medicaid pay for CI also if you qualify. Some hospitals have financial dept. to help find ways to pay for costs, but you need to find that office cuz most staff don't tell you so. Most insurance pay for CI 100 percent or up to 80 percent which leaves you 20 percent to pay.

I must warn you that I truly think it's best that you resolve your emotional issues (which is so normal for people like you) before you opt for the CI, so that you are more happier and stable in your emotions. It's okay what life's throw at us. Sometimes it's a test for us to learn something. We won't understand, but we must realize it and manage it through those troubling time. I know it's hard to hear this and want to get rid of the problem quickly, but sometimes that just doesn't happen.

Will you search some kind of counseling first? Or at least SHHH, Say What Club, etc? I really hope you do. It's nothing to be ashamed off. I went for it because I needed it, then you decide if it helps. It helps open up to feelings you never knew you had.

I tell you to go through those suppor organizations because they deal more with issues you have in forums, meeting others, reading their stories, etc. Most people born deaf usually accept it and don't seem to understand. I feel that many seem to make it sound easy to adapt, but it's not for those who recently turned deaf.

I wish you the best in your jounrney and that you find justice, but not revenge at life :D. Take care and it's important to take care of your feelings first. If you want help getting to those sites, let me know and I'll give you the links. Say What Club have forums you can join and pour out your feelings. They will be happy to talk to you and get you through it. They will relate much better than those who were deaf a long time. Don't be ashamed. It happens. PM me for more information if you want. I am trying to understand than tell you to get over it because that doesn't happen and I know that.
 
I understand you.Yes im angry and dont you think death is the best thing? Look my mother made a desion to put my cat to sleep because she was going blind in one eye plus vet says she had a tumor in her blind eye. Well my cat seemed happy and still walking but mom said look at that cat. Vet said its best put her to sleep. I loved my cat its was the most adorable thing i had. Look at my situtation. Yes i rather be dead than deaf. At least i would been in the cemetary in a casket instead of experanced the world of silence.That gird sued the doctor even he saved her life but shes deaf shell never get to hear normaly again. Society will judge her because shes deaf. So as a doctor you have to make a decision between your money or doing the right thing. Doctor didnt do enough reserach on what the antibiotic could effect. Same thing with my doctor he didnt reserach what damage what the blood pressure would do to my hearing. Sure were human and we make mistakes "" But we have to pay for the mistakes we make"" Like if we speed the cop has to give you a ticket. Or we run though a red light cop has to give you a ticket. Or you screw up in your job the boss has to fire you. So that applies to doctors too. They make a mistake they could lose their car,Their house,Their private business and their bank account. You can say youre sorry all you want but the cops aint gonna give you a break. You boss isnt gonna give you a break But why should i give my doctor a break. If you commit a crime and you beg the cop not to arrest you he will say,.,Tell it to the judge maybe he might give you a break. So i say the same thing...My doctor should tell it to the jury and maybe they might give him a second chance.
 
ravensteve1961 said:
Yes i rather be dead than deaf. At least i would been in the cemetary in a casket instead of experanced the world of silence.
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From this line and your other posts in the past, I can sympathize for the kind of anger you're holding inside of you...but, there's MORE to life than just being able to 'hear'! Look at it this way, suppose a young man, throughout his life, he was able to play a sport that he was good at and enjoyed playing, but once he gotten older, making it more difficult for him to play as his body ages...is this man who once enjoyed playing this one sport going to want to have the urge to be 'dead' because he can't fully function in the sport he loved no longer? Heck no!! Once something is no longer possible to be 'connected to', it don't neccessarily mean the 'end of life'...but the passion and the love will be hard to overcome at the beginning, but gradually being able to 'move forward' and find something else to pursue and enjoy...Life IS precious, ONLY you can make it so without having to downplay 'one' thing in a depressing way or holding so much anger within...Look around, there's sooo much you can truly do in your life with the other 'precious' senses you DO have, believe me, once you're able to push away the anger aside and live the life you can find to enjoy...there will be 'others' (other adults, children) who can be affected by your presence, the warmth and the smiles you can share with others...that will go a lonnng ways for you my friend!! Time to hold your chin up high and be more positive!! :thumb:
 
So thats the only way people can do well with a cochlear implant?
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By well I think you mean hearing at hoh levels. Just as with hearing aids nobody knows why some people are superstars with CIs and others can only perceive enviromental sounds with it. I think the increase in "sucesses" with CI may not be due to improved hardware, but b/c people who have quite a bit of residual hearing are simply getting the volumne turned up. A person who can perceive 40% of what is said with aids, is going to have a lot easier time of it, (with CI) then a person who had little-to-no speech range perception with hearing aids. However, research has indicated that kids who had hearing and then lost it(even prelingally!), do better then kids who have to start with a blank slate. People with progressive losses have had a lot of sucess with it. There are just too many variables.
 
I think the increase in "sucesses" with CI may not be due to improved hardware, but b/c people who have quite a bit of residual hearing are simply getting the volumne turned up.
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No, no, no, no, no. The volume is not turned up. You will kill yourself if the volume was turned up! You'll blast your ears and have traumas! What a CI does is replace many of the hair cells that picks up different pitch ranges. With a hearing aid, you will only have some cells alive in your cochlea, so the hearing aids turns up the volume, so that it is transmitted to the cells you have left. A cochlea replaces many of the others a hearing cannot do. Cochlear implant does not turn up volume. Every CI person is hard of hearing. Sometimes turning up or you can say amplifying is not the best choice to hear.

RavenSteve,

I understand how you are feeling. Believe me I do, but I know that you just have not seen the beauty of life that's ahead of you. You just don't see it now. It's a choice you have to make--change and adapt to the way you are now, or see the world as a negative hellish life everyday. You just don't see it now because you don't seem to have done all the research that are out there to help you. We have a long way, and maybe the CI is the answer for you--there's nothing wrong with that. I believe that you also have to take care of your feelings. Some hospital clinics recommend psychology evaluation to see that you are stable emotionally and expecting the right thing from a CI. I really recommend it for you.

Life can be hell, ravensteve, but you can choose to pick your a$$ where it dumped you and start over or pick up where you left. You can't blame the world for your problem, though it is easy for us to do so. Try to research if you really needed the blood pressure medicine. Research all about it online and get a second opinion. The girl who's parent sued doesn't see that their little girl could have been gone. You have to be assertive about your needs, you can't care about the world or how they see you. I face it from time to time, but I know that I can be assertive and tell them to treat me right. The world is ignorant in not only disability but everything else. They just don't see it, we have to teach it. The world is full of problems whether you have a disability or not.

If you would rather be dead than deaf, think of all the people you would cause pain. I wouldn't make my family life's better by being dead. I know my mother would be heartbroken. She says I am her treasure just like my brother. You have to think for yourself and have say you are worthy--find that worth! Your grandma could have given away her cat. There's always options! Even though it's hard to give away your pets.

I really recommend that you find out more about SHHH chapter and Say What Club. They will relate to you a lot, trust me and you may find the answers you want there. It sounds more like for you than this site which doesn't have many to relate to you. I really recommend that you read about it before you join, you will find invaluable information there. I have no doubt--if you just open your heart to change. There's more to life out there--trust me.

Go here, just take a look:

http://www.shhh.org (they even have a message board and other related information)

http://www.saywhatclub.com (there's going to be a chat about coping with hearing loss and psychological issues--see? It's normal to go through downtimes!) Click on Our Mailing Lists and e-mail them (there are different mailing list to suit your interest)--they are really nice when it comes to joining.
 
Thanks,,But i dont even know what him looking at. I know the pain it would cause if i die. But death is part of life. No one lives forever. What good does it do to live in deafness till im 70? I see once you lose your hearing, its over! you lost! unless you can get it back Lawsuits teaches people a lesson. Its just like going to prison. If you commit the crime you do the time. So if people just think before they make a decision theyre be ok but a lot of people dont think before they do something. Just think if you were a doctor? Its is worth taking a chance giving my patient this medication? What are the risks? What will happen to me if the meds screw something up with my patient? If it makes him blind or deaf i could lose everything i worked so hard for. Ask these questions and think really hard and do some reaseach before you make a decision it will pay off in a long run and your patient will live happy in the longrun and you still keep everything you own. Doctors who make mistakes never take the time do reserach they just do without thinking. Just like criminals they dont think before they act. So lawsuits is the only thing doctors will learn if they should ever recover by starting over again from scratch. Like florida has passed a bad doctors bill. 3 Strikes and you cant pratice medicine in florida again. That means if you foul up cause something minor or major happend to the patient that adds 1 strike 2 more and your license is revoked. If patient files a lawsuit against you win or lose that adds another strike.
So they better learn to think before they act. Something all states should look at.
 
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But remember that we have been suing forever, and that won't solve your deafness and life. We have good and bad doctors all the time. Maybe you've learned to research ahead of time and before you take medications. I have learned that lesson on other treatments I got. I went through an ordeal researching for a treatment and the best one. It was nerve wracking, and I thought I was doomed, but I came through it okay. Life wasn't over as I thought.

I could say that about myself. I could say I became deaf, so what good will it do to live the rest of my life? Just because of 'it' (deafness?). That's the wrong decision. There's much more to life to experience. I feel there is a lesson why we are deaf. I don't always know what they are...maybe it's to learn patience? Maybe it's to teach other that there is hope? I don't know, but you know that you have a choice of a CI if that what you feel is right for you in the end of your research. I don't feel that death is a choice to be made by us, it's up to God, and it's up to Life. I have read about the Other Side and After Life. People who can talk to the Other Side have told families that the person who committed suicide realized how much it was the wrong decision and the pain they caused their family. They know that they will have to 're-do' their time in another life time. I don't know if you believe in that, but I do. It makes a lot of sense to me. Death has its own time to happen.

If you choose to sue, and you think it will be the right decision--by all means, go ahead. Just remember that it is not going to solve your deafness, it's not going to save your life. You have to change that viewpoint yourself.

Just give it time, take your time to absorb what's happened to you. Take your time to research. There are millions of information about hearing loss and ways to cope. Maybe the CI was your answer. Do your research and take care of your feelings.

I provide you another link. It has tons of CI information. I recommend that you join the York Newsgroup forum. It's mostly of postlingual adults, but it's the first list I joined, and I liked it. It's very active and lots of people there to help answer questions.

http://www.geocities.com/cicentral/links_resources_newsgroups.html

I also feel the other forums from the links I provided you will best suit the answers and support you want to look for. They will relate to you more than this site. There are things I would not discuss here either simply because I know the support I want wouldn't be here. Not many have responded. It's probably 'cause they don't relate. I think they feel it's easy to get over deafness when it's so new to someone, but it's not. Remember many of the people on the other forums have lost their hearing later in life. Much older than you. It's proof that these people have made it, so can you.

Just take your time. Things take time :) .
 
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Thanks tira that was the most possitive thing you said. I just dont know what to say. Maybe youre right,But were all human and we make mistakes. But if we dont pay for the mistakes were just keep on making them and not learning from them. Like take kids who vandelized a cementary as a holloween joke. But those kids didnt understand what they have really done. I bet a police officer will explain to them what they done. Then they have to go to prison for 5 years and they have all the time to think about what theyve done. When they come out of prison theyre be much more mature and learn you just dont do things like that. Samething with doctors,,They have the skills to make people better but when they use bad judgement and cost someone to go blind or deaf he must be punished and pay the penalty and when you learn your lesson you go back and you experance your hell and say to yourself gee,,im not gonna do that again. You said everything done for a reason. Well maybe making my doctor poor is for a reason maybe he doesnt understand theyre great responsibities of having wealth. Being wealthy is a privilege and it can be taken away from you. When you work hard for your money youre supposed to be responsibile having your money and use good judgement so you can keep your money. Use bad judgement and it will cost you. So im being penalized for being deaf because i didnt have far enough guts to say no to the blood pressure medication. So now as the result my doctor gets sued for using bad judgement cause my deafness. I only hope the jury make him feel the pain im going though and the penalty will be becoming homeless and live on the street. Belive you me those people who are homeless have to survive. and youre not gonna have a roof over your head and living in comfort. Thats the penalty for ruining someone elses life. If you make it off the streets start from scratch and if you ever make it back to the top again it would make you a better person and youll learn to do some reserch and not to make that dumb mistake by not checking the chemicals of the medication so that person doesnt have to lose his vision or his hearing.
 
I understand definitely what you are saying. I guess I view it a little different. I guess I don't like causing pain to someone because it happened to me. You know? I guess, I go by God's teaching. He ask that we forgive others no matter what. I try to remember that everyday. It's more soothing for me than penalizing others. I like to go for justice than revenge. Justice is seeking fairness while revenge is seeking to have someone pay. I would of liked to teach doctors a lesson, but I don't think that I would seek to make him feel torture or pain. Maybe I am strong. I don't know. Suing can help pay for your CI costs and assistive devices to help your life be a little easier or change careers, etc.

You know, sometimes I think that you were in just for the right time. Doctors thought you needed blood pressure pills, God knew it would happen, now you have a choice to have a CI to regain some of it back.
 
Or i can stay in silence and hope gods man would come to me and heal me. Like in that movie the green mile. I hope you say that movie because i do belive gods men are here but we cant find them. If anyone offer to heal me id tell em first go your magic on my blood pressure and make it normal where i dont need blood pressure meds.Then if i go back ask doc to check my blood pressure and its 115 over 70 he might take me off the meds then i go back to gods man and say ok give my hearing back PLEASE NOT TOO PERFECT. Like i want only 70% back bacuse i like hearing aids im not used to normal hearing but my hearing was around 45% on the charts is says 65% range which = 45% hearing left 70% hear ing left i can turn my hearing aid volume to #3 i had it on #8 which is pretty loud. So i hope god helps me find one of his men.
 
I remember the Green Miles a little. It's good to always pray. Nothing's impossible to God, you know? Always keep your options open. God always has his own plan. I know how you feel about having too perfect hearing, but it won't mean it's going to be negative. It's just fear of what we never experienced.
 
Tiara are you deaf? If you watched the green mile how you understand it ? I saw the green mile when i was heraring. And that movie gave me a feeling theyre are gods men here. But we just have to be lucky to bump into one.
 
Roadrunner said:
From this line and your other posts in the past, I can sympathize for the kind of anger you're holding inside of you...but, there's MORE to life than just being able to 'hear'! Look at it this way, suppose a young man, throughout his life, he was able to play a sport that he was good at and enjoyed playing, but once he gotten older, making it more difficult for him to play as his body ages...is this man who once enjoyed playing this one sport going to want to have the urge to be 'dead' because he can't fully function in the sport he loved no longer? Heck no!! Once something is no longer possible to be 'connected to', it don't neccessarily mean the 'end of life'...but the passion and the love will be hard to overcome at the beginning, but gradually being able to 'move forward' and find something else to pursue and enjoy...Life IS precious, ONLY you can make it so without having to downplay 'one' thing in a depressing way or holding so much anger within...Look around, there's sooo much you can truly do in your life with the other 'precious' senses you DO have, believe me, once you're able to push away the anger aside and live the life you can find to enjoy...there will be 'others' (other adults, children) who can be affected by your presence, the warmth and the smiles you can share with others...that will go a lonnng ways for you my friend!! Time to hold your chin up high and be more positive!! :thumb:
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Amen! Amen!:thumb:
 
Ravensteve,
You mentioned having to put your cat down. I happen to have a kitten that is need of a good home, and if I recall, we aren't too far from each other. The kitten needs a good home and it sounds to me you could use a good friend. You have a lot of built up anger and seem pretty bitter. Little 'Piper' may be able to help with that.
 
Thanks,In time i might get another kitten. I love cats theyre very entertaining. They can make you laugh and they can keep you company. Thanks for the offer but im not ready for another kitten yet.
 
Ok, but if you change your mind, just let me know. Its funny as I really never liked cats at all. A friend found 5 kittens that were less than a week old and something happened to the mother. I took two of them and fed them with a bottle (you think kids are bad). One of those cats is a parent of the kitten we have now. Anyhow, I know when I'm mad about something or have the feeling that things are very unfair, these guys bring out the best in me. I also see that in other people and that is the reason I suggested it. You seem like a great person who was dealt a bad hand.
 
Yeah,Thats why life isnt fair. If youre a fan of Lewis Black the comdiean on comedy central show "The Daily Show W/Jon Stewart" He made a joke that GOD is an idiot. He doesnt understand why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people..Like he said like osama bin laden he`s still roaming around the mountains of afgainstain and Saddam huesian is still alive in his cell. But again how come god allow a nice man like john ritter died with a painful massive heart attack? But all these other murder idoits still roaming around the earth. I can understand rodney dangerfield was over 80 years old but john ritter in his 50s ? But i cannot hear lewis blacks jokes anymore cause im deaf. Im one of those dont understand how come im the one has to be deaf instead of osama bin laden or saddam huesian? Like i said life is not fair and nether is god.
 
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