My journey to hearing with a Cochlear Implant

Limited02 said:
Jane - Are you still not convinced as to why it's a good idea to sleep upright for a few days after surgery or more specifically why would someone sleep in a recliner? I'll do my best to answer below.

The is a reason as to why I awoke in an upright position after surgery and was told to maintain that position for the next week or two. Sleeping upright has very little to do with the incision, but more so to do with the internal surgery itself. The more upright you are, the less blood goes to your head and that helps reduce swelling, which reduces pain, which allows for better recovery. Sleeping in a recliner is easier/more comfortable for some instead of trying to prop a bunch of pillows together.

Anyone - Who is a moderator that I can contact to ask why I can't edit my first post anymore?
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There have been quite a number of posts of ways to sit up but not that much about why. So I asked. Then LoveBlue's post came through to me as suggesting blind acceptance of recommendations. I have always been one to remember, etc. better if I know why so I brought that up.

Yours has been the best explaination (sp?) of why and I thank you.
 
I asked because neither time I had my surgery was I told there was any sleeping restrictions
 
Got the call today go the end of January for evaluation to see if I'm a candidate or not. Wish it was quicker is what it is.
 
flor1 said:
Got the call today go the end of January for evaluation to see if I'm a candidate or not. Wish it was quicker is what it is.
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Hey, better late than never!!! For me it was actually very simple. We did a hearing test as you can see above and the it was like "Yup, you're a candidate for CI and we recommend the left ear. When do you want to do this?"
 
Interesting Vanderbilt requires a CT scan MRI befor making a decision.
 
flor1 said:
Interesting Vanderbilt requires a CT scan MRI befor making a decision.
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I imagine he only meant candidate hearing-wise. The CT/MRI would determine if he was candidate for the surgery.
 
flor1 said:
Interesting Vanderbilt requires a CT scan MRI befor making a decision.
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I think everyone has to get at least a CT scan to see if anatomically you are a candidate. The MRI shows greater detail if there is a question about the ability to insert the electrode. I got both a CT and an MRI before my implants, neither done at Vanderbilt.
 
LoveBlue said:
I imagine he only meant candidate hearing-wise. The CT/MRI would determine if he was candidate for the surgery.
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Correct.

I originally have been going to Associated Audiologist in Kansas City (20 years or so). Since they do not do CI, I went to Saint Luke's Midwest Ear Institute and had a hearing test done there to determine if a CI was for me. The test showed that I could benefit from a CI and then I had a MRI to make sure it was even doable. MRI came back perfect, then I scheduled my appointment and got it done!

I'll get an updated screenshot to show my incision and what the last week has been like.
 
Limited02 said:
Correct.

I originally have been going to Associated Audiologist in Kansas City (20 years or so). Since they do not do CI, I went to Saint Luke's Midwest Ear Institute and had a hearing test done there to determine if a CI was for me. The test showed that I could benefit from a CI and then I had a MRI to make sure it was even doable. MRI came back perfect, then I scheduled my appointment and got it done!

I'll get an updated screenshot to show my incision and what the last week has been like.
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Thanks for the information learning more all the time.
 
UPDATE (12/02/2015): This last month has been slightly challenging since I only have one ear, but thanks to awesome family/coworkers I can make it through the day! I've healed up well and the incision is very hard to see. This week I have felt more "normal" because I no longer seem to be waking up with what feels like fluid in my ear. Without wearing hearing aids, my left ear is a little quieter than my right ear (which I expected). I assume that is because of the wire in the cochlea is somewhat restricting sound compared to without.

The good news is tomorrow is activation day!!! Yes I plan to record my reaction and yes I plan to post it up ;) I still can't fathom what sounds I have been missing and I am excited for the next step. I do hope this was all worth it because I did very well with hearing aids. The end goal isn't really to hear more sounds, but to understand things more clearly. I always tell people that speaking loud and whatnot does not really help, because I can hear them, it's just that I cannot understand them.
 
UPDATE (12/03/2015): Getting fitted went really well and it's far different than I was expecting. At this current time, I cannot understand anything being said on the implant alone. I can hear extremely high pitches with ease (couldn’t before!), but the mids or lows appear non-existent. I’d say everything is high pitched and robotic (tingy) sounding. From what I've read on here this is expected and very common and with time becomes should become more natural sounding and the mids/lows will resurface. I think I'll eventually get the part that goes into my ear so that I can hear lows better. That won't be for at least another month or so.

When I first walked outside, a car slowed down so we could pass and without paying attention, I easily heard the brakes squeal. Then, at breakfast at First Watch, I heard a crumbling noise and about 15’ away and it was a guy wrapping a box with wrapping paper. That’s something I would never randomly hear that I did hear today!!!

The plan now is to rarely use my hearing aid so that I can start processing how the cochlear works. I go in tomorrow morning to do some more mapping and hopefully things start to make more sense. Sadly no video was made and all you'd get was me cracking jokes and smiling a lot :P
 
GregMG79 said:
Any updates you can report? Very curious to see how your journey is going.
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Been a crazy last few weeks and my apologies for not updating!

Things have been great! My last appointment about 3 weeks ago, we did the sentence recognition and before the implant, I was getting about 30% correct. After the implant (little over two weeks after activation) I got around 78% sentence recognition! Audi said she hopes most to be closer to 60% and the fact I was beyond that was awesome!

Also new is I got the part that goes into the ear (like a regular hearing aid) and that pushes the lows in (mids/highs go through the implant). I'm not a huge fan because it sounds like I have water in my ear, but it's not so bad after a few days of using it.

All in all, I can't praise enough how much this has helped me. It's only been a little over a month and when I do not have the implant on, it's painfully obvious the difference without it. My wife knows right away because I keep saying "what did you say?" several times. The other day I had a coworker standing over my shoulder and we were doing something on the computer and normally I just move back and let him take over the mouse. However, I was able to do what he wanted me to do without looking at him and afterwards he was very impressed.

ANYONE that has the opportunity to get an implant and is on the fence, DO IT! Hearing the second hand of the clock on the wall, my dogs toenails against the concrete when we walk, door hinges squeak when door is opened, range of music, water running in the kitchen when I'm in the bedroom, car remote start making a beeping noise when pressed are all things I've never really heard. And just think, I'm only 1.5 months in with a long ways to go! The only regret I have is not doing this sooner. Sure the implant is much more obvious than a hearing aid but you know what? No one is perfect! The benefit the implant has to offer far outweighs any cons, at least in my experience.
 
Limited02 said:
Been a crazy last few weeks and my apologies for not updating!

Things have been great! My last appointment about 3 weeks ago, we did the sentence recognition and before the implant, I was getting about 30% correct. After the implant (little over two weeks after activation) I got around 78% sentence recognition! Audi said she hopes most to be closer to 60% and the fact I was beyond that was awesome!

Also new is I got the part that goes into the ear (like a regular hearing aid) and that pushes the lows in (mids/highs go through the implant). I'm not a huge fan because it sounds like I have water in my ear, but it's not so bad after a few days of using it.

All in all, I can't praise enough how much this has helped me. It's only been a little over a month and when I do not have the implant on, it's painfully obvious the difference without it. My wife knows right away because I keep saying "what did you say?" several times. The other day I had a coworker standing over my shoulder and we were doing something on the computer and normally I just move back and let him take over the mouse. However, I was able to do what he wanted me to do without looking at him and afterwards he was very impressed.

ANYONE that has the opportunity to get an implant and is on the fence, DO IT! Hearing the second hand of the clock on the wall, my dogs toenails against the concrete when we walk, door hinges squeak when door is opened, range of music, water running in the kitchen when I'm in the bedroom, car remote start making a beeping noise when pressed are all things I've never really heard. And just think, I'm only 1.5 months in with a long ways to go! The only regret I have is not doing this sooner. Sure the implant is much more obvious than a hearing aid but you know what? No one is perfect! The benefit the implant has to offer far outweighs any cons, at least in my experience.
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Hi

I am still doing my research before I move forward but definitely interest in any updates and experiences you have had since your last post. Thanks again for sharing.
 
GregMG79 said:
Hi

I am still doing my research before I move forward but definitely interest in any updates and experiences you have had since your last post. Thanks again for sharing.
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Howdy Greg! Do you have any specific questions you'd like me to try to answer?

Since my last post where I mention I got the in-ear piece, my audi recalibrated my CI to allow lower frequency sounds to be processed through the implant to assist with the in-ear piece. That seems to have introduced too much low sound that's overtaking the mid/highs and clarity has suffered. I go back again in May I believe and I'll have her change it back as well as get another test to see where I stand.
 
Im very active too, I was splitting logs 2 days after surgery with an ax.
whatever you do DO NOT BLOW YOUR NOSE !!!
 
Last week I went to my audiologist for another round of testing and I'm quite pleased with the results! Awaiting for her response on the hard numbers so I can post up exactly where I'm at now, but I do know I exceeded what they were expecting :).

I believe I already mentioned, but I work in IT and we have daily stand-ups over the phone with my group in NY. I have not been using my captioning phone for the last three weeks and if we are in conference room, I can actually understand what's being said over the speaker phone (for the most part and depends on who's talking, etc). Very pleased with how everything has been going.
 
How long, would you say, it took you from CC phone to no CC phone?

Fuzzy
 
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