NO stem-cell discussion, HA and CI only

SkullChick

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Figure I'll put out thread that's stem-cell crap isn't allowed in this thread so we all can discuss about hearing aid and CI without getting interupted with stem-cell which we clearly have no interest into.

Anyways I'll start. Since I read the article about cochlear corp signing deal with someone about totally implantable CI/HA to work on it and highly likely be what the next generation after nucleus 5 will be so that alarmed me I don't want 24/7 hearing so I decided to push for nucleus 5 implant in my right ear so far my audi isn't answering my emails! It been like a month now with no response! So I sent semi-threatening email saying if this will not happen (implant my right ear) I'm going to baltimore john hopkins center instead. The surgeon promised me avt therapy uh an year and half ago! And I haven't heard on that since I even mentioned it at every appt I had with him with same reply "oh yeah you will get one don't worry I'l email you when its ready" yeah when?! When I start growing gray hair? Sheesh I'm just about done with my surgeon and audi. Plus there's absolutely no legit reason not to implant my right ear. All I hear was vibration with sumo DM cranked up so I'm offically stone deaf in that ear beyond 120 db. And I scored 80 with my current implant for both lipreading and listening.
Bah doctors! They drive me crazy sometimes.

Phi4sius you should be safe here :)
Can you tell us why advanced bionics is the winner choice for you? Was it the music program or fancier speech strategies that got you? Amuse us :)
Good luck with crazybrowneyez for CI evaluation hope it went well and help with her menieres little bit.
And good luck alicia on getting new stronger hearing aid and possibility starting ci evaluation sometime soon after her further loss to severe-profound zone.
 
Figure I'll put out thread that's stem-cell crap isn't allowed in this thread so we all can discuss about hearing aid and CI without getting interupted with stem-cell which we clearly have no interest into.

Out of respect to you, I will refrain from discussing stem cells in that thread.

Anyways I'll start. Since I read the article about cochlear corp signing deal with someone about totally implantable CI/HA to work on it and highly likely be what the next generation after nucleus 5 will be so that alarmed me I don't want 24/7 hearing so I decided to push for nucleus 5 implant in my right ear so far my audi isn't answering my emails!

The totally implantable HA and CI won't be mandatory. In fact it probably won't even be covered by insurance, just the regular CI. Also from what I read, the implantable CI does not give as good hearing anyway. However those who get implantable CI can still wear an external speech processor and switch between the internal and external speech processor anytime. They can also turn off the internal speech processor anytime so no worries about hearing 24/7. May I ask what hearing was like when you had 50db HL? Did you hear 24/7 anyway?

I thought you weren't interested in nucleus 5 because of the square shape internal processor. As for implantable HAs, they won't match what I hear with my external HAs and I have no interest in risking surgery so nothing implantable for me, please. Ill stick with what I can get with my external HAs.

Plus there's absolutely no legit reason not to implant my right ear. All I hear was vibration with sumo DM cranked up so I'm offically stone deaf in that ear beyond 120 db. And I scored 80 with my current implant for both lipreading and listening.
Bah doctors! They drive me crazy sometimes.

May I ask if insurance has approved you for a 2nd CI or are you paying for it out of pocket? Ive always read that insurance rarely approved a 2nd CI, is this trend changing today? You used to have 100db in that ear, did you lose the rest of your residual hearing?
 
Just report the stem cell posts to the moderators for derailment... at this point, they are provoking inflammatory responses.

Don't see why there need to be a separate thread for it.
 
Skull chick, I have been asked by my audi if I want an implant in my right ear, I am not sure if the criteria etc, they are discussing and will get back to me soon about if I can go ahead or not. I have to think about it as the audi said, think about it and let me know if you decide not to go through it. Of course I am still thinking, even if I have not heard back. I am unsure if I meet the criteria for my right ear, I know I certainly will have go through the CI assessment, Is the criteria for CI's the same in UK and USA?
 
That would be awesome if you could get implanted in your right lissa (if thats what u want of course)!

Amy-maybe you should switch audis/surgeons? Doesn't seem like they really want to work with you and are being fair about what u want ...

I am going to ask my audi about the naida and get my new ear molds :) and see what my audiogram looks like
 
The totally implantable HA and CI won't be mandatory. In fact it probably won't even be covered by insurance, just the regular CI. Also from what I read, the implantable CI does not give as good hearing anyway. However those who get implantable CI can still wear an external speech processor and switch between the internal and external speech processor anytime. They can also turn off the internal speech processor anytime so no worries about hearing 24/7. May I ask what hearing was like when you had 50db HL? Did you hear 24/7 anyway?
Can you provide link saying those things?
No its not like hearing 24/7 its like life on really low volume on tv I don't hear anyone talking but I can hear if someone's yelling, lawn mower, fire alarm, any sound louder than 50 db.

I thought you weren't interested in nucleus 5 because of the square shape internal processor. As for implantable HAs, they won't match what I hear with my external HAs and I have no interest in risking surgery so nothing implantable for me, please. Ill stick with what I can get with my external HAs.
Yeah I'm not thrilled about square shaped but I'd rather that over totally implantable one so.


May I ask if insurance has approved you for a 2nd CI or are you paying for it out of pocket? Ive always read that insurance rarely approved a 2nd CI, is this trend changing today? You used to have 100db in that ear, did you lose the rest of your residual hearing?

I asked and they said my insurance will cover it if the surgeon said its medically necessary. That's right used to be 100 and I used to hear vowels in speech with ha on (sumo dm) but now its all vibrations so it must be all gone
 
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Skull chick, I have been asked by my audi if I want an implant in my right ear, I am not sure if the criteria etc, they are discussing and will get back to me soon about if I can go ahead or not. I have to think about it as the audi said, think about it and let me know if you decide not to go through it. Of course I am still thinking, even if I have not heard back. I am unsure if I meet the criteria for my right ear, I know I certainly will have go through the CI assessment, Is the criteria for CI's the same in UK and USA?

I think so but it varies really sometime surgeon doesn't do assesment based on first ci evaluation saying both ear shown to have severe-profound loss and candidate sometimes not so I don't really know
 
That would be awesome if you could get implanted in your right lissa (if thats what u want of course)!

Amy-maybe you should switch audis/surgeons? Doesn't seem like they really want to work with you and are being fair about what u want ...

I am going to ask my audi about the naida and get my new ear molds :) and see what my audiogram looks like

Yeah but its not that easy of a decision because closest CI center for adult is in baltimore, MD and that's 2 hours drive lol.
My surgeon and audi is only one that work with adult in whole delaware state. But if they won't cooperate then ofc I will go to baltimore
 
I think so but it varies really sometime surgeon doesn't do assesment based on first ci evaluation saying both ear shown to have severe-profound loss and candidate sometimes not so I don't really know

I do have a profound loss in my right ear
 
Yeah but its not that easy of a decision because closest CI center for adult is in baltimore, MD and that's 2 hours drive lol.
My surgeon and audi is only one that work with adult in whole delaware state. But if they won't cooperate then ofc I will go to baltimore

Yes, if Delaware aren't treating you right, go to Baltimore, you will get better services there hopefully!!
 
I second! Lissa..

Skullchick, You can go to Baltimore, MD. Is that not far away from your home in Delaware right? Good luck on your second CI on your right ear! Hope you get it.
 
I wish I had my CI by now. hopefully the CI center has sent off the paperwork to Medicaid for approval/authorization though.

AB is my choice for when I get the implant, I feel like they have more speech processing strategies to choose from, and the High-Res stuff... yeah I just like what I've read/heard of AB's processing strategies. I'm sure Cochlear's great too, but AB just has won on my list. :)
 
Cdmegger I hope that all worked out for the best! If you get approved what is your expectation of the outcome with CI in Hopefully no eye or facial twitching like amanda (blog about teen girl on deafvillage by her stepmom) because she had never heard a sound prior to CI.
 
I'm just hoping to be able to hear something with the implant in the left ear. I haven't heard sound in the left ear for a long time now, so I'm not really expecting much when the implant is activated (after I get it of course). I might hear something right off the bat, I might not. I'm sure it's going to take time, and a lot of effort on my part to get the implant working and making sense of the world around me but I'm willing to work at it. Right now all I can do is wait until I hear back from the lady at the implant center that's doing the paperwork for Medicaid. I hate waiting, but what else can I do? :)
 
Skullchick wrote:
Phi4sius you should be safe here :)
Can you tell us why advanced bionics is the winner choice for you? Was it the music program or fancier speech strategies that got you? Amuse us :)

Well, it was many things including the appearance of the processor but the main few things were:

1. Much faster stimulation rates (up to 3 times the stimulation rates of Cochlear's).

2. The input dynamic range (how many more sounds can be delivered via the external processor): An 80 dB Dynamic Range.

3. Appearance - it looks much more technologically advanced than Cochlear's and provides for color customization so I can match my CI to the hearing aid I already wear.

The final clincher were the sound demos. My biggest issue that had me hesitating to get one before were listening to those horrid demos on UC Irvine's site. But after doing more research into those that have had AB implants, I've discovered that's not the case at all and it was a wrong assumption of mine without enough evidence from real users (that I could see for myself) to clarify.

I'm just waiting for my company to change insurance carriers and I'll be starting the process.
 
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