Questions about CI's

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Sunryze

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I have a CT scan and MRI scheduled for next week and a follow up with my audi afterwards. My insurance is Medicaid HMO, Caresource. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for them to approve it? Will my surgery be scheduled at this appointment or are there still other steps to take?
Also, I'm having my bad ear implanted. Will I still be able to wear a hearing aid in my other ear or will the different sounds complicate it too much?

I'm trying to be realistic but I'm so excited about this. I started losing my hearing at 17 due to Otosclerosis and never did adjust well to my hearing loss, so I sort of just isolated myself. It will be so wonderful to actually hear my kids and just people and things around me again instead of having to "fake" it.
 
Sunryze said:
I have a CT scan and MRI scheduled for next week and a follow up with my audi afterwards. My insurance is Medicaid HMO, Caresource. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for them to approve it? Will my surgery be scheduled at this appointment or are there still other steps to take?
Also, I'm having my bad ear implanted. Will I still be able to wear a hearing aid in my other ear or will the different sounds complicate it too much?

I'm trying to be realistic but I'm so excited about this. I started losing my hearing at 17 due to Otosclerosis and never did adjust well to my hearing loss, so I sort of just isolated myself. It will be so wonderful to actually hear my kids and just people and things around me again instead of having to "fake" it.
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Hello, Most of the time Medicaid approves it pretty quickly. I didn't have to go through the approval process (I have medicare, so it's different)

I think you may have to see your surgeon first to ensure that your ears are fine and stuff. If you did that already, then you pretty much have surgery set up on the day you find out that you're approved.

Did you have your blood test done? Your vaccine done? Those are important.

There have been some CI users that wear HA in the other ear and wear the CI. BUT...IMO, i think you should ditch it. I find that people have a longer time understanding things because they're not allowing their CI ear to learn and get used to the sounds. For me, my dominant ear was the right. I had my worse ear implanted, so I knew that if I had hearing aids on, my head would only focus on my right, not my left.

I agree about "hating to fake it". I'm the same way.
Are you getting Freedom/Harmony/Med El? Cochlear and Med-El is good with osteo issues. Your audiologist will adjust the programming to fit.

We're there for you!! I wish you best of luck on your journey.
 
LadySekhmet said:
Hello, Most of the time Medicaid approves it pretty quickly. I didn't have to go through the approval process (I have medicare, so it's different)

I think you may have to see your surgeon first to ensure that your ears are fine and stuff. If you did that already, then you pretty much have surgery set up on the day you find out that you're approved.

Did you have your blood test done? Your vaccine done? Those are important.

There have been some CI users that wear HA in the other ear and wear the CI. BUT...IMO, i think you should ditch it. I find that people have a longer time understanding things because they're not allowing their CI ear to learn and get used to the sounds. For me, my dominant ear was the right. I had my worse ear implanted, so I knew that if I had hearing aids on, my head would only focus on my right, not my left.

I agree about "hating to fake it". I'm the same way.
Are you getting Freedom/Harmony/Med El? Cochlear and Med-El is good with osteo issues. Your audiologist will adjust the programming to fit.

We're there for you!! I wish you best of luck on your journey.
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Hi, thank you so much for all the helpful info. I loved reading your blog, too, it's so inspiring!
So far I've only been told by my surgeon that I'm a candidate after having an audi test. I thought that meant an automatic 'yes' but from what I've read so far that isn't the case! I have an appointment next week for a CT and MRI, followed with a consultation with another audi. I've never met this one but I'm guessing that he will be the one doing the mapping? So I guess I will know more after this appointment. I'm keeping my fingers crossed..:)
 
Sunryze said:
Hi, thank you so much for all the helpful info. I loved reading your blog, too, it's so inspiring!
So far I've only been told by my surgeon that I'm a candidate after having an audi test. I thought that meant an automatic 'yes' but from what I've read so far that isn't the case! I have an appointment next week for a CT and MRI, followed with a consultation with another audi. I've never met this one but I'm guessing that he will be the one doing the mapping? So I guess I will know more after this appointment. I'm keeping my fingers crossed..:)
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Yeah, there's a process that people have to take before getting the actual surgery. If you're able to have everything done and you have your insurance's approval, it can be very shortly. It really depends on your surgeon's surgery schedule.
Good luck and keep us updated!

We love blogs too...so create one! :)
 
LadySket I have the MedEl and very happy with it . The new Opus2 have a remote that goes with it woohoo. I also got the ceramic housing for my internal part for my peace of mind. The MedEl is very good for Ostos problems since there is more options to use to thread the "wire" into your cochlea. So get the information and ask questions and make your own decision. Remember it is your head not the surgeons nor the audies.

Let me know how you do on the "dizzy test" .. I almost passed out on that thing !!

I wear my hearing aid in one ear and CI in the other and very happy with the arrangment . It does take a lil time to get use to the new sounds.

Again , good luck
 
There have been some CI users that wear HA in the other ear and wear the CI. BUT...IMO, i think you should ditch it. I find that people have a longer time understanding things because they're not allowing their CI ear to learn and get used to the sounds.
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Actually maybe a better idea might be to not PERMANANTLY ditch the HA. Just dump it for the initial adjustment period. Then, try the hearing aid again. See if a bimodal approach helps.
 
deafdyke said:
Actually maybe a better idea might be to not PERMANANTLY ditch the HA. Just dump it for the initial adjustment period. Then, try the hearing aid again. See if a bimodal approach helps.
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No way. Even when I had just one CI, I refused to wear my other hearing aid. It doesn't work as well as CI. My $4000 piece of equipment is now collecting dust. Hearing aid just amplifies sound, you really need to have pretty a good amount of residual hearing for it to work. If someone has a 100db or greater loss, hearing aid will not help, regardless how powerful it is.

People who feels that the other side is "missing sound" should consider becoming bilateral. That's the primary reason why I went bilateral.

Is there anyone here that does do bimodal approach? Does it really work?
 
LadySekhmet said:
No way. Even when I had just one CI, I refused to wear my other hearing aid. It doesn't work as well as CI. My $4000 piece of equipment is now collecting dust. Hearing aid just amplifies sound, you really need to have pretty a good amount of residual hearing for it to work. If someone has a 100db or greater loss, hearing aid will not help, regardless how powerful it is.

People who feels that the other side is "missing sound" should consider becoming bilateral. That's the primary reason why I went bilateral.

Is there anyone here that does do bimodal approach? Does it really work?
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Yes, I use the bimodal approach and very successful in that. Since my left ear can not be implanted due to my cochlea being unreachable I was able to readjust the hearing aid to work with my implant on the right ear. The hearing aids helps to fill in the pulses that the implant delivers to the brain. In other words I was able to merge the benefits of both modes to make a more complete sonic picture. I had a great deal of hearing aid technology knowledge when I worked as student in NTID hearing aid shop and I took advantage of that to know what setting I need to change on the hearing aid to make it work better with the implant.
 
john57 said:
Yes, I use the bimodal approach and very successful in that. Since my left ear can not be implanted due to my cochlea being unreachable I was able to readjust the hearing aid to work with my implant on the right ear. The hearing aids helps to fill in the pulses that the implant delivers to the brain. In other words I was able to merge the benefits of both modes to make a more complete sonic picture. I had a great deal of hearing aid technology knowledge when I worked as student in NTID hearing aid shop and I took advantage of that to know what setting I need to change on the hearing aid to make it work better with the implant.
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interesting. I have tried wearing my very powerful digital hearing aids in my other unimplanted ear (before I became bilateral), and it just sounded distorted and echoy.

I guess this approach does not work for everyone.
 
I wore a hearing aid in my nonimplanted ear for 6 months following activation and it worked beautifully in the beginning, but as time went on I gradually noticed my HA ear becoming weaker and more distorted. My HA audi and I made numerous programming adjustments to the HA all to no avail. At 9 months post op, I decided to go bilateral upon the recommendation of my CI surgeon and I couldn't be happier with the results. Having said that, I know many people who are happy using the bimodal approach. I guess the best choice for anyone considering a CI who has some residual hearing would be to experiment with a HA during the first month or two to find out if they derive any benefit. If not, the HA can always be dropped.
 
I am 2 and half weeks post activcation and noticably i am glad that i still have HA in my other ear as with CI alone everything sounds so high pitched and i can't work out what are the sounds, the HA (in my 120db loss ear) helps by bringing in the low and neutralises the sounds coming into my brain! Even though i can't hear through it much just lots of ampified sounds. For few hours a day i switch HA off and test myself with CI on my own... seems to work for myself. I know eventually my HA will be no good.

Don't forget each person is different, whereas I have NEVER heard high pitches pre CI and it's bit too mind boogling trying to hear the sounds so using HA aswell helps in my case.
 
Thanks for all the great replies. I feel that I have a wayyy better idea of what to expect now. :cool2:
 
overthepond said:
I am 2 and half weeks post activcation and noticably i am glad that i still have HA in my other ear as with CI alone everything sounds so high pitched and i can't work out what are the sounds, the HA (in my 120db loss ear) helps by bringing in the low and neutralises the sounds coming into my brain! Even though i can't hear through it much just lots of ampified sounds. For few hours a day i switch HA off and test myself with CI on my own... seems to work for myself. I know eventually my HA will be no good.

Don't forget each person is different, whereas I have NEVER heard high pitches pre CI and it's bit too mind boogling trying to hear the sounds so using HA aswell helps in my case.
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Wait until you get better maps...LOL! At first I thought I was going nuts with just hearing the high frequencies...it's there because we both never had it in the first place, so our brains are like "wtf?" At first I wanted to put in my HAs in my other ear because it was annoying not being able to hear the lows, but my audiologist told me not to. I did try, but then I would hear almost everything out of my HA, and very little out of my CI. So I ditched it. After my first real map after activation day, it got better.

Obviously, I can't go back to wear HAs. :giggle:
 
My left ear still have some decent residual sounds, hence is why I keey my hearing aid in it . My right ear was about as deaf as a doorknob, so I had nothing to lose when I got the CI. Both work very well and when it is by itself it doesn't work quite as well. I guess my brain is used to "stereo" sound. My CI audie tried to talk me into wearing just the CI, I told her she was whacko. When I was tested in the booth with words, I did so much better with both ears working than alone. So she doesn't bring up "mono" sound anymore . lol
 
:Oops:
LadySekhmet said:
Wait until you get better maps...LOL! At first I thought I was going nuts with just hearing the high frequencies...it's there because we both never had it in the first place, so our brains are like "wtf?" At first I wanted to put in my HAs in my other ear because it was annoying not being able to hear the lows, but my audiologist told me not to. I did try, but then I would hear almost everything out of my HA, and very little out of my CI. So I ditched it. After my first real map after activation day, it got better.

Obviously, I can't go back to wear HAs. :giggle:
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Hey, lol... yeah I kind of expecting that next few maps would improve, I have new processor/controller yesterday as my orginal one went on the blink... we had no idea why... at least since with the new one, i am on the up... ;-), Is it possible that i could talk to you i have few issues and would like bit of advice. I am pm'ing you my email address. I hope you don't mind as you sounds like a good person that wouldn't mind giving help. Look forward to hearing from you.

Sorry Sunryze it got off topic, i won't do anymore. :Oops:

Sunryze, i wish you all the best of luck with your assessments for candidacy. My Audio/consultant weren't sure at first to implant Profoundly/total deaf person (i was born that way) But with assessments I could prove them enough to recieve one. Now they have no doubts!
 
SouthFella said:
Over wow.. did you zap it with static already ? lol
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Ahem, are you talking about me? LOL at your comment!

If you are talking about me... nope, don't have static hair or anything. I was at audi on that day for my 1 week tune up (actually 2 weeks as we had bank holiday the week before) I left the place okay and couple of hours later it went quiet and has H5 on the LCD. I went without for about 48 hours until I went to see the Audi. She had listen to it, said there is strange noise going on. She had sent it on to repairers to see whats wrong with it, since it blinked so soon after I started to hear! she doesn't want to risk it happening again and got me new one. Oh well never mind it was one of those things!!!

How are you doing?
 
overthepond said:
:Oops:

Hey, lol... yeah I kind of expecting that next few maps would improve, I have new processor/controller yesterday as my orginal one went on the blink... we had no idea why... at least since with the new one, i am on the up... ;-), Is it possible that i could talk to you i have few issues and would like bit of advice. I am pm'ing you my email address. I hope you don't mind as you sounds like a good person that wouldn't mind giving help. Look forward to hearing from you.

Sorry Sunryze it got off topic, i won't do anymore. :Oops:

Sunryze, i wish you all the best of luck with your assessments for candidacy. My Audio/consultant weren't sure at first to implant Profoundly/total deaf person (i was born that way) But with assessments I could prove them enough to recieve one. Now they have no doubts!
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You weren't off topic at all! I'm learning a lot from you guys and I'd rather know the everyday pros and cons of having a CI from a real point of view. This turned out to be a most excellent thread thanks to you guys and I know I'll look back on this often. Thanks for the luck and all the great advice! :D
 
I guess the best choice for anyone considering a CI who has some residual hearing would be to experiment with a HA during the first month or two to find out if they derive any benefit. If not, the HA can always be dropped.
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Exactly!!!!! Thank you Hear Again! Obviously if someone is unaidable in both ears, or has tintituas or recruitment they should automaticly go for the bilateral option.
HOWEVER, unlike in the past you don't have to be unaidable to qualify for CI. Plus, I mean some people might be able to find they receive some benifit from wearing both. I just think its SO worth it to experiment since audilogy and response to hearing instruments can be kind of hit or miss.
 
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