This girl in one of my classes...

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NotSoDeaf

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This girl in one of my classes was talking about her CI the other night. She said she was born hearing, then (from what I think.. I wasn't paying 100% attention), she lost her hearing from w/e antibiotic. So she got her CI about 5 years ago. But it was after some time of being deaf.

She said she knows a boy who got his CI, 3 years ago and was born HoH. She said he is talking much better than she is, and that he can hear and sounds like an average hearing person.

She wants to switch companies.

Am I wrong to think that maybe she just hasn't waited long enough for herself? I mean everyone is different, right? Maybe its just taking her a little bit longer. And what does it take to switch companies? Does she have to have it removed and get a new one all over again?

I just dont want to ask her all of these questions, because I don't want to offend her or anything. And as I'm sure it can already be noted, I do not know much about CI.

Thanks for your time!
 
You are right..everyone is different.

The word "hear" can be subjective so if this boy is saying he can hear...maybe his level and capability to "hear" meets his expectations but probably wouldnt meet someone else's expectations. It seems that girl's "hearing" isnt meeting her expectations.

As for switching companies, I cant answer that but it is an interesting question and I am curious if that's possible.
 
Issues like this are never as simple as simply switching companies. There are many, many variables involved for the results one gets and their performance with a CI.
 
this is precisely why I strongly urge federal government to set the federal guideline (education-wise) like they did for hearing. I'm sick of hearing this kind of widely inconsistent results for people with hearing disability of any degree of damage.
 
Switching brands won't help. All CI's have similar speech understanding outcomes. If one was significantly better, it would be dishonest for the FDA to allow the other companies to stay in buisness. Plus, she would have to have surgery andrehab her ear all over again.

How long was she deaf before she got implanted? That makes a difference. Plus, children just get better results than adults. Their brains are more pliable (not quite the right word) and so they learn to hear quicker, and usually easier than adults.
 
I wouldn't change CI/HA based on the sound of my voice, it's just too much hassle for something so unimportant and unlikely to change. I've been able to make my speech clear through speech therapy and self monitoring (I'm very good at reports and speeches according to teachers/classmates) but I can't get my actual voice to change. It sounds nothing like other people's when I play it back, but for me intelligibility is more important.
 
I hate it when people are comparing one person to another. My biggest guess is that she didn't really have good map. It's impossible to switch to a new company without going through surgery again.

Honestly, she should find another audiologist, get a new map, and maybe aural therapy will help. I know when I need a new map is when I start sounding a bit "deaf".
 
Everyone is different.

There's also a difference between hearing better and understanding better.

I hear very well, but not as well as a hearing person. (I can't hear a watch beep unless I put it to my ears.) However, I can't understand people with accents.

I know people who got CIs and hear better than me, but I understand things better than them.

So, which is better? As I said, it varies on the individual.
 
That is an interesting question. (I am not a CI user.)

I am pretty sure the implanted wire in the ear is just the same design for all CI hearing aids. I am thinking that she might try to ask her audiologist if she/he is willing to offer her a free trial with different brands of hearing aid so that she would compare the different quality of sounds for each one. Don't you think that it is a good idea?

Don't expect hoping that she would find a better CI that will work for her because of her speech. After that, it is more likely for her to go to a speech therapy to improve her speech with a better CI.

If her audiologist cannot offer her one, then she needs to stick with her CI and don't give up attending to a speech therapy. I am sure that her speech will be greatly improved.
 
webexplorer said:
That is an interesting question. (I am not a CI user.)

I am pretty sure the implanted wire in the ear is just the same design for all CI hearing aids. I am thinking that she might try to ask her audiologist if she/he is willing to offer her a free trial with different brands of hearing aid so that she would compare the different quality of sounds for each one. Don't you think that it is a good idea?

Don't expect hoping that she would find a better CI that will work for her because of her speech. After that, it is more likely for her to go to a speech therapy to improve her speech with a better CI.

If her audiologist cannot offer her one, then she needs to stick with her CI and don't give up attending to a speech therapy. I am sure that her speech will be greatly improved.
Click to expand...

Like I said in my previous post, it is IMPOSSIBLE for people to test out different CI brands. You have one shot. If you don't like it...too bad. You would have to go through surgery AGAIN if you decide to go to a different company. None of the companies are interchangeable. All three companies have DIFFERENT array designs. It's not hearing aids.

NotSoDeaf - does she only have one CI? What about the guy? Most often bilaterals have better comprehension and directionality of sounds. I know I felt so one-sided with just one CI, hence why I wanted the second one right away. :)
 
I agree with everything Lady is saying.

It is very important to have a good map. If desired hearing is not being achieved, then she needs to have others assist with a list of sounds she is not saying correctly or hearing. Then the audiologist can work for proper mapping. It is not the CI, it is the map that is important.

Another suggestion is to find out how long she is wearing her CI daily. The more you wear it and use it for auditory therapy(books on tape, music, TV and read along) the better comprehension for hearing is.

As for speech, everyone is different. I was told that the same day I was activated my speech changed. I was hearing the sounds and therefore was speaking them correctly. Again the mapping process is so important.
 
I am not a CI user and I am glad of it. It is better to have hearing aids so that you can change the kind of hearing aids that she would be looking for if she want a different brand from different company. Going through the operation to have your brain implanted take a lot of trauma and trying to get it mapped and a bunch of other electrical devices like batteries and etc. Then she decided that she was not happy with it and want to change her brand because of the guy's experience with his CI that work really great for him. It cost a lot of money and that is precisely why they need her money to have her implanted. Yes, everyone is different and hearing have different degrees of hearing loss.

I think you should just talk with her about it and not be afraid to hurt her feelings. I think she will appreciate your concern about why she want to change to another company. All I am suggesting that your friend can be assured that she has to accept her deafness no matter what along with her not perfect voice. You can make the decision from all the Aders who have CI and do have experience which you and I don't have that experience. :(
 
LadySekhmet said:
Like I said in my previous post, it is IMPOSSIBLE for people to test out different CI brands. You have one shot. If you don't like it...too bad. You would have to go through surgery AGAIN if you decide to go to a different company. None of the companies are interchangeable. All three companies have DIFFERENT array designs. It's not hearing aids.

NotSoDeaf - does she only have one CI? What about the guy? Most often bilaterals have better comprehension and directionality of sounds. I know I felt so one-sided with just one CI, hence why I wanted the second one right away. :)
Click to expand...


I believe you what you said. Hmm. I missed your previous post - actually, I read many posts on the forum. I thought that my suggestion seemed to be a good one, but now I understand what you mean.

I talked with my CI friend about this woman in her first post. She told me that it took time for her to learn some sound patterns in the environment especially her speech. Her speech therapist helped her a lot that made her very happy. She said that many young children with CI have a better voice than young people in some ways.

My friend's CI hearing aid brand which is called "Bionic." The website is at BIONIC- Better, Stronger, Faster . (I believe this link is not correct address.)
 
Bebonang said:
Going through the operation to have your brain implanted take a lot of trauma and trying to get it mapped and a bunch of other electrical devices like batteries and etc.
Click to expand...

I just need to correct you on this. Our brains are not implanted or exposed in any way. It does not take a lot of trauma to get our stuff mapped. It's just like going in an audiologist office and tweak some of the sounds. The first year and second year it takes a bit of mapping, but after a while, we rarely need to get new maps unless if something sounds too soft or whatever.

What other "electrical devices"? Hearing aids have batteries, so do CI. Hearing aids have T-Coil, so does CI. Hearing aids can use the T-Loop/FM system/headphones. So does CI.

I know you don't have CI, but it would be nice to educate yourself regardless. Again, our brains are not implanted. It's our cochlea, and we do not have a "hole" in our heads.
 
Ty everyone for your responses. On Monday, when I see her I will be sure to ask as many questions as she'll let me. In our last class, I told her how interested in the CI I was. She told me it was cool that I wanted to learn. So I guess I'll just try asking and see what happens. And now that I've been educated a bit by you fine people, I won't feel so dumb asking random questions.

I'll report back or maybe even get her on all deaf!
 
LadySekhmet said:
I just need to correct you on this. Our brains are not implanted or exposed in any way. It does not take a lot of trauma to get our stuff mapped. It's just like going in an audiologist office and tweak some of the sounds. The first year and second year it takes a bit of mapping, but after a while, we rarely need to get new maps unless if something sounds too soft or whatever.

What other "electrical devices"? Hearing aids have batteries, so do CI. Hearing aids have T-Coil, so does CI. Hearing aids can use the T-Loop/FM system/headphones. So does CI.

I know you don't have CI, but it would be nice to educate yourself regardless. Again, our brains are not implanted. It's our cochlea, and we do not have a "hole" in our heads.
Click to expand...

Thank you for straighten me out on CI. I thought there was a "hole" in the brain to put cochlear in. :dunno: I guess some people like to put some kind of devices in their bodies like pacemakers or some kind of metals into their joint. :hmm: Haaaa, so that the electrical devices like batteries, T-Coil and CI acting like hearing aids. Very interesting. :ty:
 
One cannot switch CI companies unless there is a medical reason for doing so or if a person's speech discrimination is severely limited (i.e. 40% or less).
 
A hole is drilled in the mastoid bone where the electrodes are inserted into the cochlea.
 
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