To Implant or Not to Implant? That is my question . . .

[Helidore1983]

I was just curious to those of you that are members, what are your views on the whole Cochlear Implant issue? Back when I was doing a lot of research about 5 years ago, most Deaf people I came into contact with really opposed them. I am hearing, and have personally never had to go through this kind of battle myself.

I personally don't think they are so great, I even did my senior research paper in High School on them (listing good and bad views). But it isn't my view that counts I suppose so I was just wondering how people view this issue now.

Please feel free to contact me for any questions concerning the poll.

Thanks!

Helen

 

[R2D2]

I think you'll find that most Deaf people here are okay (although sometimes with some mixed feelings) with deaf adults and late deafened people getting CIs. The area of controversy has shifted more to whether or not it's right for a parent to get a CI for a child who is too young to decide if that's what he/she wants.

Controversy tends to evolve over time. There was apparently similar debate when hearing aids came out in the 1940s.

 

[sr171soars]

Yea, R2D2 summed it up nicely.

I would add that you need to look through the various older threads and see all the arguments both the good and the ugly about the whole issue.

As for considering them great or not so great, it depends on where one is coming from. For somebody like R2D2, myself and others, they have been lifesavers and well worth the effort.

 

[R2D2]

As for considering them great or not so great, it depends on where one is coming from. For somebody like R2D2, myself and others, they have been lifesavers and well worth the effort.

Yep, spot on. (maybe we should start a mutual admiration club! )

 

[Hear Again]

sr171soars is right. You also need to consider those of us like myself who are late deafened and/or deafblind. In my case, I'm totally blind, so getting CIs was a matter of increasing my own personal safety and communication options. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that deafness or deafblindness is the end of the world -- it's not (I've been living with deafblindness my entire life) -- but CIs can definitely improve the overall quality of a person's life and that fact cannot nor should be overlooked.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

I vote none...

I would vote:

I am deaf and neutral about CI issues.

I support child/adult's choice for want to have CI.

 

[Hwy99]

Well I am deaf and have CI, but it's hard for me to admit that I am a regretted for having the surgery with CI. It's total wasted for me.

Before I got the CI, I thought I want to have a CI, I thought I want to talk, etc etc.. even though some of my friends warned me to not get the CI, I ignore them and only listen to deaf people who have the CI.

After the CI, I was all wrong. It sucks as hell. When I put the CI on my head, it give me headaches, makes my nerves going up makes me feel like I can't move too much or I will get irrated so immedately. When I don't have the CI on my head, when I itching my head with the implant inside my head, it always rings my ear off and it is more harder for me to itch my skin on my head because I can't feel my skin very much. Also my family always begging on me to have CI on, and won't stop even I told them that it give me headaches. My brother was trying to pull me to the speech class, I DON'T WANT! My mom kept pulling me to get a new updated CI, I know I don't want it, but my mom just kept forcing on me.

I felt so shame on myself and totally regret for what I have done to myself.

I recommend DON'T surgery on your head UNLESS you are serious about it! PLEASE be careful!

 

[jazzy]

It did not say here. I am deaf and I am not qualify for CI. Some did not pass the test and they cant have CI.

 

[Hwy99]

It did not say here. I am deaf and I am not qualify for CI. Some did not pass the test and they cant have CI.

Well I would be very glad if the audiologist are being honestly with the deaf people if they are qualify or not to have the CI. My audiologist said that I am qualify for the CI, but now I don't believe that audiologist and felt so shame that I trusted the audiologist.. Audiologist does not always correct, ya know..

 

[Cheri]

Hi

My view on Cochlear Implant issue is that I believe it's an individual choice. I opposed with parents making a choice to implant their child, It's not about the parents it's the child's life, the child's ears. FDA standards allow children as young as 12 months to receive implants, This is what I don't agree with. How can they determine whether children 12 months would not have a good life being deaf? That's why implantation should not take place until children are old enough to decide if they want a cochlear implant or not.

Matter of fact you can teach a deaf child to speak without cochlear implant, cochlear implant does not play the biggest role in teaching a deaf child to speak. Most hearing parents aren't aware of that. It's true though that there's some deaf has no trace of speech, that is because they've been in deaf schools half of their life or they haven't been to a place for a Total Communication program schooling or ever went in speech therapy.

Most deaf children are born to hearing parents, statistics show that they rarely become proficient in sign language, so cochlear implant is the only answer for them.

A deaf child can participate in both worlds, not just the hearing world, who ever says that you must be able to hear to be able to enter the world? Nobody so why it is so important to hear? I never get it that's why I believe it's up to the individual to make a choice to their own life rather they want to hear or not. It's not the parents attempt to "fix" deafness on a child, I'm sorry I don't agree with it. Implants are not a cure, never will match up the same as a hearing person, but possibility hear better than they ever heard before.

That's all I gonna say on this subject for right now.

 

[Hwy99]

Total agree with Cheri! CI as "cure" is a myth. It only help that's all.

 

[RedheadGrrl]

I voted: I am deaf and have CI.

I have it since 2004. I love it but don't like Freedom CI. It doesn't help. I am going to ask my Audiologist to switch back to my old speech processer Nucleus 24.

 

[Cheri]

I have it since 2004. I love it but don't like Freedom CI. It doesn't help. I am going to ask my Audiologist to switch back to my old speech processer Nucleus 24.

I'm sorry to hear that Freedom CI wasn't much a help for you, good idea about talking to your Audiologist. Wish you some good luck.

 

[deafdyke]

*raises hand*
I'm 100% OK with people who have ABSOLUTLY positively no benifit or very minimal benifit from HAs being implanted. I also think that those who have recruitment or tintituas should be able to get implanted no sweat. That said, I think that those who are ambigious canidates should be required to experiment with things like digitals, frequncy transponders etc, before taking the plunge. I really think in some cases some consumers are really buying into the hype of the latest trendy technology. Its not new...........I remmy a few years ago when digis were the latest thing a lot of people bought into the assumption that the lastest technology was the best. Turns out that analogs are STILL being made!

 

[Helidore1983]

WOW, you guys are so awesome!!!

I am so amazed at how in tune all of you are with this, of course, this is a subject that I am sure you are all familiar with. I just am so happy with the responses I have gotten because you all talk about the subject so well, and don't argue even though it can be controversial. You are really helping me with all of this and I believe as I continue my Deaf studies, I am sure it will help me throughout my years of that.

I am supposed to go to an audiologist soon (again) because my doctor keeps telling me that I have some kind of hearing deficiency in my right ear. But the last time I went to an audiologist, they told me my doctor was full of poop, that there was nothing wrong, and they blamed it on the fact that I knew ASL and that I could read lips! I was so mad about that, because I have had this problem long before I ever knew ASL/Deaf studies, I actually had it documented in some old school files that were sent to me after I graduated high school, so now after 5 years of dealing with the problem, my doctor wants to try a different audiologist. This time I am not telling them anything about my education, lol. They always want to twist things around.

Anyway, THANK YOU so much for your responses, you have really opened my eyes, and I will try to work on the way I phrase a poll if I do one again.

Thanks again,
Helen

 

[RedheadGrrl]

I'm sorry to hear that Freedom CI wasn't much a help for you, good idea about talking to your Audiologist. Wish you some good luck.

Thanks. Yea I am planning on it before I move to different state. Sigh.. Too disappointed. I thought Freedom is better than Nueleus 24 but I was wrong! Oh well.

 

[john57]

Thanks. Yea I am planning on it before I move to different state. Sigh.. Too disappointed. I thought Freedom is better than Nueleus 24 but I was wrong! Oh well.

The freedom is much better in most cases that I have heard. I have friends who were using the older implant and doing better with the new freedom processsor. You should not base your opinion on just one person. There can be other reasons for the difference.

 

[Hwy99]

I am so amazed at how in tune all of you are with this, of course, this is a subject that I am sure you are all familiar with. I just am so happy with the responses I have gotten because you all talk about the subject so well, and don't argue even though it can be controversial. You are really helping me with all of this and I believe as I continue my Deaf studies, I am sure it will help me throughout my years of that.

I am supposed to go to an audiologist soon (again) because my doctor keeps telling me that I have some kind of hearing deficiency in my right ear. But the last time I went to an audiologist, they told me my doctor was full of poop, that there was nothing wrong, and they blamed it on the fact that I knew ASL and that I could read lips! I was so mad about that, because I have had this problem long before I ever knew ASL/Deaf studies, I actually had it documented in some old school files that were sent to me after I graduated high school, so now after 5 years of dealing with the problem, my doctor wants to try a different audiologist. This time I am not telling them anything about my education, lol. They always want to twist things around.

Anyway, THANK YOU so much for your responses, you have really opened my eyes, and I will try to work on the way I phrase a poll if I do one again.

Thanks again,
Helen

It sounds like you are HOH, if you are a HOH then the CI would be fine. I know people who are HOH and got a CI doesn't get the problem like me.. I have been regret for mine, but life go on, I guess. Just if you are HOH you will be fine

 

[RedheadGrrl]

The freedom is much better in most cases that I have heard. I have friends who were using the older implant and doing better with the new freedom processsor. You should not base your opinion on just one person. There can be other reasons for the difference.

I just said the fact that Freedom isn't good for ME. So thats why I am planning on going back to my old one.

 

[R2D2]

. Also my family always begging on me to have CI on, and won't stop even I told them that it give me headaches. My brother was trying to pull me to the speech class, I DON'T WANT! My mom kept pulling me to get a new updated CI, I know I don't want it, but my mom just kept forcing on me.

I thought in a previous post you said you got the CI as an adult and that it was very much your own choice and that was why you supported waiting until adulthood to make the choice. I'm confused now.