Whats so wrong with CI????

[Opal]

Red Rum and Liebling, please take your personal attacks at each other in PM. You both have a precious friendship, value it please!

 

[CatoCooper13]

I am hearing so I can not appreciate the deaf communities feeling towards the CI. I do however have an opinion.

It is in my opinion that being deaf is a handicap. Not a handicap where being deaf prevents you from functioning but non the less a handicap in that you function as a minority in a world that is primarily geared towards hearing people. A handicap in that it's kind of like eating ice cream..when all you have in the store is vanilla you are comfortable with vanilla you know of nothing but vanilla. When offered something with a flavor to it..something that tingles the senses allows you a different perspective it is shunned at first. People in general are resistant to change when they are comfortable. Why have chocolate ice cream when vanilla is perfectly fine?

People who are born with non functioning legs rely on wheelchairs, crutches etc to minimize the impact of being a person who is handicapped, as I define handicapped as a minority.

The CI to me represents the wheelchair or chocolate ice cream. It's an alternative.

It was designed and in use to minimize the barrier of being a minority not to take away from the deaf community, but to allow them to feel less isolated when dealing with the hearing world. It levels the playing field. Granted Chocolate ice cream doesn't level out any inequalities but it sure as hell tastes good from time to time.

Mike

Opinions are like assholes everyone has one.

Hear, hear, coffeeeman. You're so right about the CI being a choice. I got my CI because I chose to get one -- it was for a few reasons. One was because I was curious, two was because I saw how much benefit it had for my step son who has had a CI since he was 2 years old (Yes, he got implanted at that age, it was through a hard decision made by his parents.) Three, I wanted to see if the CI'd do any good for me as I had nothing to lose.

The issue of implanting deaf children with CI's at such a young age, remains very controversial. I'm not really for CI's to be implanted in kids under 7, but I cannot decide for every parent who wants their child to be implanted at a young age. That is totally out of my hands. I just believe that people who are very against that idea, to stay out of it because it's the parents' decisions, not anyone else's.
I do acknowledge the decision should be based on the child's desire to get one or not. That area is going to always be a grey area -- will always be the topic in the controversy of CI's.

Just my 2 cents' worth.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Originally Posted by Socrates
Red Rum and Liebling, please take your personal attacks at each other in PM. You both have a precious friendship, value it please!

:-o I, Red~Rum gave up DAYS ago. Don't you start!!

EXACTLY, Red Rum


Socrates, What our last discussed was LAST WEEK. PLEASE check our date instead jump on us quickly. thank you...
Next time, Please do it becareful, thank you ...

 

[deafdyke]

The issue of implanting deaf children with CI's at such a young age, remains very controversial. I'm not really for CI's to be implanted in kids under 7, but I cannot decide for every parent who wants their child to be implanted at a young age. I do acknowledge the decision should be based on the child's desire to get one or not.

I understand both viewpoints. On one hand Early Intervention is key....on the other hand, it is VERY hard to accurately tell how well a baby hears. That's why even up to a few years ago, the average age of dx (even for profound and severe losses) was something like 2 1/2 years old. I know we have ABR tests, but I know I read somewhere that even with those, a lot of dhh kids were still falling through the cracks. I also hear that the ABR is kind of unreliable...I've heard of kids who test as profound on ABR who test as hoh for traditional soundbooth/play audiotremy. I've also heard of kids who are hearing but who don't pass ABR.
It also seems like nowadays, if your child doesn't meet speech/language milestones by the VERY SECOND the book says they should be reached, they are automaticlly referred to an implant center.
I do support implants for babies/kids with Auditory Nereopathy ( this is a condition where hearing aids DO NOT help at all!) and mengintis cases (b/c of risk of ossification) and in other cases, where there's little-no benifit from hearing aids. However in ambigous cases I think that the parents should wait until the child's a little older and can help make the choice. I mean, a CI might improve a child's hearing, but then again, just switching hearing aid types might be key. ( from analog to digital...or from garden variety to transponder or even body worn aids!)

 

[Sweet_KJ]

hey sweet kj tell that to my son who was born deaf implanted at one and now speaks just as well as hearing chilren his age. He never knew what sound was till he was implanted. WAY TO GO ANOTHER STUPID COMMENT!!!!

Wow, thanks for the nice comment made on my part.

That is wonderful for your son, being able to hear even through he was born deaf. I only stated that I'm not all for implanting those who had never experienced sound, but I am not totally against it. It's just that the success rate isn't as high as in those who have experienced normal hearing. Your son was one of the lucky few. Congratulations.

I just wish that you wouldn't call me "stupid" in an indirect way, or be rude upon my own opinion. I was never imposing it upon anyone, just my own opinion. It's a free speech world, isn't it?

And I'm not sure if you understood that I do have the CI (both the single channel and the Nucleus 24 Contour) in both ears.

 

[deafdyke]

It's just that the success rate isn't as high as in those who have experienced normal hearing. Your son was one of the lucky few. Congratulations.

Yes, even today there are still a significent number of kids who go through oral programs/ auditory-verbal therapy who while not "classic" oral failures, (can't speak at all) still can't pick up enough spoken language to commuicate in speech alone. I'm highly skeptical of the claims of oralists. They now claim that almost all dhh kids can learn to speak and hear, but they were claiming that many years ago too! (in the '70's and in the '60's too!)

 

[kristy]

I am sorry and i still disagree what you said about ci .... i want to tell you if i put ci in my both of ears and i must talk with hearing people ... i feel not comforable to wear a ci. the ci can give me lots of ear inflection.... i think ci is toy but my ears is not for toy sale !
i beleive that the doctors are trying to pull deaf peoples are not involved with deaf culture...
my girlfriend told me that she make big mistake when she got ci in both of her ears. and she have a trouble hears a differents sounds... and it is not working as very well.... she said she should leave her ear alone and dont put ci in her both of ears.
i think ci is part of gumina pigs and play around with machine . i am sorry and i still strong disagree ci.
i prefer leave my ear alone and it is not for sale !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gemtun]

This is exactly the reason why I am afraid to tell folks that I have a CI.

It is a merely a TOOL, not a cure.

I realize that we all have to agree to disagree respectfully on this issue. No reason to slam other folks for their opinions - we are all unique individuals and have our own reasons for our beliefs/values.

 

[Gemtun]

i beleive that the doctors are trying to pull deaf peoples are not involved with deaf culture...

I need to defend the doctors. They did not tell me about getting a CI. I am very involved in deaf culture yet I have a CI.

There is a growing acceptance of deaf folks getting CI s on their own, whether they are a part of deaf culture or not.

I made this very own decision on my own.

 

[Boult]

i beleive that the doctors are trying to pull deaf peoples are not involved with deaf culture...

I need to defend the doctors. They did not tell me about getting a CI. I am very involved in deaf culture yet I have a CI.

There is a growing acceptance of deaf folks getting CI s on their own, whether they are a part of deaf culture or not.

I made this very own decision on my own.

Same here, I researched on CI for 2+ years and decided to get one, that was AFTER I was a anti-ci person. I have CI now.. Doctors does not play a role in pulling those deaf people who do not relate to deaf culture.

 

[Gemtun]

I researched on CI for 2+ years and decided to get one, that was AFTER I was a anti-ci person.

I also researched for 3 years. My older brother, his wife and their daughter all got CI s at the same time. I was furious and angry at them. I refused to talk to them for a long time. I felt betrayed by them.

Looking back, I know it was silly but I was very antiCI and was feeling threatened by it.

Over the years, I have mellowed out and did research..thus came to the conclusion that life is too short not to try anything - we all need tools to make our lives easier.

Of course I wont give up signing - its my language but CI will help me cope better in other situations.

 

[Boult]

I researched on CI for 2+ years and decided to get one, that was AFTER I was a anti-ci person.

I also researched for 3 years. My older brother, his wife and their daughter all got CI s at the same time. I was furious and angry at them. I refused to talk to them for a long time. I felt betrayed by them.

Looking back, I know it was silly but I was very antiCI and was feeling threatened by it.

Over the years, I have mellowed out and did research..thus came to the conclusion that life is too short not to try anything - we all need tools to make our lives easier.

Of course I wont give up signing - its my language but CI will help me cope better in other situations.

Agreed!

but I do not try to prevent my friends from getting one, When they told me how they experienced and corrected me my spewing misinformation years ago, I realized and started researching it. Although, I liked to hear and wore hearing aid all the time. So, after getting it, It was best thing I ever done! almost everyday, I would snap fingers as if it is music to my ear. with my HA, I can't hear it in slightly noisy environment! But with CI, I can hear no matter where!

So far, I really enjoyed my CI. best decision I ever made!

 

[Boult]

One of my good friend here in Tucson has decided to get a HA after many years of no HA wearing.. he had them before back in high school.. he said he wanted to hear the sounds again, just for environmental sounds and be able to hear the sounds in the movie or tv than sit and read the caption not hearing anything else! I am impressed that he's getting one. he has two hearing kids... both knows signs

 

[Gemtun]

Boult

I just had my CI surgery but not activated yet. The big day is May 18th. It is kind of funny to identify myself as a CI user now. Now I am a member of yet another subculture of Deaf community LOL. I stumble over that sometimes and avoid telling folks but I guess I am wary of harsh judgement but I truly do see people starting to accept it slowly, after researching and observing other people with CI's.

I bought myself tickets to Sting concert in October. Can't wait to compare music with my old HA and new CI.

 

[Boult]

Oh lucky you! I wanted to see a Sting Concert even a Police Concert which I never have been to! I have been to David Lee Roth, Foreigner, Motely Crue, B-52, Gang of Four, Def Leppard and to name a few... but all of them heard with HA! now I got my CI activated last Aug. hmm but I do have CD's wow! I could hear the music instruments! back then, I just hear the beat and voice.. couldn't tell any instruments apart. of course, I can hear different but not able to identify them 100% yet... Since many time, music are synthesized to sound like a instruments so hard to tell if it is actually a real instrument though...

Well, you got brothers and sisters to guide you thru your new experiences when you get activated... good luck!

Edit: oops I mean your relatives that you mentioned above instead of brothers and sisters..

 

[deafdyke]

but CI will help me cope better in other situations.

Very healthy attitude to have! I think more Deafies will stop criticizing those Deaf who decide to get CI, when they realize that it doesn't make you a hearie but it's just a tool that might help deafies cope better with more hearing world situtions.

 

[RedheadGrrl]

Very healthy attitude to have! I think more Deafies will stop criticizing those Deaf who decide to get CI, when they realize that it doesn't make you a hearie but it's just a tool that might help deafies cope better with more hearing world situtions.

I agree with you. I have few friends who have CI. They are happy with it and still hang out with deafies. I am still their friends and sometimes talk abt their CI. They knew I support them 110%.

The guy that I know, he got his CI last year and was soo brag to his friends. He said "Hearing is the best. Deaf is stink" I thudded what he said. I went school with him, he have deaf wife and his wife is going for the second CI sooner. His wife wasnt happy with her first one, she was alittle jealous of her husband bec he could EAR better than HER! So she decided go for the second one.

I do not like people to brag that hearing is better or CI is better with negative attitude. It makes me disgusted with that attitude.

 

[DeafSCUBA98]

I have been thinking of getting an CI myself. and been researching for near 2 years. I have been told some friends about myself thinking of getting one.. some of them seems like disappoited that i choose to get one, however they didn't turn against me. some of them support my idea. but i will say 1 out of 7 people turn against me. however they told me " you're 24 years old and it's too late for you to get one" i was thinking nah.. 24 is never too old.. there's 50 years left of my life..

i knew when i get one.. probally next year.. i have no clue how long it takes to get one. they might change their mind.. since i'm not planning on leaving deaf culture.. i'm staying with deaf culture.. but be more involved with hearing culture because that's a normal lifestyle. working with hearing, son's hearing it'll be lovely to hear him say "i love you" and so on.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

Hi DeafSCUBA98,
Follow your heart if you decide to have CI or not...

It´s great if you are willing to have CI...

Good Luck

 

[RedheadGrrl]

I have been thinking of getting an CI myself. and been researching for near 2 years. I have been told some friends about myself thinking of getting one.. some of them seems like disappoited that i choose to get one, however they didn't turn against me. some of them support my idea. but i will say 1 out of 7 people turn against me. however they told me " you're 24 years old and it's too late for you to get one" i was thinking nah.. 24 is never too old.. there's 50 years left of my life..

i knew when i get one.. probally next year.. i have no clue how long it takes to get one. they might change their mind.. since i'm not planning on leaving deaf culture.. i'm staying with deaf culture.. but be more involved with hearing culture because that's a normal lifestyle. working with hearing, son's hearing it'll be lovely to hear him say "i love you" and so on.

It isnt too late for you to have CI.. I have 2 friends who are in 40's and 50's. They have CI and they love it.

its all your decision. If you want one.. Go for it. I am support you 110%. Good luck..