CI soon...CI friendly only please

[sr171soars]

I'm going to bulk order my batteries too and put spares in the car, home and in my handbag (you call it a purse). Also I will have some rechargeable batteries for home that I can use with the bodyworn. With hearing aids I have been so disorganised with my batteries (I'm the type to run to the store just as the power is fading!) but that is going to have to change.
....

Another helpful hint...you can use regular P675s (like found at Radio Shack or a Drug Store) for the BTE in a pinch. They just don't last as long as cochlear batteries.

Speaking of which yet another hint...When your cochlear batteries are used up, they can be donated to assisted living places for those who use HAs. CIs don't use all the power in the batteries because they need a lot of juice to run. When the three batteries in the BTE don't work anymore, there is some juice in them for regular HAs to run for a couple of days. I just found this out from another forum.

 

[R2D2]

Wow that is a helpful hint! So I can just swap the batteries over to my regular hearing aid in the other ear?

What is assisted living places? I assume it's some sort of charity in the US? I'm not sure if we have anything similar in Australia as those on low income get their batteries and hearing aids at very low cost.

 

[StacieLeigh]

Good luck Stacie

I have one question though - you said you didn't want to learn ASL because you would have no one to use it with. Does that mean in your city is no deaf community?

Fuzzy

No deaf community at all.

Thanks for the luck
Stacie

 

[StacieLeigh]

Nope, not really. I generally don't notice either the BTE or the magnetic coil transmitter. I have gotten to the point of putting on one of my many baseball caps without knocking off the magnetic coil transmitter (rarely I do knock it off). The BTE is just my old HAs and that has been long automatic for me.

I'm already used the BTE, tried the Freedom on too and felt really comfy.
Stacie

 

[StacieLeigh]

Sounds like you're a prime implant canidate! I know those with progressive losses and perilingal deafness tend to do REALLY well with implants!

I've been told that, and they also told me since I speak very good, it will also help. I hope I do great with it! I'll let you know lol.
Thanks
Stacie

 

[StacieLeigh]

I have a Cochlear Freedom - was implanted January 2005, activated in April - its been an amazing year.

I also want to anwer your previous question about the transmitter coil- I can NOT feel it on when I wear it. The only thing I can feel (and thats only if I really focus on feeling it) is the BTE part.

Thanks, I can't even feel my BTE HA, so that's great to hear.
My ativation date is set for June 21.

 

[StacieLeigh]

Good luck with the operation. I sincerely hope it goes well for you.

It might be good to learn ASL in case you have a problem with your cochlear implant, though. I'm not going to force you to, though. When I met one of my friends who has one, her implant wasn't working (the battery died, if I remember correctly). She was glad we could sign, so we signed to each other. Just something to think about.

Of course, you could just write back and forth, too, and if you lipread well, that works too.

Thank you, I've always relied on lip-reading, so I always make sure to let someone know to face me when talking. As for battery, I always carry them with me for my HA, just have to carry a little more tho lol.
Stacie

 

[R2D2]

Thanks, I can't even feel my BTE HA, so that's great to hear.
My ativation date is set for June 21.

Mine will be on 29th June - we're quite close together aren't we? I've been told that the first activation will take 2 hours, which reminds me I had better make some babysitting arrangements!

 

[gnulinuxman]

Thank you, I've always relied on lip-reading, so I always make sure to let someone know to face me when talking. As for battery, I always carry them with me for my HA, just have to carry a little more tho lol.
Stacie

Good idea.

 

[sr171soars]

Wow that is a helpful hint! So I can just swap the batteries over to my regular hearing aid in the other ear?

What is assisted living places? I assume it's some sort of charity in the US? I'm not sure if we have anything similar in Australia as those on low income get their batteries and hearing aids at very low cost.

To answer your first question yes. Try it see what happens...you might really getting a bang for your buck.

To answer your second question...Assisted living is for older folks that need assistance living alone. They typically live in an apartment complex or a housing community (some are very, very expensive to gov't sponsored). In the US, often health insurance doesn't cover batteries for hearing aids. I believe this is similar for for nursing homes as well. This way one can help them out as some older folks need HAs.

 

[Cjanik]

hmm i didnt read much of this thread, but i did notice your scheduled for may 24th.


thats the day i was born, and i have a CI

 

[R2D2]

hmm i didnt read much of this thread, but i did notice your scheduled for may 24th.


thats the day i was born, and i have a CI

Welcome! What has your experience with the CI been like?

 

[StacieLeigh]

hmm i didnt read much of this thread, but i did notice your scheduled for may 24th.


thats the day i was born, and i have a CI

Happy early birthday to you, mine is tomorrow lol. How's the CI working out for you?
Stacie

 

[coloravalanche]

Stacieleigh, I do not have a ci, but my daughter does. From researching and talking to those that have one, I have been told that for those that have had some hearing, upon intial activation, all male voices seem to sound like darth vader, and female voices sound like mickey mouse. This seems to fade as your brain adapts to the CI.

As for results be patient. My daughter is profoundly deaf, now she hears at 20 dbs across the board. She litterally hears better than me.
As for the freedom, it seems to be an awesome peice of equiptment. The only issues we have encountered has to do with the body worn unit. The cable keeps breaking. We have gone through three of them since march. At first, I though it was something we were doing wrong to cause the failure. This past week, a little girl in my daughters preschool classhad the same problem. Please remember though, the body worn parts (battery pack, and wire ) are not FDA approved yet. We are involved in the field testing of these peices of equpitment. I realise that you as an adult will probably not use the freedom in the bodyworn configuration, but the more info you have, the better.

Good luck! Please keep us informed. I love reading and hearing about adults that share thier experiences with CI activation. My daughter is not old enough to explain what she is hearing and how she is hearing it. So when I speak to a recently implanted adult, I can get a better understanding of what Lilly hears.

Is this your daughter in your avatar? If so, she is cute!

 

[coloravalanche]

Hi, all

I wanted to start a thread as like a journal for all to read and give me tips and support.
My surgery is set for May 24, 06 and it's getting closer everyday.
I have progressive hearing loss since I was 2 and worn HA in my left ear for 25 years. I have no residual hearing in my right and that's the one I 'm getting the CI implanted in. Over the years, everyone sounded like they we're speaking foreign languages and I'm always saying "what", they even try to spell and I still cannot understand. I've never learned ASL and even in school, they tried to teach me, I told them no, I haven't regret it either becasue who was I going to communicate with ASL? Everyone around me, (small town) spoke and uses gestures and I relied on lip-reading.
I went to doc recently to get my hearing checked because I was afraid that it did declined, boy was I right, but beyond my expectation of how much loss I had. I thought I would be in my 40s or 50s before I even decide on getting a CI, but my ear will not have it any other way lol.
My ct scan was great (no huge ossification from the menigitis) I picked the Nucleus Freedom in brown. Cannot wait to hear out of that ear, even if it's something I won't even understand, but I will practice and stay committed to getting the best out of my future CI.
Any advice would be great and please do not post if going to be rude or against my choice. My Choice. I will keep updating and hope for the best result I can get with the CI.
Thanks and have a good one!
Stacie

Are you saying that you refused to learn sign language at all?

I know CI is a good choice and Im planning to get one someday...I can speak very well and hear very well with hearing aid on...but it doesnt mean it will stop me from speaking with my voice and know sign language...

 

[StacieLeigh]

Are you saying that you refused to learn sign language at all?

I know CI is a good choice and Im planning to get one someday...I can speak very well and hear very well with hearing aid on...but it doesnt mean it will stop me from speaking with my voice and know sign language...

Yes, i refused it. Just something I felt I didn't need, and no regret. I chose to practice reading lips instead and that works out great for me. Nothing against ASL, just wasn't something I was interested in.
Stacie

 

[coloravalanche]

Yes, i refused it. Just something I felt I didn't need, and no regret. I chose to practice reading lips instead and that works out great for me. Nothing against ASL, just wasn't something I was interested in.
Stacie

Are you in high school? or in college? just wondering...how do you understand teacher at school or meeting or workshop without interpreter?

There is nothing wrong with sign language...sounds like to me that you are ashamed and wont accept your deafness fully...how do you socialize with deafies? I promise you once you get older...you will lose your hearings for good and you will regret for not learning sign language long time ago...

 

[Cloggy]

Are you in high school? or in college? just wondering...how do you understand teacher at school or meeting or workshop without interpreter?

There is nothing wrong with sign language...sounds like to me that you are ashamed and wont accept your deafness fully...how do you socialize with deafies? I promise you once you get older...you will lose your hearings for good and you will regret for not learning sign language long time ago...

Some assumptions....
Ashamed.....,
Won't accept.....,
Need to socialise with deaf.....,
Lose hearing....,
Regret...

There's nothing wrong with sign. BUt like some members allready have explained.... sometimes there's no need either.

 

[sr171soars]

...I promise you once you get older...you will lose your hearings for good and you will regret for not learning sign language long time ago...

I chime in with my two cents here...

As for losing our hearing (if using a CI like I do or Stacie will do soon), that is bunkem. A CI bypasses the cochlear hairs and goes straight to the cochlear nerve and it will be good as long as we live (in fact hearing is the last thing to go when one is dying). So, this is not an issue.

 

[neecy]

Are you in high school? or in college? just wondering...how do you understand teacher at school or meeting or workshop without interpreter?

There is nothing wrong with sign language...sounds like to me that you are ashamed and wont accept your deafness fully...how do you socialize with deafies? I promise you once you get older...you will lose your hearings for good and you will regret for not learning sign language long time ago...

I think this is a gross assumption. You do NOT need sign language to make it in the world. I didn't learn until I was 21, and was able to understand my teachers, and go to meetings etc by lipreading alone.

Why in the WORLD would somebody who does'nt want to learn sign language be considered to not accept their deafness?????? Sign is not a requirement for acceptace of a disability, you know. She said she had no interest - thats her choice. Socialization with the deaf world also isn't a requirement to be happy.

Attitudes like this annoy me.