My journey to hearing with a Cochlear Implant

Audiofuzzy said:
How long, would you say, it took you from CC phone to no CC phone?

Fuzzy
Click to expand...

Fuzzy - My apologizes for the EXTREMELY late reply! I want to say it was about 2 months after activation that I started not using my CC phone at work (or the CC app on my cellphone). What's crazy is I wear over-the-ear Bose headset to talk on and before with HA's, I couldn't understand speech at all! I had a neckloop that finally gave out and although I haven't gotten to really use it with my CI, I can say without question it will be far better than the Bose headset. Overall my experience has been very positive. I still have my struggles, but the improvement the CI gave me over my HA's are crazy. When I take my CI off and have only my HA on, it's insane how much more challenging it is to hear.

To update my last post, I didn't get the results I asked for but my speech understand-ability was around 95% in quiet environment and with background noise, 60%. I go again on 7/27 for another round of testing and I will request a dated % of each test so I can show my progress.
 
wow! that is still a huge improvement!
I am impressed! I hope you will have even better outcome this time!

Fuzzy
 
the title reads like a propaganda piece...
how big was the cheque?
 
Well said, Ducky.

Every day all at some place in the world, there is a person in a white coat drilling holes in someones head to save them a lifetime of pain and suffering. Many people who don't get those holes drilled in their head will become isolated socially because the pain will cause them to remain inside their homes and not interact with other people. A huge percentage of those people will sadly turn to drugs to try to take their pain away.

Of course, I'm talking about dentists filling cavities in teeth and performing root canals, but doesn't my way of putting it seem so dramatic?

Limited002 - congratulations on your success with CI. It's sometimes not an easy choice to make and can take a lot of hard work to get the benefits, but if they have helped you - good on you.

In the interest of full disclosure:

I don't wear white coats.
I wasn't paid to say any of this.
I lost a significant amount of my hearing 46 years ago as a 3-year old.
I got a CI in the only ear I could still hear out of last year and it's doing spectacular.
I got a CI in the ear that was deaf for 46 years, and I can hear - still doing rehab on it. Anything worthwhile takes work!
 
I wouldn't call those who don't have CIs socially isolated. Many in the Deaf community aren't socially isolated because they DO have a common language- ASL (that's partly why Hoichi pushes ASL/signing strongly). I wear hearing aids yes and do tend to isolate myself because a)it's ridiculously tiring when within social environments and b)on top of that I am an introvert and don't much care for hanging out with people anyway (yes even with deaf where I can sign and not so tiring communicating lol). I do have close hearing friends- but so very few. Only one is like me- hates voice phone and prefers texting or face to face.

I'm not even sure I WOULD do well with a CI anyway but that's my own perception and I don't necessarily want another surgery anyway (too many as an infant before age 2- eyes).

Different perceptions.
 
Ducky - I wasn't talking about Deaf people. I was talking about people with cavities and teeth that needed fixing because of decay. I was making a point that the terms "white coats" and "drilling holes" are intentionally used as inflammatory language. I absolutely respect those who choose not to get a CI, just as I respect people who do get them. What I don't respect is people being vilified for such decisions
 
John Stegeman said:
Ducky - I wasn't talking about Deaf people. I was talking about people with cavities and teeth that needed fixing because of decay. I was making a point that the terms "white coats" and "drilling holes" are intentionally used as inflammatory language. I absolutely respect those who choose not to get a CI, just as I respect people who do get them. What I don't respect is people being vilified for such decisions
Click to expand...

Hmm well with your analogy of teeth and cavities you were trying to imply that was the same as deaf culture, those with CI and HAs etcetera. That is what i was reading from your post. But to me the two don't really compare.

YMMV.
 
DeafDucky said:
Hmm well with your analogy of teeth and cavities you were trying to imply that was the same as deaf culture, those with CI and HAs etcetera. That is what i was reading from your post. But to me the two don't really compare.

YMMV.
Click to expand...

I took the point to be that CI surgeons are not the only ones that wear white coats and drill holes. See below where I have quoted some of those posts.

John Stegeman said:
Well said, Ducky.

Every day all at some place in the world, there is a person in a white coat drilling holes in someones head to save them a lifetime of pain and suffering. Many people who don't get those holes drilled in their head will become isolated socially because the pain will cause them to remain inside their homes and not interact with other people. A huge percentage of those people will sadly turn to drugs to try to take their pain away.

Of course, I'm talking about dentists filling cavities in teeth and performing root canals, but doesn't my way of putting it seem so dramatic?

Limited002 - congratulations on your success with CI. It's sometimes not an easy choice to make and can take a lot of hard work to get the benefits, but if they have helped you - good on you.

In the interest of full disclosure:

I don't wear white coats.
I wasn't paid to say any of this.
I lost a significant amount of my hearing 46 years ago as a 3-year old.
I got a CI in the only ear I could still hear out of last year and it's doing spectacular.
I got a CI in the ear that was deaf for 46 years, and I can hear - still doing rehab on it. Anything worthwhile takes work!
Click to expand...

John Stegeman said:
Ducky - I wasn't talking about Deaf people. I was talking about people with cavities and teeth that needed fixing because of decay. I was making a point that the terms "white coats" and "drilling holes" are intentionally used as inflammatory language. I absolutely respect those who choose not to get a CI, just as I respect people who do get them. What I don't respect is people being vilified for such decisions
Click to expand...
 
In order for your brain to make the most use of a CI, you have to use it a much as possible. Also implanting young kids with a CI works well because their brains are still wiring up. Finally we all have ears for a reason (Along with almost every other animal on Earth). It is hard enough in this world with perfect hearing. Just being Hot is a gigantic pain I could do without.
 
C-NICE said:
In order for your brain to make the most use of a CI, you have to use it a much as possible. Also implanting young kids with a CI works well because their brains are still wiring up. Finally we all have ears for a reason (Along with almost every other animal on Earth). It is hard enough in this world with perfect hearing. Just being Hot is a gigantic pain I could do without.
Click to expand...

no one stated anything at all about not using CI as much as possible, i didn't anyway , unless your meaning my statements re not implanting, so i'm not where that's commingle from.

we all have ears for a reason?
who's reasoning?

whats that supposed to even mean?

if ever you want to address the actual issues both i and jeize have stated pls by all means..
 
Hearing is our secondary sense. The CI was created like all other technologies to make life easier.
 
Not much of an update from last week as we ran out of time to do any testing with the CI. My right HA was acting up so I had them reprogram the left to match the right so I have a backup. The good news is my hearing results without the CI and HA have stayed the same. Will have an update this Fall when I go back again and this time I will do both a speech recognition and speech with background noise recognition.
 
Figured I should post an update. Last visit about 2 months ago to the Audiologist, I had a 97% sentence recognition with my implant only! That's a small jump from the 31% speech recognition I had when wearing both hearing aids. Hope everyone has been doing good and if you have any questions, ask away! :)
 
HOH-ME said:
Just about everyone I know that has had a CI has slept in a recliner or propped up with pillow for the first week or 2 after surgery.
Click to expand...
I slept sitting up the night of my surgery,or rather not sleeping,after that i slept on other side that implant wasnt,my doc didnt say i had to,does it make a difference to do that? My ear is awfully stopped up now, is that why?
 
BLONDI53 said:
I slept sitting up the night of my surgery,or rather not sleeping,after that i slept on other side that implant wasnt,my doc didnt say i had to,does it make a difference to do that? My ear is awfully stopped up now, is that why?
Click to expand...

After about 2 weeks of sleeping upright, I finally laid flat and it felt like a lot of fluids rushed into my ear and it was full/had a lot of pressure. My advice would be to sleep in the most upright position you can withstand for the next week or 2. The first few days were hard, but eventually I got used to it. I mention on the first page why I was told to do that: http://www.alldeaf.com/threads/my-journey-to-hearing-with-a-cochlear-implant.126014/#post-2450730

Also, if your ear doesn't feel like it's draining and is bothering you, consult with the audiologist/doctor ASAP. Bring up to them about sleeping upright and what their take is on it.
 
Ok thanks will do,just tried to call but guess i waited to late,will have to call monday thanks!
 
Limited02 said:
Figured I should post an update. Last visit about 2 months ago to the Audiologist, I had a 97% sentence recognition with my implant only! That's a small jump from the 31% speech recognition I had when wearing both hearing aids. Hope everyone has been doing good and if you have any questions, ask away! :)
Click to expand...
Hi there,just got activated yesterday,um its definetly different than hearing aids,and it seems like i understand less now than before,i know that doesnt make any sense,but really have a hard time understanding speech,even my husband,whic i used to could understand some!! The horrible,loud humming, is very nerve wreaking,did you have that too,if so how long till it went away? I go back next mth for my 2nd mapping,hope that i get different or better results!
 
BLONDI53 said:
Hi there,just got activated yesterday,um its definetly different than hearing aids,and it seems like i understand less now than before,i know that doesnt make any sense,but really have a hard time understanding speech,even my husband,whic i used to could understand some!! The horrible,loud humming, is very nerve wreaking,did you have that too,if so how long till it went away? I go back next mth for my 2nd mapping,hope that i get different or better results!
Click to expand...
Your brain has to learn to interpret new signals. It takes time. (In soothing voice) It will be OK...
 
BLONDI53 said:
Hi there,just got activated yesterday,um its definetly different than hearing aids,and it seems like i understand less now than before,i know that doesnt make any sense,but really have a hard time understanding speech,even my husband,whic i used to could understand some!! The horrible,loud humming, is very nerve wreaking,did you have that too,if so how long till it went away? I go back next mth for my 2nd mapping,hope that i get different or better results!
Click to expand...
I can't believe they're making you wait till the 18th of July for your next mapping. I'd think they'd want to see you in one or two weeks. At my clinic they actually had me come back the next day, then a week later then a month. Now I'm in the every 3 months cycle till I hit 18 months out. Of course, if I feel I need adjustments, I can go back earlier.
 
Back
Top