Not a candidate for CI?

dereksbicycles

dereksbicycles

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I am full deaf with 90 dB in both ears. I know that I am probably a good candidate for CI, but I wish that I wouldn't be a candidate. You see, if I was a candidate, then I would feel stupid for not taking advantage of this technology. If I am not a candidate, I won't feel guilty. Have you had this type of feeling before?
 
Never. I'm fully Deaf, and never once considered "taking advantage" of it, because it would not benefit me.

Now, my question for you: Why do you feel guilty if you were an candidate and didnt take use of it? Society perception of deafness?
 
One shouldn't get a CI simply cause one feels guilty or feels obliged to get one. It should be based on whether or not you think you'll benefit from it.
 
If you have no desire for a CI, you aren't a good candidate on that point alone, so don't fret about it.
 
I have been thinking about a CI before and had researched about CI. But I have never thought of feeling guitly. I had to turn it down because i keep thinking how grossssss the foreign object is in your head. *shudder* I always think anything foreign object puts in the body or head is not 100 percent safe. So I am fully deaf that I have a cozy life. HA is sufficient for me.
 
I believe that a loss of 90 DB is "Profound" which is the highest loss classification but NOT deaf. With appropriate aid one can "hear somewhat" Deafness is 105.db Prior to becoming bilaterally deaf on December 20/06 that was the classification I had. Prior to that time I wasn't "eligible" for consideration of an Cochlear Implant (then) here in Ontario. I was after December/06. Fortunately I was successful.

The choice of whether to get an Cochlear Implant does start with YOU-your choice to start the process. Will it help ME? Will I be part of 60% (Sunnybrook/Toronto experience) that it is unsuitable-for whatever reason? Will I use ASL instead?
Again YOUR CHOICE As my user name has said many times- life is choices which we make but in the end can't avoid making.

Good luck in ongoing "deaf journey"

Implanted AB Harmony activated Aug/07
 
posts from hell said:
Never. I'm fully Deaf, and never once considered "taking advantage" of it, because it would not benefit me.

Now, my question for you: Why do you feel guilty if you were an candidate and didnt take use of it? Society perception of deafness?
Click to expand...

Thank you for asking. I don't really like CI, but I want to be able to have a conversation and use a voice phone. That would be the main reason for CI. I wouldn't go all the trouble to get CI just to hear birds sing or people walking around.
 
You shouldn't feel gulity. It personal choice.

Why do you feel gulity? Anyone keeps asking you about it?
 
posts from hell said:
Never. I'm fully Deaf, and never once considered "taking advantage" of it, because it would not benefit me.

Now, my question for you: Why do you feel guilty if you were an candidate and didnt take use of it? Society perception of deafness?
Click to expand...

I don't like CI, but I would love to be able to have conversations and be able to use voice phone.
 
dereksbicycles. Did you consider using VCO (voice carry over) TTY phone? Assuming you speak. My TTY is Ultra Tec 1140 which I still use after 15 years. My Implant doesn't pickup people speaking but can hear the dial tone. Some people can hear some can't- regular phones with their Implants.

Can you access the Relay service in Illinois?
Using telephones is something one considers re Hearing Aid/Cochlear Implants.

Many comments for you to consider-so far.

Implanted A B Harmony activated Aug/07
 
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I am in USA. Evanston, IL to be exact.

I have almost no speech skills, if any.

I did have an HOH girlfriend at one time who used VCO. I now have a hearing girlfriend who loves to be my "hearing ears" for me. However, it would be nice for me to use phone myself. Not rely on texts and relay phones.
 
I use the VRS, and its been great for me.

Why don't you do a survey of CI users - ask how many use the phone, and how easy it is?

The other thing to think about - if you're fine with depending on your girlfriend - why aren't you fine with using VRS/TRS?
 
dereksbicycles said:
I am in USA. Evanston, IL to be exact.

I have almost no speech skills, if any.

I did have an HOH girlfriend at one time who used VCO. I now have a hearing girlfriend who loves to be my "hearing ears" for me. However, it would be nice for me to use phone myself. Not rely on texts and relay phones.
Click to expand...

That's not a good idea. Didn't you notice drphil ? He loves his implant, but he can't use a talking phone.

I hate agreeing with PFH, but video phone or relay is much more realistic.

Personally I love text.
 
You might want to look into the research on audiological outcomes among long-term or pre-lingually deaf adults who are late-implanted. I think that unless you are very late deafened or without previous speech discrimination using HAs, results are very different from those implanted early during the stage when language acquisition is most efficient. Understanding spoken language may not be a possibility.
 
posts from hell said:
I use the VRS, and its been great for me.

Why don't you do a survey of CI users - ask how many use the phone, and how easy it is?

The other thing to think about - if you're fine with depending on your girlfriend - why aren't you fine with using VRS/TRS?
Click to expand...

True.

My hub is a ci user and have not yet practice how to use the phone. He is drained from practicing how to listen all his life. He had a ci when he was in 30's. He still has no time for learning how to use the phone. ah.
 
dereksbicycles: Considering a Cochlear Implant will not help you obtain auditory memory re speaking. To me this clearly is very different than my situation thus can't even suggest what to do in your situation. Learning to speak as an adult seems "very difficult" to contemplate - how to actualize.

Use of the telephone would seem to the least of your problems- if I understand what you have keyed.

Implanted A B Harmony activated Aug/07
 
Thank you all for your feedbacks. They are very much appreciated. I would be willing to hear from more adults who have been in my situation and got CI.

Either way, I would very much prefer to try HA over CI. It is good to get feedbacks from people who have been there.
 
it would be nice for me to use phone myself. Not rely on texts and relay phone
Click to expand...
s.
Believe it or not phone use is dying out.
But you know, if you haven't tried a HA in a few years I would try and see if it works. You might be surprised at the difference.
 
I did think about getting a CI a few times when I was in the hearing world full time but ended up deciding on not getting one. The reason? I followed my guts..something told me that it wasnt right for me. That was about 10 years ago. Since then, I have never thought about getting one ever again.

Important you follow your heart and what's right for you. If you follow what is right for other people, you may end up with regrets.
 
Yes, that was the main reason I got mine. Not to "hear environmental sounds" but basically to improve my hearing and communication skills.

Yes, you could try to see if an HA would help. For starters, your hearing is a little better than those with 100+ DB loss like some of the CI users had prior to their implantation.

I do hope to use the phone someday in some capacity. However, I've had some speech prior to the implantation and have had auditory input with hearing aids all my life. It would be harder for someone starting from scratch, not even wearing hearing aids for some time.

Best of luck with your decision!
 
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