Cochlear Implant Interview

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ChelEler

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I am doing this for my English assignment, and I would appreciate your help. If you have had cochlear implant in the past and had it removed, please answer this interview. If you have it right now, go ahead and answer these questions. If you are thinking about getting one and know some facts, please answer too. If anyone knows any evidence or know anyone experiencing this, please join and answer. I would be very thankful if I have a lot of answers so I can do my evaluation. (I have had mine years ago, and it did not success for me.) If you want to answer privately, my email address is cheleler@yahoo.com. Thank you.

1. What is your hearing status before surgery? Profound deaf, hard of hearing, etc? How is that? Born deaf, diseases, late deafening, etc?
2. How old do you feel?
3. When do/did you get cochlear implant?
4. What kind of cochlear implant you had/have/will have?
5. How much cost is the device?
6. Who bought it?
7. How many do you have now?
8. Why do you decide to have it?
9. If you have it removed, then why?
10. What is the device look like? Heavy, light, big, tiny, etc?
11. How much time do you put in?
12. Do you pay for the pre- and post- surgery testing?
13. How often do you have testing and how long?
14. Any comments / ideas?
 
1. What is your hearing status before surgery? Profound deaf, hard of hearing, etc? How is that? Born deaf, diseases, late deafening, etc?
Profound deaf by birth.
2. How old do you feel?
Feel about what?
3. When do/did you get cochlear implant?
I had surgery on March 30, 2004 and activated on June 4, 2004
4. What kind of cochlear implant you had/have/will have?
Nucleus 3G
5. How much cost is the device?
No clue..Kaiser paid for it
6. Who bought it?
Kaiser covered all except co payments for each visit
7. How many do you have now?
1
8. Why do you decide to have it?
To understand my family who does not sign better
9. If you have it removed, then why?
N/A
10. What is the device look like? Heavy, light, big, tiny, etc?
Tiny - barely know it is there
11. How much time do you put in?
I use it whenever I need to communicate with hearing folks.
12. Do you pay for the pre- and post- surgery testing?
No - Kaiser covered it all
13. How often do you have testing and how long?
What kind of testing? Do you mean mapping?
14. Any comments / ideas?
I am happy with it but it is not a cure as I have often said. It does enhance and does assist me big time in lipreading/listening, etc.
 
1. What is your hearing status before surgery? Profound deaf, hard of hearing, etc? How is that? Born deaf, diseases, late deafening, etc?
---Profound Deaf
2. How old do you feel?
---- Heh, it's feeling like I'm a baby when hooked up for first time.
3. When do/did you get cochlear implant?
---- Jan. 30th 2002
4. What kind of cochlear implant you had/have/will have?
---- Nucleus 24 Contour; Nucleus 3G
5. How much cost is the device?
---- I heard it's about $50,000
6. Who bought it?
---- insurance
7. How many do you have now?
---- Two of Nucleus 3Gs
8. Why do you decide to have it?
---- Just wanted to discovered new thing with sound life
9. If you have it removed, then why?
---- It cannot be removed the device from inside the head... I dont never thinking about removing it off because I love the CI.
10. What is the device look like? Heavy, light, big, tiny, etc?
---- Its small device about size as your ear
11. How much time do you put in?
---- daily but I haven't wore in a long streak for some reason
12. Do you pay for the pre- and post- surgery testing?
---- The answer is #6 ;)
13. How often do you have testing and how long?
---- Reprogramming whenver needs, speech threpaist i havent got one yet.
14. Any comments / ideas?
---- I recommened everybody get CI :P
 
"How old do you feel?" I meant how old are you. Sorry for the confusion.

"What is the device look like?" I meant the Outside device, not the one inside your cochlea. I meant is it like the box with cord, or a hearing aid behind ear?

"How often do you have testing and how long?" Yes, I meant the mapping and speech therapist program. How often do you go to a specialist and test your hearing to make sure that it's at the right tone. When I had mine, I had to go to mine three times a week two hours each for almost two years. That's how much I spend my time working with my hearing.

Again, sorry for the confusion. Hope this helps.

I forgot to add one more question.

15. Is it a big success or a failure? Why or why not?
 
ChelEler said:
"How old do you feel?" I meant how old are you. Sorry for the confusion.

"What is the device look like?" I meant the Outside device, not the one inside your cochlea. I meant is it like the box with cord, or a hearing aid behind ear?

"How often do you have testing and how long?" Yes, I meant the mapping and speech therapist program. How often do you go to a specialist and test your hearing to make sure that it's at the right tone. When I had mine, I had to go to mine three times a week two hours each for almost two years. That's how much I spend my time working with my hearing.

Again, sorry for the confusion. Hope this helps.

I forgot to add one more question.

15. Is it a big success or a failure? Why or why not?
Click to expand...


No problem :)

I was 36 when I first got it.
It is same size of a hearing aid but with no mold.
I am bad with going to my appointments...I should go more often but Ive lapsed. I would say once every 3 months. Missed my last appointment LOL
It is too early to say if its a big success but it will never be a failure. It does enhance my life but I do need therapy and more mapping to make it much more bigger success.
 
1. What is your hearing status before surgery? Profound deaf, hard of hearing, etc? How is that? Born deaf, diseases, late deafening, etc?

Profoundly deaf
Late deafened but born with disease that caused progressive sensorineural hearing loss

2. How old are you?

34 years old

3. When do/did you get cochlear implant?

December 22, 2004

4. What kind of cochlear implant you had/have/will have?

Nucleus 24 Countour with 3G BTE speech processor

5. How much cost is the device?

Total cost of CI (evaluation, surgery, activation, future mappings) averages
$40,000-$50,000; 3G speech processor: $6,0000

6. Who bought it?

Insurance

7. How many do you have now?

One CI - left ear

8. Why do you decide to have it?

I was tired of relying on tactile interpreters and captionists to facilitate communication. I was also tired of feeling like an outside being unable to participate in social events because I couldn't hear.

9. If you have it removed, then why?

N/A

10. What is the device look like? Heavy, light, big, tiny, etc?

3G BTE speech processor is very lightweight and no bigger than the size of a BTE hearing aid

11. How much time do you put in?

I wear my CI during all waking hours (16-18 hours/day)

12. Do you pay for the pre- and post- surgery testing?

No

13. How often do you have testing and how long?

Mappings occur as needed. Appointments with my audiologist occur at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and annually during the first year and annually thereafter.

14. Any comments / ideas?

Speaking from my own experience, I *love* my CI! As a deafblind person who is totally blind and profoundly deaf, my CI has opened up the world to me. I can now hear environmental sounds like a knock at the door. I can hear voices and have a better understanding of what is happening around me. Although I'm not yet at the point where I can understand speech, I look forward to the day when I no longer have to rely on tactile interpreters or captionists for communication.
 
since most of u say $40,000 to $60,000... i'm wondering why my place cost $110,000 :shock: at U of M
 
DeafSCUBA98 said:
since most of u say $40,000 to $60,000... i'm wondering why my place cost $110,000 :shock: at U of M
Click to expand...

maybe the brand ? plus appointments with audie etc etc ?

Wendy
 
1. What is your hearing status before surgery? Profound deaf, hard of hearing, etc? How is that? Born deaf, diseases, late deafening, etc?
Born hearing - Deaf from sickness
2. How old do you feel?
I am 20 years old now, 21 in 3 months
3. When do/did you get cochlear implant?
I got cochlear implant at age of 7 - first child in state of nevada
4. What kind of cochlear implant you had/have/will have?
I have the Nucleus 22
5. How much cost is the device?
since i was the first, it was 80,000-90,000
6. Who bought it?
Lions Club
7. How many do you have now?
1....you dont need more than 1 unless its a "backup"
8. Why do you decide to have it?
I didnt, my parents did
9. If you have it removed, then why?
Its perminently in your head, if its damaged then it stays inside anyway
10. What is the device look like? Heavy, light, big, tiny, etc?
Behind the Ear
11. How much time do you put in?
I have it on at ALL times, except for swimming, sleeping, shower
12. Do you pay for the pre- and post- surgery testing?
no - Insurance
13. How often do you have testing and how long?
Mapping/Testing once/twice a year.

15. Success? failure?
Success, I wouldnt have my job with the police department without it.
 
Just a note on question #9 -- If there are problems with a CI because of leakage, internal failure or repositioning, it can be explanted and another one (same brand or different) put in its place.
 
A nucleus implant can be change for another one as there is a "disconnect" wire that allows you to disconnect the bad one and replace it with a good one.


however on a Clarion, once it fails, you have to use your opposite ear.

if both of them fail, your out of luck.

clarion does not permit exchanging failed devices for newer ones.

(unless they are going to recently develop a new clarion that will allow it soon)
 
Answer to question #15: Even though my CI has only been activated for 2 weeks as of tomorrow, I'm *very* happy with the results I've had so far. :)
 
I know someone who had two Clarion failures (CII). He was reimplanted with the HiRes 90K in each ear and has been doing wonderfully since.
 
Cjanik: It will be interesting to see if Advanced Bionics comes out with a new implant that allows easier removal. I've heard rumors that AB is currently working on a new BTE speech processor.
 
WBHarley said:
maybe the brand ? plus appointments with audie etc etc ?

Wendy
Click to expand...
they said its for everything for 1 year... the Nucleus, 3G, mappings, pre op, post op, testings, blah blah blah
 
DeafSCUBA98 said:
they said its for everything for 1 year... the Nucleus, 3G, mappings, pre op, post op, testings, blah blah blah
Click to expand...

Mine was a little over 90,000 that included everything in a year.. but i m sure after that.. about 500 to 10 grands depend on what you need to do etc.. And depend on insurance too


Wendy
 
Perhaps cost also differs from center to center. Deafscuba, that figure sounds about right. Someone on one of the CI forums quoted a similar price and he also went to the U of M. The total cost is much higher than what I thought it was. WOW! :)
 
1. What is your hearing status before surgery? Diagnosed as deaf at 18 months. Whether the hearing loss was sudden or progressive is uncertain, as I have mondini's malformation and sudden hearing loss is common. Wore hearing aids up to the time of implantation.

2. How old were you? I was implanted in August of 2004, at the time I was 24.

3. When do/did you get cochlear implant? August of 2004.

4. What kind of cochlear implant you had/have/will have? Nucleus 24 contour soft tip. I'm currently wearing the 3 G processor.

5. How much cost is the device? The device/surgery cost 40k. I don't know what the subsequent audiology appointments and batteries cost, it's all been covered.

6. Who bought it? Insurance policy covered it.

7. How many do you have now? 1, contemplating receiving a second.

8. Why do you decide to have it? Almost no benefit from hearing aids (I only understood 4-16% of spoken language w/out lipreading) and I've slowly been losing more and more hearing as time goes by. Figured I had nothing to lose.

9. If you have it removed, then why? Not applicable.

10. What is the device look like? Heavy, light, big, tiny, etc? It's not heavy, I never feel it after I've put it on. Sizewise, only a little bit bigger than my original hearing aids.

11. How much time do you put in? I haven't gone for speech therapy, with a career, family, friends, and responsibilities who has the time? I do make an effort to listen to the radio every time I am in my car, talk on the phone with familiar voices, and focus on trying to listen to conversations without lipreading.

12. Do you pay for the pre- and post- surgery programming? Covered.

13. How often do you have programming and how long? The first few months I went every 2 weeks. Then once a month. Now, 4 and 1/2 months after the initial mapping I'm down to once every two months. Each session takes about an hour to an hour and a half.

14. Any comments / ideas? I have no regrets, but every situation is different. I had nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain. For me, my decision was the right one, but to each his own. CI's aren't a miracle, although they're touted as one by some. They can a useful tool, should you choose to utilize it, but hearing aids could also serve the same function. They just didn't work for me anymore.
 
Wonderful! Your answers are helpful very much, and I knew that the cochlear implants technology has change over the years and more and more people are accepting the fact that CI could help some people.

Again, thank you so much for the various answers! If there are more, post them!
 
and more and more people are accepting the fact that CI could help some people.
Click to expand...
Very true....I have seen a gradual acceptance of the CI in the Deaf-World...a few years ago when I started posting on Deafnotes, CIs were bashed by EVERYONE. There are still people who bash it, but it has gotten a lot more accepted. Hey there are probaly even cultrally Deaf people (and problaly YOUNG CD peeps) who still bash HEARING AIDS!
I am still against CIs for babies, (with an exception in the case of auditory nereopathy) b/c I think it's too hard to accuratly tell how well a baby hears. I mean research from Auditory-Verbal International indicates that 95% of all deaf kids can learn to hear and speak by simply utlizling hearing aids. (and that stat is from the '70's!)
I do think however that the child should share in the decision to be implanted. I think the decision should be done early enough so that the implant can be of benifit, and also so that the kid doesn't have trouble aquirring insurance. I've heard nightmares about deaf adults trying to aquire health insurance, when they come of age and being denied b/c insurers don't want to deal with the cost of the implant.
 
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