How many of you have two cochlear implants?

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*Starfish87*

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I was wondering how many of you guys have two cochlear implants because i never met anyone have two CI before. Except me, lol.
 
I'm bilateral! There's quite a few here, and some are parents of children who are bilaterals.

I'm waiting for my activation day this Friday!

BTW - I never met anyone who has Bilaterals as well! I have 8 friends that have CI, but only one. All the bilateral CI users I know is through online forums and blogs. :) If I'm not mistaken there's less than 3000 people in the world who has two.
 
I have two as well. I am one of a couple hundred that did them the same time. I have four friends that are bilateral.
 
I'm also bilateral. I don't know anyone with two CIs personally except for those I know from online forums like AD.
 
I want to pose one question for the bilaterals...it is really worth it? I'm thinking of pursuing it after things calm down..got left ear implanted , right is completely deaf since 10..is that possible?
 
Vivie said:
I want to pose one question for the bilaterals...it is really worth it? I'm thinking of pursuing it after things calm down..got left ear implanted , right is completely deaf since 10..is that possible?
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Yes, it is possible, of course, you will need to have your right ear checked to see if it is viable to implant providing that your cochlea in right ear is intact fully attached to cranial nerves to the brian :) and not ossified in any way. There you go. It's up to you though 2 ears are better than 1 !
 
Vivie said:
I want to pose one question for the bilaterals...it is really worth it? I'm thinking of pursuing it after things calm down..got left ear implanted , right is completely deaf since 10..is that possible?
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Like Boult says, you just need to go through CI eval for your right.

However, things may actually be MUCH louder if you do get implanted and activated.

Do you wear hearing aids in your right? If not, I suggest you to try to get that ear stimulated by your old hearing aid. Even if you can only hear a little bit, it will waken up your nerve cells a bit.

I was told by a few people that a CI works wonderful and much better if the ear has been stimulated with sound, otherwise, when it gets activated it's like a huge jolt. Don't take my word for it...

Many of the bilaterals will tell you that it's worth it. I have never heard any bilateral say it's not. Majority of them get the second one after they get the first. If they didn't like the first CI, then why would they get a second? I only know one person that the first one didn't quite work for her, so she got the other ear implanted and is loving it. She's currently working on trying to get the other implant to work.

I got the second one because I felt the first one was just WAY too wonderful...why not get two?
 
It is worth for me because I am losing my vision, also having two CI helps me to locate the sounds. I think it is worthy for any deaf people who have one CI and thinking of getting 2nd CI because it will help them to hear little bit better and be able to locate the sounds right away.
 
My son Drew has bilaterals. We probably know 5-7 other children in our general area under age 5 that also have two implants. I haven't met anyone in my daily life with bilaterals (other than at hearing loss events).
 
I see, i never have a CI on me before, nor want it but... Im just out of blue and might as well irrelevant but, does hearing aid and CI make same sound or different? Im just using hearing aids since.
 
right is completely deaf since 10..is that possible?
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If it's been consistantly established that your right ear is totally unaidable, I'd say GO for it!
I think b/c response to hearing instruments is so varied, that dual CIs aren't really going to be the norm. They WILL be seen, but they won't be as common. There will be populations where they are commonly seen, such as deaf-blind and auditory nereopathy populations. But I doubt that dual CIs will ever be commonly seen on the average deafie on the street.
If not, I suggest you to try to get that ear stimulated by your old hearing aid. Even if you can only hear a little bit, it will waken up your nerve cells a bit.
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In addition, talk to your audi. See what they think. Technology has changed, and its possible that your hearing might respond to newer technology. I know someone whose hearing did not respond well to being aided with even the old skool body worn aids.(this was the early 80's when body worns were still common) A few months ago, she tried a digital HA and was getting some SPEECH perception!
 
dark said:
I see, i never have a CI on me before, nor want it but... Im just out of blue and might as well irrelevant but, does hearing aid and CI make same sound or different? Im just using hearing aids since.
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As a hearing aid user of 27 years, everything sounded normal with added frequencies (high frequenices for me) that I never heard in the first place. Such as SHhhh in the word School. Etc.

I know some people it sounded "robotic" or Donald Duck...but over time it will be second nature, and sound normal.

If someone who was hearing for their whole life, and got a CI because they became deaf, they will tell you that it sounds the same, normal, and better.

If you never want it, then why ask questions about it? For someone who doesn't want it, usually do not ask questions unless if they're really curious.
 
LadySekhmet said:
As a hearing aid user of 27 years, everything sounded normal with added frequencies (high frequenices for me) that I never heard in the first place. Such as SHhhh in the word School. Etc.

I know some people it sounded "robotic" or Donald Duck...but over time it will be second nature, and sound normal.

If someone who was hearing for their whole life, and got a CI because they became deaf, they will tell you that it sounds the same, normal, and better.

If you never want it, then why ask questions about it? For someone who doesn't want it, usually do not ask questions unless if they're really curious.
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I can only speak for myself. I have been hearing most of my life and got a CI because I became deaf, age 58 and for me a CI does not sound "normal" nor in anyway better and never will. A CI just doesn't work that way, for people reading these post "shopping" for a CI should have reasonable expectations, if you are looking for a tool to bring some sound back into your life or into your life a CI is great and well worth the risk and I am very glad I have gotten one. If you are looking to a CI to make you "normal", research, research, research.
 
kc said:
I can only speak for myself. I have been hearing most of my life and got a CI because I became deaf, age 58 and for me a CI does not sound "normal" nor in anyway better and never will. A CI just doesn't work that way, for people reading these post "shopping" for a CI should have reasonable expectations, if you are looking for a tool to bring some sound back into your life or into your life a CI is great and well worth the risk and I am very glad I have gotten one. If you are looking to a CI to make you "normal", research, research, research.
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Interesting. Mind you, I only met three people who were hearing then became deaf that got CI, and they said that it sounded very similar, hence normal.

When I got my CI, it sounded pretty much the same as if I wore my hearing aids, and MUCH better capabilities to pick up higher frequencies.

So, it is true that CI on every single person works differently.
 
I have only one C.I (cochlear implant). So one is enough for me. I don't want two C.I. that can cause a risk of headaches, so one c.i. is enough for me.
 
Not to finger point at you GarnetTigerMom, but you bought up an interesting point.

I've read some of the posts and people (I notice more anti-ciers say this), say that they don't want to risk headaches from the CI.

My question is - HOW do you know that you're getting headaches from the CI itself? I would think getting a headache is a normal part of living. I do get migraines, and I most certainly do not blame it on the fact that I have CI.

IF people are talking about "achy" head from the coil - then you get a weaker magnet.
IF people are talking about the "surgical" pain, where the side of the head feels numb or slightly tingling - That's normal. Take Vitamin B and you will heal just fine. The nerve cells are regenerating, and it takes time.

I just do not understand why people blame the CI for getting a headache. I would say most likely not. Feel free to criticize me.
 
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