I might be getting the Cochlear Implant and have questions

Good luck RonJaxon

i am bimodal, I have a Ci in my left ear and HA in my right ear.
 
RonJaxon said:
I'd like to ask anyone who is similar to me in that I could once hear, became deaf then got the implant. How much of a shock was your own speech to you? I'd just like to talk to someone who has gone through what I might go through soon.
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I was very surprised by the sound of my own voice.

Prior to receiving my first CI, I was told that my speech was loud, monotonous and slurred in nature.

After I received my initial CI, my friends and family started telling me that I had "lilt" in my voice and that I no longer sounded like someone who could not hear well. Note that I did not have a "deaf accent" per se, but if you listened to me speak, you could tell my speech was different based on the way I pronounced certain words, the fact that I sounded as if I had a lisp (which I no longer do) as well as my slurred speech.
 
Ron,

For me, I'm going with Advanced Bionics for my Cochlear Implant for many reasons. They have a discussion board that they moderate called hearingjourney.com which is full of just CI users (Advanced Bionics, of course) and has plenty of activity.

It might be what you're looking for. :)

Good luck and please keep us updated on your CI journey! :)
 
RonJaxon said:
I'd like to ask anyone who is similar to me in that I could once hear, became deaf then got the implant. How much of a shock was your own speech to you? I'd just like to talk to someone who has gone through what I might go through soon.
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First of all, Good luck with your journey to sounds.

I may be different since I was born with profound deafness. After few weeks of tuning and setting up my mappings, I was surprised with my voice which i never heard before, it sounded raspy!! eventually with time my voice became much clearer and quieter!!
I went to my old deaf school today for the first time since i left in 1994 (it brought back alot of memories), some of the teachers were STILL there, they couldn't believe i turned up today, all grown up and commented how well spoken I was and they remembered very well what I sounded like before and even kept my speech therapy book!!!!!!!!!!!!:shock:

My mum who has been staying with me for nearly 2 weeks, she lives in Austria and we visit each other about 3 times a year so she hasn't been through the first stages of my development with CI much. She complained that i was too quiet... i told her SHE needs hearing tests (she definely need hearing test.... tv's far too loud!)... :giggle:
I know and were told my voice is at right volume level as hearing person would be.
 
Phi4Sius said:
Ron,

For me, I'm going with Advanced Bionics for my Cochlear Implant for many reasons. They have a discussion board that they moderate called hearingjourney.com which is full of just CI users (Advanced Bionics, of course) and has plenty of activity.

It might be what you're looking for. :)

Good luck and please keep us updated on your CI journey! :)
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And I am Freedom user and i used this website too... very useful.
 
good luck with your process! hope it all goes well for you. I am a candidate but am currently waiting to hear of whether or not I qualify for SSI (so I can get the medicare benefits). I don't have insurance or funding so it's been a frustrating few years for me with trying to get going with the progress. Hope your process is better than mine!
 
HearAgain....JW......do you think it's a good idea in general for people to try a bimodal approach?
Ron, one thing you may want to do is go and see a really good audi, like one affliated with a really good ENT or university or a school for the deaf. If you're interested in going bimodal, it might be worth it to consult with someone who really knows their toast when it comes to hearing aids.
They may be able to really help you.
 
deafdyke said:
HearAgain....JW......do you think it's a good idea in general for people to try a bimodal approach?
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Yes I do only because one never knows how beneficial a HA in the nonimplanted ear can be.

I know many people who are successful CI/HA users. They function quite well using a bimodal approach and do not see any reason to have a second CI.

The only population I think should be given bilateral CIs from the start are the deafblind for obvious reasons.
 
bimodal approach can work for some people that still have some residual hearing that can be aided by hearing aid. Each time I have a major map update on my CI I readjust the hearing aid to match with the CI so that they can work better as a whole. Some find that their remaining residual hearing on the other ear is too distorted to use with a CI or the hearing aid is over powering the CI but that can be adjusted. bimodal approach works very well for my needs.
 
I have really enjoyed the Hearing Journey community - www.hearingjourney.com as it was mentioned in this thread. It's a great place to meet other CI users

As for myself I had a mild hearing loss for years. Woke up to a life in sudden deafness. Fought my insurance company for a little over a year to get approval for a CI. Getting a CI changed my life.
 
Ronjaxon,
Just for your information, I am an adult who lost her hearing and recieved a CI in March of this year after several years of debating. I am implanted with a Freedom from cochlear America company. I found that I needed listening therapy more so than speech therapy. Cochlear america offers a wonderful CD called Sound and Way beyond that was developed for teenagers and adults to practice listening. I found this to be very helpful. I wish you luck in your journey. It is an amazing experience.
 
chunkymonkey said:
Ronjaxon,
Just for your information, I am an adult who lost her hearing and recieved a CI in March of this year after several years of debating. I am implanted with a Freedom from cochlear America company. I found that I needed listening therapy more so than speech therapy. Cochlear america offers a wonderful CD called Sound and Way beyond that was developed for teenagers and adults to practice listening. I found this to be very helpful. I wish you luck in your journey. It is an amazing experience.
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Ooooo. How can I get this CD?
 
Daredevel7 said:
Ooooo. How can I get this CD?
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here you go - link. am I cool or what? :cool2:

Sound and WAY Beyond for $99 :eek3:
SWB%20Full%20Version.jpg
 
I ordered the CD Sound and Way Beyond through cochlear america online shop. It costs approx one hundred dollars before shipping and tax. It offers so much. It allows me to print out results so I can bring them to my audi to assist in mapping and that is only one of the many things it offers.
 
Yes I do only because one never knows how beneficial a HA in the nonimplanted ear can be.

I know many people who are successful CI/HA users. They function quite well using a bimodal approach and do not see any reason to have a second CI.

The only population I think should be given bilateral CIs from the start are the deafblind for obvious reasons
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What about people who have deep profound losses in both ears?
I think it's good that you're very pro-wait and see re: bilateral implants.
Ron......just a word of advice. Hearing aids have really changed immensely in the past few years. It might be worth it to try one of those power aids or one of the new digitals. If it doesn't help, you can just opt for bilaterals.
 
deafdyke said:
What about people who have deep profound losses in both ears?
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*sigh* What do you want me to say DD?

If I said I think people with very profound losses should be given bilateral CIs, you'd tell me they should try the latest hearing aids.

Besides, it really makes no difference what I think since that decision isn't up to me -- it's up to each individual and their CI team.
 
Hear Again said:
...

I know many people who are successful CI/HA users. They function quite well using a bimodal approach and do not see any reason to have a second CI.

The only population I think should be given bilateral CIs from the start are the deafblind for obvious reasons.
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I definitely agree with both points.

The first point because I prefer the minimalist approach for CIs. Enough to get the job done but not go overboard with it either. If one can use a HA in the other ear, then all the better. One can always get a second CI down the road.

The second point because this group benefits the most from bilaterals from the get go.

FYI - I have just one and I'm doing extremely well with it. I see no reason to get a second CI anytime soon. I never heard with two ears so what I'm "missing" is no big deal. ;)
 
sr171soars said:
I definitely agree with both points.

The first point because I prefer the minimalist approach for CIs. Enough to get the job done but not go overboard with it either. If one can use a HA in the other ear, then all the better. One can always get a second CI down the road.

The second point because this group benefits the most from bilaterals from the get go.

FYI - I have just one and I'm doing extremely well with it. I see no reason to get a second CI anytime soon. I never heard with two ears so what I'm "missing" is no big deal. ;)
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Exactly.

sr171soars, I'm glad you're continuing to do well with your CI. Like the saying goes, "You can't miss what you never had." (I happen to feel the same way regarding my blindness. I have no desire to see since blindness is all I've ever known.)
 
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