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chunkymonkey

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Hi everyone,

I am new. First I just want to say thanks. I have been reading about cochlear implants and have learned a great deal of information. I have an appointment with my audi in March to order my cochlear for my upcoming surgery. I would like some advice on what to ask, look for, or a must order.
Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
What brand are you getting?

My daughter got Advanced Bionics for several reasons.
First, I liked that she would have a microphone in her ear, whereas Cochlear brand has the mic on top of the ear. Ears are designed to gather sound, and our brains are meant to hear from a certain place, so I thought the t-mic was a great idea.
Second, AB has the widest dynamic range. That means my daughter will be able to hear not only very soft sounds, but loud ones as well. "Normal hearing" has a dynamic range of 120 db. Cochlear brand can only have 45 db at any time. AB, with HiRes is 96 db.
Also, with AB, each electrode has an independant power source, that allows them to be fired at the same time. Cochlear has one power source for all 22 electrodes, so they electrodes have to "take turns".
AB also has the fastest stimulation rate of any of the cochlear implants. That means that the sound is getting to the nerve faster. AB is 83,000 pulses per second, whereas Cochlear is 32,000.
Lastly, we chose Advance Bionics because we wanted the HiFidelity 120

BionicEar.com - Harmony Cochlear Implant by Advanced Bionics
The programing is amazing. She loves music now and I could tell she was hearing so much better the instant we turned it on.

Here is a side by side that a parent made on a cochlear implant group. http://dus28.grange.psu.edu/CIChoices/CIComparison.htm
 
faire_jour said:
Why? (Not saying it is wrong, just always curious why people pick the brand they pick)
Click to expand...

because each brand has its own algorithm for sound so each brand sounds different. I picked Oticon because I like its sound quality.
 
Jiro said:
because each brand has its own algorithm for sound so each brand sounds different. I picked Oticon because I like its sound quality.
Click to expand...

Huh? I was talking about CI choice. You can't "preview" the sound of a CI before you implant, so once you pick, you are stuck, unlike hearing aids.
 
faire_jour said:
Huh? I was talking about CI choice. You can't "preview" the sound of a CI before you implant, so once you pick, you are stuck, unlike hearing aids.
Click to expand...

omg! i feel like an idiot. I wasn't aware that Nucleas Freedom is CI. oh silly me....
 
Jiro said:
omg! i feel like an idiot. I wasn't aware that Nucleas Freedom is CI. oh silly me....
Click to expand...

It's the full name for the Cochlear brand implant.

Advanced Bionics is "The Harmony™ HiResolution® Bionic Ear System", which includes the "HiRes 90K® Implant" and "Auria® Harmony™ BTE" and for my daughter, the "HiResolution® Sound With Optional Fidelity 120"
 
faire_jour said:
It's the full name for the Cochlear brand implant.

Advanced Bionics is "The Harmony™ HiResolution® Bionic Ear System", which includes the "HiRes 90K® Implant" and "Auria® Harmony™ BTE" and for my daughter, the "HiResolution® Sound With Optional Fidelity 120"
Click to expand...

i should have read this thread first before I posted it. I simply looked at your comment and then replied to it. :fart:
 
The nucleus/freedom is what a lot of people have, and I am not always sure it is by their own choice, but rather, because it is the one that most audis/surgeons know and feel comfortable with. That was the case for me, anyway, as I didn't have a choice. My surgeon had experience with all three implant brands and by his own choice, prefers the nucleus.
As for asks, what kind of experience does the audi have? Being new to it all, I didn't even think to ask and mine happens to be fairly new to it. Not saying that is a bad thing, but it just means she doesn't have all the answers right away. She has to consult Cochlear for some things I ask.
Must haves? If you live in a noisy house, or there are others that play music, tv or whatever not far from you, the cables are a must. Mine came with the basics, as it does for as far as I know all with freedom (tv and mp3 player), but the plug in for the tv cable is not usable for most tv's and you have to find the adaptor at radio shack or somewhere similar. I love mine. It is long to start with and the adaptor cable I found makes it even longer (that means I can actually hear a show while in the bathroom if I choose :) ). I have it plugged in to the audio jacks of my directv and since I have done that, I can understand a lot more than I was before. I find I don't have to stare at the CC, but often pick up most of it just by listening. It is crisper and clearer than just relying on the normal speakers of a tv set. Same for music. It blocks out the other sounds (like car engines while driving) so that you can concentrate on relearning music. The rest is just personal preference. Wait till you are activated and get your "kit". See what is already given to you and then work from there. Whether you opt for the mic locks or extended ear hooks, etc.
 
chunkymonkey said:
Hi everyone,

I am new. First I just want to say thanks. I have been reading about cochlear implants and have learned a great deal of information. I have an appointment with my audi in March to order my cochlear for my upcoming surgery. I would like some advice on what to ask, look for, or a must order.
Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Mainly - You really have to feel comfortable with your audiologist. Having a great audiologist will enable you to have the fullest experience with programming your CI. My first audiologist said, "Okay you qualify for surgery. Go ahead and make an appointment for surgery", BEFORE she even did the tests. I felt pretty good afterwards that I qualify, but then I knew NOTHING about ANY CI brands, I knew NOTHING about the surgeries, so I felt lost.

I talked to my second audiologist and she does not sugar coat things. She has said to me that I will hate it for the first few weeks. I must have low expectations, but high hopes, etc. She was just awesome. I went for the Freedom because she only does Cochlear, and my surgeon who I adore, only does Cochlear. If they only did AB, then I would do AB. I just put my life and trusted them.

As for questions - basically ask her what's her experiences, how many adult CI users does she have, do they provide workshops for new CI users (I went to one, and I learned a lot!).

I honestly think you should find someone who has a lot of experience with adult CI users. Also, it may make you more comfortable if she can sign. Not all do. I know one in NJ that does.

Good luck!
 
I know that the freedom is the only choice of the hospital that I am having surgery. As for my audi, she is very educated and has tons of experience. She has already told me similiar info about the learning process of using and listening with the CI.

I did not know about the various cables for TV mp3 player and such. Is that similiar to the loop that I have read about concerning cell phones. Is that something that needs to be ordered through cochlear company.

I greatly appreciate all of the advice and information. I will look and see if there is a workshop to attend or a training session. That is great advice.
I must say I am currently waiting for approval from my insurance company and understand that this may be a big hurdle. so I just pray that is goes through smoothly
 
chunkymonkey said:
I know that the freedom is the only choice of the hospital that I am having surgery. As for my audi, she is very educated and has tons of experience. She has already told me similiar info about the learning process of using and listening with the CI.

I did not know about the various cables for TV mp3 player and such. Is that similiar to the loop that I have read about concerning cell phones. Is that something that needs to be ordered through cochlear company.

I greatly appreciate all of the advice and information. I will look and see if there is a workshop to attend or a training session. That is great advice.
I must say I am currently waiting for approval from my insurance company and understand that this may be a big hurdle. so I just pray that is goes through smoothly
Click to expand...

Cochlear's kit comes with the mp3 audio cable (it plugs into any mp3 player as is, no adjustments needed) as well as the tv cable (if you have an older tv with the small headphone jack, it will work as is or can plug into your computer as is), also a mic cable and lots of other little things that can add up to big $$ if you had to buy them on their own. What I did was take my tv audio cable to radio shack and explained what I wanted..a plug/cable that I could plug my cable into on one end and the other end would plug into the audio jacks of my dvd player or directv receiver. That cost me a total of $25 with tax.
As for the cell phone, that is something that is up to you. Some prefer the t-coil option while others like the direct audio. Neither one comes with the processor, but can be ordered online. I have not seen the t-coil at Cochlear but they do have the direct audio cable for cell phones. Loops can be bought from several different sources online. (Cochlear no longer has the direct audio cable for cell phones. They have the t-coil, but it is very expensive and even they recommend you look online for less expensive alternatives. 2/9/09)
However, that is not something you need to worry about till you have had time to relearn hearing. Keep in mind there are some that never adjust to using a phone, while others adjust easily. It all depends on you and your own progress. Expect the worst but hope for the best. I can't speak for others, but I have only had my CI activated since December and have not tried the phone yet. I am getting the direct audio cable for my cell phone within the next two weeks and I am going to give it a try. Since I have had such great success with the tv cable and understanding speech, it is the next logical step. I miss talking to my daughters... :)
 
Last edited:
etalton,
Thank you so much for clarifying the information. It has been most interesting and helpful. There is so much to learn. I will expect little and hope for the best.
:D
 
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