Sooo confused about whether or not to get a CI

[contradica]

uggh yeah, my audiologist keeps trying to convince me that it's the earmold that's the problem; but my earmold at least SEEMS to have a perfect fit. Although I have to admit, the area of the earmold that prevents feedback the most, is the one that consistently causes soreness/scars my skin. but I'm kind of agreeing with you, you can only have so much amplification without feedback.

I agree with R2D2 too! No matter how many hearing aids I've tried, the feedback has always proven unreconcilable. What was really annoying was that something as simple as my hair would cause feedback. So I sacrifices volume for the lack of whistling.

 

[vallee]

1. is there anyone here who has experienced wearing a BTE and a CI at the same time (or does that even work for some people?)

I can't answer that since I decided to bypass that and do both ears at the same time. My insurance would not pay for hearing aids, but paid for cochlear implants and equipment.

2. are there any people who have gotten a cochlear implant after having lost their hearing gradually (ie. you were hearing or HoH at one point, then deaf, then you got a CI!) and have experienced use of a hearing aid prior, that can tell me their story?

I started to loss my hearing at age 3 to rheumetic fever. I lost it gradually until 18 and then it seemed to drop quickly. I lost most of my hearing in my left ear in my 20's. I used a hearing aid since I was 10 until 38. The CI gives a crisper sound. I don't get the feedback from it. The change is so dramatic that I can't put it into words.

3. essentially how good is a CI when it comes to conversing over lots of background noise?

I am still getting use to background noise. At my daughter's dance class tonight, there were two babies and a toddler crying, I was able to maintain a conversation with effort. Usually I am able to handle restaurants and the shopping just fine. Some situations are a challenge.

4. how well do you follow a 3-person conversation (3 as in, including yourself) without lipreading?? how well can you discriminate speech without lipreading?

It is so hard to give up lipreading. I have been doing it for 35 years. I am trying to deal with situations and try not to lipread. My discrimation skills are getting much better. Today I talked to a person I only met once and picked up around 80% without lipreading.

Kim,
I hope you find your answers. Follow your gut in your choice. My experience has been fantastic. I love my "bionic" life. Valerie

 

[deafmama78]

Hi. I myself was worried about similiar things - minus the music cause I knew while it would be awesome hearing music better again - as in understanding lyrics without having to read it first would be awesome but I was much more concerned about being able to hear & understand my family like I did with my hearing aids. To my surprise, I understood even better than I ever have my whole life. I realize everyone's hearing loss is different & everyone who undergoes getting a cochlear implant will receive different results. But for me, it's the best decision I've ever made. I still get these smiles on my face everyday from ear to hear when I notice that I am picking up converstations that before with hearing aids, I couldn't do very well. I'd only simply be able to hear them talk but not really have much of a clue what they're talking about. Now I can actually pick up much more, and sometimes all of the convo. It's neat!!! And to my great surprise, I understand music much better than I ever did so I am now almost always with my mp3 player or using youtube or something when I'm on the computer [like now!] heh.

I was kinda worried about the cartoon'ish voices and stuff and to be honest, I had that for awhile- only less than the first two weeks. The first few days were horribile and every little thing made me jump- like the water running, plastic bags rustling [even though I've heard all that before, but it sounded sooo odddddd! I'd giggle when poeple were talking 'cause it sounded like music or some type of band were playing instead of actual voices. It wsas just hilarious! But that slowly started to get better & people's voices as I once remembered started coming in. Then when I went back for my 2nd mapping, everything sounded completely 110% normal. I left the office smilng from ear to ear. I couldn't believe how amazing it was!

I just had my 3rd mapping appt a few weeks ago. I almost made my favorite audiologist cry when I came out of the sound booth after having the sentence test, the very same one I didn't want to do! She was asking me if I'd be willing to give it a shot since I refused to do it before I had the implant but passed the word test with flying colors, only on the ear I wear a hearing aid on though - my left. My right ear is the one I got implanted. I went from not even bothering to complete a sentence test to scoring 89% at a lil over 3 mos post activation! She said it was amazing 'cause for her, she thought I'd get about 30%ish somewhere around that due to my type of hearing loss. So she was speechless and so excited for me. That was such a wonderful feeling!!!

I wish you the best in luck as you figure out if you should go for it or not. It's up to you and only you. I figure that since I couldn't even use a hearing aid in my right ear [the now implanted ear] I had nothing to lose by trying to see if the CI would help. I only now wish I did it 5+ yrs ago!!!

Good luck & keep us updated!
I can be reached if you like to discuss things or learn more about my experience or whatever.
-Deafmama78

 

[rokicki]

Howdy! I'm a CI candidate, current HA user, and

> It is so hard to give up lipreading.

I am interested in why one would ever "want" to give up
lipreading?

I'm in a similar but not identical situation to the original poster.
I have gradually lost my hearing. It started getting bad in
high school, and in college I could not understand lectures.
At this point, I have moderate/severe loss (70db) but am unable
to understand *any* spoken language unless I'm face to face
with the speaker. [I can't lip read; if I turn off my aids, I can't
understand anything.] This is with the best digital aids I've been
able to find. So I'm very interested in this dialog.

The only reason I would give up lip reading is because, well,
sometimes I'm a bit self-conscious staring at someone's mouth
rather than their eyes. Would you be willing to expand on why
you want to give up lip reading? Taking off my glasses impacts
my hearing more (!) than turning off my hearing aids.

 

[R2D2]

Hi Rockiki and welcome!

I don't think that most of us make a conscious decision to give up lipreading. It's just that sometimes the CI works so well that previous skills can decline since you aren't relying on them as much. It's when you take the CI off say at night, you are reminded of that! I think many of us have mixed feelings about that because lipreading is a bit like a trusty friend that has seen us through the gaps that hearing aids didn't fill.

When are you looking to have your surgery? It's interesting that people with hearing losses like yours can still struggle even though on face value it doesn't look so bad. It goes to show how different we are.

 

[deafskeptic]

Yeah - it's probably not the earmold in your case but the fact that you have a powerful hearing aid. The more powerful the hearing aid, the more feedback you have to expect with that. That was one of things that prompted me to get the second implant. The HA in that ear gave bad feedback and then I'd have to turn it down to get rid of it but then I wouldn't hear anything. Even at the max volume I wasn't happy with the volume. Experiments with other brands didn't get rid of the feedback even though some of them had some anti feedback programs.

That's one thing I don't miss with my CI. It's great not having people tap you on the shoulder and saying "excuse me, your hearing aid is buzzing."

Amen! Feedback used to drive me crazy. I don't miss my HA for this reason!

 

[neecy]

Hi Rockiki and welcome!

I don't think that most of us make a conscious decision to give up lipreading. It's just that sometimes the CI works so well that previous skills can decline since you aren't relying on them as much. It's when you take the CI off say at night, you are reminded of that! I think many of us have mixed feelings about that because lipreading is a bit like a trusty friend that has seen us through the gaps that hearing aids didn't fill.

Good post! I find the same has happened to me - I rely less on my lipreading skills (though I haven't dismissed them entirely) and as a result I'm not as proficient as I once was.

 

[Audiofuzzy]

Howdy! I'm a CI candidate, current HA user, and

> It is so hard to give up lipreading.

I am interested in why one would ever "want" to give up
lipreading?

I'm in a similar but not identical situation to the original poster.
I have gradually lost my hearing. It started getting bad in
high school, and in college I could not understand lectures.
At this point, I have moderate/severe loss (70db) but am unable
to understand *any* spoken language unless I'm face to face
with the speaker. [I can't lip read; if I turn off my aids, I can't
understand anything.] This is with the best digital aids I've been
able to find. So I'm very interested in this dialog.

The only reason I would give up lip reading is because, well,
sometimes I'm a bit self-conscious staring at someone's mouth
rather than their eyes. Would you be willing to expand on why
you want to give up lip reading? Taking off my glasses impacts
my hearing more (!) than turning off my hearing aids.

It's simply easier, more convenient and more practical not having to rely on lip reading. For example, when it's dark, or when somebody is calling you from the other room..

Fuzzy

ps -on the phone, of course..

 

[rokicki]

Thanks for the kind words, R2D2! I'm still very early in the
process, but excited about what I'm learning. I am pretty
functional, actually, face to face, and I hate to give up
my residual hearing, even in one ear, so I just haven't
decided what to do yet. So no surgery planned yet, and
I still may not do it. It's very encouraging to read this
forum and see how happy so many are, though.

Hi Rockiki and welcome!

I don't think that most of us make a conscious decision to give up lipreading. It's just that sometimes the CI works so well that previous skills can decline since you aren't relying on them as much. It's when you take the CI off say at night, you are reminded of that! I think many of us have mixed feelings about that because lipreading is a bit like a trusty friend that has seen us through the gaps that hearing aids didn't fill.

When are you looking to have your surgery? It's interesting that people with hearing losses like yours can still struggle even though on face value it doesn't look so bad. It goes to show how different we are.

 

[Tousi]

uggh yeah, my audiologist keeps trying to convince me that it's the earmold that's the problem; but my earmold at least SEEMS to have a perfect fit. Although I have to admit, the area of the earmold that prevents feedback the most, is the one that consistently causes soreness/scars my skin. but I'm kind of agreeing with you, you can only have so much amplification without feedback.

I think you can have a well sealed ear mold for the HA and typically the feedback/squealing still occurs when the HA comes close to objects; our ears contract and expand with things like extreme cold, but most especially after showering when expansion occurs. This feedback will also occur when you yawn or have exaggerated jaw movement when chewing food or something like that....it isn't something one really ever gets used to, at least I don't because I am extremely aware of the occasional squealing. I used to often wonder why someone would even have a hearing aid when they cannot even hear the squealing to the extent that others have to tell them but I know better now, lol! Also, don't forget that the cavity (your ear) will stretch over time and a new mold has to be ordered. I am older and have had an aid in one ear for over 40 years and I think the opening in the aided ear is cavernously twice that of my other one, lol! Slight exaggeration, there folks.

For other problems like soreness, we all know what that's like and what has to be done to alleviate same. Btw, I always get the hypo-allergenic molds.

 

[kimpossible]

Thank you SO much deafmama and vallee, those were incredibly helpful!

so I'm starting to consider it more and more, now, to tell you the truth. but I think I'm going to wait a while.

I think you can have a well sealed ear mold for the HA and typically the feedback/squealing still occurs when the HA comes close to objects; our ears contract and expand with things like extreme cold, but most especially after showering when expansion occurs. This feedback will also occur when you yawn or have exaggerated jaw movement when chewing food or something like that....

my feedback problems occur when I hear a loud and sustained noise, regardless of whether my ear is touching anything, which is probably why my audiologist thought it was a problem with the fit; and i agree somewhat, but given just how the feedback SOUNDS whenever i hear a sustained noise, i think it just has to do with the programming of the hearing aid or it's just something that's bound to happen? I don't know...

I used to often wonder why someone would even have a hearing aid when they cannot even hear the squealing to the extent that others have to tell them but I know better now, lol!

haha I used to have that problem but for me all that mattered was the kind of hearing aid and the frequency of the feedback that was generated. also, i ALWAYS confuse feedback with my tinnitus. and sometimes I press the button on hearing tests when I think I'm hearing a high pitched sound but really, noperz, tinnitus.

 

[lovezebras]

and sometimes I press the button on hearing tests when I think I'm hearing a high pitched sound but really, noperz, tinnitus.

haha i do that too...my audi is always like..umm there wasn't a beep..i was like oh! oops The craziest thing that has ever happened tho was there was a fire alarm and she was like brb so im sitting there in this sound proof room when the building could be in flames and she comes back and is like oo no worries there was just a little fire in one of the Operating Rooms i was like oo ok..i wouldnt of wanted to be that person being operated on in there!!!

 

[vallee]

About lipreading skills - I was surprised when they tested me for CI, they did a lipreading test. She talked without sound and I had to tell her what she said. According to my audie, I have 60% comprehension with just lipreading. I had 0% comprehension in my right ear and 30% comprehension in my left ear words without lipreading. I can't wait until I get tested on the 12th of November.


Feedback, tinnutis, and headaches - I don't miss the feedback. Tinnutis except for after surgery, I have not had any problems since a week after activation. It use to be so bad that I could not sleep. Since activation, it seems it has disappeared. Headaches, migraines - gone. I see the dr on the 27th of November, I can't wait to ask him.

The only problem I still have is balance and dizziness. It is getting better. My dr said it might take 6 months before I regain complete balance. I get dizzy when I lay down flat or turn too quickly. I don't walk in a straight line(I'm all over the hallway). I can deal with these since they are also getting better with time.

 

[rokicki]

60% no sound, just lipreading? You are my hero. That's really amazing.

Thanks for the updates!

 

[highlands]

It's simply easier, more convenient and more practical not having to rely on lip reading. For example, when it's dark, or when somebody is calling you from the other room..

Fuzzy

ps -on the phone, of course..

Bingo I forgot that.. Lip reading is impossible in dark.. I am unable to understand what are said in dark..it sucks if the person still goes on talking in dark and expects me to respond even when they know I'm deaf

 

[vallee]

60% no sound, just lipreading? You are my hero. That's really amazing.

Thanks for the updates!

It is based on need. As a teacher it was so frustrating not to hear my children. My rule in the class is if your mouth moves then your talking.

Lipreading - 35 years of practice! Mom worked with me over the years.