When do you put on your aid(s)/implant(s)?

overthepond said:
U have too high expectations for cochlear implantation, which is not a good sign...
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No, my audiologist showed to me how much my hearing would improve back up to the 30-40 decibel region if I got the cochlear. I use to be able to hear, it gradually got worse over the past 20 years. In the end, the cochlear is going to give me more than anything else will, bottom line. Hearing aids really don't do much, which many people with a severe loss will just confirm (as well as the audiologists). I'm aware I'm going to have to wear the CI as much as possible in order for my brain to adjust to it, but it doesn't mean there won't be moments when I'll just want to take it off for a few hours and sit in silence. And I also know I'm going to have re-take speech therapy for a while and that I'll be expected to continue using my lip reading skills to get by with the cochlear. I would rather say my expectations aren't high enough. I'm not very happy about getting a computer chip implanted in my head for the rest of my life. And I spent the last 8 years avoiding getting the cochlear, and only recently decided I should go for it- audiologist told me it was best to get it sooner than later b/c the later I waited, the less hearing the cochlear would restore and the less it would overall benefit me.

*meow*
 
I usually wait until I get to work to turn on the HA. when I get up, HA stays off. I put HA on my ear when I leave the house but I don't always turn it on. It takes me a while to wake up fully.
 
pandaundercover said:
... I'm not very happy about getting a computer chip implanted in my head for the rest of my life. ...

*meow*
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I had mine for over five years. I don't even think about it anymore. No big deal in my book. I'm just thankful that I can hear so well these days. I can think of worst things...
 
sr171soars said:
I had mine for over five years. I don't even think about it anymore. No big deal in my book. I'm just thankful that I can hear so well these days. I can think of worst things...
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True. It's certainly just one factor. I just found out from research this morning I can't go skydiving anymore after getting the CI. Way sad about it- so gonna try and do it one last time before the official implantation. Also says we can't scuba dive after it either (even though I never planned on it b/c I don't like deep bodies of water). Made me curious though of how being in a plane affects those with a cochlear? Does it cause more pressure or no?
 
I have no idea why skydiving is a problem. Having a CI shouldn't stop one from doing it. Scuba diving is another story. It is mostly about the depth one goes and I think that limit is about 80ft deep. The problem is the pressure on the skull and the transmitter laying under the skin. Also, anybody with a CI has a little "hole" or "gap" from the surgery right above the ridge line where the upper part of the ear meets the skull.

Many with CIs have flown in jets all over the place. Not a big deal. The pressure is on the eardrum not the CI. Chew some gum and presto, all is well. :D
 
sr171soars said:
Scuba diving is another story. It is mostly about the depth one goes and I think that limit is about 80ft deep. The problem is the pressure on the skull and the transmitter laying under the skin. Also, anybody with a CI has a little "hole" or "gap" from the surgery right above the ridge line where the upper part of the ear meets the skull.
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I had a radical mastoidectomy when I was nine and I can't go scuba diving either. The surgery was in the same place as a CI is implanted, so I guess it's for the same reason (in bold above).
 
sr171soars said:
I have no idea why skydiving is a problem. Having a CI shouldn't stop one from doing it. Scuba diving is another story. It is mostly about the depth one goes and I think that limit is about 80ft deep. The problem is the pressure on the skull and the transmitter laying under the skin. Also, anybody with a CI has a little "hole" or "gap" from the surgery right above the ridge line where the upper part of the ear meets the skull.

Many with CIs have flown in jets all over the place. Not a big deal. The pressure is on the eardrum not the CI. Chew some gum and presto, all is well. :D
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Okay.

I like scuba-diving way too much...
 
My rule of thumb is, if it is bad for your ears, then it is bad for your CI.

If you can scuba dive without any ear damages, you surely can do the same with a CI
 
Lighthouse77 said:
My rule of thumb is, if it is bad for your ears, then it is bad for your CI.

If you can scuba dive without any ear damages, you surely can do the same with a CI
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Many more are at risk from scuba diving than those who know it. I wouldn't have known I am not meant to dive except that I was going to start on some hyperbaric oxygen therapy and had to get medical clearance that my ears were in good enough condition to withstand the treatment. The doctor said no way. I presume that means I am not meant to fly either, but I am not going to ask because if they say I can't fly I shall be gutted and it will be impossible to get flight/travel insurance ever again.

Anyone with any problem with the pressure regulation system in the skull should not dive, even if that is something seemingly simple like sinusitis or a middle ear infection. If you can't "pop" your ears you can't dive.

Generally speaking if you can fly then you can dive, you just have to work to depth restrictions.
 
Most commercial airliners are pressurized to 3 to 4 thousand feet so if you can drive over a mountain that high you are good to fly. Of course there is the danger of loss of pressurization but that is rare.
Diving on the other hand is a different horse. pressure doubles every 33 feet. Probably safe to dive if you don't exceed 30 feet or so. Certainly would check with someone with more knowledge than I have on that though.
 
I don't put on my CI until I am completely awake. I don't immediately put on the CI the second I wake up, as I like about an hour or so of silence after I wake up.It's relaxing. I wear it til I go to bed at night.
 
RoseRodent said:
Generally speaking if you can fly then you can dive, you just have to work to depth restrictions.
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I've been specifically told that I can not scuba dive, but no one has ever said not to fly. I've flown loads of time without any problems, in fact if I keep my HAs in during the flight my ears tend to 'pop' less, I don't know why that might be.
 
I wear my CI after I've washed up and had breakfast - I'm slow to wake up and I need that time to properly wake up ( CI is LOUD first thing in the morning! ) then I wear it most of day till I go to bed - I'll wear my glasses immediately after I wake up though or else I won't see clearly.

Last thing before I kill the night is put CI at D&S and roll over to sleep.Only times I don't wear is while/after a swim/bath and I don't wear it till my hair/ear are completely dry or when I have headache or dizzy spells - helps me reduce the intensity.
 
I haven't actually worn my hearing aids for a while as they need new tubes and I've not got around to getting them...when I do wear them, I put them on after getting dressed and doing my hair- if they're on first they then get caught in my hair/in the way of the my hair straighteners. I usually have some me-time checking my email etc before I get dressed. Depending on what I'm doing in the evening I'll take them out after work- if I'm just reading or doing household chores I take them out, will leave them in for watching TV and music. I also take them out when I have a headache/earache/tinnitus.
 
Vivie said:
I wear my CI after I've washed up and had breakfast - I'm slow to wake up and I need that time to properly wake up ( CI is LOUD first thing in the morning! ) then I wear it most of day till I go to bed - I'll wear my glasses immediately after I wake up though or else I won't see clearly.

Last thing before I kill the night is put CI at D&S and roll over to sleep.Only times I don't wear is while/after a swim/bath and I don't wear it till my hair/ear are completely dry or when I have headache or dizzy spells - helps me reduce the intensity.
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Exactly same!! Haha
 
RoseRodent said:
Generally speaking if you can fly then you can dive, you just have to work to depth restrictions..
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djchur said:
I've been specifically told that I can not scuba dive, but no one has ever said not to fly.
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I suppose people have different expectations of what "diving" actually entails. I am more than happy to dive to a depth of about 4m! Heck, I'll dive in the deep end of the pool, I just like the peace and tranqulity. If you conceive of diving as being swimming around wrecks and getting a PADI qualification then the list of people who "cannot dive" gets a lot longer. I'd never be allowed to qualify as a diver, but it doesn't mean I don't like to dive on my own terms. The pressure does hurt my ears even in a 6-foot depth swimming pool, but I can't avoid all the things that might be a possible danger or I'd not even be allowed to lie in my bed!
 
Hi. :) I wear 2 purple Phonak Naida V Ups hearing aids. I wear them as soon as I wake up and only take them out to go to sleep. the audi says that the computer shows that I wear them 16 hours a day on average, but I wear them as long as I am awake. In the morning, when I turn my hearing aids on, its a little harsh on me since I do not hear much of anything without my hearing aids in. My hearing aids make a "short static" sound and it startles me sometimes. I also turn them down first thing in the morning since I do not feel "ready" to hear a lot that fast. Other times while I am wearing my hearing aids, I feel like my ears get tired and I start having trouble understanding what I am hearing. I still have trouble understanding speech even though I can "hear" "sh" and "s" sounds since they sound like static on the ends of words. I can also hear coins in my hand and other small metal objects seem to have a "chime" sound to them, its still weird to hear things like that for the first time. When I am traveling, I tend to turn my hearing aids "off" (actually turn them on "T") as if I am using the telecoil setting so that the microphones are off since these hearing aids can not be turned off without opening the battery door. Sometimes however, if I am working on the computer and dont want to wear my hearing aids for a short time, I have a habit of leaving them on and hanging them on my necklace and then when I want to hear something, I just put them back in. I do have to turn them down a lot since my friend can hear it making feedback noise. lol In public, I do not like taking my hearing aids out since I worry about putting them in my pocket or in the case and damaging them. I would rather just switch programs anyway, when I want to hear, I turn them to program 2 and when I want complete silence, I put them on "T". The neat thing is, is that when I put my hearing aids on "T", there is interference from other electro-magnetic devices and power lines and such and its comfortable to listen to and it completely cancels out my tinnitus. My tinnitus is so loud without my hearing aids in and also when I wear my hearing aids, I have this kind of "shifting tinnitus" that nearly drives me crazy. My tinnitus is just as loud as my hearing aids are. The Naidas are the best hearing aids I have ever worn. Its funny how exciting hearing coins, dog tags, and birds can be. I still have some trouble understanding what I am hearing. Today for example, I thought I was hearing some kind of electronic, metallic repetitive sound and my friend told me it was birds. So, I guess there are just some sounds that are not going to make sense to me. The music program is excellent as well. I am a musician and play synthesizers. There are several frequencies that I will never hear no matter how loud my hearing aids are and how loud the amplifier is set.
I love my purple Naida hearing aids! :)
 
When i get up from bed, i am usually lazy to put on my Cochlear implant in the morning. I like to have an hour or so of peace and quiet in my ears. Because I am getting ready for school or not during the summer or getting ready for band rehearsals for an long day. Before i put my cochlear implant on, i turn down the tv, My ears gets really sensitive to noise the minute i put it on, it takes me about 5-10 minutes to get used to the noise before my ears doesn't become not too sensitive. But after that I'm okay. When I take a nap, I sometimes take my implant off before I do. But I would also fall asleep with my implant on, like litterally falling asleep after a long day of band or something else. I don't like falling asleep with my implant on because the pillow makes my implant press against my ear and it hurts! I try to avoid that. At night, when I take a shower, i take my implant off and i normally don't put my implant back on at all for the rest of the night until the morning. Like I said, I'm lazy when it comes to put it back on my head. I like my peace and quiet. :D
 
I'm not at work til Monday, so I'm sitting in bed browsing the net- not going to waste batteries just to hear myself typing louder and that white noise my aids make. Will put them in later when I need to have long conversations with people! Last night I took them out about 9am and sat in bed reading til midnight, I got tinnitus though :-(
 
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