CI Surgery approved today

You went through so much worry and difficulties. I'm SO happy to know it's getting better for you!!!
 
I have read other posts from people saying their ears hurt around loud noises. This is true for me also, especially when a large truck or loud motorcycle goes by.

My big concern now is how my ears will be around all that loud noise during
the flight. Any fellow CI users with this issue, if so how do I prevent it from happening?

Also I believe that my processors and CI gear should not go in with check in luggage. Just cary on, right?

Thanks for your help. Life is sooooo good right now!!!
 
Angel1989 said:
I have read other posts from people saying their ears hurt around loud noises. This is true for me also, especially when a large truck or loud motorcycle goes by.

My big concern now is how my ears will be around all that loud noise during
the flight. Any fellow CI users with this issue, if so how do I prevent it from happening?

Also I believe that my processors and CI gear should not go in with check in luggage. Just cary on, right?

Thanks for your help. Life is sooooo good right now!!!
Click to expand...
So good to read you are enjoying your CI. Must be overwhelming to hear so many sounds, but wonderful to hear your brain is recognizing Los sounds again.

Regarding noise while flying.. Just go to a lower program, or set the processor to a setting where it focuses on nearby sounds. (Or the "T" for the hearing loop..)
Otherwise, just take the CI off. Another possibility if you want to keep them on is to put earphones on and perhaps even listen to a book.. Another (expensive) solution is to use sound cancellation earphones. If you know someone that has them, try them out. The noise from the plane is really cancelled out, and you will only hear the voices of fellow travelers.
Lotte will not take them off, or even put them on a lower program.. But then, she is used to the sounds.

Regarding CI equipment. Make sure you have batteries /charger available. with Lotte we have backup stuff checked in, but the battery charger we carry with us. We need to charge the batteries even when our luggage is lost or delayed. After all, it could be days..

Enjoy your freedom.. ;-)
 
Angel1989 said:
I have read other posts from people saying their ears hurt around loud noises. This is true for me also, especially when a large truck or loud motorcycle goes by. ...
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Regarding sounds that hurt:
there is no need for that.
There should be a maximum stimulation that can be set. Loud noises should just be cut off before you would experience pain.
Ask your Audi. He/she should be able to lower the dynamic (top) range..
 
Thanks for all this great information. Even if I am not wearing my CI and something loud goes by my ears hurt really bad. I can't hear the noise, but can feel it, does that make sense?

Those cancelling out noise headphones sound great, have you known anyone who used them?
 
Having had flown so many times since I was implanted (short and long hauled) I have never encountered any problem, the only noise I heard was the plane engine which is quite soft and humming, which was enough to send me off to sleep!!! I have used direct lead to listen music/audio books on my iPad/iPhone and watched films too. I have always had pleasant flights!
 
Angel1989 said:
Thanks for all this great information. Even if I am not wearing my CI and something loud goes by my ears hurt really bad. I can't hear the noise, but can feel it, does that make sense?

Those cancelling out noise headphones sound great, have you known anyone who used them?
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Wow, yes.. I do know what you mean with your ears hurting.. but what you are experiencing sounds extreme. You shouldn't experience any discomfort as a result of your CI as others have already said.

Noise-cancelling headphones generally use a high pitched frequency to "cancel" noise like a jet engine. This means that the sound-quality is affected and audiophiles are not a fan of such headphones. I personally do not recommend them.

If you are going the headphones route, you are best off getting "over-the-ear" headphones to make it easy to get your microphone within the cup. This will help block outside noise as well. Really though.. you are best off using the direct-connect cable with your N5. That will give you a true noise-free experience.

I am so sorry for all of the difficulty you have suffered through and hope the best for you.
 
Thanks, things are starting to work out great. Even before my CI, but after I lost my hearing, loud noises cause pain. Trucks, motorcycles and even a loud car in a parking garage. This is why I am concerned about the jet noises.

@BleedingPurist. Do you mean to use music and direct connect into my CI? Sorry but I don't quite understand all of this yet. I really do appreciate everyones help.
 
Well any audio can be used with the the mains isolation cable or the personal audio cable ..just for know which one ..if the book was on an iPad I believe you can use the personal audio able and directly plug into your N5 that way you wouldn't need to use headphones
 
Interesting....is the pain in both ears, the CI ear, or the other ear?

I can't comment on the fact that loud sounds bother you when you are not wearing the CI.....I will ask my audi on my next visit if she has any clients experiencing the same thing.

Also, the loudest setting you will ever hear is the maximum setting you have in your programming. If you are used to quiet for a long time, the loud sounds are always startling at first. When I start up the garden tractor, it is one loud mother, and I am always startled, but 30 seconds later I don't think about it.

If I don't wear my CI for more than 2 days, and put it on, it is a shock to my system during the first 15 minutes, then everything goes back to normal. You might want to listen to metal/hard rock music daily to get used to loud....:lol:
 
I have this problem with a lot of sounds now too which is one of the reason why I hate my hearing aids I get it sometimes with them off too just makes me wanna rip my hair out lol
 
green427 said:
Interesting....is the pain in both ears, the CI ear, or the other ear?

I can't comment on the fact that loud sounds bother you when you are not wearing the CI.....I will ask my audi on my next visit if she has any clients experiencing the same thing.

Also, the loudest setting you will ever hear is the maximum setting you have in your programming. If you are used to quiet for a long time, the loud sounds are always startling at first. When I start up the garden tractor, it is one loud mother, and I am always startled, but 30 seconds later I don't think about it.

If I don't wear my CI for more than 2 days, and put it on, it is a shock to my system during the first 15 minutes, then everything goes back to normal. You might want to listen to metal/hard rock music daily to get used to loud....:lol:
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Sorry I am so complicated:-( OK today I was out ALL day. I have my CI set on "everyday" program with my volume and sensitivity levels at 3. While at home this works great and I can hear pretty well.

Then I went to the mall and as soon as I walked in, my level of hearing dropped about 50%. I played around with the settings but never got to the same level of hearing as when I am home. A lot of background noise.

I do know that my implanted ear is the one that feels PAIN when a motorcycle or truck go by. I wear my CI ALL day and this fluctuating hearing is what my audi is so confused about.

Next week I am meeting with the Surgeon, Neurologist, Audiologist and Cochlear Rep all in the same 3 hour appointment.

My audi says that I should not have to be changing my remote all the time but I do.

Like I have said, they tell me all the time that I am so not the "normal" CI user and I tend to cause confusion.

I am so grateful I do have a CI and I wil continue to work with it. I'm just hoping I can get to a comfortable solution.

Tomorrow when I am out I will try to figure out if the loud noises cause pain in my ear without the CI.

Thanks everyone, the support here is amazing.
I just noticed that I have been a member for a full year now. WOW that year went by so fast!!!
 
Hi Angel, are you still on this site? Wanted to know how your surgery went? I'm in the middle of approval and very scared of the surgery. Looking for a friend to talk abou the aftermath. Are you glad you did it? Did it help you hear better? did it take the sound away? My hearing loss is at about 90 to 95% in both ears and I also have a very loud humming in my left side and pressure :( Please respond
 
Angel1989 said:
Sorry I am so complicated:-( OK today I was out ALL day. I have my CI set on "everyday" program with my volume and sensitivity levels at 3. While at home this works great and I can hear pretty well.

Then I went to the mall and as soon as I walked in, my level of hearing dropped about 50%. I played around with the settings but never got to the same level of hearing as when I am home. A lot of background noise.

I do know that my implanted ear is the one that feels PAIN when a motorcycle or truck go by. I wear my CI ALL day and this fluctuating hearing is what my audi is so confused about.

Next week I am meeting with the Surgeon, Neurologist, Audiologist and Cochlear Rep all in the same 3 hour appointment.

My audi says that I should not have to be changing my remote all the time but I do.

Like I have said, they tell me all the time that I am so not the "normal" CI user and I tend to cause confusion.

I am so grateful I do have a CI and I wil continue to work with it. I'm just hoping I can get to a comfortable solution.

Tomorrow when I am out I will try to figure out if the loud noises cause pain in my ear without the CI.

Thanks everyone, the support here is amazing.
I just noticed that I have been a member for a full year now. WOW that year went by so fast!!!
Click to expand...

curious, when you hear the sound at home and your ear was not in pain. But if you hear the loudest one like outside then it causes pain in your ear? or is it shocking pain or does it feel pinch on the nerves?

My friend had a CI and struggle for a year when she was in pain. So she returned to hosptial and dr found that there were incorrect cord inside the inner ear and fixed it. she feeeeeels much better and hear the sound much better than before.
 
emiliarae said:
Hi Angel, are you still on this site? Wanted to know how your surgery went? I'm in the middle of approval and very scared of the surgery. Looking for a friend to talk abou the aftermath. Are you glad you did it? Did it help you hear better? did it take the sound away? My hearing loss is at about 90 to 95% in both ears and I also have a very loud humming in my left side and pressure :( Please respond
Click to expand...

You should read through the whole thread. Angel has shared her experiences in various posts/replies.

There are also various websites/forums that can help you. There's the Cochlear Community from Cochlear; Hearing Journey from Advanced Bionics, and Hear Peers from Med El. There's also the CI Hear group on Yahoo, and several CI groups on Facebook as well.

I also have a CI, which I just got this past spring. The surgery was fine, no big deal I thought. Tried to take it slow with the recovery process. Activation was smooth, and have been continuously making progress since activation in April.
 
Angel1989 said:
Thanks, things are starting to work out great. Even before my CI, but after I lost my hearing, loud noises cause pain. Trucks, motorcycles and even a loud car in a parking garage. This is why I am concerned about the jet noises.

@BleedingPurist. Do you mean to use music and direct connect into my CI? Sorry but I don't quite understand all of this yet. I really do appreciate everyones help.
Click to expand...
Yes.. Digital sound straight to your brain.
There's a cable that will connect from the player into the CI processor.
Give it a try..
 
I had my very long appointment today, 3 hours. Saw the surgeon first. He checked my CI to make sure every thing was OK and also checked my ears. All that was great.

Met with my audi and the CI rep. The CI rep was amazing and really knew her stuff. They reprogrammed my CI starting from the very beginning. Redid a lot of my hearing tests and finally agreed where my CI default setting should be. Everyone agrees my discomfort is due from my injury and my nerves are just extra sensitive.

CI rep wants me to work hard at increasing the sensitivity level. She explained that the lower the sensitivity level, the less I am giving my brain to hear. Made sense, and I am giving it every thing I have. All in all a good day, long but good!!!
 
Angel,

Glad your CI appointment went well and that there is not a problem with the implant. Just give yourself time to adjust to the implant and wear it as much as you can. Keep on working at and increasing the sensitivity when you can. Good Luck and keep us posted. If you need support we are here for you!!!
 
Angel1989 said:
I had my very long appointment today, 3 hours. Saw the surgeon first. He checked my CI to make sure every thing was OK and also checked my ears. All that was great.

Met with my audi and the CI rep. The CI rep was amazing and really knew her stuff. They reprogrammed my CI starting from the very beginning. Redid a lot of my hearing tests and finally agreed where my CI default setting should be. Everyone agrees my discomfort is due from my injury and my nerves are just extra sensitive.

CI rep wants me to work hard at increasing the sensitivity level. She explained that the lower the sensitivity level, the less I am giving my brain to hear. Made sense, and I am giving it every thing I have. All in all a good day, long but good!!!
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That is great to know. Let's hope that the remapping will help you.

Quick question, though....every time I go in for remapping, we always start from scratch. My new audi uses the "count the beeps" method instead of the "let me know when you start hearing" method. That is pretty much starting from scratch. What method does yours use?
 
green427 said:
That is great to know. Let's hope that the remapping will help you.

Quick question, though....every time I go in for remapping, we always start from scratch. My new audi uses the "count the beeps" method instead of the "let me know when you start hearing" method. That is pretty much starting from scratch. What method does yours use?
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I never could hear the beeps. Plus once my brain heard the beep, my mind would copy it. I was saying I heard the beep when there wasn't any. I hope that explains it at least a little. Audi says this is due to my "extreme tinnitus".

Yesterday the CI rep tested every electrode, one at a time. This took about 45 minutes and they all were working fine. They all are saying I am way more sensitive then the average CI user, due to my brain issues.

Thanks for asking and all the support. I still am so happy I went this route. My only issue is that I wish I had the time prior to surgery to educate myself.

@green427 This might sound totally crazy but I need to know. Since I have only one CI and when they are testing it and I am not able to hear what their saying, I can't really educate myself. My hubby is always there, but I want to know what is going on with "me". Does that make sense??????
 
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