Why did you choose to have a CI?

Bear

Bear

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Why did you choose to have a CI? What were your motivating factors?

Please as in my other thread. Let them have their say. No bashing or heated debates. Us Cier's also need to be able to get our information out there without being put down for not signing or using the oral only approach.

So please, respect this thread as they have respected the NOT choosing thread.

Any posts that are bashing or off topic will be reported to a mod and ask to be deleted.

I want this to be a fully positive CI thread for those of us that have one.


I chose to have a CI because I was born hearing and didn't lose my hearing until I was 14 years old.

Then I got a hearing aid and that worked for me for over 20 years. My hearing declined to the point where the hearing aid wasn't helping me anymore.

It took me 9 months to decide if I wanted to even test for candidacy. After that I knew I wanted a CI.

The prospect of never hearing anything again was literally driving me insane. I was so used to hearing sounds, that not hearing sounds, was like ughh I can't stand this.

I could accept the fact that I was deaf, and still do, without this CI I know I am deaf. But I don't see anything wrong with me wanting to hear sounds. That doesn't mean I can't accept me as I am. I just couldn't accept hearing NOTHING.

I do still sign and talk. I will never give up the signs as I totally love it when I am around other deaf and don't need to depend on talking or hearing all the time. I think sign is a beautiful language on it's own.

Another motivating factor on getting a CI for me was that I am a music lover, I've always loved music and it was always a major part of my life. I just had to hear my music once again and be able to sing along with it. There was a time when I was hearing that I thought about becoming a singer.


So those are my reasons. What were yours?
 
Speaking of C.I. I been born deaf and I hear my hearing aids for 25 years and never complains. I also speak well, read lips, and use asl too. So as the older I got and the more problem my right hear was getting worst which is my good ear. So it took me 1 year to decided to get C.I. and miss hearing sounds of music playing, kids laughing, and listening to the birds outside. I never have a problem accpeting my deafness for years. So I still use ASL as always because that the part of who I am. Once I got C.I. which is a "personal choice" for me to make and I went ahead took lot of tests before I got my C.I. and loving it. Only one negetive side of it just the batteries last the short time that is all. If some deaf or hoh are against C.I. then that their loss. Most of my friends stop visiting me or hang around me because I have C.I. and they pertty much against it. It made me realized who my true friends are for not accpeting my choice that I make. It really crying shame. But I am doing great and have beauitful baby and I love hearing her laugh, cry, giggle, and babbling at me, listeing to the dog barking and hear music. I love every second of it. :)
 
i decided to have ci for abt a year before i got c.i. because I was raised with hearing aids almost all of my life. so when my favorite hearing aid became small and old.... it was time for a new HA so i had brand new hearing aid and i couldn't hear the HA very well like i used to. so i went to diff audiologist and still the same. its very strange. so i stopped wearing hearing aid for maybe few years. then I moved to MN and i have met an audiologist about CI and i also loaned an hearing aid.. still can't hear it well.

that's how i went for CI and I loved it pretty much. it helped a lot for me.
 
wow.. great postive feedbacks.. I understand your feeling...
No problem I accept what your really want and to hear.. That's fine.. you're still D/deaf doesn't matter you're part of us Deaf people community.. Which it's great you still sign languages..

If they don't accept you have ci.. too bad for them.. offically not actually friends.. their loss..

I bet you already read mine about doesn't want ci... other thread...that ok as understand mine and others.. which it great news as people accept open their mind sharing each together... otherwise, I do not accept whoever want implanted very young babies.. that really hurting me feel impact about this.. can't make their choice...BUT you did made choice because you're mature teenager or adult whatever.. Did right thing making your progress choice.
I have no problem..
I have to respect let them go about parent want implanted ci their perfect child.. Not my business.. but really hurts me... to seeing young babies head.
*peace*
 
GalaxyAngel said:
wow.. great postive feedbacks.. I understand your feeling...
No problem I accept what your really want and to hear.. That's fine.. you're still D/deaf doesn't matter you're part of us Deaf people community.. Which it's great you still sign languages..

If they don't accept you have ci.. too bad for them.. offically not actually friends.. their loss..

I bet you already read mine about doesn't want ci... other thread...that ok as understand mine and others.. which it great news as people accept open their mind sharing each together... otherwise, I do not accept whoever want implanted very young babies.. that really hurting me feel impact about this.. can't make their choice...BUT you did made choice because you're mature teenager or adult whatever.. Did right thing making your progress choice.
I have no problem..
I have to respect let them go about parent want implanted ci their perfect child.. Not my business.. but really hurts me... to seeing young babies head.
*peace*
Click to expand...


LOL GA I know you respect me as a CI user. When we met in real life you didn' t make an issue of me being a Ci user. I thought that was cool. And we were able to communicate easily using sign.

I do respect your choice not to have a CI. And I did read your post and respected it.

I created these two threads both for and against using a CI, so that others may be able to get the info without all the fighting. I think it is really helping too as many have thanked me for creating two peaceful threads, with lots of info for and against a CI.

As for the parents, I dont agree with implanting babies myself, BUT I also realize that it is not my choice or decision as it is not my child. I just hope that any parent that chooses to implant their child also learns signs and allows the child to learn it as well. But again we can't force them and have to respect it whether if we agree with it or not.
 
For me the choice was for my son. He was born deaf and when he was about 18 months his ENT suggested us looking into one for his left ear. I came home that day and researched online about the CI. Pros cons what others felt about it (hearing and deaf) and after a couple months of research and talking to my husband we decided to go on and get the CI for him. Currently we make him wear it as much as we can. (he's really good about hiding it and today he chewed the wire so bad I had to replace it before I could put it back on him, and will be going to the Dr.'s office some time soon to get it replaced). My husband and I agreed before we went thur with it that once he's old enough to make the decision himself weather or not he wants to wear it we will support what he decides. He's 4 years old and he also has CP and autism so we figured that if it was something that would help us teach him and would help him along the way it was worth it
 
I made my choice to get CIs, after years of thinking about it.

I had rheumetic fever at age three and it damaged my hearing and heart. I was fitted with one hearing aide at age 10 and two at age 18. I lost most of my hearing in my 20's.

I could not afford new hearing aids because my insurance does not cover them. I finally worn out my 6th pair of aids. I got to the point that everyday was stressful with my hearing. My insurance would cover cochlear implants and not hearing aids. So I made an appointment and after a year of insurance denials, I finally had my surgery.

I have to admit that I did not research as much before my surgery. I never thought it would make that much of a differences. I kept my goals low. I have to say it has been fantastic. Each days is full of new sounds, but most importantly I am happy.
 
I want to get a CI as I think it would help me even more than my hearing aid currently does. I highly depend on visual support to even understand anything these days, so if I could possibly hear with a CI and not have to rely so much on visual support, that'd be great. I know the CI isn't a cure, and won't make hearing "normal" or anything like that. And I know it takes time to get used to a CI and having to relearn all the sounds, but I'm willing to make the CI work for me. I just have too much difficulty understanding speech with my hearing aid now (I used to be able to REALLY hear well with my hearing aid, listening without needing to lipread, etc.).
 
I was born hearing, and went deaf at age 9, and always missed being able to fully interact with the hearing world. I received hardly any benefit from my HA's, and stopped wearing them as a result. I am SO happy with my CI, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I hope to get my left ear implanted sometime in the future.
 
Neecy, can you add the specific benefits of having a second CI?
 
Tousi said:
Neecy, can you add the specific benefits of having a second CI?
Click to expand...

Very good question. That would really benefit some in deciding if going for a second implant is worthwhile. Neecy, would mind answering this?

I can't go for a second implant as my right ear is very bad. Everytime I tried to hear anything out of that ear, it was painful for me. And also my insurance would not cover a second implant.

So researching this info was never a priority for me.
 
I think there is a big benefit in having a second implant. I had both done at once.

I do spend time using one only at a time and my sense of understand decreases with only one on. I feel balanced with both on. I understand sound and the direction it is coming from.
 
I was born with a severe to profound hearing loss due to prenatal rubella. I've worn HAs since I was 2 1/2 years old. I couldn't hear voices at all without my HA BTW.

I stopped wearing HA over my right ear when I was 14 because it wasn't of much help for that ear.

I didn't have any problems with my HAs till I was 19 and started to have ringing in my left ear. It got so bad over the years that I stopped wearing my HA for a year and half. I didn't know what I had was recruiment till I came here.

I finally got a CI because I really missed able to hear things with my HA and I didn't want that awful ringing. I've no regrets about getting a CI. I hope one day I get my right ear implanted.
 
It was simple enough for me. I'm a hearing person who happens to be deaf ;) (to clarify for others, I'm a prelingual and wore HAs forever). Anyway, I like to hear and especially be able to carry on conversations (never did learn sign).

The day came when HA's weren't doing the trick and I had to do something. Then somebody pointed out to me that CIs have come a long way and I had to look at that option. I realized it was my only option to stay viable in the hearing world and I went full steam ahead. Haven't looked back since...Carpe Diem!!!
 
Gosh, I didn't realize you were a prelingual. More power to you, man!
 
Bear said:
Very good question. That would really benefit some in deciding if going for a second implant is worthwhile. Neecy, would mind answering this?

I can't go for a second implant as my right ear is very bad. Everytime I tried to hear anything out of that ear, it was painful for me. And also my insurance would not cover a second implant.

So researching this info was never a priority for me.
Click to expand...

The biggest benefit would be hearing "in stereo" and that would allow directionality of sound. As it is - I can usually recognize the sounds that I hear with my single CI, but I have no way of telling where it is coming from. I've spoken to others with dual implants and have found that locating sound is much easier with both ears. Kind of like how you need two eyes for full depth perception, versus just one eye.
 
neecy said:
The biggest benefit would be hearing "in stereo" and that would allow directionality of sound. As it is - I can usually recognize the sounds that I hear with my single CI, but I have no way of telling where it is coming from. I've spoken to others with dual implants and have found that locating sound is much easier with both ears. Kind of like how you need two eyes for full depth perception, versus just one eye.
Click to expand...

Yeah, like you I usually can tell where sounds are coming from with one CI. It is funny how one can use brute logic (becomes natural) to figure this out. I will admit there are times that having a "second ear" would really help. But it isn't often enough for me to be tempted to get a second one. I suspect it will be technology (better sound fidelity...now that would be tempting) that will get me thinking about it not the echolocation aspect.
 
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