Comments on: What changed my mind about getting a CI

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:26:21 +0000

So you’ve reconsidered about getting the cochlear implant? Please make sure you ask lots of questions to any specialists or anyone that has gone through this before. Personally speaking, I’d never do such a thing even if I was late deafened. But I think CI’s are typically perfect for late deafened individuals because they already have an idea what sound, er, sounds like. But the problem with that is that they may become dissappointed at the odd sounds the CI make that aren’t fully sound. To that, I’ve alsways imagined though that people can just be a bit creative and fully imagine the sounds after they get used to the machine since brains are amazing and capable organic machines. I’m sure you very literally could just “make up” all the hollow sounds for the full sounds if you just recall what you know.

It is troublesome being stuck between two worlds, isn’t it? One world, the majority world where you grew up, hearing. The other, minority yet in bloom behind the bush, deaf. It seems to always boil down to whether or not you consider yourself defected by your hearing loss. People shouldn’t have to define themselves by one word; sure, you’re deafened, not deaf, you are also Sara the engineer, the rare sara without a “H”, the youthful Sara. However you look at yourself, it’s still you.
What I’m trying to say is, maybe deciding to get the Cochlear will define other portions of you and make things easier. However, maybe getting that Cochlear will make it more obvious for people that you were deafened and start defining you like such.

Quite the… predicament, eh? Just make sure you ask tons of questions, quell any curiousity first, then weigh pros-cons and finally decide. You are still young, you have time.

<3 -Sara (I’m hoping I made sense… it’s awfully early in the morning, but I’ve been pondering what to say about this for nearly a day to make sure I say the right thing!)

By: Test

Test — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:26:37 +0000

Testing CommentLuv... Test’s last blog post: I’m a Mechanical Engineer, but I delve into electronics now and then

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:26:43 +0000

Yes. Exactly. I can’t convince anyone that I work with or am friends with that I am deaf… and yet I’m too deaf for any of the new technology coming out!?

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:25:20 +0000

My local audiologist, who I don’t really know super well yet, has told me a few times that people with one CI and one hearing aid have the best of both worlds. I haven’t found anyone to talk to who is in that situation though. I guess I’ll find out. (Lots of people around with bilateral CIs though).

It always amazes me that with either one of my ears by itself things sound very garbled, but with both everything’s much clearer.

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:21:19 +0000

Hi Cynthia, I emailed this to you but will post it here for others.

I’ll know more details about the hybrid CI after my appointment on Monday. The way I understand it now is the 5 to 10dB loss from the hybrid CI electrode compares to a complete loss with a normal electrode. The perfect hybrid CI candidate would have a moderate/severe loss in the low frequencies and a profound loss in the high frequencies. So the hearing aid part would still work for the low but you would gain the high frequencies with the CI. Since my loss in my worse ear is severe to profound already if I were to lose 10dB at the low end I might not be able to use a hearing aid. My better ear would be better suited to the hybrid.

I’ll be sure to share what the audiologist and surgeon say next week.

By: Candy

Candy — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:18:26 +0000

Like you, I was interested in this Hybrid Trial, but have yet to meet with anyone about it. I have mostly corresponded with the people within Med-el. A big procrastinator when it comes to medical arena, I need to start moving. My option is to go with a digital in my better ear and either a hybrid or C.I. in my bad ear. I also do not want to loose any residual hearing and if I do, that’s one reason why I don’t want my better ear implanted (because even tho I’m VERY HOH in that ear, I still can use the phone without a hearing aid.) Hopefully soon I’ll get moving and will share my story on a new blog. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog thus far. In your other post, you asked if you were that deaf. Looks like you are for certain frequencies but not all. It’s amazing how one would assume one isn’t totally deaf and then someone tells them they’re too deaf and you’re looking at the audiogram and are like, ??? Audiogram only tells part of the story, the rest is how one manages to overcome obstacles with their hearing with practice whether one realizes it or not.

By: Evelynne

Evelynne — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:53:58 +0000

This is very interesting. I find that only using one hearing aid makes me feel sort of dizzy, but it won’t be quite like that for you — you’ll be hearing out of the CI ear too. I wonder if having the good ear with “normal” (to you) hearing will help the CI ear learn to recognize the music it’s hearing. Although it sounds like it could also be confusing — you’ll be hearing it two different ways simultaneously! It’ll be so interesting to see how this works out.

By: Cynthia Roberson

Cynthia Roberson — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:54:14 +0000

I envy the fact that a hybrid CI will not take away residual hearing! I have had regular Freedom CI for three years now… my family sees the difference of improvement. I have worn two hearing aids and cant really tell if I can hear better now than before.

Can you please explain what does it mean even when hybrid CI loses 5-10 decibels that it still will work for your severe profound loss?