Re: Deaf People's Reaction to CI

[Guest guest]

yep same thing to me about negative reponses to my ci and fact is they

doesnt know very well or have not researched ci info deep enough than us

to make a positive reponse ive had one that i know very well being told

that ci is no good it can give brain cancer which i already know is not

true and also other says ci will leave a hold in implanted side for ci

hook up which is not true and some says you cant swim anymore with

implanted ci again not true i had to fend them off by proving it to

them and they gulped i told deafies that they are not being so smart

till they research it themselves! peroid

johanson3j wrote:

>Hi, I've been activated 2 1/2 weeks now. I'm also ninth generation deaf, and

>adept with both deaf and hearing cultures, ASL, and English (and also

>moderately fluent in a few other written languages, Russian Sign Language, and

>Hawaiian Sign Language). I've had a few deaf people say... " Oh, now you are a

>hearie!? " I tell them, " Oh, don't be silly! " With a few hundred years of

deafness

>in my genes, and a few hundred years of INTELLIGENT deaf ancestors as role

>models, and the wonders of technology that can give me a few new usable tools

>(text pagers, PDAs, videophones, and CIs), I'm merely being SMART and utilizing

>what is available to the max!. Most of those folks who " challenge " those of us

>deafies who choose this path are first generation deaf people so they are in

>no position to be casting stones at me. So, therefore my retort " Oh, don't

>be silly! "

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, I totally agree. My son attends a deaf school and he was implanted November

2004. The school gives NO support to it. They don't even wanna learn how to take

care of it. They are such agaisnt ci's. And the thing is more and more deafies

are getting implanted. I have alot of deaf friends that are my age and some a

little older that kept telling me not to implant my son. That it will be such a

mistake. " He's a boy if he gets ci he can't play football or any sports " " If he

is hit in the head it will shift " " Its causes headaches all the time " There were

just soooooo many other things that were said about it as well. And when I made

the decision to implant they were all very anger and unsupportive. I asked them

what kind of friends were they? They kept saying it won't work. Well my son has

a normal hearing right now. I told my friends, if u have vision problems u go

get them check and possibly have surgery. U have back problems u will have a

surgery. U have hearing problems u get

hearing aids or a ci. Which in our case HA didn't work so we got a ci and

things are going WONDERFULLY!!! U look at the there future u will do whatever is

best for ur child and there future. Now my friends except it but there are still

people who don't, like everyone at his school. He is going to try a mainstream

program in August. I have deaf people in my family as well and I use signed

english and ASL. I love my son's ci so much that I would love for him to get a

second one and he would love to have it, but we just can't afford it and our

insurance doesn't cover it. How are u doing since ur activation? Good luck!!!

, La

mother of a ci user

johanson3j@... wrote:

Hi, I've been activated 2 1/ weeks now. I'm also ninth generation deaf, and

adept with both deaf and hearing cultures, ASL, and English (and also

moderately fluent in a few other written languages, Russian Sign Language, and

Hawaiian Sign Language). I've had a few deaf people say... " Oh, now you are a

hearie!? " I tell them, " Oh, don't be silly! " With a few hundred years of

deafness

in my genes, and a few hundred years of INTELLIGENT deaf ancestors as role

models, and the wonders of technology that can give me a few new usable tools

(text pagers, PDAs, videophones, and CIs), I'm merely being SMART and utilizing

what is available to the max!. Most of those folks who " challenge " those of us

deafies who choose this path are first generation deaf people so they are in

no position to be casting stones at me. So, therefore my retort " Oh, don't

be silly! "

Janet

[Guest guest]

That is because they are losers, on drugs and communists.

In a message dated 3/13/2006 5:22:06 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,

jcandt82500@... writes:

Hi, I totally agree. My son attends a deaf school and he was implanted

November 2004. The school gives NO support to it. They don't even wanna learn

how

to take care of it. They are such agaisnt ci's.

[Guest guest]

Hi Janet,

My impression from the Alldeaf website is that some deaf people find the

cochlear implant threatening and frightening.

There is a considerable amount of misinformation circulating in the

community such as it being implanted in the brain and it's brain surgery (I

used to think this too) and that you hear all the time even when asleep.

They have visions of the skull cracking open and of not being able to play

sports or swim. They don't seem to understand that you are still deaf with

an implant and it does not restore normal hearing.

However I was told by someone who considered himself to be very involved in

the deaf community in the US that this is slowly changing and that even

leaders themselves are getting implants. I think also there is a

realization that the strong reaction has been alienating to those who really

wanted to check it out and proceed with an implant. Apparently there was a

similar reaction to hearing aids when they came out in the 1940s. So maybe

give it time and the reaction will just fade away.

I think actually they may make fun of you but deep down they are probably

curious and are watching to see how you go. I've noticed that curiosity is

a very strong motivator in some deaf adults getting the implant done even

when they were initially against it.

_____

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

johanson3j@...

Sent: Monday, 13 March 2006 10:21 AM

Subject: Deaf People's Reaction to CI

Hi, I've been activated 2 1/2 weeks now. I'm also ninth generation deaf, and

adept with both deaf and hearing cultures, ASL, and English (and also

moderately fluent in a few other written languages, Russian Sign Language,

and

Hawaiian Sign Language). I've had a few deaf people say... " Oh, now you are

a

hearie!? " I tell them, " Oh, don't be silly! " With a few hundred years of

deafness

in my genes, and a few hundred years of INTELLIGENT deaf ancestors as role

models, and the wonders of technology that can give me a few new usable

tools

(text pagers, PDAs, videophones, and CIs), I'm merely being SMART and

utilizing

what is available to the max!. Most of those folks who " challenge " those of

us

deafies who choose this path are first generation deaf people so they are in

no position to be casting stones at me. So, therefore my retort " Oh, don't

be silly! "

Janet

[Guest guest]

Very silly comment on " deaf school " ! How rude ! Need more specific

example of why you mention that they are losers, on drugs and

communists. Sounds like a right-wing extremist. Who are " they " ?

Rick F.

In , anneliese37@... wrote:

>

>

> That is because they are losers, on drugs and communists.

>

> In a message dated 3/13/2006 5:22:06 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,

> jcandt82500@... writes:

>

> Hi, I totally agree. My son attends a deaf school and he was

implanted

> November 2004. The school gives NO support to it. They don't even

wanna learn how

> to take care of it. They are such agaisnt ci's.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

" I've noticed that curiosity is a very strong motivator in some

deaf adults getting the implant done even when they were initially

against it. "

I am one of them that I have decided to change my communist thought

into more at-large societial point of view by implanting into my

skull. I am in fact a pre-lingual baby boomer growing up orally

trained deaf schools as well as mainstreamed high schooler with

other 70 deaf teens including Marlee Matlin !! Back in 1981, a

friend of mine decided to try a single-channel implant made by 3-M

Company and introduced his implanted device to nearly all of 70 plus

deaf students ! Showed us his stitches as well as bulky speech

processor. Never imagine that I would try that myself. He didnt like

it at all and return it into his bedroom top dresser for good. Years

later as technology know-how increase in a fever pitch for CI

hearing success. I felt so tempted to try that and finally decided

to dive into very cold swimming pool. My wife who is deaf herself

still has a communist view point on deafness. It is very hard for me

to convince her as well as other deaf within its communist nation.

I am still struggling with my implant's own effectivness on my

hearing ability to pick up ordinary speech. But it never quench my

hope due to that there are exponentally proliferation of CI

inventions among colleges and universities on better and more

optimized speech algorithms.

I used to be a pot head back then ... how cool wink...

Rick F.

[Guest guest]

Janet,

You certainly have a wonderful history to share with people. Have any of your

family members written a book or such about the family history? If so, I would

like to know the title of it. If not, I would be first in line to get one when

it comes out.

I have been called " hearie " by many before I lost my residual hearing. I grew

up oral. Not my choice but my Mom's. I don't regret it but it is the way it was.

Another child who has the same hearing loss had parents who sent him/her to a

deaf school so is " Deaf. " It is a cultural thing more than about how much you

hear. And many stop wearing hearing aids to become " Deaf. "

What I'm trying to say is that I'll still be called " hearie " and I'm realizing

that it doesn't matter in the end what my deaf friends/former coworkers will say

bc in the end, I'm still the same person. Those that liked/respected me bf the

CI will either still like/respect me and others will still think I'm just

another " hearie " even though I fought for my deaf kids and spoke up about poor

signing by staff and so forth. I can't change what they think.

I do envy your position of having such a strong answer but I'll find my own

that works for me, I'm sure.

My getting a CI won't be a secret for much longer.

in SC

[Guest guest]

hello Rick,

First I want to congratulate you on taking the cold dive in to the pool

of success and gradually improved hearing.

I am also impressed with your excellent spelling as a prelingually

deafened individual.

Larry

Re: Deaf People's Reaction to CI

>

> " I've noticed that curiosity is a very strong motivator in some

> deaf adults getting the implant done even when they were initially

> against it. "

>

> I am one of them that I have decided to change my communist thought

> into more at-large societial point of view by implanting into my

> skull. I am in fact a pre-lingual baby boomer growing up orally

> trained deaf schools as well as mainstreamed high schooler with

> other 70 deaf teens including Marlee Matlin !! Back in 1981, a

> friend of mine decided to try a single-channel implant made by 3-M

> Company and introduced his implanted device to nearly all of 70 plus

> deaf students ! Showed us his stitches as well as bulky speech

> processor. Never imagine that I would try that myself. He didnt like

> it at all and return it into his bedroom top dresser for good. Years

> later as technology know-how increase in a fever pitch for CI

> hearing success. I felt so tempted to try that and finally decided

> to dive into very cold swimming pool. My wife who is deaf herself

> still has a communist view point on deafness. It is very hard for me

> to convince her as well as other deaf within its communist nation.

>

> I am still struggling with my implant's own effectivness on my

> hearing ability to pick up ordinary speech. But it never quench my

> hope due to that there are exponentally proliferation of CI

> inventions among colleges and universities on better and more

> optimized speech algorithms.

>

> I used to be a pot head back then ... how cool wink...

>

> Rick F.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>