Guest guest Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Hi Dan, In my case, I had my left (worse) ear implanted. My left ear wasn't completely deaf, but I couldn't discriminate speech with it, even with a hearing aid, for at least 5 years or so. My right ear is still functional with a hearing aid. Now that I have a CI in the left ear, the left has taken over the dominant role. I still wear my hearing aid in the right. I like having both sound sources available. It's nice to have my left ear back! -Jeff 11/29/2007 - Implanted AB HiRes90k 12/11/2007 - Activated AB Harmony HiRes120 Which ear ? > Hi, > > Which ear are you currently wearing your CI in ? The better ear or > the worse ear ? > > Also, here's my scenario. I've wore an hearing aid in my right ear > all my life but haven't wore one in my left ear for some time due to > my getting a light-headed clogged up feeling when wearing two hearing > aids. And I find I could communicate better when wearing just one > hearing aid cause I could concentrate better with just one. And I've > heard some other profoundly deaf hearing aid users say the same thing. > > Anyway, getting back to the better ear versus the worse ear. One time > a doctor said to me " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI > in your right ear and at the same time you don't wear an hearing aid > in your left? " . > > As of now, I'm leaning towards that if I were to get a CI, it'll > probably be my right. Cause that's what I'm used to, getting more of > an auditory input in my right ear as opposed to the left. > > As for " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI in your right > ear " , my thinking is that if I were to get a CI, it should work, I'll > make it work. If necessary, I'll go for auditory training and so > forth. > > What's your input ? > > Thanks ! > > Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Hi Dan, I was born with a profound bilateral sensori-nueral hearing loss that wasn't diagnosed until I was 6 yrs old. I grew up wearing the top Oticon or Nurelco (analog) hearing aid in my left ear. My right ear was unaidable as it always just itched when they tried to put one in that ear. I lost the last bit of my aidable muffleness in 2002, at the age of 39. My ENT was leaning towards implanting my right ear but I overruled him. As long as he was not giving me any guarantees that I would hear something after being hooked up, I wanted to go with the ear that I knew I once heard sounds with a hearing aid. I never ever heard via my right ear and was not willing to take a chance on having that side done. He honored my wishes and so on November 25th 2002 my left ear was implanted and I got hooked up after New Years Day and what a happy day that was!!! I have no regrets. I don't wonder what it could have been like if I had the right ear done either as I don't know what it's like to hear through both sides of the head. I am very much in awe with what my CI has given me in 6 yrs of being hooked up! Good luck to you on your journey out of muffleness. Keep asking your questions. This is a great site to come to for answers and support. Many of us were once in the same boat you are in now. Patti Surgery Day 11/25/02 (What A Day!) Hook Up Day BWP 1/2/03 (A Happy Day!) 3G 1/31/03 (An Even Happier Day!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Hello Dan I wore 2 hearing aids for over 25 years. When it came to deciding which ear to get implanted, the loss in my two ears was pretty much the same. I had decided that I would prefer that my left one was done. When the tests had all been done, my surgeon and CI team, said they agreed that the left one was OK to do. Sometimes there are reasons why its better to have one ear done, rather than the other. I still wear my hearing aid in my right ear and even though on its own, the hearing aid is pretty useless, it is a GREAT HELP to me, to wear it still. It gives me a better, more rounded sound with the CI. Some audiologists insist that you dont wear your hearing aid. Personally, I would rebel against this and do it anyway. While not wanting to ignore specific medical advice, at least I would try it for a while :-). It sounds like the left ear would be the one to get done, for you, because it sounds as though you still have some usable hearing in your hearing aided right ear. But at the end of the day, if you have had some hearing experience with the ear, the results seem to be somewhat better quicker, than if the ear hasnt been stimulated for years, or maybe ever. Ted F. > > Hi, > > Which ear are you currently wearing your CI in ? The better ear or > the worse ear ? > > Also, here's my scenario. I've wore an hearing aid in my right ear > all my life but haven't wore one in my left ear for some time due to > my getting a light-headed clogged up feeling when wearing two hearing > aids. And I find I could communicate better when wearing just one > hearing aid cause I could concentrate better with just one. And I've > heard some other profoundly deaf hearing aid users say the same thing. > > Anyway, getting back to the better ear versus the worse ear. One time > a doctor said to me " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI > in your right ear and at the same time you don't wear an hearing aid > in your left? " . > > As of now, I'm leaning towards that if I were to get a CI, it'll > probably be my right. Cause that's what I'm used to, getting more of > an auditory input in my right ear as opposed to the left. > > As for " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI in your right > ear " , my thinking is that if I were to get a CI, it should work, I'll > make it work. If necessary, I'll go for auditory training and so > forth. > > What's your input ? > > Thanks ! > > Dan > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Hi Dan, I was late deafened, progressive tonal loss wiped out my right ear 10 years before implantation, and the left gave a poor muffled performance with a HA, fading to a " heard phrases " score of 1% I asked that the worst ear be implanted, if feasible, in case of a bad result. Tests showed that the nerves of both ears were potentially viable, and the dead one was used. I was lucky, and obtained an excellent immediate result david (UK) > > Hi, > > Which ear are you currently wearing your CI in ? The better ear or > the worse ear ? > > Also, here's my scenario. I've wore an hearing aid in my right ear > all my life but haven't wore one in my left ear for some time due to > my getting a light-headed clogged up feeling when wearing two hearing > aids. And I find I could communicate better when wearing just one > hearing aid cause I could concentrate better with just one. And I've > heard some other profoundly deaf hearing aid users say the same thing. > > Anyway, getting back to the better ear versus the worse ear. One time > a doctor said to me " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI > in your right ear and at the same time you don't wear an hearing aid > in your left? " . > > As of now, I'm leaning towards that if I were to get a CI, it'll > probably be my right. Cause that's what I'm used to, getting more of > an auditory input in my right ear as opposed to the left. > > As for " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI in your right > ear " , my thinking is that if I were to get a CI, it should work, I'll > make it work. If necessary, I'll go for auditory training and so > forth. > > What's your input ? > > Thanks ! > > Dan > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Before being implanted, both ears tested about the same. I chose the right ear because I usually drive with the family and I wanted to hear my wife and kids better. Sure enough, I do hear better in the car than I did with hearing aids (even with a FM system). I just got the other ear implanted so now I have two. Whether to do two at once or sequentially, is another subject. Neely, Dallas Texas > > Hi, > > Which ear are you currently wearing your CI in ? The better ear or > the worse ear ? > > Also, here's my scenario. I've wore an hearing aid in my right ear > all my life but haven't wore one in my left ear for some time due to > my getting a light-headed clogged up feeling when wearing two hearing > aids. And I find I could communicate better when wearing just one > hearing aid cause I could concentrate better with just one. And I've > heard some other profoundly deaf hearing aid users say the same thing. > > Anyway, getting back to the better ear versus the worse ear. One time > a doctor said to me " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI > in your right ear and at the same time you don't wear an hearing aid > in your left? " . > > As of now, I'm leaning towards that if I were to get a CI, it'll > probably be my right. Cause that's what I'm used to, getting more of > an auditory input in my right ear as opposed to the left. > > As for " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI in your right > ear " , my thinking is that if I were to get a CI, it should work, I'll > make it work. If necessary, I'll go for auditory training and so > forth. > > What's your input ? > > Thanks ! > > Dan > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Hmm, I did not think of that scenario. Thanks ! Dan > > Before being implanted, both ears tested about the same. I chose the > right ear because I usually drive with the family and I wanted to > hear my wife and kids better. Sure enough, I do hear better in the > car than I did with hearing aids (even with a FM system). I just got > the other ear implanted so now I have two. > > Whether to do two at once or sequentially, is another subject. > > Neely, Dallas Texas > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Ted, Perhaps, could you define on what you mean by having " some usable hearing " in one's ear ? That I'm aware that some of you may be late deafened and may look at some of those scenarios differently. If you mean if I'm able to discriminate speech wearing an hearing aid in my right ear without lipreading or use of visual cues ? That other than occassionally understanding the common, everyday, few words phrases, the answer to that question would be basically no. If that's what you meant by " usable hearing " ? And as for your comments " But at the end of the day, if you have had some hearing experience with the ear, the results seem to be somewhat better quicker, than if the ear hasnt been stimulated for years, or maybe ever. " That's kind of my thinking at this point. Dan > > Hello Dan > > I wore 2 hearing aids for over 25 years. When it came to deciding > which ear to get implanted, the loss in my two ears was pretty much > the same. I had decided that I would prefer that my left one was > done. When the tests had all been done, my surgeon and CI team, said > they agreed that the left one was OK to do. Sometimes there are > reasons why its better to have one ear done, rather than the other. > > I still wear my hearing aid in my right ear and even though on its > own, the hearing aid is pretty useless, it is a GREAT HELP to me, to > wear it still. It gives me a better, more rounded sound with the CI. > Some audiologists insist that you dont wear your hearing aid. > Personally, I would rebel against this and do it anyway. While not > wanting to ignore specific medical advice, at least I would try it > for a while :-). > > It sounds like the left ear would be the one to get done, for you, > because it sounds as though you still have some usable hearing in > your hearing aided right ear. But at the end of the day, if you have > had some hearing experience with the ear, the results seem to be > somewhat better quicker, than if the ear hasnt been stimulated for > years, or maybe ever. > > Ted F. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 >HI, I am just a lurker but this post caught my interest and thought I would share my experience. I have been hearing impaired since birth but was not diagnosed till I was 5. I have a severe/profound sensoneural (spelling?) hearing loss in both ears. I started out wearing a hearing aid in both ears but eventually just wore one on my left ear because I was receiving very little benefit from my aided right ear. By the time I was 54 I started losing more and more hearing and decided it was time to get a CI. I wrestled back and forth regarding which ear to implant. My first gut reaction was to implant my worst ear but my implant surgeon told me I would have a better outcome with my left ear that has been stimulated the longest. He was willing to do either ear and I finally consented to doing my better ear. All went well and I loved my CI. A year and a half later (fall of 2007) I had the opportunity to have my other ear implanted (the worst ear) and after having done that I can definitely see why my surgeon recommended the better ear. My second implanted ear is not up to par with my first implant...I hear out of it for sure...way more than I ever have in my life but not as good as my first one. Together they are awesome!!!!! So...from my experience going with the better more stimulated ear was definitely the way to go. Barb > Hi, > > Which ear are you currently wearing your CI in ? The better ear or > the worse ear ? > > Also, here's my scenario. I've wore an hearing aid in my right ear > all my life but haven't wore one in my left ear for some time due to > my getting a light-headed clogged up feeling when wearing two hearing > aids. And I find I could communicate better when wearing just one > hearing aid cause I could concentrate better with just one. And I've > heard some other profoundly deaf hearing aid users say the same thing. > > Anyway, getting back to the better ear versus the worse ear. One time > a doctor said to me " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI > in your right ear and at the same time you don't wear an hearing aid > in your left? " . > > As of now, I'm leaning towards that if I were to get a CI, it'll > probably be my right. Cause that's what I'm used to, getting more of > an auditory input in my right ear as opposed to the left. > > As for " What if you don't like the sound of having a CI in your right > ear " , my thinking is that if I were to get a CI, it should work, I'll > make it work. If necessary, I'll go for auditory training and so > forth. > > What's your input ? > > Thanks ! > > Dan > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 With my right hearing aid in on its own, I cant define speech, or much else. But it isnt what I regard as totally deaf. It still has what I call usable hearing. Thats why the hearing aid used WITH the CI, is now useful for me. Its obvious that my good ear is the implanted one and my brain has taken over. Without the CI I am virtually totally deaf, except I can hear faint sounds with the hearing aided ear, but nothing to make any sense of. You might regard your one ear as totally useless, but with a CI in the worst ear, the hearing aid in the better ear, may give you something useful, too. Ted F. > > > > Hello Dan > > > > I wore 2 hearing aids for over 25 years. When it came to deciding > > which ear to get implanted, the loss in my two ears was pretty much > > the same. I had decided that I would prefer that my left one was > > done. When the tests had all been done, my surgeon and CI team, > said > > they agreed that the left one was OK to do. Sometimes there are > > reasons why its better to have one ear done, rather than the other. > > > > I still wear my hearing aid in my right ear and even though on its > > own, the hearing aid is pretty useless, it is a GREAT HELP to me, > to > > wear it still. It gives me a better, more rounded sound with the > CI. > > Some audiologists insist that you dont wear your hearing aid. > > Personally, I would rebel against this and do it anyway. While not > > wanting to ignore specific medical advice, at least I would try it > > for a while :-). > > > > It sounds like the left ear would be the one to get done, for you, > > because it sounds as though you still have some usable hearing in > > your hearing aided right ear. But at the end of the day, if you > have > > had some hearing experience with the ear, the results seem to be > > somewhat better quicker, than if the ear hasnt been stimulated for > > years, or maybe ever. > > > > Ted F. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Hi Randy, My feeling has always been if you can't hear through an ear, what good is a hearing aid in it. It is NOT going to stimulate the auditory nerve. If it was you would not be deaf in that ear. Follow my logic here? If a hearing aid would help, you wouldn't need the CI. So using a hearing aid in a basically dead ear is like " beating a dead horse " An analogy I use often, and L the dentist uses, too. So save your batteries for something that will do some good. I was implanted in an ear that had no hearing and no stimulation for 20 years, and it works just fine. I have no hearing in the other ear at all, and certainly would not annoy myself with wearing a HA in it. So if you audiologist says to wear a HA in a dead ear, ask why? Where is the sound going if the ear is dead anyway? What is the reason behind it. And if she says it stimulates the auditory nerve, you might point out that if the sound isn't going from the ear to the cochlea and then to the auditory nerve, it cannot be stimulating the nerve. on behalf of dead horses who are tired of being beaten What does surprise me is when apparent, yet unexplained contradictions are spewed from the mouth of the same audiologist. For example, most of us have been given the line about needing to get an implant without giving up on hearing aids first. We are generally told something about keeping the auditory nerve active. Yet, when it comes to post surgical use of hearing aid in unimplanted ear the same audiologist MAY end up sayiing that it is not a good idea to use for as much as 12 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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