RE: hearing with CI and Lil Bk Cable

May 26, 2011

Hi, I had implant 3-11' and have almost same hearing as everyone, I have

progressed to where people sound like they are from England and have a bad head

cold.

How I have adjusted to telephone usage:

1. computer(laptop is best) is a telephone with MagicJack. Your bk cable

connects to the processor and to computer speaker output.

2. Your processor cable connects to wireless telephone. Maybe one problem most

phones have 2.5mm jack. processor

plug is 3.5mm. need adapter cable from RadioShack or EBAY etc $3-5. You might

have to switch mic speaker wires in

adapter cable. Just speak into phone and hear

3. This also works vary good with TV and Radios that have earphone jacks.

The processor has crystal like microphones about the size of a head on a pen.

crystal mics detect sounds and pass them

all on at the same volume level making hearing understanding difficult for us. A

dynamic mic keeps low volumes low and

high volumes high.but smallest 4 times size of our processor. the above

procedures bypass the processor mics. I guess

for safety reasons the processor mics are still on about 25%.

Good health and happy hearing

Wayne, retired El Eng

Me,Tippy,Penny and We N.F.-Dukee

From: carol@...

Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 12:01:35 -0400

Subject: Re: hearing with CI

Has the audiologist asked for a Cochlear Clinical Specialist to help out

at a mapping? If not, please request this. They are available to help out with

difficult cases. That is what they do. After all, not everyone is a text book

case and the company acknowledges this. Many people have problems with high

pitched sounds but that should be able to be mapped so you could hear more

normally.

So if your hearing is still not what it should be, please be an advocate for

yourself and do request this. And.... if your audiologist will not go along

with this request, it is time to move on to a different audiologist.

Happy Hearing!

Carol

Boca Raton, FL

Cochlear America Nucleus 24C - left ear - Sprint 12/11/01 then 3G then upgraded

to Freedom on 2/19/08

Cochlear America Freedom right ear -implanted 3/01/06 - activated 4/06/06

From: Judy wilkins

Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 11:52 AM

Subject: RE: hearing with CI

,

I feel the same way you do. I only heard great successful stories about their

cochlear implant but my experiences have not been a success story.

I had implanted " Cochlear Freedom " about 3 years ago and I still cannot speak on

the phone, hearing chipmunk voices, high pitch voices, and you can forget about

me hearing even a small group. I can only hear when someone is speaking to me

directly and there is no background noise. My biggest problem is back ground

noise of any kind. It picks up those sounds so clearly but yet I still cannot

hear a person talking unless it is in a quiet place and it's one-on-one. I have

had many mappings and they all turn out the same, everyone sounds like Mickey

Mouse down in a deep, deep well. I am very frustrated and seeking a new

audiologist to try and help me. So, you are not the only one, and I became deaf

overnight due to medication the hospital gave me 3 years ago. So I have heard

all my life until the last 3 years and this is the most horrible thing that has

happened to me.

Judy

> mailto:%40

> From: mailto:lisayuan3%40

> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 15:34:30 -0700

> Subject: Re: hearing with CI

>

> Hello,

>

> I've been hesitant to post any messages here, because the last thing I want to

> do is create any negativity relating to CIs. Obviously, from everyone's posts,

> the CI process is highly successful and has greatly improved the lives of most

> people. However, I am one of the few people that, after over a year of having

my

> implant, am still hearing chipmunk voices and constant high-pitched tones,

even

> after repeated mapping sessions. My comprehension is still poor too. The

device

> has been tested, and CT scans have been conducted, yet everything looks

normal.

> So audiologists are stumped. The last visit I had, my audiologist confided

that

> even if my comprehension improves, if the sound quality is still poor after

all

> this time, it's not likely to get much better. So I may be stuck hearing this

> high-pitched squawking forever, unless I decide to just stop wearing the

> implant.

>

> I do not want to discourage anyone from getting an implant, because I know

from

> the stats, from all the posts here, and from everyone I personally know that

has

> one, that the results are usually miraculous and wonderful. I fully believe in

> the process. But part of me also wishes that I had heard more of the less

> successful stories when I was doing all my initial research. I may be part of

> the 1% or less who have had less than thrilling results, but I still think

> people should be aware of the possibilities.

>

> -

>

> ________________________________

> From: Deborah Herczog <mailto:dherczog%40>

> mailto:%40

> Sent: Wed, May 11, 2011 4:08:38 AM

> Subject: hearing with CI (to Joe)

>

> I highly recommend NOT listening to opinions about CI hearing results from

those

>

> who do not have experience working with CIs (or using one). The brain has

> incredible plasticity, and for those of us who were post lingually deafened,

it

> works to make sense of input and we convert mentally to what was once familiar

> because this is what the brain wants to do.

>

> Indeed initially many of us " hear " chipmunk voices (or in the case of my 2nd

CI,

>

> a less common low pitched accent), but this typically declines/vanishes over

> time with practice/rehab. Best analogy I can think of is that the brain routes

> the " new " sounds from CI into old comprehension pathways and learns to

> reinterpret that input along those old channels or circuitry so that sounds

> begin to register a lot like the old ones. This means that the voices of

family

>

> and friends now sound just like they used to.

>

> Having said that, when my CI was turned on, I was so ecstatic to comprehend

> anything, that I said I would happily take that and only that for the rest of

my

>

> life if that was all I got. Another huge benefit is that hearing with a CI is

> so relatively automatic compared to hearing with hearing aids (in quiet) that

I

> started to wonder if the qualification standards should be lowered, meaning

> those with moderately severe loss might hear better and more easily with CI

than

>

> with hearing aids. I only wish I had had the surgery years earlier as that

would

>

> have saved me a lot of stress, exhaustion, emotional wreckage. It takes

post-op

>

> work (practice) and some CI patients do not have miraculous outcomes, but as

my

> Mayo Clinic audiologist says, these days, essentially 100% of patients hear

> better with CI than before.

>

> PS: an ENT from a large practice in Texas told me that CI sound was fake, I

> couldn't use CI with hearing aid, that I didn't qualify for CI anyway, and

that

> I should just take disability. I am a health care provider myself, and in my

> opinion that was malpractice (or at least definite negligence) and resulted in

> my feeling increasing despondency which could have had a very negative outcome

> because I was at rock bottom. BUT thanks to HLAA information I figured I

should

>

> get a second opinion and I am now leading a wonderful hearing life thanks to

the

>

> CI.

>

May 26, 2011

Wayne,

So you have to set up the MagicJack to use the laptop sound card to

hear, and the phone handset to speak...correct?

Jim

On 5/26/2011 3:36 PM, wayne stephens wrote:

> Hi, I had implant 3-11' and have almost same hearing as everyone, I have

progressed to where people sound like they are from England and have a bad head

cold.

>

> How I have adjusted to telephone usage:

>

> 1. computer(laptop is best) is a telephone with MagicJack. Your bk cable

connects to the processor and to computer speaker output.

>

> 2. Your processor cable connects to wireless telephone. Maybe one problem most

phones have 2.5mm jack. processor

> plug is 3.5mm. need adapter cable from RadioShack or EBAY etc $3-5. You might

have to switch mic speaker wires in

> adapter cable. Just speak into phone and hear

>

> 3. This also works vary good with TV and Radios that have earphone jacks.

>

> The processor has crystal like microphones about the size of a head on a pen.

crystal mics detect sounds and pass them

> all on at the same volume level making hearing understanding difficult for us.

A dynamic mic keeps low volumes low and

> high volumes high.but smallest 4 times size of our processor. the above

procedures bypass the processor mics. I guess

> for safety reasons the processor mics are still on about 25%.

>

> Good health and happy hearing

>

> Wayne, retired El Eng

>

> Me,Tippy,Penny and We N.F.-Dukee

>

> From: carol@...

> Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 12:01:35 -0400

> Subject: Re: hearing with CI

>

> Has the audiologist asked for a Cochlear Clinical Specialist to help

out at a mapping? If not, please request this. They are available to help out

with difficult cases. That is what they do. After all, not everyone is a text

book case and the company acknowledges this. Many people have problems with high

pitched sounds but that should be able to be mapped so you could hear more

normally.

>

> So if your hearing is still not what it should be, please be an advocate for

yourself and do request this. And.... if your audiologist will not go along

with this request, it is time to move on to a different audiologist.

>

> Happy Hearing!

>

> Carol

>

> Boca Raton, FL

>

> Cochlear America Nucleus 24C - left ear - Sprint 12/11/01 then 3G then

upgraded to Freedom on 2/19/08

>

> Cochlear America Freedom right ear -implanted 3/01/06 - activated 4/06/06

>

> From: Judy wilkins

>

> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 11:52 AM

>

> Subject: RE: hearing with CI

>

> ,

>

> I feel the same way you do. I only heard great successful stories about their

cochlear implant but my experiences have not been a success story.

>

> I had implanted " Cochlear Freedom " about 3 years ago and I still cannot speak

on the phone, hearing chipmunk voices, high pitch voices, and you can forget

about me hearing even a small group. I can only hear when someone is speaking to

me directly and there is no background noise. My biggest problem is back ground

noise of any kind. It picks up those sounds so clearly but yet I still cannot

hear a person talking unless it is in a quiet place and it's one-on-one. I have

had many mappings and they all turn out the same, everyone sounds like Mickey

Mouse down in a deep, deep well. I am very frustrated and seeking a new

audiologist to try and help me. So, you are not the only one, and I became deaf

overnight due to medication the hospital gave me 3 years ago. So I have heard

all my life until the last 3 years and this is the most horrible thing that has

happened to me.

>

> Judy

>

>> mailto:%40

>> From: mailto:lisayuan3%40

>> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 15:34:30 -0700

>> Subject: Re: hearing with CI

>> Hello,

>> I've been hesitant to post any messages here, because the last thing I want

to

>> do is create any negativity relating to CIs. Obviously, from everyone's

posts,

>> the CI process is highly successful and has greatly improved the lives of

most

>> people. However, I am one of the few people that, after over a year of having

my

>> implant, am still hearing chipmunk voices and constant high-pitched tones,

even

>> after repeated mapping sessions. My comprehension is still poor too. The

device

>> has been tested, and CT scans have been conducted, yet everything looks

normal.

>> So audiologists are stumped. The last visit I had, my audiologist confided

that

>> even if my comprehension improves, if the sound quality is still poor after

all

>> this time, it's not likely to get much better. So I may be stuck hearing this

>> high-pitched squawking forever, unless I decide to just stop wearing the

>> implant.

>> I do not want to discourage anyone from getting an implant, because I know

from

>> the stats, from all the posts here, and from everyone I personally know that

has

>> one, that the results are usually miraculous and wonderful. I fully believe

in

>> the process. But part of me also wishes that I had heard more of the less

>> successful stories when I was doing all my initial research. I may be part of

>> the 1% or less who have had less than thrilling results, but I still think

>> people should be aware of the possibilities.

>> -

>> ________________________________

>> From: Deborah Herczog<mailto:dherczog%40>

>> mailto:%40

>> Sent: Wed, May 11, 2011 4:08:38 AM

>> Subject: hearing with CI (to Joe)

>> I highly recommend NOT listening to opinions about CI hearing results from

those

>> who do not have experience working with CIs (or using one). The brain has

>> incredible plasticity, and for those of us who were post lingually deafened,

it

>> works to make sense of input and we convert mentally to what was once

familiar

>> because this is what the brain wants to do.

>> Indeed initially many of us " hear " chipmunk voices (or in the case of my 2nd

CI,

>> a less common low pitched accent), but this typically declines/vanishes over

>> time with practice/rehab. Best analogy I can think of is that the brain

routes

>> the " new " sounds from CI into old comprehension pathways and learns to

>> reinterpret that input along those old channels or circuitry so that sounds

>> begin to register a lot like the old ones. This means that the voices of

family

>> and friends now sound just like they used to.

>> Having said that, when my CI was turned on, I was so ecstatic to comprehend

>> anything, that I said I would happily take that and only that for the rest of

my

>> life if that was all I got. Another huge benefit is that hearing with a CI is

>> so relatively automatic compared to hearing with hearing aids (in quiet) that

I

>> started to wonder if the qualification standards should be lowered, meaning

>> those with moderately severe loss might hear better and more easily with CI

than

>> with hearing aids. I only wish I had had the surgery years earlier as that

would

>> have saved me a lot of stress, exhaustion, emotional wreckage. It takes

post-op

>> work (practice) and some CI patients do not have miraculous outcomes, but as

my

>> Mayo Clinic audiologist says, these days, essentially 100% of patients hear

>> better with CI than before.

>> PS: an ENT from a large practice in Texas told me that CI sound was fake, I

>> couldn't use CI with hearing aid, that I didn't qualify for CI anyway, and

that

>> I should just take disability. I am a health care provider myself, and in my

>> opinion that was malpractice (or at least definite negligence) and resulted

in

>> my feeling increasing despondency which could have had a very negative

outcome

>> because I was at rock bottom. BUT thanks to HLAA information I figured I

should

>> get a second opinion and I am now leading a wonderful hearing life thanks to

the

>> CI.

>>

May 26, 2011

Jim, Yes comprehension vary good. I forgot one thing with the laptop's mic

there is a little eco like with conference calls

so i use a lapel mic cliped to my collar pluged into mic jack on laptop.

Me,Tippy,Penny and We N.F.-Dukee

From: jimwms@...

Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 15:47:36 -0400

Subject: Re: hearing with CI and Lil Bk Cable