's Mom and bilateral implant question

[Guest guest]

Hello and a warm welcome to this online group!

I am an adult bilateral CI recipient - my first CI was eleven years ago and

I became bilateral four years ago. The difference for me is night and day.

I became severely hard of hearing progressively between the ages of 5 and 15

- with a profound loss by age 15 at 95dB. I struggled with hearing aids

until age 51 when I received my first CI. One of the reasons I did so very

well with my CI was that I continued to aid what tiny amount of residual

hearing was left in the second ear. About 6 years into my CI journey I

developed a condition that was vertigo induced by the sound pressure

produced by my HA - called Tullio's Phenomenon. I could no longer wear my

hearing aid; the reduction of hearing by ceasation of hearing aid use was

affecting my hearing in the workplace. When I learned that the surgery

would not affect the vertigo I had the surgery for a second CI.

I believe that because my brain was already " wired " for CI hearing, the

ability to adjust to the CI went much faster than it did the first time.

The first thing I noticed is that even though I did very well with my first

CI alone, the effort I spent in every day listening was much less. Soft

sounds came in clearer and in noise, I found it much easier to understand

speech. In my mind, both of these conditions are present in the classroom -

so if I were a parent and based on my personal experience as a bilateral CI

user, the benefits are compelling in favor of providing a second CI in

children of school age. I know there is the issue of future technology.

TODAY is what is so important as these minds are flexible and adjust so

readily to this technology compared to us adults.

If you would like, I work closely with a research group that is studying

bilateral CI's in children and can get you in touch with her if you have

concerns. The researched is Ruth Y. Litovsky at UW-Waisman center in

Madison, WI. Please contact me off list if you would like more specific

information.

Best of luck - is so fortunate to have you as his advocate!

Warmly, Carol in WI

New to group

Posted by: " jacobsmail34 " jacobsmail34@... jacobsmail34

Date: Thu Jan 3, 2008 12:53 pm ((PST))

Hello, I am new to the group. My Son has a Cochlear Implant, he

is now 4 years old. I am looking into getting him a bi-lateral

implant and was wondering if anyone here has any information about

getting a bi-lateral implant or maybe someone here has a bi-lateral.

Any help would be great. He is doing well with his implant now, but a

bi-lateral implant was brought up in his therapy and now I was hoping

to get information about it. Thanks