New Member Message

[Guest guest]

> Hi, My name is and I am a Speech Pathology Student at USAO.

> For a class assignment we were asked to join a listserve that had to

> do with Cochlear Implants. Yours looked like a great site that would

> provide a lot a insight. I don't really know too much about cochlear

> implants but I am eager to learn about them.

> Sincerely,

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group, .

What do you want to know? Someone will know the answers.

Ted F. in Oz :-)

>

>

> > Hi, My name is and I am a Speech Pathology Student at

> > USAO.

> > For a class assignment we were asked to join a listserve that had

> > to do with Cochlear Implants. Yours looked like a great site that

> > would provide a lot a insight. I don't really know too much about

> > cochlear implants but I am eager to learn about them.

> > Sincerely,

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Is there a WORSE sound though, than a cuckoo, cuckooing over and over

and over and over again. Its the kind of sound thats hard to TUNE OUT

of :-)

Ted F.

>

> Hi ,

>

> I hope you're able to gain speech recognition and you probably will.

> However, the environmental sounds should be new to you also, not being

> compressed, and I should think they would be fascinating.

>

> It was, and is still, a great pleasure for me to hear my car alarm for

> lights or keys and to hear birds scolding me and so many more higher

> pitched sounds I hadn't heard in a great many years.

>

> I think you're in for a real treat. Some confusion too, most likely,

> but hang with it and try for patience.

>

> Virg

>

[Guest guest]

LOL! I don't know, Ted. I've never heard a cuckoo. I can imagine

that I might tire of it, though.

Virg

> Is there a WORSE sound though, than a cuckoo, cuckooing over and

over

> and over and over again. Its the kind of sound thats hard to TUNE

OUT

> of :-)

>

> Ted F.

[Guest guest]

Welcome

I'm a little behind you in the process (I believe).  I'm awaiting my MRI and

have yet to meet the Surgeon.  However they did call me alst week and apologized

for being behind schedule as many staff members have been out sick with Swine

flu.  Ugh. 

I'm anxious to see the responses to your questions.

Have a great day!

Debbie Cole

[Guest guest]

thanks for taking the time.  J.

________________________________

From: Anne Todia <anne350831@...>

Sent: Sat, December 26, 2009 6:47:23 PM

Subject: RE: New Member Message

 

I felt the same way you did, . I was very worried about losing my

residual hearing. But the gain from the CI will be so much more than what

you lose, even in the worst case. Recovery time from the surgery is about

1-2 weeks. I have had two CI procedures (bilateral) and each one took about

3 months to get a good level of speech hearing, although I certainly got a

big boost in sound earlier than that. The only limitation would probably

be having an MRI in the future. Other than that, you'd want to be careful

to wear a helmet while biking or motorcycling and not doing anything that

involves banging your head around. Swimming is fine, but you need to take

off your external processor (same as for showering). I have a little bump

on my head where my internal piece is but it's not even noticeable enough

for my hair stylist to notice. You do wear an external processor, which

looks like a hearing aid with a little headpiece attached to it. Good luck

in your research!

[Guest guest]

It is EXHAUSTING trying to hear and cope with hearing loss. I had zero speech

understanding in my right ear and only 14% in my left ear (with no HA) when I

started looking into the cochlear implant. Life was so stressful as all my HA's

did was amplify noise. I was working so hard to hear what was being said that I

was not retaining what was being said. (sound familiar) I have ran the whole

gauntlet of depression, anxiety, isolation that often goes with hearing loss and

today I am a totally different person - thanks to my implant. CI hearing isn't

perfect and there will be a few bumps in the road but the quality of life with a

CI is so much better then what most of us had before.

Don't hesitate to ask questions here and on other CI forums. People here have

been right where you are at now and are glad to help you. I found reading the

posts and asking questions calmed my fears and I went into the surgery and

activation very confident because I knew what to expect.

The following is a post I put up on the Nucleus Forum when one of our members

asked us to share our favorite CI Moment. I want to share this with you to

encourage you to keep pursuing a CI.

" Our family get-together for Christmas really brought home to me just how

blessed I am to have my CI. Two years ago I was dreading the holidays because it

was such a stress for me trying to hear and cope. This year I was looking

forward to every minute and there are times now that I forget just how bad my

hearing was two years ago " .

" We had our family get-together Thursday and there were many CI moments for me.

Listening to the Grandkids when they opened their gifts from Grandpa and I and

our two year old Grandson saying " Tank You " -LOL. Our Grand daughter (age 5)

singing Rudolph when she was in the other room (and I joined in). Being able to

follow most of the conversation while at the table having dinner....all things

that were non-existent two years ago for me. Oh, I still have times when I don't

catch something said, especially in noisy situations but Life is so much better

for my whole family since I have the CI. "

I truly Thank God every day for this amazing technology.

Suzanne Nebraska USA

Surgery 1/14/08 R ear N.Freedom

Activation Date 2/14/08

Dr. W. Conlon, Alpha ENT Clinic Ft. , CO

Hi and thanks for the note, I am in the process of making the decision on CI's.

I am a 64 year old active male, profoundly deaf but scared of giving up the

balance (less than 10%) of my natural hearing. Bluntly, it is a little scary.

But I am so tired of trying to hear, I go home exhausted each day after work.

I have done a little research and just found your group. Thanks for being there.

Tell me about recovery times, etc. What won't I be able to do with CI's? I ride

a motorcycle, swim etc.

Stupid question? Does anything protrude from my skull?

I have been told by my family physician and my audiologist that I am a prime

candidate for CI. I have a meeting with the specialist (surgeon) in Mid

February.