SELMA

[Guest guest]

Selma,

Your email opened with the heartwarming story of how you can hear the

precious sounds of your family's life...a new grandchild arriving. That

milestone

makes the CI worth it and I agree that it's among the world's greatest

inventions. I have a new right ear because of it. Keep your stories coming

because we

like to hear from people who have lived with their CIs for a few years and are

at a stage where you're likely to be realizing the greatest benefit.

M., age 37, Sacramento, CA

R ear N24C surgery 04/03/03

Hookup with SPrint BWP 05/07/03

Getting 3G BTE 06/25/03

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the kind words, Alice. I just didn't feel I had the knowledge

about CI that the rest of you have. I was the only deaf person I ever knew and

when the House Ear Clinic said I could have the CI surgery and it might help me,

I was thrilled. Only problem is I have a very rare hearing problem and there

isn't much they could do for me, never having seen anyone else with it. Well, I

am happy with what hearing I do have now and hopeful it will continue to get

better, altho no one is betting on it.......I just love it when my Jake (6)

comes to visit, as soon as the front door is opened, his lilttle voice is just

booming all over the house, the dogs take cover and the cats hide, but they love

him and later come out to play wiith him. He has always been around the airport

and guess he decided if he wanted to be heard, he'd have to yell louder than the

jets going over the hanger.. Did any of you wonder why there was a mad

clicking in your car while someone was driving? I couldn't figure out where it

was coming from, it sure wasn't the radio, so I finally asked my daughter and

after some checking, we found it was the turn signal.....boy, did I feel

stupid.... The first thing I heard after I was hooked up was people walking on

the marble floor of the House Ear Clinic, next I heard the birds outside, and

then all the traffic going by, by that time, dau. #2 was crying...........what a

wonderful feeling that was, to finally hear something.

Selma

Selma

What a neat introduction, Selma. I'm so glad you decided to post so

that we could all meet you. I have to agree with you completely that

the CI is one of the greatest inventions known to man and I strongly

believe that because of it, much more will be achieved in the medical

world for the disabled.

Welcome to the list. Please don't sit back and just read. It's great

to hear from you.

Alice

N24 11/99

N24C 04/03

Bilateral

[Guest guest]

, it feels good to talk to others who have about the same problem I have

and are doing something about it. Yes, hearing my last grandson's heart beat

was a once in a lifetime thrill for me. He was trying to arrive at 32 weeks

and his mom was in the hospital and scared, so I went to stay with her, while at

the hospital, I heard this beeping noise and tried to find it, finally I asked

Sammye what it was, that was when she started crying as she knew I was hearing

her baby's heart beat. I decided to stay with her until the baby was born, told

her the exact day he would arrive, both her and her sister, who was to have a

birthday on the day I mentioned, told me I was wrong.......fooled them, we had a

nice old birthing party in that bedroom at the hospital, I heard Jakes first cry

and his dr. laughing. And now he and his aunt share the same birthday. And to

top it off, they look alike. I don't know if I have many stories to tell about

my CI but I did have a lot of little kids wondering about that thing on my

head.........Selma

Re: Re:Selma

Selma,

Your email opened with the heartwarming story of how you can hear the

precious sounds of your family's life...a new grandchild arriving. That

milestone

makes the CI worth it and I agree that it's among the world's greatest

inventions. I have a new right ear because of it. Keep your stories coming

because we

like to hear from people who have lived with their CIs for a few years and are

at a stage where you're likely to be realizing the greatest benefit.

M., age 37, Sacramento, CA

R ear N24C surgery 04/03/03

Hookup with SPrint BWP 05/07/03

Getting 3G BTE 06/25/03

[Guest guest]

It's really nice to meet you Selma. I enjoy reading your posts and hope you

continue to write more about your CI experiences. You mentioned that you have

a different type of hearing problem? May I ask what that is?

N24C

2000

[Guest guest]

hi Selma

your story of the turn signal is sooo like mine i remember the first

day hook up and finally after being totally deaf for 28 yrs i head sounds

even garbled sounds were great!! i did hear different garble ... like

voices VS walking on gravel i had my second mapping done the following

day after hook up

i drove there this time alone (my 5 kids came for my hook up) and i was

sitting at a red light early in the morning i hear this tick tock but of

course it was more like garbled garble it was scary ... not knowing where

what how??

it happened several times during to and from the clinic my kids got a

big kick when i asked them to check out what's " wrong " with my car this

was only the start of me looking/acting dumb lol but i love to be dumb

because it means one more new sound i understand it does get better

continue to get better

daily i am amazed at new sounds so great!!!!!

[Guest guest]

hi denise

just out of curiosity what caused your hearing loss? i too lost all my

hearing within 2 days that was longggggg ago when i was 19 but with

my CI

i really am able to understand speech not at first not for awhile

there either but i worked at it listen to so many children's CD read-a-long

books

and just practicing

susan

[Guest guest]

Hi Selma,

I was told back in 86 that an implant would not help me understand speech

however, I would hear environmental sounds had my N22 in January 16 1990

and the first sound I heard was a CROW then they upgraded us to the Spectra

which enabled me to hear sounds better and improve my lip-reading and now I

have the Esprit 22 and I do pick up some speech and even on the Captel phone

which is in Trial here in Missouri. SO I too have Nerve deafness however, I

lost mine in a 3 hour period when I was 28 and my third child was ten days

old. it was a struggle in those days but it was and still is a challenge and

glad I can hear some sounds and words. And also my little hearing ear dog is

very helpful.

in Missouri

[Guest guest]

I really don't know, the doctors don't either, they did ask if I would be

willing to leave my ears to them after I pass on, so that they can learn

somethng from them. That I plan on doing. They do feel it has somethng to do

with my balance, eyes and ears but other than that, I'm just a rare

case.........I am 72 years old now and have to use either a w/chair or scooter

as I have fallen too many times and they are afraid I will break some bones, so

far, I haven't but I do have a bad shoulder and if I lose that arm, I am in

trouble.

The doctors asked me to have all my children's ears tested, which was done and

each one has execllent hearing, like their father did. One daughter was very

worried about her hearing, she was in college studying to be a court reporter

and someone mentioned that she said " what " a lot, she had her ears tested and

her hearing is fine, she had just developed a habit of saying 'what' , she now

has her own court reporting business and doing really well with it.

I wish I knew why I have this hearing problem, what caused it and will any one

in the family develope the same problem in 25 or 50 years from now. I hope they

find out something from my ears.

Take care,

Selma

Re: Selma

It's really nice to meet you Selma. I enjoy reading your posts and hope you

continue to write more about your CI experiences. You mentioned that you have

a different type of hearing problem? May I ask what that is?

N24C

2000

[Guest guest]

Hi, I was so use to watching the signal arrow flashing that I never really

thought of it having a sound. I had worked about 27 years in the family

business, an aircraft repair shop and was very use to hearing all the a/c

engines running while been worked on and airplanes taking off from the airport,

so was used to noise. But that turning signal sure bothered me, I had no idea

where it was coming from, if I had been driving, I would have gotten out and

looked for a bomb as that ticking was un-nerving to me. Just glad Susu found

it. She's my mechanical engineer daughter in LA.

Selma

Re: Selma

hi Selma

your story of the turn signal is sooo like mine i remember the first

day hook up and finally after being totally deaf for 28 yrs i head sounds

even garbled sounds were great!! i did hear different garble ... like

voices VS walking on gravel i had my second mapping done the following

day after hook up

i drove there this time alone (my 5 kids came for my hook up) and i was

sitting at a red light early in the morning i hear this tick tock but of

course it was more like garbled garble it was scary ... not knowing where

what how??

it happened several times during to and from the clinic my kids got a

big kick when i asked them to check out what's " wrong " with my car this

was only the start of me looking/acting dumb lol but i love to be dumb

because it means one more new sound i understand it does get better

continue to get better

daily i am amazed at new sounds so great!!!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I was in 3rd grade when I started losing my hearing, it was really hard, keeping

up with my classmates. Some of the teachers in public school were good to me

but others felt I was faking it, and gave me a hard time. I'm just happy to say

there were more great teachers than the other kind. I had my surgery in April,

1996 and implanted with a N22, first thing they told me, after giving it to me,

was to be sure I didn't drop it in the toilet. It seems one woman did that

right after she got hooked up. I can hear music with that one better than with

the new ESPrit 22. But my grandsons like the ESPrin 22 best as they don't hit

their heads on the bigger N22 while hugging Nana. (BG). I will never be able to

use a phone and I accept that. I am just happy being able to hear what I do

hear and enjoy as much life as I can. In a few weeks, we will take off for KY,

going to a family reunion and I've warned everyone, if I can't undestand you, we

will write notes, so I bet most of them will have a note pad and pen with

them.........don't you just love family who are willing to do anything to talk

to you. This may be my last long trip back there and we are going to have fun.

My first sound outside was the breeze moving through the trees leaves, it was

such a refreshing sound, then I heard

brids and traffic moving as stop lights turned from red to green and watched the

vehicles moving pass me..

Selma in Arizona

Re: Selma

Hi Selma,

I was told back in 86 that an implant would not help me understand speech

however, I would hear environmental sounds had my N22 in January 16 1990

and the first sound I heard was a CROW then they upgraded us to the Spectra

which enabled me to hear sounds better and improve my lip-reading and now I

have the Esprit 22 and I do pick up some speech and even on the Captel phone

which is in Trial here in Missouri. SO I too have Nerve deafness however, I

lost mine in a 3 hour period when I was 28 and my third child was ten days

old. it was a struggle in those days but it was and still is a challenge and

glad I can hear some sounds and words. And also my little hearing ear dog is

very helpful.

in Missouri

[Guest guest]

Hi Selma!

It's so nice to hear from you and to have you on .

Although I only have 3 grandsons, the first one I heard cry when he

was born is my youngest grandson who is now 14 months.

I too have nerve deafness as do many members of my family. 4 of us

have been implanted to date; 3 of us within the past year and a half.

Sure does make life a lot less complicated not to mention fun.

Sorry it took me so long to welcome you, but weekends get kind of

hectic around here.

Hope to hear more from you.

Regards,

Silly in MI

N24C now wearing 3G bte

bilateral hereditary progressive nerve deafness

[Guest guest]

it seems no one knew at that time in 1951 what caused the sudden loss

of hearing I recently read about AIEP (Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease) and

most of what I had read seemed to what happened to me. and there had been an

interview with a doctor on WEB MD recently.

I graduated from Nursed Training in 1945 so after this sudden loss had gone

to see all the ENT Physicians that I knew and not one could come up with an

explanation and just said Nerve Deafness. I have had tinnitus just about

all my life and the CI did help cut down some of the noise on the implanted

side. yet when it is off for sleep can't really tell much difference all

sound the same noise on both sides.

from MO.

Re: Selma

> hi denise

> just out of curiosity what caused your hearing loss? i too lost all my

> hearing within 2 days that was longggggg ago when i was 19 but

with

> my CI

> i really am able to understand speech not at first not for

awhile

> there either but i worked at it listen to so many children's CD

read-a-long

> books

> and just practicing

>

> susan

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

HI Selma,

As I did mention to you about my sudden hearing loss, no one in my parents

families had any hearing problems. I am the only one . None of my five

children or 8 grandchildren or 2 great grand children have any hearing

problems.

I am 80 my dear and started taking 100 mg of Omega 3 and it has helped my

balance more than anything I could imagine. don't know if it works for

everyone however it surely has worked for me. I walk my hearing ear dog

four times a day which adds up to about a mile a day. I also took up

swimming three times a week it has strengthened my bones as my last bone

density test improved over the last two years. So hopefully, you can walk

around the house and use a walking stick, I had been using one but have not

used it now for a year.

from MO>

[Guest guest]

Hi Selma

I did have a lot of ear infections when I was very young yet I got by okay

in school and no one ever said anything about my hearing. no tests in those

years. However, due to all the tinnitus I had would try to get my homework

done with the radio on, I got punished for having it on . No one knew then

what tinnitus was and it was tough to get work down with all the ear noises

I had. Still do and always will. Just used to it.

I am testing the Captel Phone here in Missouri and it is fun to use as I can

call all my friends everywhere in the USA. There is this little screen two

by four inches and it prints what is being spoken and I can talk directly to

my friend or daughter out in California. I also use voice when I use the

TTY with Relay most of the time.

Now that Relay has 711 all over the USA it is so easy now to call. Did you

know you can call Sprint Relay on line for free I think AT & T also has relay

online too and you can call all over the country for free when calling on

the internet . I do that also.

Keeping in touch with the family that way.

Just in case you didn't know.

in MO

han my N22 since 1990 and the Esprit 22 2000, now look forward to the

Esprit 3 G coming out sometime in the fall of this year hopefully.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

It seems like a lot of us have grandchildren, and with CI, life is so much

better for us, I love to talk of my kids and my grandsons, wish I had a

granddaughter to spoil but afraid that may never be, altho my youngest daughter

is hoping........and me along with her....... It must have been hard on your

parents (or their parents) to have so many children with a hearing problem in

the family. I was having eye problems and went to U of San Diego for tests,

they found I had a rare eye condition, nothing they could do about it. A few

years later, I had tests for my balance, was told the same thing, just handle it

the best I can.. House Ear Clinic sent me information about the CI in the

1980's but I had no money for that, I'd lost my husband in ''79 in a terrible

accident at the hanger and had 2 daughters still to raise, but in 1995, I did go

in for ear tests and they felt sure the CI would help me hear. So, had the

surgery in April,'96 and it was a Godsend for me, while they had no idea what my

hearing problem was, the CI did help, I could once again hear music, hear

things I had never been able to hear before and life was beautiful. I still use

my N22, it is great to wear at the fair, when it is windy outside, but the

grandsons do not like to hug me when they know they will hit their heads on that

metal box........my son-in-laws and some of my daughters like to look behind my

ear to make sure I am wearing one or the other of the aids. They don't trust

me......(BG) The eye, balance and ear probems are all connected in someway

but as to how, the doctors aren't sure......maybe they will find out after I am

gone and help someone else like me........or maybe one of my great grandkids or

another family member, I think that would be wonderful.

It was hard for me, growing up in this town, the only hard of hearing child and

no one knew what to do with me. I did have lots of great friends who let me

copy school lessons from their notebooks but learning was on me, if I didn't

understand how the teacher taught a lesson, I had to find out thru the school

book, which was not easy as reading instructions didn't agree with me. Now one

of my daughters is a high school teacher and when she has a deaf student, they

have an aide to help that student in the classroom, something I never had. One

of these aides told my daughter that I should never have had a CI, that it was

wrong, I should be with people who sign. I wrote her a nice letter, explaining

why she was wrong.......and I changed her mind about the deaf and CI.

Selma

Re: Selma

Hi Selma!

It's so nice to hear from you and to have you on .

Although I only have 3 grandsons, the first one I heard cry when he

was born is my youngest grandson who is now 14 months.

I too have nerve deafness as do many members of my family. 4 of us

have been implanted to date; 3 of us within the past year and a half.

Sure does make life a lot less complicated not to mention fun.

Sorry it took me so long to welcome you, but weekends get kind of

hectic around here.

Hope to hear more from you.

Regards,

Silly in MI

N24C now wearing 3G bte

bilateral hereditary progressive nerve deafness

[Guest guest]

Selma,

I have met quite a few of those deaf persons against CI and that is their

preference and ours is we prefer to hear as best we can with our CI and they

are worth every penny of it. Today's Ci 's are ever so much better and they

keep getting better and better. I am happy for those who want to get the Ci.

[Guest guest]

I agree with you " totally " , I wish I had been able to have had a CI when

my husband was with us, he would have been so happy to be able to talk to me and

know I heard him, rather than lip read everything he said. He was a wonderful

person and even after all these years, I miss him. I usually could lip read

what most people said but sometimes I did run into problems, like the guy from

Scotland, he was hard to figure out and even my hearing kids found his english

different. I like my ESPrit 22 very much. Selma

Re: Re: Selma

Selma,

I have met quite a few of those deaf persons against CI and that is their

preference and ours is we prefer to hear as best we can with our CI and they

are worth every penny of it. Today's Ci 's are ever so much better and they

keep getting better and better. I am happy for those who want to get the Ci.

[Guest guest]

Hi, Selma,

I knew you probably had Jake and any other kids and grandkids checked

for hearing. When mine were born it was before mandatory hearing testing on

newborns and I asked it be done immediatly. ~ Don't we Moms carry enough guilt

and worry without somebody who knows nothing about us makes judgements? Sorry

that woman issued such a rediculous report! If anything, your Kristoffer

turned out so well because you helped raise him! Hope you stick his

accomplishments in that wonan's face one day! LOL

Take care! ) Jackie

[Guest guest]

Selma

please be careful with your experimental tasting and eating. Often we crave and

are drawn to things that CAN and may hurt us!!! Our bodies ( even in someone as

in tune as you are--and I am truly impressed with you about this) dont always

send us the right signals. For example in pregnancy its well documented that

craving can and do reflect deficiencies ( like when women are drawn to chalk for

calcium) BUT there are also very ample studies showing inexplicable cases of

craving things that will kill a person.

I know there are parasites that cause the host organsisms to kill themselves so

that the parasites are released and can infect others; I also know that there

are many chemical imbalances that send the wrong signals too.

PLEASE I worry about you--dont simply taste anything youre drawn to without

first making absolutely sure it is NOT toxic or harmful in any way!!! You are

playing Russian Roulette and just as youd never do that with a real loaded hand

gun you shouldnt do that with wild plants either!!!

be safe and careful

Finette

[Guest guest]

Hey Fin, thanks for worrying.

However, it has nothing to do with craving (I never craved to eat

grass or wild plants with flowers, or eat flowers that I remember). I

even don't like the taste of what I'm " pushed " to eat, sometimes I am

asked to eat garlic flowers or things like that, so you can imagine I

hate that burning in my mouth.

My daughter has been experimenting too, in the first day I leave her

eat only a tiny part, but if she feels like eating more on the next

days, I leave her. I know it sounds dangerous, and that's why I'm

looking for help.

But you can be SURE it has nothing to do with craving. Almost

everything I am pushed to eat is only because I feel pushed to. I

don't normally see or feel flowers as food, or leaves from trees as

food if you see what I mean. They usually don't taste good, I can

assure you, with some exceptions though (like gingko leaves, yummy).

I think Buhner is a good source of info, by what I read until now. So

I'm looking for help there.

thanks for worrying anyway , but help is on the way.

I'm just busy with my daughter, she got bitten again, no borrelia,

but rickettsia and tick born encephalitis (TBE) are testing. TBE is

way dangerous, your guys in the US are lucky to not to have it

endemic, as it's here in Switzerland.

Selma

>

> Selma

>

> please be careful with your experimental tasting and eating. Often

we crave and are drawn to things that CAN and may hurt us!!! Our

bodies ( even in someone as in tune as you are--and I am truly

impressed with you about this) dont always send us the right signals.

For example in pregnancy its well documented that craving can and do

reflect deficiencies ( like when women are drawn to chalk for

calcium) BUT there are also very ample studies showing inexplicable

cases of craving things that will kill a person.

>

> I know there are parasites that cause the host organsisms to kill

themselves so that the parasites are released and can infect others;

I also know that there are many chemical imbalances that send the

wrong signals too.

>

> PLEASE I worry about you--dont simply taste anything youre drawn to

without first making absolutely sure it is NOT toxic or harmful in

any way!!! You are playing Russian Roulette and just as youd never do

that with a real loaded hand gun you shouldnt do that with wild

plants either!!!

>

> be safe and careful

> Finette

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well Selma that is what me and my son got here in 2006 -besides borrelia !

it is everywhere .I am scared of him going out to play!

selmanaka <hardynaka@...> wrote:

Hey Fin, thanks for worrying.

However, it has nothing to do with craving (I never craved to eat

grass or wild plants with flowers, or eat flowers that I remember). I

even don't like the taste of what I'm " pushed " to eat, sometimes I am

asked to eat garlic flowers or things like that, so you can imagine I

hate that burning in my mouth.

My daughter has been experimenting too, in the first day I leave her

eat only a tiny part, but if she feels like eating more on the next

days, I leave her. I know it sounds dangerous, and that's why I'm

looking for help.

But you can be SURE it has nothing to do with craving. Almost

everything I am pushed to eat is only because I feel pushed to. I

don't normally see or feel flowers as food, or leaves from trees as

food if you see what I mean. They usually don't taste good, I can

assure you, with some exceptions though (like gingko leaves, yummy).

I think Buhner is a good source of info, by what I read until now. So

I'm looking for help there.

thanks for worrying anyway , but help is on the way.

I'm just busy with my daughter, she got bitten again, no borrelia,

but rickettsia and tick born encephalitis (TBE) are testing. TBE is

way dangerous, your guys in the US are lucky to not to have it

endemic, as it's here in Switzerland.

Selma

>

> Selma

>

> please be careful with your experimental tasting and eating. Often

we crave and are drawn to things that CAN and may hurt us!!! Our

bodies ( even in someone as in tune as you are--and I am truly

impressed with you about this) dont always send us the right signals.

For example in pregnancy its well documented that craving can and do

reflect deficiencies ( like when women are drawn to chalk for

calcium) BUT there are also very ample studies showing inexplicable

cases of craving things that will kill a person.

>

> I know there are parasites that cause the host organsisms to kill

themselves so that the parasites are released and can infect others;

I also know that there are many chemical imbalances that send the

wrong signals too.

>

> PLEASE I worry about you--dont simply taste anything youre drawn to

without first making absolutely sure it is NOT toxic or harmful in

any way!!! You are playing Russian Roulette and just as youd never do

that with a real loaded hand gun you shouldnt do that with wild

plants either!!!

>

> be safe and careful

> Finette

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>