My first appointment for CI

I went to ENT appointment last April 14. I was with my husband, my mom and interpreter in audiologist's room. I was so excited. My husband wanted to see the cochlear implant with two different brands. It's AB and Nucleus Freedom. I felt the CI body. I was impressed with Freedom over AB. The Audiologist gave me both of AB and Freedom manual books. I really like my new audiologist because she is such friendly and nice! I asked bunch of questions.

Then I went to hearing test in room. I took my HA off during test. After that I put my HA back on for final test. My hearing result in the right ear is 120 db more than my left ear. The audiologist said my right ear can hear more than left ear. She said, "You have to put implant on your left ear because you can hear in the right ear". I want to get two CI but I want to get one for now. I can get second CI in few years later.

I met my doctor for CI. He is a friendly to me. I asked him bunch of questions too. He asked me which do I pick one surgery on right or left ear. I was unsure which it's better for me. He offered me to get a CT Scan. He checked on my hearing test. He said I can hear with ha in my right ear.

I am so excited! I am still waiting for clinician's email reply back to me. I will let you know when is my second appointment. My schedule for surgery is on June. I am not sure what is the day. I told to clinician about my first wedding anniversary is on June 7th. Me and my husband will go to Chicago for weekend. I have to wait until after 7th. I can't wait to hear from email soon.

I'll post a update for my schedule.


The anti-CI should not be WELCOME! Please no Bullshit or Jinx me!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

Good luck!

The audiologist said my right ear can hear more than left ear. She said, "You have to put implant on your left ear because you can hear in the right ear". I want to get two CI but I want to get one for now. I can get second CI in few years later.

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Pinky, I hope you don't take this as anti CI.......but just keep an open mind as to a bimodal approach. You do have useful hearing with a HA in your right ear. You might really do well with a bimodal approach. I think too that it's prolly going to be very hard to get bilateral implants if you have any residual hearing, as insurance companies crack down on expensive surgeries to try to cut health care costs.
You have to remember that the benifit from bilateral isn't as drastic as the benifit from one. In Volta Voices (a publication which is very pro- "latest cutting edge hearing technology) they basicly said that the benifit from two amounts to sound localization (something you can already enjoy with your hearing aid) and better hearing in crowds. (and virtually ALL hoh people have trouble hearing in crowds) Matter of fact, I have heard that some kids ( AG Bell oral types) with bilaterals dump the second one b/c they don't like it.
If you got no benifit from HA, I'd say go for bilaterals. But you have useful hearing with a HA.

All the best of luck. I tried to msn you.

deafdyke said:

Good luck!
Pinky, I hope you don't take this as anti CI.......but just keep an open mind as to a bimodal approach. You do have useful hearing with a HA in your right ear. You might really do well with a bimodal approach. I think too that it's prolly going to be very hard to get bilateral implants if you have any residual hearing, as insurance companies crack down on expensive surgeries to try to cut health care costs.
You have to remember that the benifit from bilateral isn't as drastic as the benifit from one. In Volta Voices (a publication which is very pro- "latest cutting edge hearing technology) they basicly said that the benifit from two amounts to sound localization (something you can already enjoy with your hearing aid) and better hearing in crowds. (and virtually ALL hoh people have trouble hearing in crowds) Matter of fact, I have heard that some kids ( AG Bell oral types) with bilaterals dump the second one b/c they don't like it.
If you got no benifit from HA, I'd say go for bilaterals. But you have useful hearing with a HA.

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Ive read that only 2% to 5% of CI candidates are able to get bilaterals. Most of them have too much residual hearing in the better ear or they still get some benefit from HA in that ear. That and insurance companies don't like to just give away $50,000 CIs, not even with todays lax standards. We don't know how much residual hearing the OP has but I wish her luck with her CI

Ive read that only 2% to 5% of CI candidates are able to get bilaterals

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. really where'd you read that? Now would that be people who are eligable for it or people who actually get it?
And I wonder if it was on a specific poulation (eg AG Bad members) or the hearing loss population as a whole?

Good Luck! I wish you success!! Keep us updated!

deafdyke said:

. really where'd you read that? Now would that be people who are eligable for it or people who actually get it?
And I wonder if it was on a specific poulation (eg AG Bad members) or the hearing loss population as a whole?

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The % was based on the whole deaf population who actually get it. Most of them are young children or people with other major disabilities.

~♥~Pinky~♥~ said:

I went to ENT appointment last April 14. I was with my husband, my mom and interpreter in audiologist's room. I was so excited. My husband wanted to see the cochlear implant with two different brands. It's AB and Nucleus Freedom. I felt the CI body. I was impressed with Freedom over AB. The Audiologist gave me both of AB and Freedom manual books. I really like my new audiologist because she is such friendly and nice! I asked bunch of questions.

Then I went to hearing test in room. I took my HA off during test. After that I put my HA back on for final test. My hearing result in the right ear is 120 db more than my left ear. The audiologist said my right ear can hear more than left ear. She said, "You have to put implant on your left ear because you can hear in the right ear". I want to get two CI but I want to get one for now. I can get second CI in few years later.

I met my doctor for CI. He is a friendly to me. I asked him bunch of questions too. He asked me which do I pick one surgery on right or left ear. I was unsure which it's better for me. He offered me to get a CT Scan. He checked on my hearing test. He said I can hear with ha in my right ear.

I am so excited! I am still waiting for clinician's email reply back to me. I will let you know when is my second appointment. My schedule for surgery is on June. I am not sure what is the day. I told to clinician about my first wedding anniversary is on June 7th. Me and my husband will go to Chicago for weekend. I have to wait until after 7th. I can't wait to hear from email soon.

I'll post a update for my schedule.


The anti-CI should not be WELCOME! Please no Bullshit or Jinx me!

Click to expand...

Pinky, despite our usual disagreements on other stuff, I want to say BEST OF LUCK to you too!

Also, congratulations on your upcoming wedding anniversary! Chicago sounds like a great place to go for a honeymoon. I hope you and your husband have a blast there!

Do not worry about the anti-CI people. :gives: They cannot jinx you no matter what they say. Ignore them. It's their own agenda therefore it's their own problem. Just follow your heart and your guts/intuition and you will know what is right for yourself. Only you will know what is right for yourself. Do not worry about others.

Oh, and I want to ask you a question to clarify what the loss you have in your left ear. I'm just curious and I want to make sure I understood you correctly.

AB and Freedom are two great brands. I cannot recommend one over the other because that is your decision. That is for you to decide. Read the manuals and do your research over the internet and you will be able to figure out which one is the best for you. Also, your audiologist and surgeon are not allowed to tell you which brand you should pick, because that would be giving you biased information, and that is not allowed. You have to decide for yourself. The decision is 100% yours.

Here are two links for you to get more information on both brands

This is for the Cochlear's Nucleus Freedom.

This is for the AB's Harmony.

Keep us updated, and BEST OF LUCK! I know you are very excited!

deafdyke said:

Good luck!
Pinky, I hope you don't take this as anti CI.......but just keep an open mind as to a bimodal approach. You do have useful hearing with a HA in your right ear. You might really do well with a bimodal approach. I think too that it's prolly going to be very hard to get bilateral implants if you have any residual hearing, as insurance companies crack down on expensive surgeries to try to cut health care costs.
You have to remember that the benifit from bilateral isn't as drastic as the benifit from one. In Volta Voices (a publication which is very pro- "latest cutting edge hearing technology) they basicly said that the benifit from two amounts to sound localization (something you can already enjoy with your hearing aid) and better hearing in crowds. (and virtually ALL hoh people have trouble hearing in crowds) Matter of fact, I have heard that some kids ( AG Bell oral types) with bilaterals dump the second one b/c they don't like it.
If you got no benifit from HA, I'd say go for bilaterals. But you have useful hearing with a HA.

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DeafDyke...this is Pinky's decision. Do not push her towards any decision of any kind because that is for HER to decide as it is her body and her ears. Only she and her audiologist together can decide whether a bimodal approach is appropriate for her or not. You are not her audiologist, you are not her CI surgeon, you are not even the insurance company, you are not Pinky, so please let her decide. You are NOT qualified to make the decision for her. The only person who can make the ultimate final decision regarding the CIs and HAs is Pinky. The decision as to whether she can go for a bimodal approach or a bilateral CI is between her, her audiologist, her CI surgeon, and her insurance company. They are the only ones who has any say in this, and you are not one of those people. So why are you stuffing this crap down her throat? It's very annoying and totally unnecessary.

Seriously, DeafDyke...STOP it. Seriously. This is for her to decide. Whose body is this? Yours? Or hers? It's HER body.

I have seen the same old crap from you in countless posts to me and many others from the very day I signed up for AD back in 2006 up to today, and I have even seen many posts from you to other people from way before 2005 with the same old shit you push on everyone. It's the same old shit. It gets really old. Much older than that extremely sour spoiled carton of milk in the back of the fridge.

Please, let Pinky do her own research. She is 100% capable of making the right decision. She is fully capable of asking all the right questions, of doing her own research and her own homework, of making the right decision. She is fully capable of saying NO if she does not want the CI after all. She has already asked both her audiologist and her CI doctor many questions, like she has said in her first post in this thread, and that alone proves that she is very capable of making the right decision for herself. Ultimately, it is her decision. Please, respect what she wants and leave her alone. If you've got nothing but negative shit to say and you can't support her in her decision to get CIs, then I kindly suggest that you back off and step out of this thread and create your own thread, as she had come in here to announce her plan to get CIs and this is her thread.

Thank you very much.

Good luck Pinky.

LakeTahoe said:

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

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Thank you!

Thank you! Nah, I am not worry what other think about me. I don't give a fuck shit! It's my decide. If someone ask me nice question why I need to get CI. I'll explain to them. I prefer to answers from someone's questions whom are mature and open-mind.

Oh I forget to post about my left ear. It's 125db. My right is 120db. I am unsure which is ear side need to be implant. I'm waiting for clinician email's reply me for second appointment.

I did research for CI on google since last year ago. I'm confidence with nucleus freedom.

LuciaDisturbed said:

Pinky, despite our usual disagreements on other stuff, I want to say BEST OF LUCK to you too!

Also, congratulations on your upcoming wedding anniversary! Chicago sounds like a great place to go for a honeymoon. I hope you and your husband have a blast there!

Do not worry about the anti-CI people. :gives: They cannot jinx you no matter what they say. Ignore them. It's their own agenda therefore it's their own problem. Just follow your heart and your guts/intuition and you will know what is right for yourself. Only you will know what is right for yourself. Do not worry about others.

Oh, and I want to ask you a question to clarify what the loss you have in your left ear. I'm just curious and I want to make sure I understood you correctly.

AB and Freedom are two great brands. I cannot recommend one over the other because that is your decision. That is for you to decide. Read the manuals and do your research over the internet and you will be able to figure out which one is the best for you. Also, your audiologist and surgeon are not allowed to tell you which brand you should pick, because that would be giving you biased information, and that is not allowed. You have to decide for yourself. The decision is 100% yours.

Here are two links for you to get more information on both brands

This is for the Cochlear's Nucleus Freedom.

This is for the AB's Harmony.

Keep us updated, and BEST OF LUCK! I know you are very excited!

Click to expand...

Anti-ci? who is anti-ci, this is getting so old. It may be 10 years ago but today people change.

Good luck on your implant.

I appreciate it! I just ignore her. She know nothing about me. :roll: She did to you on your thread. That's so mean! Thank you for correct on her!

I have no long with new hearing aids benefit. That's not help me to hear enough anymore. My option is CI to hear a sound environment, music and communicate. I will not be isolate in my hearing family and friends. And also I can't see in the dark because I has retinitis pigmentosa. It's very difficult for me not hear and see in dark. It made me so sad. I am looking forward to get CI. I will not be bore anymore.

DeafDyke, Will you stop push on me? You can't tell me to do! It's my BODY! If you're anti-CI then don't post on my thread. I'm tired to hear your negative comments. You have to respect my decide and everybody's decide. You can't change people's decide! :roll:

LuciaDisturbed said:

DeafDyke...this is Pinky's decision. Do not push her towards any decision of any kind because that is for HER to decide as it is her body and her ears. Only she and her audiologist together can decide whether a bimodal approach is appropriate for her or not. You are not her audiologist, you are not her CI surgeon, you are not even the insurance company, you are not Pinky, so please let her decide. You are NOT qualified to make the decision for her. The only person who can make the ultimate final decision regarding the CIs and HAs is Pinky. The decision as to whether she can go for a bimodal approach or a bilateral CI is between her, her audiologist, her CI surgeon, and her insurance company. They are the only ones who has any say in this, and you are not one of those people. So why are you stuffing this crap down her throat? It's very annoying and totally unnecessary.

Seriously, DeafDyke...STOP it. Seriously. This is for her to decide. Whose body is this? Yours? Or hers? It's HER body.

I have seen the same old crap from you in countless posts to me and many others from the very day I signed up for AD back in 2006 up to today, and I have even seen many posts from you to other people from way before 2005 with the same old shit you push on everyone. It's the same old shit. It gets really old. Much older than that extremely sour spoiled carton of milk in the back of the fridge.

Please, let Pinky do her own research. She is 100% capable of making the right decision. She is fully capable of asking all the right questions, of doing her own research and her own homework, of making the right decision. She is fully capable of saying NO if she does not want the CI after all. She has already asked both her audiologist and her CI doctor many questions, like she has said in her first post in this thread, and that alone proves that she is very capable of making the right decision for herself. Ultimately, it is her decision. Please, respect what she wants and leave her alone. If you've got nothing but negative shit to say and you can't support her in her decision to get CIs, then I kindly suggest that you back off and step out of this thread and create your own thread, as she had come in here to announce her plan to get CIs and this is her thread.

Thank you very much.

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I agree with you. Everyone will change their mind to make a decide want get CI. I used to be anti-CI when I was in high school. I've had regret about my past. I moved on my new life to hear. The 21 Century is awesome with technology!

Thank you!

jazzy said:

Anti-ci? who is anti-ci, this is getting so old. It may be 10 years ago but today people change.

Good luck on your implant.

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Thank you!

Bottesini said:

Good luck Pinky.

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Good luck!!! Let me know if you need some advice or information about getting the CI or the therapy afterwards. I think we come from the same background. I was born profoundly deaf and activation was late Dec '08.

Daredevel7 said:

Good luck!!! Let me know if you need some advice or information about getting the CI or the therapy afterwards. I think we come from the same background. I was born profoundly deaf and activation was late Dec '08.

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Thank you! I didn't know that you got CI last Dec. I must be behind the news! Congratulation! Sure I will love to ask the questions.

I got email from clinician this morning. My medicare company has not yet make a decision. They could not read my doctor's written notes, therefore he is in the process of dictating a formal letter to PHP company.

Once my other insurance has approved the cochlear implant. She said will have our surgery scheduling department schedule the surgery on my other appointment will be made it.

I am waiting to set the date for other appointment. Grrr I don't know when is my surgery schedule. I am so impatient! I must to know when is the exact date.

~♥~Pinky~♥~ said:

Thank you! Nah, I am not worry what other think about me. I don't give a fuck shit! It's my decide. If someone ask me nice question why I need to get CI. I'll explain to them. I prefer to answers from someone's questions whom are mature and open-mind.

Oh I forget to post about my left ear. It's 125db. My right is 120db. I am unsure which is ear side need to be implant. I'm waiting for clinician email's reply me for second appointment.

I did research for CI on google since last year ago. I'm confidence with nucleus freedom.

Click to expand...

Ah, now I understand you clearly now. Thank you very much Pinky for clarifying. I now understand why your audiologist and doctor said you can hear better in the right than in the left. I just have never seen an audiogram where it goes up to 125 dB and beyond, because most audiologists consider 120 dB to be the point where you can't really hear anything anymore and they usually stop testing for higher than 120 dB. I wonder if your audiologists adjusts the audiograms to show 120 dB as a lesser loss and 125 dB as a higher loss? Most audiograms do not even show a 125 dB level at all, because most audiologists stop testing you once you register a 120 dB loss, because usually by that point most people cannot hear anything at all. At least that is how it has been in my experience with my own audiograms and with my friends' audiograms that I have seen. Maybe you are different and can hear some things even with a 120 dB loss. It shows that not everyone with a 120 dB loss are the same. I have to admit that I am rather surprised you are able to hear (or your audiologist say) things even at 120 dB. I am curious, what things can you hear with a 120 and 125 dB losses? I've never heard anything with a 120+ dB loss. I guess you're just really lucky.

And, now that you've told me that you have very very big profound losses in both ears, usually most people with losses that big in both ears, they are often a shoo-in candidates for bilateral CIs unless the insurance company only allows one CI. But if you want two CIs, you can fight the insurance company and try to get them to agree to pay for bilateral CIs unless you prefer to get one CI only right now and wait a few years for the 2nd CI. That is 100% your decision because this is your body. Best of luck again, like I said earlier.

I hope you get your second appointment very quickly and see your audiologist and doctor very soon. Both brands are great, but they are also unique in their own ways. Have you thought about what color you want to pick for the Nucleus Freedom? I think there are 6 different colors. They have a nice strong shade of pink, a nice cooling-feel shade of blue, brown, jet black, beige, and grey. I really wish I picked pink but I couldn't see for sure what the shade of pink it really was because it looked like a very light baby soft pink when I looked at the website, maybe because of my monitor light, I have it turned up all the way up...the colors you see of things on websites are not always accurate because of the monitor settings can vary from person to person. But last month I went to Deaf Expo and Cochlear Americas was there, and they showed CIs in all colors, and I saw the pink one, I actually touched it and looked at it...it's a great shade of pink. a very bold strong pink, not baby soft pink, and now I wish I got pink! LOL too bad. I don't think I can trade in one of my CIs (I got 2 CIs for my left ear) for a pink one so I can have 1 black and 1 pink. Oh well. Maybe I will give them a call later and find out if I can or not. What color will you pick? Don't be embarrassed if people see your CI because of the obvious colors! Colors are fun. Oh, and you can get stickers for your CI too. My audiologist gave me many sheets of real cute sticker covers for my CI when I was activated, and I also buy cute little fake sticker earrings that very little kids have that they stick on their ears (without piercing), I use those and put those on my CI coil, I have them in many different shapes...star, moon, diamonds, squares, and lots of other shapes. Those are very cheap, I think they cost $1 for like 2 or 3 sheets of those kiddie earrings. I also recently bought a sheet of really cool skull stickers from Borders store that I will put on my CI coil too. It's fun to do that. I like to be fun and decorate, I don't want to be boring and hide my CI because it is not something to be ashamed of. But if you prefer to be discreet about your CI color and prefer to match with your hair then that is fine too. It's 100% your decision.

I am very glad you have done your homework and that you are confident with your choice of brand. I hope my posts have been helpful and informative and I hope everything makes sense for you!

Again, BEST OF LUCK for you for your CI surgery and activation! I hope everything goes great! Keep us all updated!