Have great HA but being pressured to get CI… very apprehensive

[ToDoOrDoNot]

Hi everyone, I’ve lurked on here before but this is my first post… and extremely important for me. My name is Shane, I’m 20, and I was born profoundly deaf in both ears, NOT genetically deaf (my Mom was ill when pregnant with me). Anyways I have been wearing HA all my life and am comfortable with them. About 7-8 years ago, I switched from analog to digital Widex Senso hearing aids. Lately, I have been under pressure from my audiologists, my parents, and my ear doctor to get a CI.

First, before I state my fears/questions about the CI, I’m going to describe my HA experience. I can hear a lot with my HA. I can hear the birds chirping, crickets, the wind going through the trees, the cars going by on the road 2-3 blocks away, the shopping carts going by at the supermarket, the keys clicking in the lock etc. I can tell the difference between male and female voices. I enjoy classical music tremendously, and can pick out each instrument being played!

However, when it comes to speech, I can hear speech and understand it if it’s close by and spoken in front of me. I can read lips very well and I use the hearing of the voice along with lip reading to achieve a very high success in accuracy of understanding the speaker. I have little trouble understanding strangers. HOWEVER when it comes to hearing on the phone, radio, and mostly t.v./movies it is near impossible for me to understand what is being said. I can hear the voices very well (volume wise) but not mentally understand/piece them together. Only when it is spoken clearly and slowly, I can understand a bit of it but that’s rare. If I’m watching a movie and I pay attention well, I can get most of it. In a classroom, I can’t understand the professor unless they are close by. Groups of people are a problem as well. I use a VCO phone and use captioning with ease.

I am apprehensive of getting a CI, because mainly of the risk of losing my hearing in that ear for the rest of my life if it doesn’t work out. I know what the odds are of something like that happening, yes they may be small, but it is still scary enough. I read about people only hearing pulses and never hearing again, and as well about the body rejecting the CI altogether :-o. I don’t want to lose the beautiful sounds of Pachelbel or Mozart. I actually cry thinking about possibly losing the gift of being able to hear classical music and the birds etc. as well as I do now. The audiologist (who has been pressuring me because she says the insurance option will run out when I’m 23), says “oh you’ll hear it better and you’ll be able to talk on the phone” etc. It’s very frustrating b/c they assume they know what I hear etc.

If I can hear the voices and environmental sounds already, how in hell is the CI going to help?? Is it worth the risk? I don’t want to lose my hearing, but again I want to be able to talk on phone , hear radio etc. How do I know the CI will do this for me?

Sorry about the length… it’s a very stressful time for me, as you guys can understand.

P.S. should I check out newer HAs? Maybe all I need is training to recognize the speech like post-CI patients do?

ALSO, should I wait for CI technology to become less risky/less invasive? I have residual hearing that I don't want to get destroyed. New ones like this: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060208155016.htm

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Just tell them you don't want CIs. You are 20-years old. You are old enough to make your own decisions. They will pressure you regardless because they think they are doing the right thing without even asking you, and plus they don't see all sides to the issue.

I know that I won't get a CI for a few reasons a) I don't want to go through rehab re-training my brain to recognize speech; I already lost too much of my life to ineffective educational programs b) It's not the end of the world c) I am comfortable with who I am.

 

[Phi4Sius]

Hello ToDoOrDoNot!

Here's some thoughts to consider based on my own experience. I ultimately decided against the CI because of several factors:

1. It's a robotic sound at first. According to others it gets to be more "normal" after a period of time.

2. No surgeon will be able to guarantee that you come out of surgery with your residual hearing intact. The very nature of the surgery means that the Cochlea will be damaged and you will lose your remaining hearing. I was considering one for my left deaf ear but decided against it because it probably would not have provided as clear hearing that I get with my right ear with a hearing aid.

You're 20. No one can pressure you or force you into a decision. If you allow them to do that, no matter who they are, then you will regret it for the rest of your life. What if you come out of surgery with your hearing completely gone? You won't be able to go back to HA because a CI is for life. Once it's gone it's gone - the finality is there and there is no regaining it back. Also consider that your audiologist probably has some financial gain on this if they're pressuring you and not allowing you to come to your own conclusion after your own research. Why don't they want you to perform such research and take your time before purchasing? You would think that with such a life changing decision they would let you come to it on your terms - rather than pressuring you.

I was just like you having some similar frustrations with an analog hearing aid - occlusion effect, having to lipread because voices weren't clear enough, etc. I've gone to a digital hearing aid that allows higher frequencies (from a 4000 Hz HA to something that can deliver up to 7000 Hz). There's a huge difference. I'm able to follow conversations easier - I'm able to converse with people without lipreading now - which I hadn't been able to do for the better part of six months with a horrible hearing aid. Of course, it will take some adjustment because I haven't heard these high frequencies for quite awhile.

Take your time - there's no rush. I think your audiologist is bs'ing you on insurance. I'm 29 and my insurance would have approved me for CI had I had the appropriate speech discrimination thresholds for it. I've never heard of an age restriction on insurance in such cases. However, I'm not an insurance expert so take that opinion with a grain of salt.

Based on my experience, I'd recommend trying out a range of hearing aids, from analog to digital to see what works for you. I can't guarantee this approach will work, but discuss it with your audiologist and hopefully you'll be able to work something out. It seems to me that you already have enough hearing to be able to take advantage of the phone, TV, etc. I know I had a devil of a time recognizing speech/certain accents over the phone when I had switched to an analog Hearing Aid that provided overstimulation where I didn't need it.

 

[ToDoOrDoNot]

Thanks, Phi4Sius, I'm glad I am not the only one with doubts... I have ditigal hearing aids, albiet about 7 years old? I have little trouble conversing with people in close range. Its just the distance makes it sound similar to gibberish, but "well formed gibberish" if you know what I mean? Also radio, phones, and T.V./Movies without captions is very difficult.

The one major thing stopping me from getting a cochlear implant, is that I have read, in several different sources, that music appreciation is deteriorated. Users of CIs have complained that music sounds terrible to them. Also, the CIs do not effectively determine pitch etc.

With my Digital Hearing Aids, I can enjoy music (especially classical music) tremendously, and I can identify the different instruments. I love orchestras and solos. I love opera as well.

I don't think, on God's green earth, I am going to let my residual hearing get destroyed. They can pressure me all they want etc. I know what I have. Sure, I may feel "what if I did get a CI"? But I am comfortable where I am... I speechread very well, I text my friends most of the time, I have the new captioned phone if I need it, I watch DVDs on my home theater with subtitles (and I dont have to use them the whole time).

Best of all, there is better technology on the way, such as Hybrid CIs that can preserve residual hearing and boost speech discrimination much better, b/c the array only goes in 10mm. Not only that, clinical trials on hybrid CIs are being performed NOW. The tech can and will most likely get better.

Besides Hybrid CIs, they are developing thin film arrays, which allow for hundreds of more electrodes and nano technology to allow surgeons to avoid obstacles in the cochlea.

Am I making the right decision? WHY DIDN'T MY AUDIO TELL ME ABOUT HYBRID CIs??? I am upset she never mentioned them. And I am even more upset about the insurance thing.

I was told by my parents that if I get my own insurance at the cut-off age of 23, the insurance will determine it as a pre-existing condition right? And deny me coverage??

 

[overthepond]

Welcome.

You are 20 it's your decision

If you are doing fine with HA's then don't let them pressurise you to have one.

I had widex senso for 8 years and it was fab until YR 2008 when it started to malfunction and I no longer could hear well with it (I am profoundly deaf and could only hear some environmental sounds), I tried other HA's and scored poorer at lipreading/listening test it was when they put me down for CI. I am CI user now.

Hybrid CI's are still in their infancy and there had been few problems with it at the moment like the low freqencies had been intervered (hairs damaged). I don't see the harm in emailing to each device companies (esp MED-EL) and ask them also mention music.

MED-EL is always working with making sure that Music is still appericated. Has the smallest arrays.

I can hear music and enjoy it as I never heard it Pre Implant. I can hear which tune it is, who is it, the intruments and so far I have only used my CI for a year and i am playing on my keyboards WITH ease since i was 14. My friend Manda who uses AB is reciting the songs everytime it comes on.

At the end of the day the decision is down to you.

Sorry i cannot help with the Insurance part as I am british.

 

[deafdude1]

Hi everyone, I’ve lurked on here before but this is my first post… and extremely important for me. My name is Shane, I’m 20, and I was born profoundly deaf in both ears, NOT genetically deaf (my Mom was ill when pregnant with me). Anyways I have been wearing HA all my life and am comfortable with them. About 7-8 years ago, I switched from analog to digital Widex Senso hearing aids. Lately, I have been under pressure from my audiologists, my parents, and my ear doctor to get a CI.

I was also born deaf. Do you have any audiograms or idea of your hearing loss in db? My deafness might be genetic but no one knows for sure. I wore the same Widex HAs as you did from 1998 to 2008 and upgraded to the Phonak Naidas. You should try that HAs or some other better HA. Why are they even discussing CI without you first trying the most recent HAs? :roll:

First, before I state my fears/questions about the CI, I’m going to describe my HA experience. I can hear a lot with my HA. I can hear the birds chirping, crickets, the wind going through the trees, the cars going by on the road 2-3 blocks away, the shopping carts going by at the supermarket, the keys clicking in the lock etc. I can tell the difference between male and female voices. I enjoy classical music tremendously, and can pick out each instrument being played!

I used to be able to hear birds too when I was your age. I still hear everything else you hear. I just don't hear high frequencies anymore, oh well my hearing friends say high frequencies aren't really important and are just annoying.

However, when it comes to speech, I can hear speech and understand it if it’s close by and spoken in front of me. I can read lips very well and I use the hearing of the voice along with lip reading to achieve a very high success in accuracy of understanding the speaker. I have little trouble understanding strangers.

Same here! I understand like 80% from reading lips.

HOWEVER when it comes to hearing on the phone, radio, and mostly t.v./movies it is near impossible for me to understand what is being said. I can hear the voices very well (volume wise) but not mentally understand/piece them together. Only when it is spoken clearly and slowly, I can understand a bit of it but that’s rare. If I’m watching a movie and I pay attention well, I can get most of it.

You could consider relay service for phone or just have a hearing friend or family do the listening for you on the phone. I have my dad take phone calls for me. As for TV, there has been CC for 20 years now and all decent movies and shows have CC!

In a classroom, I can’t understand the professor unless they are close by. Groups of people are a problem as well.

I had a notetaker since middle school and when the notetaker was absent, I would just read the teachers lips or copy off a student's notes.

I am apprehensive of getting a CI, because mainly of the risk of losing my hearing in that ear for the rest of my life if it doesn’t work out. I know what the odds are of something like that happening, yes they may be small, but it is still scary enough. I read about people only hearing pulses and never hearing again, and as well about the body rejecting the CI altogether.

That is one of my main reasons why I have little interest in CI myself. Before the hype and lax requirements, only those with virtually no residual hearing were CI candidates. Funny you mention only hearing pulses, I had a dream a few nights ago that I got CI and everything sounded like puretone beeps/pulses and my speech with CI was 0% which was worse than with HAs. Yet even in my dream, I wasn't against CI. I got CI in my dream because my loss became progressive and was quickly on it's way out. I knew that any sounds I got from a CI was better than total silence that would follow as my hearing loss become 100% total deafness. I believe in CI for total deafness and even viewed a powerpoint slideshow that mentions CI being an option for category V hearing loss which was total loss.

I don’t want to lose the beautiful sounds of Pachelbel or Mozart. I actually cry thinking about possibly losing the gift of being able to hear classical music and the birds etc. as well as I do now.

Then CI is definately not for you and I totally respect your choice.

The audiologist (who has been pressuring me because she says the insurance option will run out when I’m 23), says “oh you’ll hear it better and you’ll be able to talk on the phone” etc. It’s very frustrating b/c they assume they know what I hear etc.

Thats what they say now but no one can guarantee anything, period. I read a CI blog of this guy whos audiologist said CI would let him hear on the phone. He got CI and all he could hear was a few words and simple sentences. He conforted his audiologist and she said that he was a success since he could hear on the phone. Hearing a few words and simple sentences wasn't what he had in mind! Only 10% of those with CI hear perfectly on phones. Why would your insurance expire at age 23? Ive seen 60 year olds qualify for CI! There is no rush!

If I can hear the voices and environmental sounds already, how in hell is the CI going to help?? Is it worth the risk? I don’t want to lose my hearing, but again I want to be able to talk on phone , hear radio etc. How do I know the CI will do this for me?

My audiologist once recommended CI to me after seeing my audiogram. He didn't think I would get any benefit from HAs but let me try the Phonak Naidas. After seeing that I could understand some speech from my father without lipreading, he retracted his CI recommendation! When I asked what he thought in an email, he said that CI might help me or they might not help me but that I could never go back to HA. Only you can decide on the risk, don't let anyone pressure you! :roll:

P.S. should I check out newer HAs? Maybe all I need is training to recognize the speech like post-CI patients do?

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really upsets me when people rush into CI without first trying the best HAs! I thought it was standard protocol that every CI candidate who still had residual hearing get a 30 day trial of the most recent and powerful HAs! Yes!!!!!!!!!!! Train your brain and your speech will improve! Depending on how much residual hearing you have, you might be able to match CI like Phi4sius did. In my case, I will never understand speech as well as most with CI since I just don't have enough residual hearing.(that will change in a few years) Oh well, with lipreading, I understand speech as well as those with CI do.

ALSO, should I wait for CI technology to become less risky/less invasive? I have residual hearing that I don't want to get destroyed.

I suggest you read other threads on alldeaf and check out my blog(link in sig) youll be surprised what new technologies are on the horizon.

Best of all, there is better technology on the way, such as Hybrid CIs that can preserve residual hearing and boost speech discrimination much better, b/c the array only goes in 10mm. Not only that, clinical trials on hybrid CIs are being performed NOW. The tech can and will most likely get better.

I suggest you read the thread on hybrid CIs. They don't/won't work and most people end up losing all their residual hearing within a year anyway. Besides hybrid CIs aren't even for the profoundly deaf, you need alot of residual hearing in the low frequencies and if you had this much residual hearing, youd score 50-80% speech anyway and not qualify!

Besides Hybrid CIs, they are developing thin film arrays, which allow for hundreds of more electrodes and nano technology to allow surgeons to avoid obstacles in the cochlea.

I read a such article in 2006 of 128 electrode CI. Funny there's no further news on this. However there's tons of news on something much better that youll find out by reading relevent threads on alldeaf.

Am I making the right decision? WHY DIDN'T MY AUDIO TELL ME ABOUT HYBRID CIs??? I am upset she never mentioned them. And I am even more upset about the insurance thing.

What's your audiogram? Chances are you have more than 60db loss in the low frequencies which would disqualify you for hybrid CI. Besides I know a woman with 60db loss at 250Hz who got hybrid CI. She now has 85db loss at 250Hz and doesn't wear a HA in the CI ear as she lost too much hearing even with a hybrid CI. She will probably lose the rest of her residual hearing in the CI ear soon. She is missing out on all the low frequencies in the CI ear and music doesn't sound good. Sure her speech scores improved a little(they weren't bad to begin with) but she traded away alot of other aspects to hearing that goes beyond just speech. There's so much more to hearing than speech and besides we can get good speech scores from reading lips.

I was told by my parents that if I get my own insurance at the cut-off age of 23, the insurance will determine it as a pre-existing condition right? And deny me coverage??

Then you could try getting on medicare/medicaid. I wouldn't take a CI for free so I don't care about insurance anyway. See my blog and youll understand why. Also see all the other threads on alldeaf and my reply in those threads and youll see why. Thanks for reading. You may want to show your parents my blog and other threads, they are a very interesting read and youll understand why I am waiting. I have shown this to my own parents and they understand. My dad isn't a fan of CIs for good reasons. Why are your parents and audiologist so interested in you getting CIs anyway?

 

[C-NICE]

No means no

No means no!!

 

[Lissa]

It is up to you, at 20 you're old enough to make your own decision!!

I also had the widex senso from the age of about 7 till I was 10, when I got implanted as my hearing was worsening. The CI was a great choice for me, all those things you mentioned you could hear, I couldnt hear even with HA's, now with the CI i can, I have a profound hearing loss.

If you're feeling pressured to make a decision, say no and gather correct facts, do all your research, visit different audi and see what their recommendations are. Maybe better hearing aids will help, then if your hearing gets worse you could consider the CI

Let us know how you get on

 

[sallylou]

Why the big hurry? You can always get CI later if you decide that you want to.

Tell these people that you've made your decision and stop listening to them. They are your ears.

 

[cdmeggers]

Just tell them to BACK OFF. It is YOUR decision, not theirs. If you're happy with your hearing aids, then so be it.

 

[Hask12]

Never let anyone pressure you into any kind of elective surgery. Try out some of the newer aids, see how they work out. You're only 20 and you still have 3 yrs with your current insurance. Also research and technology is on your side, considering your age. If you're not sure then wait.

 

[dreama]

I know how it is with pressure, but if you say no and keep saying no, they will just have to get used to it.

They'll get over it in time.

Good luck on the battle front!

 

[deafdyke]

You know it doesn't surprise me that this is happening. Unfortunatly the CI is being pushed as the "latest best" hearing solution.
If you had very poor benifit from HAs, I would STRONGLY reccomend you opting for CI. But you seem to be a very good HA user.
You said that your current HA is seven years old. How about upgrading to newer aids? Those might help you a LOT!

 

[sr171soars]

...

If I can hear the voices and environmental sounds already, how in hell is the CI going to help?? Is it worth the risk? I don’t want to lose my hearing, but again I want to be able to talk on phone , hear radio etc. How do I know the CI will do this for me?

Sorry about the length… it’s a very stressful time for me, as you guys can understand.

P.S. should I check out newer HAs? Maybe all I need is training to recognize the speech like post-CI patients do?

ALSO, should I wait for CI technology to become less risky/less invasive? I have residual hearing that I don't want to get destroyed. New ones like this: ...

To answer the main question, do what is right for you. Do not let anybody persuade you otherwise. You have to live with whatever decision that is made.

What I don't understand, is why any audiologist would "push" a CI on you or anybody else. I most certainly didn't and wouldn't have tolerated it at all. In my case, they simply pointed out the latest on CIs (4 1/2 years ago) and said that I would be an excellent candidate. But once they said that, they left it up to me and answered any questions I had. If I wanted to continue the HA route, they would assisted me going that way.

To answer some of the CI related stuff...

A CI can provide you an excellent opportunity to be able to hear more than just voices and environmental sounds. You may end up having the ability to understand speech extremely well and use the phone and etc. That it did for me and more. Any good CI center should be able to give you a good estimate on how well you will do. Of course, it is not guaranteed but odds are generally good.

As for training for speech like post-CI patients, unless you can find a HA that will really help you hear more of the missing speech sounds, it will be very unlikely to help you. When you are at that point where a HA can't help you, then a CI is definitely better hands down.

To wait for less risky and less invasive technology, I say it is pretty much at that point now. In the 4 1/2 years since I had my done, I'm learning how it really gotten so much better. For example, I had to wait about 2 1/2 weeks before being hooked up. Nowadays, they are doing the hookups 5 to 7 days afterward. I wished that was the case for me as I went crazy in the last five days prior to hook up. The incisions keep getting smaller and smaller. There are other things as well.

The last point about residual hearing, it may be a moot point for many who use a HA. There is growing body of evidence that HAs in of themselves may be a culprit in why a significant number of people are losing their hearing with HAs in the long run. I have to say it makes sense to me after I thought about it for a while. This was after I had gotten a CI and looking back down the years. What I couldn't figure out was why I had pretty good hearing with a HA for a long time and then it started going downhill. I knew it wasn't because of medication, head trama, or other logical causes. Nor was it due to being in a noisy work environment. I work in IT and it is one of the quietest working environments unless one works in the computer room itself (which I hadn't done so except early in my career).

The idea is predicated on how HAs work. They basically are amplifiers and "ram" boosted noises down the ear canal. Well, the ear drum is banging so much more due to the raised level of noises just to transmit sounds loud enough for damaged cochlear hairs to work. Think of it this way, the increase noise levels force more fluid movement in the cochlea which in turn impacts the cochlear hairs harder. Obviously, do this long enough that would eventually traumatize the hairs to be less effective. I don't claim to be an expert but I have been around the block long enough to know there is some merit to this.

 

[bpaton2686]

Hi, I've been just a reader on this site myself but I felt compelled to write something myself because your situation is so close to mine. I have been HOH since I was baby and have worn hearing aids my whole life. A year ago, at 22, I had my 8 year-old hearing aids replaced by hearing aids with the latest technology but I quickly became disappointed and began to look into CI's. Anyway, I wanted to let you know what I did and found out in the hopes it helps out a fellow hard-of-hearing lifer.

First of all, reading "Rebuilt" by Michael Chorost, will give you great information on CI's. The author describes his own experience with getting a CI and the ups and downs of learning to use it. I hope you read it before making any decision on cochlear implants. He got his in 2001 so keep in mind that the CI's today are a little more advanced.

Josh Swiller is another HOH man who lost his remaining hearing and then chose to get a cochlear implant. He chronicled his experience at his blog here: Cochbla. His first post is August 2005 archives. I also recommend his memoir as a young Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia if you feel like there aren't any good stories out there about HOH people.

There's lots more that I found out but it's midnight and I feel like I'm rambling and I don't want to give you more information than you want. Your situation is a tough one and I hope you do not make a decision based just on forum postings and overly emotional bloggers.

If it matters, my decision was to stick with my new hearing aids, it turns out my brain had to get used to the new sounds like with a CI. Good luck with your own decision.

 

[set2]

If you are happy with hearing aids I would stick with them. You can always get an implant later on. It is important that you do what you are comfortable with.

 

[deafdude1]

To answer the main question, do what is right for you. Do not let anybody persuade you otherwise. You have to live with whatever decision that is made.

Thats what I and everyone else is saying.

What I don't understand, is why any audiologist would "push" a CI on you or anybody else. I most certainly didn't and wouldn't have tolerated it at all. In my case, they simply pointed out the latest on CIs (4 1/2 years ago) and said that I would be an excellent candidate. But once they said that, they left it up to me and answered any questions I had. If I wanted to continue the HA route, they would assisted me going that way.

If any audie pushed CI on me, I will say that I am waiting for better technology that ill be able to get within 5 years. If the audie still pushes CI on me, im seeing a different audie.

A CI can provide you an excellent opportunity to be able to hear more than just voices and environmental sounds. You may end up having the ability to understand speech extremely well and use the phone and etc. That it did for me and more. Any good CI center should be able to give you a good estimate on how well you will do. Of course, it is not guaranteed but odds are generally good.

He may have alot of residual hearing that if he tried newer HAs, he could score too high to be a CI candidate!

As for training for speech like post-CI patients, unless you can find a HA that will really help you hear more of the missing speech sounds, it will be very unlikely to help you. When you are at that point where a HA can't help you, then a CI is definitely better hands down.

He can hear everything except speech which he gets by reading lips anyway. Is a CI really worth it to score the same as lipreading? I can understand 80% by reading lips and I hear most sounds with my HAs already. Besides, hes wearing old HAs that I got back in 1998. Lets see his audiogram and him trying the best HAs.

To wait for less risky and less invasive technology, I say it is pretty much at that point now. In the 4 1/2 years since I had my done, I'm learning how it really gotten so much better. For example, I had to wait about 2 1/2 weeks before being hooked up. Nowadays, they are doing the hookups 5 to 7 days afterward. I wished that was the case for me as I went crazy in the last five days prior to hook up. The incisions keep getting smaller and smaller. There are other things as well.

There will be much better technology in the near future. Ive said before to check other threads and my blog. I am waiting for that technology.

The last point about residual hearing, it may be a moot point for many who use a HA. There is growing body of evidence that HAs in of themselves may be a culprit in why a significant number of people are losing their hearing with HAs in the long run.

I asked this question to my audiologist and he says that's not true! If you get proper fitting HAs that aren't painfully loud, you won't lose hearing any faster than not wearing HAs. I am 27 and my hearing has been stable save for one or two minor drops. I still have my residual hearing! Even if HAs cause me to lose more hearing, by the time that happens, there will be much better technology! What's the hurry as long as you hear with HAs?

The idea is predicated on how HAs work. They basically are amplifiers and "ram" boosted noises down the ear canal. Well, the ear drum is banging so much more due to the raised level of noises just to transmit sounds loud enough for damaged cochlear hairs to work. Think of it this way, the increase noise levels force more fluid movement in the cochlea which in turn impacts the cochlear hairs harder. Obviously, do this long enough that would eventually traumatize the hairs to be less effective. I don't claim to be an expert but I have been around the block long enough to know there is some merit to this.

Again, im 27 and no problem here. The pain threshold is 120db so as long as your hearing loss is less than 120db, HAs will work! Let's see his audiogram so we can learn as to the degree of his loss and how much benefit he could get with newer HAs.

 

[Watermelon]

Shane, it sounds like you've already done your initial research and made your decision on it. Which that you hear a lot with your HA's (though, speech perception is iffy), you're comfortable with them, and that you enjoy what you hear. And that you did not want to risk anything. I suppose the important question that you have is how much you really want to hear on the phone and radio?

Being able to use the phone is important to me in my line of work, but I've been able to get by with using VCO with VRS (good for unscheduled calls) and utilizing CaptionFirst (online relay) services (great for scheduled conference calls) so far. I use hearing aids currently. I'm OK with understanding people with American or Canadian accents without assistance on a good hearing day (brain awake enough to process), but just downright impossible with someone with a thick foreign accent.

I've noticed that the foreign accent people tend to want to talk over the phone more than American/Canadian accent people, so I switched my work phone number to my VRS phone number. Helps some, but now it's the interpreter and I both saying "I'm sorry, can you repeat that a little bit slower? My colleague and I are having a difficult time understanding what you are saying." Sometimes the interpreter has to get backup ears (more interpreters). I try to get them to convert to email communication, but doesn't always work.

So, phone's not easy, even if you did have "normal hearing" speech perception for the phone.

I was in a similar situation not too long ago with my audiologist presenting the option of the CI to me as my hearing has deteriorated more in one ear. I wasn't pressured like you are, but was presented the option to inform me that it was there if I wanted it. Even though I also had the option of a CI as a kid, my parents decided to hold off and allow me to make the decision on the CI by myself. I decided that I would take 6 months to go through the researching of CI's, comparing the CI to the hearing aids, and making my final decision at the end of 6 months.

I am envious of you though, being able to pick out the instruments clearly in the classical pieces. I can pick out a couple in a solo, duet, or maybe even a trio. But when the whole orchestra gets going, I get completely lost on what the instruments are doing.

If your hearing aids are 7-8 years old, I'd suggest trying new ones first. And yes, speech perception training is very important and is always an on-going process.

 

[deafdude1]

Even though I also had the option of a CI as a kid, my parents decided to hold off and allow me to make the decision on the CI by myself. I decided that I would take 6 months to go through the researching of CI's, comparing the CI to the hearing aids, and making my final decision at the end of 6 months.

What year was that and why did they make it an option? I think CI was mentioned when I was 16 but that probably was only in case I lose all my residual hearing. Back in 1998, CI would have not been better than my 100db HL unaided, 35db aided. I was 16 back then and would have never touched CI, I never would have been a candidate anyway. Today it's possible ill be a candidate but im waiting for better technology. CI in 1998 was comparable to what HAs could aid a 100db loss. Today CI is better and is comparable to what HAs could aid a 80db loss(Phi4sius is an example)

 

[Watermelon]

What year was that and why did they make it an option? I think CI was mentioned when I was 16 but that probably was only in case I lose all my residual hearing. Back in 1998, CI would have not been better than my 100db HL unaided, 35db aided. I was 16 back then and would have never touched CI, I never would have been a candidate anyway. Today it's possible ill be a candidate but im waiting for better technology. CI in 1998 was comparable to what HAs could aid a 100db loss. Today CI is better and is comparable to what HAs could aid a 80db loss(Phi4sius is an example)

It was back in the early 80s, prior to school. My hearing has always been awful.