Audiologist Just Told Me I'm A Possible Candidate

SmileyGin said:
i agree.. i hate the automated answering system.. it definitely sucks!!! too many nbrs, etc and which one to press.. grrrr.. never liked those.. thats why i hate to call ... lol
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Yeah, they're very difficult to nagivate on the tty and using relay, and it takes up so much of our time! I miss when things used to be simple! :(
 
LuciaDisturbed said:
Yeah, they're very difficult to nagivate on the tty and using relay, and it takes up so much of our time! I miss when things used to be simple! :(
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Ahhhh, the good ol' days when there were NO ttys! NO color TVs, NO A/Cs, (no, I take that back -- we're getting spoiled, LOL)... I've told my children how lucky they are to have so many things available to them and how I've walked 3 miles to school in the snow (hmm, that was probably my parents' story, not mine! :giggle: )

But seriously I really do detest making important phone calls and having to sit through all that and I've actually been left hanging when the call got no where -- grrrrr...
 
greema said:
Ahhhh, the good ol' days when there were NO ttys! NO color TVs, NO A/Cs, (no, I take that back -- we're getting spoiled, LOL)... I've told my children how lucky they are to have so many things available to them and how I've walked 3 miles to school in the snow (hmm, that was probably my parents' story, not mine! :giggle: )

But seriously I really do detest making important phone calls and having to sit through all that and I've actually been left hanging when the call got no where -- grrrrr...
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well I have walked more than a miles at NTID during winter eh.. walking from LBJ(60) to bldg. 7A/B via bldg. 23 in the morning in a "blizzard" like snow... imagine "back and forth"
http://www.ntid.rit.edu/prospective/pdfs/gen.pdf
(from bldg.03 to area near bldg.25, that walkway is called 1/4 mile, very windy during snow season)
 
SmileyGin said:
i agree.. i hate the automated answering system.. it definitely sucks!!! too many nbrs, etc and which one to press.. grrrr.. never liked those.. thats why i hate to call ... lol
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Yeah and I'm putting off making calls because I hate dealing with automated answering system via relay. I shouldn't put it off :P.
 
I did have to walk uphill in 12 inches of snow on crutches both ways! No really! The family was out of town and I tore a ligament in my knee while I was in high school. I ran out of gas in my car behind our house. It snowed, and I HAD to get some gas (had a date) So I walked (hobbled) to the gas station up hill from the bottom of the hill i lived on. Then had to hobble back up the hill I lived on....in the snow. AND YES! the date was well worth it :69: :boink:
 
I've just been told that my audie isn't sure that a CI would help me even though I qualify. Why is that? :( All of a sudden I feel like I'm being advised not to go ahead and try to get one. Maybe I'm overreacting.
 
deafskeptic said:
I've just been told that my audie isn't sure that a CI would help me even though I qualify. Why is that? :( All of a sudden I feel like I'm being advised not to go ahead and try to get one. Maybe I'm overreacting.
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Ummm...unless it is a different audi that I don't know about, she will have good reasons to hedge here (she is very honest in her opinion). It could the nature of your hearing loss (you mentioned thyroid...that baffed me somewhat as I never heard of any correlation between hearing and thyroid before). Have you been wearing your HA all the time? I know that one is important to this center (it means you are still focused on using your hearing as opposed to "giving up"). Er...have you heard enough to understand speech in the past (if not now)? What about your speech? Then, there is the psychological aspect. They look (they watch you throughout the process) on what motivates a person to get a CI. There are probably other things they look for as well.

You don't have to answer any of this to me (and the folks here). But they are good questions for you to consider.

If don't know the exact reasons why, ask (and you can email them) to make sure you understand all the issues. I will say they won't stop you from getting one but I think you better find out what the hesitation is on their part before proceeding. They do want people to succeed and they have mentioned to me there have been those that it didn't work out for and there were things they learned from those cases.
 
deafskeptic said:
I've just been told that my audie isn't sure that a CI would help me even though I qualify. Why is that? :( All of a sudden I feel like I'm being advised not to go ahead and try to get one. Maybe I'm overreacting.
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Well, since you already qualify, it's ultimately up to you if you want to go ahead with it or not.
 
deafskeptic said:
I've just been told that my audie isn't sure that a CI would help me even though I qualify. Why is that? :( All of a sudden I feel like I'm being advised not to go ahead and try to get one. Maybe I'm overreacting.
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I think you need to ask her why she has reservations. It could be that she is worried about something specific or on the other hand she may be trying to cover herself in case it doesn't work out for you. Many professionals now try to be measured when predicting future benefit.
 
sr171soars said:
Ummm...unless it is a different audi that I don't know about, she will have good reasons to hedge here (she is very honest in her opinion). It could the nature of your hearing loss (you mentioned thyroid...that baffed me somewhat as I never heard of any correlation between hearing and thyroid before). Have you been wearing your HA all the time? I know that one is important to this center (it means you are still focused on using your hearing as opposed to "giving up"). Er...have you heard enough to understand speech in the past (if not now)? What about your speech? Then, there is the psychological aspect. They look (they watch you throughout the process) on what motivates a person to get a CI. There are probably other things they look for as well.

You don't have to answer any of this to me (and the folks here). But they are good questions for you to consider.

If don't know the exact reasons why, ask (and you can email them) to make sure you understand all the issues. I will say they won't stop you from getting one but I think you better find out what the hesitation is on their part before proceeding. They do want people to succeed and they have mentioned to me there have been those that it didn't work out for and there were things they learned from those cases.
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There is a correlation between thyroid and deafness but it's not proven yet. I've just done some research. About 3% of those with thyroid disease get Menerie's disease.

I can understand speech and a good deal of lip reading in a quiet room and no distractions pretty well on a one to one basis.

I remember one doctor being certain that it was my thyroid that was the cause of my deafness and refusing to believe me when I told her that rubella was the original cause of my deafness. I didn't see her again.

I guess I can rule out thyroid disease as a secondary cause of deafness based on what I found out on google.

I did stop wearing my HA for a while due to problems with ringing in the ears. I'll be glad to be able to listen to music without causing a bad ringing in my ears. I'm currently wearing it again. I'm trying to be able to pick out words from things like ATMs or self checkout lines. I can only make out a word here and there. Spoken sounds from machines are not very clear to me. Drive ins? Forget it. I use pen and paper. I've heard even the hearing have a hard time with the sound systems.

The audie asked if I had either thyroid disease or diabetes. My answer was yes to both questions but I've not been able to find out much regarding either disease and CIs.

I will have to call my audie via relay as my email keeps bouncing when I try to contact her via email.

I'm going to take the risk but I'll consider getting my right ear implanted instead of both in case things don't work out.

I've been told by many knowledgeable people it's rare for someone born with a hearing loss as profound as mine to have such good speech skills. My speech isn't perfect but most people can understand my speech.
 
Good luck.

I had a hearing test and my audiologist actually suggested that I get cochlear implants. I was like, WTF? I don't want one. I only came in to get a new hearing aid. :roll:
 
deafskeptic said:
There is a correlation between thyroid and deafness but it's not proven yet. I've just done some research. About 3% of those with thyroid disease get Menerie's disease.

I can understand speech and a good deal of lip reading in a quiet room and no distractions pretty well on a one to one basis.

I remember one doctor being certain that it was my thyroid that was the cause of my deafness and refusing to believe me when I told her that rubella was the original cause of my deafness. I didn't see her again.

I guess I can rule out thyroid disease as a secondary cause of deafness based on what I found out on google.

I did stop wearing my HA for a while due to problems with ringing in the ears. I'll be glad to be able to listen to music without causing a bad ringing in my ears. I'm currently wearing it again. I'm trying to be able to pick out words from things like ATMs or self checkout lines. I can only make out a word here and there. Spoken sounds from machines are not very clear to me. Drive ins? Forget it. I use pen and paper. I've heard even the hearing have a hard time with the sound systems.

The audie asked if I had either thyroid disease or diabetes. My answer was yes to both questions but I've not been able to find out much regarding either disease and CIs.

I will have to call my audie via relay as my email keeps bouncing when I try to contact her via email.

I'm going to take the risk but I'll consider getting my right ear implanted instead of both in case things don't work out.

I've been told by many knowledgeable people it's rare for someone born with a hearing loss as profound as mine to have such good speech skills. My speech isn't perfect but most people can understand my speech.
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Funny about your emails bouncing to the center. I never have any trouble with 'em.

I wish you the best of success in your CI endeavors. Motivation goes a long way to making anything successful in life. My only advice here is to keep your expectations low and go from there. You may be pleasantly surprised!
 
sr171soars said:
Funny about your emails bouncing to the center. I never have any trouble with 'em.

I wish you the best of success in your CI endeavors. Motivation goes a long way to making anything successful in life. My only advice here is to keep your expectations low and go from there. You may be pleasantly surprised!
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Turns out she gave me the wrong email address.


I'll keep my expections low and I have an appointment with the UNC folks on Dec. 4 at 12:30 pm. I'll know if I'm still a candidate by the end of my appointment. So yeah I could be disqualifed. I'm under the impression I'm not the ideal candidate for the implant.



I think it would be a good idea to pick out some children's audio books and the book and use that to practice listening skills - if I get approved.

Shhhh! don't tell anyone this but I've always enjoyed children's books. I think it'd be fun to be an illustrator for the children's books. BTW I drew the devil for my avtar. I'll have to update my avtar soon.
 
That's my daughter's birthday! Good luck with the appointment. I guess you'll find out a bit more why your audie has some reservations.
 
deafskeptic said:
Turns out she gave me the wrong email address.

I'll keep my expections low and I have an appointment with the UNC folks on Dec. 4 at 12:30 pm. I'll know if I'm still a candidate by the end of my appointment. So yeah I could be disqualifed. I'm under the impression I'm not the ideal candidate for the implant.
...
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Email addresses can be a pain...eh? At least, you are straight now.

Hopefully, you will be "armed" with more information as to why they have reservations. Again the best of success on your appointment!!!
 
deafskeptic,

Good luck at your appointment! Hope you pass the evaluation with flying colors! :)

Hear Again

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G
Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom
Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06
 
sr171soars said:
Email addresses can be a pain...eh? At least, you are straight now.

Hopefully, you will be "armed" with more information as to why they have reservations. Again the best of success on your appointment!!!
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Just heard from her today. I quote that the best way to get the answer to my questions is to "Go to Chapel Hill and receive the consultation and evaluation. They are best prepared to asses your situation and address candidacy."

Hmm, after reading the bilateral thread, maybe I should get both ears implanted. It's very draining to have to depend on a single ear.

I"m well aware that it'll require a lot of hard work on my part and I'm doing my best to wear my HA at all times. No ringing yet thank goodness though the fan is driving me crazy. Just turned it down. MUCH better.
 
deafskeptic,

Your audiologist is right. You will need to go to a CI center who can determine your candidacy for a CI.

I'm really glad to see an audiologist who recommends that you visit a CI center for an evaluation. I've heard of far too many cases where HA audis tell a person with severe-profound or profound hearing loss that they are not candidates for a CI when the fact of the matter is that the only people who can determine this are the staff of a qualified CI center.

This is your choice, but if you have the opportunity to receive bilaterals right from the start, I think you should go for it! :)

Of course, I may be a little biased. <smile>

Good luck! :)

Hear Again

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G
Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom
Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06
 
I guess I'm lucky to have an audie who'll do her job. I guess I won't know till Dec 4 if I'm a candidate. :hyper:
 
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