body worn processor???

darkangel8603

darkangel8603

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For those who had received the cochlear implant in the last few years or even better if in last few months.

I have a question, A friend of mine said that when i get the surgery, then when i get it turn on, i will be wearing the body worn processer at the beginning til i get used to it then will change to behind the ear processer. SO i am curious for those who recently got turned on, is that true?
 
darkangel8603 said:
For those who had received the cochlear implant in the last few years or even better if in last few months.

I have a question, A friend of mine said that when i get the surgery, then when i get it turn on, i will be wearing the body worn processer at the beginning til i get used to it then will change to behind the ear processer. SO i am curious for those who recently got turned on, is that true?
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for AB yes other brand i am not so sure

i have both bwp (body worn processor) and bte (behind the ear) i love it both.. so i use mostly with bte

sorry im holding my son who's falling asleep on me.
 
Dunno about that, but when I received mine 5 years ago, I chose the body worn processor initially...I wish I had chosen the BTE at the time, but ended up stuck with the body worn processor for the next 4.5 years, then finally got a BTE last month, woo hoo.. :)
 
I have friends who got CIs and didn't have a body processor at first.
 
I think it's best to experiment with processors......
Some people may hear better with body worn processors rather then BTE processors and vice versa. Sort of like the way some people can hear better with body worn hearing aids, rather then BTE aids b/c body worn aids are more powerful.
Since you're in Canada, you'll probaly get the body worn one first, since it's probaly cheaper.....
 
Dang! I remember the body worn hearing aids when I was a kid. They were quite powerful! I wonder if they still make those things anymore, or is it all BTE's from now on?
 
WBHarley said:
for AB yes other brand i am not so sure

i have both bwp (body worn processor) and bte (behind the ear) i love it both.. so i use mostly with bte

sorry im holding my son who's falling asleep on me.
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I met Wendy and she allowed me to touch her head to feel the CI scar (Thank you so much Wendy for that because I was just soooo curious!) Wendy had the BTE and the BWP however you just couldn't see both because she had long hair and it hid the BTE pretty well. If you put the BWP under clothing, you shouldn't have any problems at all.
 
darkangel8603 said:
For those who had received the cochlear implant in the last few years or even better if in last few months.

I have a question, A friend of mine said that when i get the surgery, then when i get it turn on, i will be wearing the body worn processer at the beginning til i get used to it then will change to behind the ear processer. SO i am curious for those who recently got turned on, is that true?
Click to expand...

With the Freedom (which I have since March '05), you have a choice what to start off with. I believe most people choose the BTE over the BWP. Unlike somebody indicated, there is no difference between either one in terms of power per se when it comes to how well you "hear" with either one. The reason that is the case, you are hearing with electrical impulses not acousically which is a big difference between a CI and HA. If you go by putting in more "power" you might fry you cochlear (auditory) nerve. Don't worry, the audis make sure everything is safely set up...

The main difference between them from a performance viewpoint is how they are powered batterywise. The BWP uses a AAA or AA (I can't remember which) and it can be be rechargable or nonrechargeable. The BTE uses 675 type batteries (they need to be high performance though...use could use the normal HA types in a pinch). I have heard that Cochlear is working on a rechargable battery for the BTE. The other obvious difference is how you wear it. The BTE is just like a HA and the BWP clips on your belt, pocket or whatever you choose.

Another advantage is that you can see the settings at a glance. With the BTE, one would have to take it off your ear and look at it. I found a nifty way around the different programs (four of them) is simply by listening to the beeps when switching between them (the beeps correspond to the four different programs [i.e. one beep for pgm 1 and so on...]). That saves me from having to look at the settings when I forget which I'm on. This is because once I get the volume and sensitivity the way I want it (after a new mapping)...I never really change them again where I do change programs for the appropriate environmental situation.
 
Unlike somebody indicated, there is no difference between either one in terms of power per se when it comes to how well you "hear" with either one.
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*shrugs* I dunno.....I'm on a listserv of parents of dhh kids, and some of the kids with implants say that the body worn processor is more "powerful" (better understanding of words)
 
deafdyke said:
*shrugs* I dunno.....I'm on a listserv of parents of dhh kids, and some of the kids with implants say that the body worn processor is more "powerful" (better understanding of words)
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I reckon it's because the BWP usually can retain at least 4 mapping programmes at different hertz levels. The BTE has only 2 programmes, but I ain't too fussed about it because the BTE does a fantastic job, just about the same as BWPs.

I found it annoying wearing the BWP because of the cord - constantly stuck onto my skin on my back whenever I sweated at work. It also got jerked about by clients who constantly needed physical assistance. (group home for the intellectually disabled deafblind individuals)
 
deafdyke said:
*shrugs* I dunno.....I'm on a listserv of parents of dhh kids, and some of the kids with implants say that the body worn processor is more "powerful" (better understanding of words)
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Er.. It is more powerful from the standpoint how long the BWP will continue going (like the energizer bunny) comparied to the BTE. That would be obvious from the power source itself (size of battery). Don't kid yourself that it is more powerful in terms the signal going to the implant itself. There is a big difference between the two concepts. The same input signal is going to the implant regardless which you use. The Audis would set you up the same way with either one based on your current mapping test.

R3na3Blyth3 said:
I reckon it's because the BWP usually can retain at least 4 mapping programmes at different hertz levels. The BTE has only 2 programmes, but I ain't too fussed about it because the BTE does a fantastic job, just about the same as BWPs.
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Actually with the Freedom BTE, you get four programs just like the BWP. I guess if the BTE only had 2 programs, then I could see DD and your point but that is no longer the case anymore.

The bottomline with the Freedom, it really comes down to which one prefers...a BTE or a BWP from a functionality standpoint.

My preference, which appears to be the majority viewpoint, is to have a BTE for the convenience factor more than anything else. I just couldn't see having a BWP especially I remember what that was like when I was very young centuries ago...
 
My preference, which appears to be the majority viewpoint, is to have a BTE for the convenience factor more than anything else. I just couldn't see having a BWP especially I remember what that was like when I was very young centuries ago...
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LOL......I wore those sexy auditory trainers with the harness, so I KNOW what you're talking about..... But I mean maybe it depends on the type of loss you have.... I think it's probaly akin to the analog vs digital debate....Some people get LOADS of benifit from analog aids, and some do well with digis.....some may hear better with BWP and others with BTEs....
 
Oh, and one upside to a larger bit of hardware....it's more durable and can be handled easier...I have poor fine motor and was ALWAYS breaking my aids as a kid......
 
There's really nothing wrong per se with a BWP.....The only thing *wrong* with it is cosmetic issues.....and I mean from what I've noticed the BWP are nicer looking and more streamlined then those huge FM device/ 1960's style body worns.........
 
deafdyke said:
There's really nothing wrong per se with a BWP.....The only thing *wrong* with it is cosmetic issues.....and I mean from what I've noticed the BWP are nicer looking and more streamlined then those huge FM device/ 1960's style body worns.........
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:shock: You had to mention the 1960's style?! Those were torture devices for a budding 10 year old with 30 year old breasts! Running with them? Fergetaboutit!!!
 
I remember the FM devices ALL TOO WELL!!!! UGH! They were like five pounds, and you had to wear those harnesses with the flesh colored straps....Cookie Monster, I thought you grew up in the '70's?
 
deafdyke said:
I remember the FM devices ALL TOO WELL!!!! UGH! They were like five pounds, and you had to wear those harnesses with the flesh colored straps....Cookie Monster, I thought you grew up in the '70's?
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I grew up in the '70s yes but when I was a wee kid, I errrr.. developed too fast before the FM system came out. :Oops: It was torture using the body FM system during gym time or even for recess! I loved King's Court and no one could even "oust" me from King's Court because I was really good at that game, come to think of it.. I think the boys loved sitting out of that game just to watch. Gee... now it's more embarrassing to think of that!

I loved the newer FM system and I felt so liberated like a 60's teen burning her bra!! :P
 
It was torture using the body FM system during gym time or even for recess!
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You had to use it during recess and gym?!?!? UGH! I only had to use it in the classroom.....and HATED IT! Remmy those glass earmolds? Can you believe that some experts are reccomending at HOME use of the FM?!?!?!
 
deafdyke said:
You had to use it during recess and gym?!?!? UGH! I only had to use it in the classroom.....and HATED IT! Remmy those glass earmolds? Can you believe that some experts are reccomending at HOME use of the FM?!?!?!
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That FM thing, I remember having to wear these. Though they were much lighter in comparison to yours due to the "advancements" made. It was completely USELESS.

I really don't find it to be of any uses at all.
 
darkangel8603 said:
A friend of mine said that when i get the surgery, then when i get it turn on, i will be wearing the body worn processer at the beginning til i get used to it then will change to behind the ear processer. SO i am curious for those who recently got turned on, is that true?
Click to expand...

I got my BTE last year - June 2004 - I had a choice: either BTE or body processor. I picked BTE. There was no mention of me trying out body processor until I get used to it then change to BTE.

Ive had a BTE all along. Many of my friends got BTE too in the recent year. Most insurance will not cover both so we all have to pick out one.
 
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