CI Evaluation on monday

Alicia,

I'm glad to read your post because I was wondering what happened with your CI eval. I hope your current hearing aids are serving you well for the time being. Please keep us posted on how you are doing as well as the results of your ABR.
 
they are alright...i feel like it kinda sucks to not have been tested in noise though ...cuz that's where i have probs one on one is usually ok ..sometimes..lol but add noise to that..and i'm SOL ...i will for sure post how i'm doing and ABR etc when I go in oct to the neuro
 
Wow. You weren't tested in noise?? That's strange because it's where alot of HoH/deaf have the most problems. When I had my CI eval, I was tested with single words in quiet, sentences in quiet and sentences in noise. I was also given a complete hearing test and an ABR (because they thought I had auditory neuropathy - which I didn't). Could you ask for another eval. by another audiologist or is that something you wouldn't be interested in?
 
Good luck with your CI evaluation . Let us know how it when.
I am going for one on Sept 24 , but I really can't see my insurance paying for someone my age to have this done. I am 63 years old .
 
drphil said:
3)Jenny B what you did 3 years ago is vastly different then I did. My first visit was Feb 4/07-Amy Ng audiologist for over 2 hours reviewing why I thought I was a suitable candidate.At the end she agreed. Again very different then what you appeared to have done. Prior comment still stands-your choice NOT to have an Implant-is your choice. No one is forced to have a Cochlear Implant.
We appear to have used different decision criteria re Cochlear Implant.
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No, we had the same procedure. I saw Dr. Chen first ONLY because I had an emergency ENT consult due to something completely unrelated to CI or anything else. It was during march break and there were absolutely NO other ENT's in any of the hospitals. We tried at Mt. Sinai, at Toronto General, at all of the downtown hospitals. My audiologist finally got a hold of Sunnybrook and Dr. Chen agreed to see me. Consult done.

Then, several weeks later I went for the 2 hours with the audiologist. The audiologist I saw was named Susanne, I believe. I was deemed a candidate. Decided later I didn't want to.

Again, a few months later, my audiologist and I sat down with another audiologist who used to work at Sunnybrook dealing with CI's. We both asked her more questions and thought over the idea together.

Then I saw my ENT, Dr. Bailie - under Dr. Rutka at TGH, and we talked about CI more.

I talked to other with CI's. Actually I talked to three people. 1 who was implanted young and grew up oral, one implanted later and who used their CI, and one who was implanted later and no longer uses it. I got all of their opinions.

After about a full year of research and testing I decided not to. Our candidacy evaluation was the exact same.
 
Hearagain- I would love to be evaluated by someone else but it doesn't work that way here..u can only go to the CI centre in ur area for it to be paid for and there is only one in my region
 
I never was tested in noises and I'm not sure if I had ABR testing (I have to know how that's done before I determined I did) when I had my CI evaluation. They did the booth in quiet and asked me to repeat the words back to them, and asked me to push a button when I hear a beep. I had no problem being a candidate.
 
My experience in Sunnybrook in 2007 would appear to be different. I was NOT tested there-no hearing test. My St Michael's/Canadian Hearing Society ENT files were accepted. I was deaf! I knew it! The major discussions revolved around- my physical health-survive the 4 hour operation? my past in dealing with extensive hearing loss over extended time. I flatly said I wanted the Cochlear Implant way back at the day I became deaf-December 20, 2006. That is why I started the process-forthwith- which for me turned out-so far. In the end my written discussions with Dr Chen -Jun/07 was about a half hour then he announced I was accepted for the operation in 3 weeks.
It is my understanding that Sunnybrook is the Ontario designated centre for Adults-Cochlear Implant operations-a large section of Ontario. They have been doing this for 18 years and have implanted 850 persons-as of last year. They have a rejection rate of 60% to all person referred to them for consideration. Info given at Cochlear implant patients meeting a few months ago. As OHIP picks up the entire tab-$55,000. CDN to "Approved persons"- not exactly a casual discussion.
For a number of years one had to be deaf - both ears to be considered- a revised policy now says a Profound loss in one ear with deafness in the other- can be considered. Priority is given to the deaf in both ears-first.
Strange how things turn out-my ENT doctor at St Mikes DIDN'T think an Implant would help me at all. When I became deaf he was on Holidays- therefore was seen by the department head in early January/07-who referred me forthwith to Sunnybrook.
Seems the journey to consideration for Cochlear Implants for each one of us is varied!

Implant-Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
I saw my doctor today and he said I am a good canididate for an CI and he is setting up a elvauation for me in Boston . When I saw the first doctor in this office he told I would not lose any hearing if I had an implant ,the doctor I saw today said there a 50% chance I could lose whatever hearing I have!
Both there doctors work together and I found it very interesting that both doctors told me something difference. I believe the DR. that said I could lose some hearing. I am going really have to think about this . I know I would to beable to go to town meetings and hear better. I have no idea how much more hearing I would have with an implant instead of wearing a HA. You have better hearing with an implant than a hearing aid?
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I saw my doctor today and he said I am a good canididate for an CI and he is setting up a elvauation for me in Boston . When I saw the first doctor in this office he told I would not lose any hearing if I had an implant ,the doctor I saw today said there a 50% chance I could lose whatever hearing I have!
Both there doctors work together and I found it very interesting that both doctors told me something difference. I believe the DR. that said I could lose some hearing. I am going really have to think about this . I know I would to beable to go to town meetings and hear better. I have no idea how much more hearing I would have with an implant instead of wearing a HA. You have better hearing with an implant than a hearing aid?
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Yes, I do hear better with the implant than with the hearing aid. No question about it.

However, if you're concerned about losing some residual hearing in your implanted ear, what you can do is to just implant one ear. And leave the other ear open for future developments. Which is what I did when I was implanted two years ago, I had it done in only one ear.
 
HHIssues said:
Yes, I do hear better with the implant than with the hearing aid. No question about it.

However, if you're concerned about losing some residual hearing in your implanted ear, what you can do is to just implant one ear. And leave the other ear open for future developments. Which is what I did when I was implanted two years ago, I had it done in only one ear.
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When you had your implant was it hard getting use to hearing new sounds , I am thinking it might be hard getting use to new sounds. I would be having it
only one ear too. Thanks for answering.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
When you had your implant was it hard getting use to hearing new sounds , I am thinking it might be hard getting use to new sounds. I would be having it
only one ear too. Thanks for answering.
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Yes, you'd have to get used to hearing alot of sounds you haven't heard before or heard as well in the past.

However, you'll not only get more used to them over the course of time. But also that's what mappings are for. That each time you go back for one, they'll adjust it more to your comfort level. And sometime you'll also learn from experience.
 
I am with HHIssues, I have been deaf since birth and implanted at 30, It's way beyond better than HA, however, it's a long and slow progress since I never had auditory memory and had to learn what the sounds are, so you would need low expectations, patience and comminment to work hard with Audi and using the implant.

I was told I would lose my residual hearing although i didn't have much anyway and proceeded with Implant operation... 2 years later, by mistake, in order to get me new HA for my unimplanted ear, my Audi tested the hearing of the wrong ear which is my implanted ear, the result came out exactly same as pre implant. So it was a pot luck but it didn't bother me at all because I am hearing well with the implant.
 
overthepond said:
I am with HHIssues, I have been deaf since birth and implanted at 30, It's way beyond better than HA, however, it's a long and slow progress since I never had auditory memory and had to learn what the sounds are, so you would need low expectations, patience and comminment to work hard with Audi and using the implant.
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Yep. Another thing they might do is that they sometime also go according to the patient's history for the initial mapping. For instance, if it's someone that's had a profound loss in his or her ear all his or her life, they may map a little differently than for someone who had just been late deafened. Perhaps, to make it a little easier for the deaf person to get a little more used to all the sounds in the beginning.
 
Yeah, for instance starting slowly and low then build it up to patient's comfort. The last thing they want to scare the person off with the noisy world!! but honestly, they don't want the patient to be uncomfortable and unhappy with the sounds etc, hence they need the patience to work with the implant. It took me about 18 months to settle with the right map for me.
 
overthepond said:
Yeah, for instance starting slowly and low then build it up to patient's comfort. The last thing they want to scare the person off with the noisy world!! but honestly, they don't want the patient to be uncomfortable and unhappy with the sounds etc, hence they need the patience to work with the implant. It took me about 18 months to settle with the right map for me.
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When I had my last hearing test the woman was new at this and she did not let me know she was starting it and I jumped out of my seat as I got no warming . I had a lot of hearing tests and I was always told to let the person know when I heard the sound, this woman said nothing. It scarced the crap out of me!
 
HHIssues said:
Yep. Another thing they might do is that they sometime also go according to the patient's history for the initial mapping. For instance, if it's someone that's had a profound loss in his or her ear all his or her life, they may map a little differently than for someone who had just been late deafened. Perhaps, to make it a little easier for the deaf person to get a little more used to all the sounds in the beginning.
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I had a profound hearing loss my whole life. I can still remember hearing a paper bag for the first time! I had no idea a paper bag was so loud.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I had a profound hearing loss my whole life. I can still remember hearing a paper bag for the first time! I had no idea a paper bag was so loud.
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Oh, are you implying you already have an implant? I thought you were thinking of getting one?
 
Did you get more Hearing tests after becoming total/real deaf-December 20.2006? Yes a brief test in early January/07 which of course confirmed what I said - total deafness! That test was the prelude to the referral to Sunnybrook/Toronto-consideration for Cochlear Implant. Fortunately for me-successful. Originally, I lost all hearing in my right ear in Feb/92. As mentioned before-- advised by St Michaels ENT likely to lose hearing in Left ear-sometime in the future. Result from various tests tumours/cancer etc Happened December 20.2006. I have also mentioned before the last ENT Dr I had there didn't believe a Cochlear Implant would benefit me-very much. He was on holidays when as this happened Dec/06- Jan/07-thus was seen by the Department head- emergency basis for purposes of referral.Of course, he read my entire ENT file which I believe is over 30 years there.

Implant-Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
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