What and where are the lots of misconceptions your speaking of?
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Hey Bill, how ya doin this fine day... LOL,, we just had a hail storm and snow. That never happens this time of year here.
I think I addressed the misconceptions that I was referring to, but you also asked for documentation concerning the fact that I believe that the implant industry has not compiled a list of people who have expereinced a problem due to implant surgery.
It is also hard to find statistics on the amount of people who have chosen to have one removed due to the relentless noises in their head or infection or equipment failure. This information is pretty much protected by the medical privacy laws.
I have not found a CI site that discusses how many people have failed to benefit from an implant, or the NOT successful stories. I have also not heard them address the oral-only controversy. They leave that up to the oralist to do. I do believe that I had an article saved that said that the oralists have actually partnered with the audiology industry to lobby for earlier implantation. As a general rule the age limit is 12 months, but we do know that imlants have been authorized at even younger ages. Logic would dictate that the FDA did not lobby themselves on this issue, and it was not a God-given inspiration that made them authorize earlier implantation. So, I assume that what I heard was true; the CI industry and the oralists lobby the FDA.
I feel hurt that you would think that I would rob a child of their right to hear. I understand that you are adamant about implanting your own child and that you think you made a good decision for him/her. I pray to God that you experience nothing but the best from your decision and that your child grows to have a full life and reach his potential.
I understand that the oralists and some other researchers believe that early aquisition of sound will encourage language development better; thus, we must implant babies as soon as the screening shows a hearing loss of any sort. Is there an age limit that you feel is appropriate? Should they automatically implant children who are HOH, or only deaf in one ear? How much hearing loss must a child display before he is automatically wheeled off to surgery so he won't be a drag on society? I am truly curious to see where you think the line should be drawn.
Do you have any statistics from a LONG-term data collection that shows the absolute effects of sending electrical impulses into someones head? A whole lifetime of say, 60 to 100 years of electrical impulses invading the brain has not been documented to my knowledge, but if you have the data, please share.
I am curious. If an implant does not benefit a person or is causing a problem, does state insurance pay for a new surgery to have it removed? Is that saving the tax payers money? I am confused.
Have you heard of human error during and afer surgery in hospitals? Is it not possible that a tiny baby with the smallest of ear canals and nerve system might be accidentally injured during a surgery? Is that terribly hard to concieve of. I realize that the claim is that implants are SAFE. But ya know, they said the same thing about electric shock therapy to cure depression, and the same is true of breast implants and lypo suction. Ya know, they use to promolgate LABOTOMIES too, until someone decided that it was unethical to experiment on people by giving them an irreversible and life-changing operation,, just so they would not be a drain on society.
Can you guarantee me that if we were to seek an operation to remove my granddaughters nodule, with only a slight hope for success, can persoanally guarantee me that she will not contract an untreatable staph infection or flesh eating from the surgery? These germs are mutating faster than we can create medicines to combat them. I know this is true because I just lost my husband from a staph in fection that he contracted in the hospital during a minor back operation. It ate through his spinal cord, and he had a massive stroke that made him brain dead, and on our anniversary, they pulled the plug. Any major invasive surgery can cause death due to the above mentioned complications, a blood clot or any number of reasons.
I want people to hear. But if they can't, I love them just the way they are. They don't need to undergo a painful and unpredictable surgery to accomodate me. I hope this doesn't sound crass, but it is on topic: If your child would have died from a secondary complication, what would you feel...especially if he were not old enough to express his desire or lack of desire to have the surgery inspite of the potential risk to his health?
Did you even read the FDA website??
After you do, please return and lets have a civilized discussion about this. Like I said, at least I care enough to try to be sure that people have access to all of the information available before making such a huge commitment. I was not trying to offend you for your choice, nor am I trying to do that now. I just want to be sure that comprehensive alternatives to the surgery are presented, and the risks are rightly represented. If we are looking for a happy story, the implant industry has already provided lots of glowing accounts for us to access. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to find their accounts of the not-so-gowing experiences.
You are apparently an intelligent and educated man. You made a decision based on what you believed to be true after you were presented the facts. I am not sure that all hearing parents have done there research as thoroughly as you and I want to encourage to do so. Again, I apologize if my typing does not reprsent my whole thought.
