CI surgery, any post surgery advice?

Yes, I'm aware of the potential side effects.

I don't expect the CI to perfect my hearing, but I expect it to make communication more manageable than it currently is. I wouldn't see any other reason to get it besides improving communication.

And I actually don't think my sheltered life was that depressing. I think people that would rather be at a party getting hammered is more depressing.
 
pandaundercover said:
Yes, I'm aware of the potential side effects.

I don't expect the CI to perfect my hearing, but I expect it to make communication more manageable than it currently is. I wouldn't see any other reason to get it besides improving communication.

And I actually don't think my sheltered life was that depressing. I think people that would rather be at a party getting hammered is more depressing.
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Did you see my question?
 
posts from hell said:
Did you see my question?
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Yes... do you mean expect it to help with how I'm sheltered or with being a better parent and all? I already answered the parent/hearing part...

Um, I'll probably always be the sheltered type, but depending how well the CI works, I'll potentially be more open to attending things with my husband if I can hear better in the situations. Does that answer it?
 
posts from hell said:
Do you expect the CI to resolve all these issues you just mentioned above?

Another thing: You said this: "Cause I didn't grow around deaf people"... Question related to that, Do you think deaf people are comfortable with society and such?
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I was asking about the second question here...

Allow me to explain why I asked this - It seems that you are implying that other Deaf people are doing fine in life, being very social, confident with their selves because you mentioned it a few times that you have not been around the deaf your entire life (which is fine).. It doesn't exactly make sense to me because it does seem like going against the grain if you're saying that the deaf are fine and you have been having problems trying to be in the hearing world.. If you think that the deaf population is fine, why not be a bit daring and venture to join them?

That's the feeling I get from what I see in your posts.
 
Weee! I usually steer clear of the CI/HA forums.. but yea...

I think I have asked enough questions :)

Whatever you do, I support you. I want you to be happy with whatever you do. I hope this decision was made by you 100% and is what you truly want. If that is the fact, I'm happy.

Good luck.
 
posts from hell said:
I was asking about the second question here...

Allow me to explain why I asked this - It seems that you are implying that other Deaf people are doing fine in life, being very social, confident with their selves because you mentioned it a few times that you have not been around the deaf your entire life (which is fine).. It doesn't exactly make sense to me because it does seem like going against the grain if you're saying that the deaf are fine and you have been having problems trying to be in the hearing world.. If you think that the deaf population is fine, why not be a bit daring and venture to join them?

That's the feeling I get from what I see in your posts.
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No, I'm sure Deaf people have as much issues dealing with society as I do. But I'd assume many of them know how to manage it. They were taught ASL and raised or joined other deaf people so that they felt they belonged in somewhere. I tried learning ASL (and between my husband and I, we finger spell if I can't understand a word he says), but it became useless because no one I'm with on a daily, or even weekly basis uses ASL, so it would've become like a hobby, rather than a way to communicate. Without the CI, I would inevitably become completely deaf in about 10-20 years or so and have no choice but to learn ASL and start at the bottom, but why bother? There's the option for me to simply get a hearing device that is going to work 2x or more better than a hearing aid, so I can merge back into hearing society. It's not that I'm against Deaf society/groups, but that there's no reason for me to go in that direction unless it's my last resort.

Nice chat though.
 
pandaundercover said:
Yes, I'm aware of the potential side effects.

I don't expect the CI to perfect my hearing, but I expect it to make communication more manageable than it currently is. I wouldn't see any other reason to get it besides improving communication.

And I actually don't think my sheltered life was that depressing. I think people that would rather be at a party getting hammered is more depressing.
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ah forgive me for being vague. I know you are aware of side effect on medical side... but I'm more concerned about your state of mind - post-CI... the side effect. I support anybody getting CI/HA/whatever but I only hope that their reasoning behind it is carefully thought-out and well-informed.
 
pandaundercover said:
No, I'm sure Deaf people have as much issues dealing with society as I do. But I'd assume many of them know how to manage it. They were taught ASL and raised or joined other deaf people so that they felt they belonged in somewhere. I tried learning ASL (and between my husband and I, we finger spell if I can't understand a word he says), but it became useless because no one I'm with on a daily, or even weekly basis uses ASL, so it would've become like a hobby, rather than a way to communicate. Without the CI, I would inevitably become completely deaf in about 10-20 years or so and have no choice but to learn ASL and start at the bottom, but why bother? There's the option for me to simply get a hearing device that is going to work 2x or more better than a hearing aid, so I can merge back into hearing society. It's not that I'm against Deaf society/groups, but that there's no reason for me to go in that direction unless it's my last resort.

Nice chat though.
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Alright. Where in AZ are you?
 
pandaundercover said:
I'm on this site because even though I'm not Deaf nor associated with the Deaf community, there is still a handful of people that are in between both worlds and we come on here because there are still people on here who can relate to each other
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Perhaps, you could try the Hearing Loss Association of America and see if there's a chapter near where you are. As they tend to be populated by the oral deaf, hearing-impaired, hard of hearing and late deafened.

Hearing Loss Association of America

The AG Bell organization is another.

Hope this helps. And good luck!
 
pandaundercover said:
Simply that I'd be able to hear strangers.

What irks me the most is the idea that I've got my kid with me in public, to shop or whatever, and you ever notice how strangers talk to babies/kids ALL the time? So the idea that some strangers are just going to talk to my kids, and inevitably me, and I won't understand what they're saying, creeps me out. That's the safety factor that I feel I'd fail at if I don't hear for my kids sake. It's easy to handle on my own cause I just don't answer to anyone, but it's another issue when it comes to someone I'm to protect.
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I was about your age when I have my implant, my implant enhance speechreading skills, but when it comes to understanding strangers when they are not looking at me, I still don't pick it up, I don't think CI is going to solve that problem for you, especially if you were trained to use speechreading (or lipreading with assistance of sounds). It's possible that all that background talking will still be noises to you. You will just going to have to deal with it another way. Hey, anytime there's a concern you have, ask us for advice on how to handle it. Like strangers talking to your kids and you can't understand them. some of us might have a great ideas
 
Everyone who is a candidate for CI has a decision to make. To make a statement "Don't do it" without supporting arguments is asinine.
In my case my discrimination dropped to 6% in the left and 22% in the right - Aided- ! My wife, kids and grandkids no longer have conversations with me as I can't understand them. So the decision I had to make was to draw deeper in my silent shell and read all the time or do something about it. Stem cells for me is not the answer, it is too far away to do me any good. I will be dead by then. For some they choose to live in the silent world, for me I choose to live in the hearing world! If we were all the same, there wouldn't be as many flavors of ice cream or models of cars.
 
precisely ! i just got my N5 for 5 mths now .. i love it .. i'm like you pandaundercover. grew up in hearing world .. all my family dont sign. Im 34 and lost 50% last remaining of my hearing from my smash repair workshop. i have quitted that job if i;ve known it would kill the rest of my hearing i wouldnt have worked there.
Anyway good luck wiht your op. it was easy with me , slight dizzy for few days.. then once a week.
Having CI is handy is like giving your life back when you last lost your hearing. also when you hear someone rings the bell or knock even you can able to answer the door Or you pets whinges for food.

just ignore some ppl whose against CI. for me Im not with deaf culture thingy... too embarrassing to watch or be involved in.
So everyone has different opinion/ culture. to someone whose against CI .. good luck with your culture but leave us alone.
 
pandaundercover said:
Simply that I'd be able to hear strangers.

What irks me the most is the idea that I've got my kid with me in public, to shop or whatever, and you ever notice how strangers talk to babies/kids ALL the time? So the idea that some strangers are just going to talk to my kids, and inevitably me, and I won't understand what they're saying, creeps me out. That's the safety factor that I feel I'd fail at if I don't hear for my kids sake. It's easy to handle on my own cause I just don't answer to anyone, but it's another issue when it comes to someone I'm to protect.
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Keep in mind that with CI when it's off you are still deaf (and because many - most people lose their residual hearing post-implant) you'll still have to make your house accessible for when you can't hear a thing (sleeping, bathing etc).

You'll still need a strobe fire alarm, adapted baby monitor etc - you're still going to be a deaf mom, just one who will be able to hear somethings, sometimes.

Having a spouse/SO will help sometimes - however it's important that you're able to deal with things on your own if they are away etc as well (baby monitor especially).


CI will help you hear - but it's not going to make you a hearing mom 24/7 - so it's important that you create a home environment where "hearing may be helpful - but it's not necessary"
 
Anij said:
Keep in mind that with CI when it's off you are still deaf (and because many - most people lose their residual hearing post-implant) you'll still have to make your house accessible for when you can't hear a thing (sleeping, bathing etc).

You'll still need a strobe fire alarm, adapted baby monitor etc - you're still going to be a deaf mom, just one who will be able to hear somethings, sometimes.

Having a spouse/SO will help sometimes - however it's important that you're able to deal with things on your own if they are away etc as well (baby monitor especially).


CI will help you hear - but it's not going to make you a hearing mom 24/7 - so it's important that you create a home environment where "hearing may be helpful - but it's not necessary"
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That's an important point.
 
Anij said:
Keep in mind that with CI when it's off you are still deaf (and because many - most people lose their residual hearing post-implant) you'll still have to make your house accessible for when you can't hear a thing (sleeping, bathing etc).

You'll still need a strobe fire alarm, adapted baby monitor etc - you're still going to be a deaf mom, just one who will be able to hear somethings, sometimes.

Having a spouse/SO will help sometimes - however it's important that you're able to deal with things on your own if they are away etc as well (baby monitor especially).


CI will help you hear - but it's not going to make you a hearing mom 24/7 - so it's important that you create a home environment where "hearing may be helpful - but it's not necessary"
Click to expand...

As a mother with CI myself, I can vouch for that! It is alot different when you are a mother and not the deaf child anymore. If your batteries are dead and you been absentminded (you're mother, so absentminded does happen) and forgot to charge or get spares, or your children pets broke your hearing devices... the last thing you don't want is tell your child that you are unable to hear him when he need you the most. You need to prepare for that and be able to work with your communication on your deaf side of life.. that mean no hearing aids, no Implant on, etc... BEFORE you have children so you can teach them the alternative way to communicate from the moment they are born.
 
Pandaundercover: Very interesting reading some of the responses to you getting an Implant. Having recently arrived here-July/10 with an Implant, being retired and actually having read "some" of the ASL books- Journey into a Deaf World-Harlan Lane et al. After reading- reject the ideological supposition of deafness as cultural as the use of ASL is "equivalent to "speaking/hearing". Some of your responders- have offered similar thoughts in another thread-"fingerspelling".
Much success in adapting to your new Implant- one specific action that I did-unknown at the time-was going to dances. Reason loud music to quiet people voices help your brain get "use to" new sounds-called "neural plasticity".
Not everyone here actually subscribes to the "idea of deafness as a culture". The fact that some/many? actually have to decide to get an Implant rather than REMAIN "total deaf-absolute silence". Says something-doesn't it!

Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
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