CI Wearers (a question)

F

Fresh2Deaf

Guest
Okay, I have a question for CI users who experienced life as a profoundly deaf person (well, I guess you have to be profoundly deaf to qualify, I'm just being specific about who I'm asking this question to) before CI and are now successful in utilizing CI properly for hearing. (Sorry, don't want my words to get twisted around!)........

Having experienced deafness and now hearing, would you be totally devastated if your CI stopped working and you would have to go back to hearing nothing? Or would it be cool since your used to it?

As a hearing person, I couldn't imagine not hearing. I know it happens all the time though.
 
Fresh2Deaf said:
Okay, I have a question for CI users who experienced life as a profoundly deaf person (well, I guess you have to be profoundly deaf to qualify, I'm just being specific about who I'm asking this question to) before CI and are now successful in utilizing CI properly for hearing. (Sorry, don't want my words to get twisted around!)........

Having experienced deafness and now hearing, would you be totally devastated if your CI stopped working and you would have to go back to hearing nothing? Or would it be cool since your used to it?

As a hearing person, I couldn't imagine not hearing. I know it happens all the time though.
Click to expand...

Yes, I would be totally devastated. I've had hearing aids my whole life and I'm used to hearing sound. I got the CI because music started to sound terrible and my deafness was progressively getting worse and worse.

However, I would def go through another surgery to get it fixed. This would be one reason why I am glad that I still have residual hearing in both ears.
 
I'm not a CI user, BUT the sitution you describe is exactly why dhh kids need a full toolbox......so they are comfortable both WITH and without sound.
It's possible to love both sound and silence. I love music, and I love sound and hearing......but at the same time I really like being able to turn off my hearing aids and I love being able to function without them too.
If I understand correctly CI failures(they way you're describing them) are pretty rare overall.
 
I can't say that I would be devastated if my CIs stopped functioning, but I would be extremely disappointed. Because I know alternative communication techniques for the deafblind, I wouldn't have to worry about adapting to a completely different lifestyle -- I would just continue living my life the way I always had prior to receiving my CIs. Having said that, if my CIs were to ever fail, I would immediately have them replaced. I've had my first CI since December, 2004 and my second since February, 2006, so I've grown accustomed to enjoying life with sound.
 
Back
Top