Cochlear Implants

Would you get cochlear implants today if you had the chance?

  • Yes

  • No

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M

mjperezo

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As a member of the deaf community, do you want to get cochlear implants?
 
It's Deaf community. Many people who are deaf are not part of the Deaf community. We don't know ASL and have our personal reasons for not learning ASL. I am a late-deafened adult who wore HAs for almost 20 years before getting my CIs.
 
Hi LoveBlue, maybe you remember me. I used to post here a few years ago but have not been active for a while. I am now thinking of getting CIs also. Are you happy with yours? Which brands did you consider and what did you end up with?
 
Years ago I would have said no. I was taught by a Deaf person who was very con ci. I believed it took away a person's Deaf identity. Then I got more into the Deaf community. Having a ci doesn't make you any less or more. I personally would never implant a baby but I no longer give my two cents to other parents. But I have thought about one for myself later down the road.
 
Beach girl said:
Hi LoveBlue, maybe you remember me. I used to post here a few years ago but have not been active for a while. I am now thinking of getting CIs also. Are you happy with yours? Which brands did you consider and what did you end up with?
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Yes! I remember you. Welcome back! I am very happy with my CIs. My hearing is not perfect but is so much better than it was the last few years I had my HAs.
I chose Advanced Bionics (AB), partly due to the fact that they used the same accessories that my Phonak HA used and because I found they had a greater community focus than the others when I was researching (back in 2016) (easier to find others with ABs to discuss the pros and cons, etc).
 
I am late deafened, wore HA's until they didnt help anymore. Wasnt til my son was born my wife talked me into looking into CI's because I couldnt hear my son and he was getting discouraged trying to communicate with me. We took ASL at college and taught our son ASL ( very basic ASL ) since we dont know others who are deaf. I was implanted 12/2014 and 3/2015 Bi-Laterally. Happy with the CI's and my journey, a volumteer with Cochlear as well. Its not for everyone and made a few good friends here as well leading them on their journey with cochlear implants. We have a great support group, a buy sell trade group as well speciffically for HA/Cochlear Implant parts. My ASL is basic but if I knew others to practice and use it daily it would be so much better. not everyone has that option or resources.
 
I took a couple of ASL classes too, 2 ten-week classes. Enjoyed it very much but then covid came along and the classes had to stop for everyone. Ran into my former instructor at the HLAA convention in Tampa; fun to see him again.
 
Beach girl said:
I took a couple of ASL classes too, 2 ten-week classes. Enjoyed it very much but then covid came along and the classes had to stop for everyone. Ran into my former instructor at the HLAA convention in Tampa; fun to see him again.
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stick with ASL because CI is a catastrophic failure
 
authentic said:
stick with ASL because CI is a catastrophic failure
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I read posts by so many that find a CI very helpful. Please what makes you consider it a "catastrophic failure"? I have read this type of opinion from you for years but it is always lacking WHY. Remember also that not everyone is able to live in an area where your beloved ASL is actually usable. It has been YEARS since I have seen anyone use it! I took a beginning course a couple of times years ago and have forgotten 99% of it because I found NO ONE to use it with.
 
Jane B. said:
I read posts by so many that find a CI very helpful. Please what makes you consider it a "catastrophic failure"? I have read this type of opinion from you for years but it is always lacking WHY. Remember also that not everyone is able to live in an area where your beloved ASL is actually usable. It has been YEARS since I have seen anyone use it! I took a beginning course a couple of times years ago and have forgotten 99% of it because I found NO ONE to use it with.
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It's authentic. I would not expect anything less from him. He has a right to his opinion just like you and I do. He doesn't owe us an explanation.
 
LoveBlue said:
It's authentic. I would not expect anything less from him. He has a right to his opinion just like you and I do. He doesn't owe us an explanation.
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You are right in what you say about it being "authentic". But it feels to me like he would have more people understanding what he is saying, even if not agreeing, if he would give a real explanation.
 
Beach girl said:
I took a couple of ASL classes too, 2 ten-week classes. Enjoyed it very much but then covid came along and the classes had to stop for everyone. Ran into my former instructor at the HLAA convention in Tampa; fun to see him again.
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I am yet another one that took some classes but made no contacts to actually use it with. That was back in the 1980's and two different semester long evening classes through Kaskaskia College, the local community college.

I have posted about that previously and found a longer post last night that I was going to refer to but now can't find it again.
 
authentic said:
stick with ASL because CI is a catastrophic failure
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Not true, dont know where you get your info from. Yes, its not for everyone but to each their own. Cochlear invests more funds into research that any other brands such as AB and Med-El
 
TheodoreNeal said:
I vote for hearing aid 'cause I'm too afraid of another surgery(
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Its really a simple surgery, not bad at all. Both of mine were done in under an hour. Recovery just a few weeks before activation and today they are activating within a week as technology evolves. I feel the same about HA as I do CI, hate being reliant on batteries but thats thelife we have to hear again.
 
I had thought bout gitting the ci..had talked with the guy that does the operation ..
We talked n talked then I told him that I know I would have to have a meningitis shot ..so I asked him a question ...
I had spinal meningitis when I was a kid , hasn't come back on me ..yet..was told by a doctors years ago it could come back on me ..
Anyways I said will the meningitis shot interfere with the spinal meningitis ..
He said no one ever asked him that ..and since I'm worry bout that and it makes him worried..then said that it won't work for me ..
I thanked him for his time and left his office..
And have looked up on the internet about the cochlear .
I read more negative then the positive..
Also found that the long term risk of the cochlear implant is meningitis
-infection of the fluid around the brain-.. This is very rare and there have only been 92 cases out of 60,000 patients with cochlear implants..
However , 17 of these patients have died ..

I'm happy for those that had it done and have a deaf friend had it done , she got about 85 % hearing ..I'm glad for her ...
It's just not for me ..I read that it helped lots n also where it didn't help any ..
My late mum asked me months before she passed if I was gonna have it done ..although she never said to git it done ..but I think she wanted me look into it and I have ..I like to think she knows ...
I don't have any kids ..but if I did and kid was deaf ..I wouldn't make him/her have it done ..when they are older they can decide for themselves ..

There are hearing people that argue that denying those deaf kids cochlear implants is akin to child abuse ..wht the hell they know ...

I know that hearing people, and doctors wants make deaf having the implants ..but in my opinion they just want to money , doesn't matter if it works or not ..
Besides they have no idea wht deaf is ...

I know sign language but don't use it much , there's no one around my areas that use it ..but there one guy at Walmart I chat with ... he's deaf ..
And met two hearing people that knows a little ..
I only know the old American signs language ..1971-1976
I never learned more after that ...
 
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Yup I agree that it's easier for ppl to complain online but I like talking with sumone about stuff ..
I rather to talk face to face ...
 
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