Curious About Cochlear Implants

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GumN

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Hi, I have a few quesitons about cochlear implants. Does anyone have answers?

How do people of the Deaf community feel about parents making the decision for young children to recieve cochlear implants?

Do people of the Deaf community ever feel their culture threatened by cochlear implants?

Is it very common for people to refuse to wear their cocohear implant because their parents made the decision for them when they were young, they find it easier to live without it, there are medical problems, the implant doesn't work, ect.?

Do most people find a cochlear implant makes their life easier or of better quality? Do they feel they have more opportunities?

Do people of the Deaf community ever feel the medical world pushes cochlear implants on people without the option of remaining deaf and becoming part of Deaf culture?

How do people of the Deaf community feel about older Deaf people recieving cocohelar implants?

I have heard cochlear implants do not completely correct deafness and speech therapy is often required. Is it worth it?

I have great respect for the Deaf community and I enjoy learning about their culture. Please help me to better understand the Deaf culture's view of cochlear implants.
 
For me I like to try as I am over 45 and I have tinnitus in my ear and I can't stand it, if I have that cochlear implant, I heard it would quit or went away. I m very profound deaf and I am still using body aid, but I hate it. I need to hear noise to stop tinnitus. I really like to know if this is true, and that is what I heard.
 
mtnlady said:
For me I like to try as I am over 45 and I have tinnitus in my ear and I can't stand it, if I have that cochlear implant, I heard it would quit or went away. I m very profound deaf and I am still using body aid, but I hate it. I need to hear noise to stop tinnitus. I really like to know if this is true, and that is what I heard.
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Don't feed the animals....
 
mtnlady said:
For me I like to try as I am over 45 and I have tinnitus in my ear and I can't stand it, if I have that cochlear implant, I heard it would quit or went away. I m very profound deaf and I am still using body aid, but I hate it. I need to hear noise to stop tinnitus. I really like to know if this is true, and that is what I heard.
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It did not work for my hubby. He got a CI a few years ago and still heard the tinnitus. He is stuck hearing the tinnitus for the rest of his life. CI did not beat my hubby's tinnitus at all.
 
The tinnitus didn't go away when i got my CI but when i wear my CI it masks the noise better than HA would have done.
 
On the other hand, I thought they were using CI to cure Meniere's?

I
have tinnitus in my ear and I can't stand it, if I have that cochlear implant, I heard it would quit or went away. I m very profound deaf and I am still using body aid, but I hate it. I need to hear noise to stop tinnitus.
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If I were you I would go to a really good ENT, and talk to them about whether or not the CI might be a good option for you.
 
How do people of the Deaf community feel about parents making the decision for young children to receive cochlear implants?
My personal view on this is I'm not now nor have I ever been a part of any deaf community. I was deaf for 20 years but I didn't spend much time with other deaf people. I have some friends that are but I didn't loose my hearing till my late teens and early 20's. Having said that there are issues in the deaf community about it. From what I know about it it's settling down a little bit. But the big issue is children getting them at a young age. Some feel they should wait until the child is old enough to make the decision. Others feel they should get it sooner when it's more beneficial in developing oral language skills. I personally agree with the getting it sooner is better as long as they are physically fit for it. Getting it sooner presents more options then getting it later. I can't imagine someone getting it and then later decide "I don't want to hear anymore" and stop wearing it. But, if they wait and get it later they'll more likely wish they had it sooner. So, getting it sooner gives them the choice to take it off or put it on. Don't get it sooner then they have no choice at all as far as being able to hear or not.

Do people of the Deaf community ever feel their culture threatened by cochlear implants?
Some do for some of the reasons I mentioned above.

Is it very common for people to refuse to wear their cocohear implant because their parents made the decision for them when they were young, they find it easier to live without it, there are medical problems, the implant doesn't work, ect.?
No it's not very common for that to happen. I'm not saying it never happens but it's not all that common to happen. The ones that complain are usually the ones who are hearing for the first time in their life's. That's a huge thing and some don't give themselves time to adjust to it. Some are so use to the way they've been that a change is hard. It reminds me of a discussion I had with my brother who's in a wheel chair because he has spinal bifida. He's never been able to walk. When asked if a technology existed that would give him the ability to walk would he want it? He said he'd like to try it but would want to be able to "Turn it off" in case he didn't like it. He explained that he's been in the wheel chair all his life and he's use to it. But he said if he could have had it when he was a kid he'd probably be walking now because he never would have gotten use to the wheel chair. So I think that's the kind of thing that happens to the few who stop wearing their CI. They just didn't give themselves time to adjust. There are people out there who walk around with no teeth because they never gave themselves time to get use to wearing their false ones.

Then there are some who complain that sounds don't sound right with the Cochlear Implant. That's BS. Things do start to sounds right. At first they won't but in time and effort what you hear does sounds right "To you". 5 months ago I could not hear a sound. I didn't hear a sound for almost twenty years. Today I'm talking on the phone, listening to music and hear the birds outside my window. So I know that things sound strange at first but they do start to sound natural if you put some effort into it and give it some time.

But most who get their CI end up loving it.


Do most people find a cochlear implant makes their life easier or of better quality? Do they feel they have more opportunities?
Oh heck yes!

Just the simple things are easier even if you can only hear a little bit. If I'm walking down a street and I can know a car is coming so I know to get out of it's way. I now know when someone is knocking on my door. I made a 5 minute phone call and got more information then a weeks worth of Emails. I'm an entertainer and I booked my own shows instead of having to trust someone else to do it. When I'm at the store I can call home to see if we need anything. If in an emergency I can call for help. My sister has a brain tumor and now I can be contacted with any news about her in real time. If my nephew is over and gets hurt I can hear his call for help. I can listen to music.

All the things I just mentioned I could not do 5 months ago.

Do people of the Deaf community ever feel the medical world pushes cochlear implants on people without the option of remaining deaf and becoming part of Deaf culture?
Some feel that way but I don't agree. Don't go to a doctor on issues of deaf culture. If you're deaf and you want to hear ask the doctors if anything will make it possible. Their job is to find out if there is anything possible and help you get it any make it work for you. They will never suggest you just live with it. That's not their job. Their job is to give you the ability to hear if you want it. Their answer should be "Yes an operation or device is available that will allow you to hear" or "No, nothing exists that can give you the ability to hear". That's as far as a medical doctors job goes. Their opinion on deaf culture or ASL is irrelevant because it's outside their expertise.


I have heard cochlear implants do not completely correct deafness and speech therapy is often required. Is it worth it?
I'm sure it's helpful to those who are born deaf. But for people like me who could hear when I learned to speak and then lost my hearing. Just being able to hear my own speech again will help me speak better. So speech therapy isn't needed in my case. I gotta say though. Even I after being deaf for 20 years can't imagine how hard it must be for those born deaf to learn to speak orally having never heard speech before. I admire how much effort they must put into that.

I have great respect for the Deaf community and I enjoy learning about their culture. Please help me to better understand the Deaf culture's view of cochlear implants.
Only way to do that is to really just spend some time with them. I was a member of WMAD (West Michigan Association of the Deaf) for a couple of years. Played on their soft ball team and bowling team. That's the closest I've ever been to being part of any "deaf culture". A great group but I was still a kind of outsider to the culture. A friend but not really a part of it. Because I didn't grow up with it. But I did learn a lot about it just by hanging around with them. See if there's such a group in your area.

Ron Jaxon
 
Frisky Feline said:
It did not work for my hubby. He got a CI a few years ago and still heard the tinnitus. He is stuck hearing the tinnitus for the rest of his life. CI did not beat my hubby's tinnitus at all.
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AW Man that is suck! I wish it goes away really I am so sick of it
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, I thought they were using CI to cure Meniere's?

If I were you I would go to a really good ENT, and talk to them about whether or not the CI might be a good option for you.
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I wish I am not working right now hopefully soon to get the medical so I can get it and I hope that there is a goooood doctor out there, I heard in USA need more Doctor right now they are using RN or anybody who is advance start to take over because there is not enough DR in USA
 
To order to get the CI, will the medical or medicare or private health plan would cover?
 
They usually do, and sometimes you have to fight them.
 
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