H/A vs. C/I

[jag]

jag, so where do you draw the line?

As one who was over the line (heard to much) I don't think I would draw that line for anyone who is ambiguous, gov. and insurance agencies have already drawn a line if you really need one, and personally hearing around 70% with HA's really sucks, those decision makers should live that way .

If one who is 'ambiguous' can get coverage or decides to pay for the thing themselves more power to them. As you said it's a very individual decision.

If someone really 'wants' to continue to struggle by lip reading and Ha's by all means should be their choice. Beyond that if they choose to go with a CI I wish them the best at getting the coverage they need to pay for it. I will not draw a line for them, no one should have to struggle with the limited experience of HA's if they can get a CI.

 

[shel90]

I don't think this is what DD is getting at. She thinks that some people at borderline hearing losses who get CIs would do just as well with HAs. Whereas you are talking about a personal preference at a profound loss of being happy with no surgery and HAs even though there is a good chance you'd hear better with CIs.

I don't think you need to explain or justify your decision not to get a CI. It's not like we CIers believe that every single adult with a profound loss should get a CI. We understand that everyone is different, has different lifestyles, priorities etc.

I am not justifying myself to other CI users. This thread is about HAs vs. CIs so I was just sharing my HA experiences and why I dont feel the need for CIs. I dont know where u got the idea that I was trying to justify myself. Frankly, I dont care what anyone else thinks of my decision just like I dont care what decisions you all make in regards of choosing HAs or CIs.

I was agreeing to DD about hearing aid responses is very individual. at your post.

 

[rick48]

Rick, honestly VERY few people here are anti-CI! Simply b/c we're not totally 100% gung ho about CIs, you call US anti CI? You should have been at DumbNotes a few years ago. THAT was EXTREME. Things have REALLY mellowed out a lot!
jag, so where do you draw the line?

Please do not misinterpret my post to cover the fact that you posted misinformation. My post letting Silencio know that it is my belief people who support cis are treated differently on this forum has nothing to do with your posts.

You erroneously, either mistakenly or deliberately, gave the impression that the ci is a rather recent development when it is not and then you stated an unsubstantiated opinion that people have bought into its "hype". You have been asked to explain what you mean by "hype" but have not, instead you compare this forum to Deafnotes.

So, what is the "hype"?

 

[Adam]

At this stage of the game I have 100 Db loss in my left ear and around 65 to 70 Db loss in the right. At The last adjustment to the "speech in noise" program of my aids my audie made a few changes then asked how it sounded. I said I don't know and her response was what do you mean you don't know? Does it sound better? I said, well it sounds better now but it is just you and me in a quiet room.
I seem to hear environmental sounds pretty well but speech is a real problem. I have maxed out the power on the aids I have now, which means for any more improvement I will have to shell out about $3000.00. My speech recognitioon is around 73% so she said that since there were more powerful aids, a C/I is not an option.

Adam

 

[deafskeptic]

so?



WHy experiment with many different HA's when one already has some newer ones and they are supposedly powerful enough for ones hearing loss....one wastes so much time trying to find something that in the end does not live up to ones expectations.. but if that is 'your' choice don't insist 'I' (or anyone else who has other expectations of what they want) have to live with 'your' choice of trying out aide after aide after aide just on the outside chance that we 'may' get 10% more clarity in speech, ugh....is what I was saying.



oh yeah. When I went to get my Ha's reprogrammed I also got the hugh lecture on how CI's weren't what I needed, that they worked differently, that they wouldn't do much more then my HA's...blah blah blah....that audi was evidently misguided to. I've had many audi's and even speech therapists who all seem to think that aids are the cats meow..kinda like you seem to think that continual experimentation will give what HA's really can't. You enjoy your limitations given to you based on your loss of hearing , I will continue to enjoy the life the gift of hearing from my implant has given me. (yeah individual)






My guess is if those severely and profoundly deaf individuals who have good skills with HA's actually got implants, especially todays (trendy stuff with more programming options) technology most would wonder why they waited so long.

And I don't believe I ever said you were anti CI (don't put words in my mouth thank you very much)....just that I was happy you didn't set the standards for determining how ambiguous candidates should qualify. I would not like to have to trail a bunch of different aides just 'in case' I might get 10% more sentence recognition....I'd still miss much in noisy places and I'd still have to lip read, and I don't miss them at all.

Well said. I wasn't a borderline case at all when I took the test to see if i qualify for a CI and even if i were a borderline case, I'd not want to trial so many HAs before i got one that helps only 10%. Improvement with the CI is better than 10% in many cases..

 

[R2D2]

I am not justifying myself to other CI users. This thread is about HAs vs. CIs so I was just sharing my HA experiences and why I dont feel the need for CIs. I dont know where u got the idea that I was trying to justify myself. Frankly, I dont care what anyone else thinks of my decision just like I dont care what decisions you all make in regards of choosing HAs or CIs.

I was agreeing to DD about hearing aid responses is very individual. at your post.

I got the impression the OP was more about how and why can people who benefit from HAs can qualify for CIs as opposed to personal preferences about CIs vs HAs.

Nevermind. I hope you didn't think I was being rude. I just wasn't really getting where you were coming from in the context of the thread itself.

 

[deafdyke]

If someone really 'wants' to continue to struggle by lip reading and Ha's by all means should be their choice. Beyond that if they choose to go with a CI I wish them the best at getting the coverage they need to pay for it. I will not draw a line for them, no one should have to struggle with the limited experience of HA's if they can get a CI.

sorry, but that's YOUR experiance.Someone else with a simlair loss, could be pretty much "almost hearing" with has. You're assuming that CIs are always better then has. That's not nessarily true. It's a fact that people's experiances with has, are very very indivdual.

 

[R2D2]

At this stage of the game I have 100 Db loss in my left ear and around 65 to 70 Db loss in the right. At The last adjustment to the "speech in noise" program of my aids my audie made a few changes then asked how it sounded. I said I don't know and her response was what do you mean you don't know? Does it sound better? I said, well it sounds better now but it is just you and me in a quiet room.
I seem to hear environmental sounds pretty well but speech is a real problem. I have maxed out the power on the aids I have now, which means for any more improvement I will have to shell out about $3000.00. My speech recognitioon is around 73% so she said that since there were more powerful aids, a C/I is not an option.

Adam

Yes, I can see why she would say that because I believe that the FDA has a criteria that CIs are only to be recommended for those with speech recognition of 60% or less with their HAs. Insurance companies would jump at the chance to say "no" anyway under such conditions, to preserve their profits.

Have you trialled different hearing aids? Digital and analogue? If you have maxed out on the power of your current aids then it's possible that you are getting greater distortion for that aid. A middle volume setting on a more powerful aid might be less distorting? I don't know.

It's annoying when audies expect you to immediately know whether something sounds better or not. Mine does that too. You can't say for sure until you've been in a range of situations.

 

[jag]

I seem to hear environmental sounds pretty well but speech is a real problem. I have maxed out the power on the aids I have now, which means for any more improvement I will have to shell out about $3000.00. My speech recognitioon is around 73% so she said that since there were more powerful aids, a C/I is not an option.

Adam

Adam, if you have insurance (not gov provided there are no exceptions from Medicare or Medicaid from what I was told) you might want to go through the testing for an implant if that's what you are thinking of.

I heard around 70% of the HINT sentences, was your audiologist using single words or sentences? I heard and was able to repeat only the first sentence when done in a noise test. My CI team requested approval based on that. My loss was only in the severe range, with lower tones very close to profound. (I have/had a reverse slope loss so heard the higher tones better then lower ones)

Now my hearing aide dispenser (audiologist) lectured me on how the implant was not the same, how it wouldn't help, how I wouldn't like it blah blah blah. Of course bottom line is with an implant the dispenser loses money because you no longer purchase HA's from him.

It never hurts to do the testing. The most that can happen is they'll say no not at this time. Or they may do their best to help you, if you want to go through with it. My personal experience is the CI does much more then the HA. But then I'm one of those ambiguous persons who for some reason never really got what I should have from HA's.

good luck in your search for better hearing, I hope you find what works best for yourself.

 

[jag]

sorry, but that's YOUR experiance.Someone else with a simlair loss, could be pretty much "almost hearing" with has. You're assuming that CIs are always better then has. That's not nessarily true. It's a fact that people's experiances with has, are very very indivdual.

Yeah that's what I said. If you choose to think you are hearing well with HA's with a profound loss with your hearing aides more power to you.

As I said "If someone really 'wants' to continue to struggle by lip reading and Ha's by all means should be their choice. Beyond that if they choose to go with a CI I wish them the best at getting the coverage they need to pay for it. I will not draw a line for them, no one should have to struggle with the limited experience of HA's if they can get a CI."

It is individual. Funny thing is tho, having been on both sides I'll keep the CI. Much less frustration in dealing with a world that hears.

 

[Pinky]

I am telling you about my little cousin's CI

I am not judge on people who have CI. That's their choice want to hear. I am not an ANTI-CI. That's wrong to criticize on CI people. I used to anti-CI. I made mistake myself. My cousin is so young teenager mother. She gave her son Rylin born in 2002. They lived in the country. She was behind about her son was deaf. She found it out he is deaf. She was denial about his deaf. When I asked her how many deaf percent does he have? She got angry! She was a cocky. I can't stand her attitude. She was force her son to take a CI. She refused to learn sign language to communicate with him. I felt bad for him. I left her alone. I can't change her. She isn't my favorite cousin. That's her decide not mine. Rylin got his implant when he was 15 months old. 1 years later, his implant wasn't work. He got re-surgery for FREE. He was being bad boy and frustrated without sign languages. His mom is not allow him to learn sign language. She is very narrowed-mind! I didn't like what Rylin's doctor said don't need use sign language. That's wrong! Rylin got his new CI. It's work and helping for him to hear a lot. I am surprise! He is 5 half years old now. He got second implant last Feb. He can hear very well. He can speak on phone. I can't believe it. I was alike wow. He is lucky! But that's sad news! He don't have a father. His mom is using medicaid to paid him implants.

I like to see CI people can still use sign languages instead without sign. You know I mean.

 

[Giulia]

Hi everybody
Here is my little experience with the choice between HA and CI. I have had a BAHA hearing aid for nearly 4 years now and I'm happy with it
I just hope I won't be :topic:

So my previous ENT doc told me that CI are never used for SSD because brain can mix up the "good" sound of the good ear and the "bad" sound of CI. Classical HA are not enough efficient when it's a SSD (dixit my doctor).
So my current ENT doc purposed me the BAHA and I accepted it 6 months later. I don't regret anything

 

[shel90]

I am not judge on people who have CI. That's their choice want to hear. I am not an ANTI-CI. That's wrong to criticize on CI people. I used to anti-CI. I made mistake myself. My cousin is so young teenager mother. She gave her son Rylin born in 2002. They lived in the country. She was behind about her son was deaf. She found it out he is deaf. She was denial about his deaf. When I asked her how many deaf percent does he have? She got angry! She was a cocky. I can't stand her attitude. She was force her son to take a CI. She refused to learn sign language to communicate with him. I felt bad for him. I left her alone. I can't change her. She isn't my favorite cousin. That's her decide not mine. Rylin got his implant when he was 15 months old. 1 years later, his implant wasn't work. He got re-surgery for FREE. He was being bad boy and frustrated without sign languages. His mom is not allow him to learn sign language. She is very narrowed-mind! I didn't like what Rylin's doctor said don't need use sign language. That's wrong! Rylin got his new CI. It's work and helping for him to hear a lot. I am surprise! He is 5 half years old now. He got second implant last Feb. He can hear very well. He can speak on phone. I can't believe it. I was alike wow. He is lucky! But that's sad news! He don't have a father. His mom is using medicaid to paid him implants.

I like to see CI people can still use sign languages instead without sign. You know I mean.

Same here...

 

[jillio]

Same here...

Ditto.

 

[deafbajagal]

At this stage of the game I have 100 Db loss in my left ear and around 65 to 70 Db loss in the right. At The last adjustment to the "speech in noise" program of my aids my audie made a few changes then asked how it sounded. I said I don't know and her response was what do you mean you don't know? Does it sound better? I said, well it sounds better now but it is just you and me in a quiet room.
I seem to hear environmental sounds pretty well but speech is a real problem. I have maxed out the power on the aids I have now, which means for any more improvement I will have to shell out about $3000.00. My speech recognitioon is around 73% so she said that since there were more powerful aids, a C/I is not an option.

Adam

Adam, this is my personal experience. I'm profoundly deaf - 113 DB loss in left and 98 DB loss in my right. Even with my old aid, the lines of what I can hear never reached the "speech banana" portion of the audiogram. I have never heard speech except for some of the vowel sounds when I was younger. I very recently bought a new aid - and for the first time I can actually hear speech. According to the digital screen of the audiogram on the computer programming, with this aid I can hear virtually every single speech sound. The problem is, obviously, just because I hear it doesn't mean my brain will recognize it. You can see my post called "My Day at the Audiologist's Office" which might explain more about that experience.

Each person is very unique, thus their needs are individualized. What works for some may not work for others. Many people feel that one way is the only way, or that this way is the best. The truth is, you and your doctor/audiologist, are the only ones who can truly decide what best suits your needs. Not only in terms of what you want to be able to hear, but your lifestyle and communication needs.

 

[Pinky]

Same here...

Thank you!

 

[Pinky]

Yeah that's what I said. If you choose to think you are hearing well with HA's with a profound loss with your hearing aides more power to you.

As I said "If someone really 'wants' to continue to struggle by lip reading and Ha's by all means should be their choice. Beyond that if they choose to go with a CI I wish them the best at getting the coverage they need to pay for it. I will not draw a line for them, no one should have to struggle with the limited experience of HA's if they can get a CI."

It is individual. Funny thing is tho, having been on both sides I'll keep the CI. Much less frustration in dealing with a world that hears.

HA is not help me to hear better. I have a hard to learn speak many times. I can't hear my voice. I has 90% deaf. I have 2 HA. I can hear a sound but not recognize the word in my brain. I am going to get a CI in few years later. I have a frustrate to learn speak and hear. I decide to get CI.

 

[jag]

HA is not help me to hear better. I have a hard to learn speak many times. I can't hear my voice. I has 90% deaf. I have 2 HA. I can hear a sound but not recognize the word in my brain. I am going to get a CI in few years later. I have a frustrate to learn speak and hear. I decide to get CI.

If you plan to get a CI why wait? Testing to see if you qualify does not mean you have to do it immediately.

 

[Pinky]

If you plan to get a CI why wait? Testing to see if you qualify does not mean you have to do it immediately.

Yeah I have to wait. Because I don't have a job yet. My fiance have a job with insurance. We are getting marry on June. He will get me an implant from his 2 insurances. I know CI is expensive. I won't change my mind. I want to hear my dad's band. He had passed away when I was 15 years old. My little cousin has 2 implants. He just got second implant last Feb. I haven't see him since last Thanksgiving. I will go to see him on June at my wedding. I will see what is up with him.

 

[jag]

Yeah I have to wait. Because I don't have a job yet. My fiance have a job with insurance. We are getting marry on June. He will get me an implant from his 2 insurances. I know CI is expensive. I won't change my mind. I want to hear my dad's band. He had passed away when I was 15 years old. My little cousin has 2 implants. He just got second implant last Feb. I haven't see him since last Thanksgiving. I will go to see him on June at my wedding. I will see what is up with him.

well good luck

I hope the whole process goes quickly and you're approved once you get under your fiance's insurance after you get married.

and congrats on the upcoming wedding.