I remember getting my first HA, (in my left ear), it was approximately a year after I went deaf. My parents were told that I would get minimal benefits from it - as had a 120 db loss in both ears, but what little sound I *could* hear, I latched onto like a child latches onto a security blanket. It wasn't much, but it was SOMETHING. I took security in at least having that, rather than nothing at all. It made the adjustment easier. A year after that I got a HA for my right ear which helped a little bit more with lipreading as my left ear had lost all lower frequencies, but my right ear could still sense some.
Like I said - it wasn't much but it was better than nothing. It helped with lipreading, with understanding my teachers in school, and letting me participate in some activities (I even joined a drama club!). I think the biggest benefit I recieved was that when I had an MRI done to check and see whether my cochleas were healthy, they both were, and my audiologist had warned me that occification of the cochlea was VERY common in adults who had meningitis when they were children. He suspects that the years of stimulation/vibration I recieved from my hearing aids kept everything healthy, even if the "benefit" sound-wise was minimal. It all worked out in the end!
