Profound hearing loss + hearing aid questions

Hear Again - I guess what I meant is, how does the sound sound to you with the CI compared to with your hearing aids? What about music?

And, when you mean being able to hear up to 15 dB, do you mean from 0 (where 0 is normal hearing) to +15dB or 0 down to -15 dB?
 
sound from my ci's is very crisp and clear compared to my hearing aids where sound was distorted and weak. when i wore hearing aids and someone spoke to me, i couldn't hear them unless they shouted at me at a close distance and even then, the loudness of their shout was soft. with my ci's, i'm able to hear quite well and can even hear a whisper.

music didn't sound great to me for the past 4 years due to the fact that high frequencies sounded off key. however, ever since 12 high frequency electrodes were recently turned off, music sounds absolutely wonderful. i'm able to hear percussion, keyboards, male/female vocals and individual instruments whether they are being played alone or in unison.

i never used to like jazz or classical music because of how muddy it sounded with hearing aids, but now with my ci's, it sounds full and rich.

if i had to rate my hearing with hearing aids, i'd give it a d-. if i had to rate my hearing with ci's, i'd give it an a+. don't get me wrong -- i don't hear perfectly with my ci's, but it sure beats the alternative! :D

by the way, when i say that i can hear low frequencies at 15 dB, that means i'm able to hear at 15 dB only -- not 0 dB, 5 dB or 10 dB.
 
deafdyke said:
I feel like I'm getting attacked a lot b/c I'm not all " CIs are AWESOME for everyone!" I'm not one of those anti-CI militants who is totally and completely anti-CI in every case. I'm just saying that there does need to be some discretion used in approving the ambigous cases. Not all implantees hear at a mild loss level you know. The hearing gained can be all over the map from envioromental sound awareness to functionally hoh.
I think if an ambigious canidate clearly demonstrates in soundbooth conditions that hearing aids aren't doing the job....(and that means that the soundbooth tests would be conducted with hearing aids) then YES.....they should be able to get implanted. I also think that if they have an uneven loss, then maybe a good idea would be to limit them to one CI, and one HA.
The thing is, our discussion is basicly moot b/c unfortunatly audilogy is a very hit or miss science. It's hard to tell who will benifit well from different kinds of hearing assitance. That is pretty much a fact. I do think that some of the ambigious canidates might benifit from some of the newer HAs. Maybe for an ambigious canidate an intensive hearing aid clinic might be a good idea. Like an audi could have the ambigous client try all different hearing aids in the soundbooth, and then try out the best ones in the real world. Some of them might qualify for CI after that......but others might find out that a powerful hearing aid does wonders for their hearing.
And I think that people have the right to be able to hear well.....but it does seem like a lot of the ambigious canidates are wanting to be implanted b/c they are experiacing all the disadvantages that virtually ALL hoh people encounter on a day to day basis. See what I mean?
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The first thing I would say is that you even said "the hearing gained". Obviously people who get CI's ARE gaining hearing, no matter what. Even if they don't get "hoh functioning", they are getting sounds that they weren't getting before, and that is good enough.
Also, I would like you to define "clearly demonstrate a need".
Lastly, I would say that with a CI, some people can NOT experience those disadvantages that HOH people with aids have everyday. So, why should they continue to have to struggle if they don't have to? Why have an inferior device when there is a better one?

Lastly, the reason people are "picking on you" is because you have been saying the same things again and again, without explanation, and we want to know why. And yes, CI's are awesome for everyone (who wants one)
 
dd,

i think another reason people pick on you is because you keep saying ad nauseum that "ambiguous candidates" should experiment with all kinds of amplification. ci audis already expect that from prospective candidates and when one is at the point of qualifying for a ci, hearing aids are of little or no help.
 
Hear Again - Is it possible for you to give us an idea of your audiogram that compares your hearing prior to your CIs and now while wearing your CIs?
 
Phi4Sius said:
Hear Again - Is it possible for you to give us an idea of your audiogram that compares your hearing prior to your CIs and now while wearing your CIs?
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Hi I know you're asking for Hear Again's but I just thought I'd tell you that I have mine its in my blog the link is in my signature just click and scroll down I have picture of it.
 
I have one in my blog too... scroll back to Sept 2008 it's my 1st month post activcation.
 
Phi4Sius said:
Well, I guess I have another question. This is more for those that have had unilateral hearing with a hearing aid in one ear most of their life (like me) and then finally were able to obtain a hearing aid that gave them a useful benefit out of their profound ear (in my case it's my left ear that's profound). I think I have a ton of questions that I probably haven't thought about yet. Hehehe. This forum is great, BTW!!! Gotta love Google!! :wave:

What was it like when you first turned on that hearing aid? Were you able to notice any discrimination in sounds (such as speech, etc.)? Or, did it take awhile to adjust to such new circumstances? How long did you have that profound loss for? What is it like to finally have binaural hearing after all those years? I'm sure it took quite a period of adjustment and speech/sound training to finally have some discriminatory abilities after having no use out of that ear for so long.
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I have a bilateral severe hearing loss. I've worn a HA in my right ear since childhood, but in July of last year I finally got a HA for my left ear, my worst ear. The difference it made was amazing, it took me a while to get used to it because with two ears I could hear sounds I'd never heard before and didn't recognise. When the audi first put it in my ear I told her it was making a buzzing and hissing noise, she told me 'that's not the HA, it's the fan on the table behind you!' During the walk home I kept stopping to listen to things and for the next few weeks I kept asking my family to tell me what various sounds were.

I have worn my left HA all day and everyday since I first got it. When I went to work for the first time afterwards someone spoke to me and I could hear what she was saying, couldn't do that before without lipreading. Although it is better than before, I still have great difficulty hearing speech in noise, even with two HAs, although I think that is probably just a consequence of having a severe hearing loss. I would recommend anyone in the same situation to take the opportunity to go bilateral, I didn't find it painful or uncomfortable, just very odd at first, now I would never go back to just having one HA. My only regret is that I had to put up with 30 years of only hearing with one ear, thanks to the policy of the British National Health Service.
 
Overthepond and SkullChick, thank you for your input as well. These are extremely helpful - I'm amazed the incredible amount of improvement in hearing that has been obtained with CIs. How is everything a year + later? Is it much improved?

djchur - Well, I've had to put up with the authority of audiologists (don't worry, I have nothing against them - without them I wouldn't even have my hearing and I'm extremely grateful) saying that my hearing in my good ear is good enough and that any hearing device would detract from the hearing in my good ear. I've had to put up with it for 26 years. I wonder exactly how much I'm missing out of my left ear. My hearing aid battery died last night and I was deaf for close to an hour while going to the store to get some additional batteries because I stupidly forgot to replenish my stash. I was accutely aware of exactly how much sound I was missing when I put my hearing aid back on. It's an eye-opening experience because I had really only took my hearing aid off when I'd go to sleep and never really noticed that before.

I wonder how much of everything I've been missing for the past 26 years.

Well, the day of reckoning is upon us. My new audiogram is on Monday and apparently my audie has new equipment that can reach beyond 110 dB and we'll see if we can get some response out of my left ear.
 
Thank you Phi4ius,

I am only 6 month user (on 18th feb i would be offically 6 months old ci user!) As you can see it was awesome improvement in short space of time but that up to indivduals. That audiogram was my 1st month post activaction, I had another one at 3 month where the hearing with ci is more in 30/35 db range. I am due for another review which is on weds. I will scan and tell you.
I am aware thats is not all.... i have many many years of learning to do so time and patience is Important. The important thing at the moment is I got my hearing into the speech range which I never had all my life! Now I am learing the sounds properly and trying to recongise them, I can recongise many everyday environmental sounds, it's easier to learn environmental sounds because it's there most of the time where as words without Visual is much more difficult at the moment because I had NO Auditory memory of it, I have been listening to phone calls with help, radio, tv (listen what they are saying following captions), audio books with books. I have began to pick out some words but it's still hard when you are not expecting what they are saying.
I am told that the sounds would become more clearer in the next year, I am still hearing metallic sounds but it's not as bad as it was few weeks after switch on. I had just started listening to music, words doesn't make sense to me but i can tell if they are using drums, guitar, keyboards, signing. I also can recongise which music i don't like.
I never knew my voice was loud pre CI because people doesn't want to say anything! Now as CI user i am quieter as i can hear my own voice, the people who know me are having trouble understanding me now as they was so used to my voice pre CI!! They are great support and is really pleased.
Support is important, you would need understanding/accomodating boss, work collegues, family, friends.
Like you, I felt i missed so much in the last 30 years as my confidence had soared now as i am hearing much better and lipreading people much easier, there is not much of repeating. My job involves commiuncating with foregieners with broken english, they are easier to understand now.


My Friend (we know each other for 20 years) when i first met her when we were 11, She had menigitis at 5, was totally deaf, we went same private deaf school, we used to thump the floor, scream to get her attention, we got nothing. She got her CI at 19, all we need to is whisper her name and she would turn and smile! It was great moment! 12 years on she's still doing good with her CI (it's 3g spirit and she's on waiting list for freedom)
 
overthepond- You're welcome. Thank you for the additional information.

BTW - I just got the most awesome news. My insurance covers Cochlear Implants 100% (if I decide to go that route) and I'll be able to go after at least one. I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited.

I can't wait to see what I find out on Monday at my latest audiogram.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
Thats so Great about your insurance. Hope the audiogram would give you the answer you wanted....

All the best
 
Okay, this can't be healthy. LOL. I've become literally obsessed. I'm performing research day and night on this stuff when I'm not at work. The results people seemed to have obtained with their CIs are pretty incredible. To think I may actually hear and understand out of my left ear after 25 years. Well, I know the results will vary greatly between individuals, and I may not have the same, but the fact that people are actually getting these results are very promising. I know it's too early to see exactly WHAT kind of results I will get...I'm just excited about the possibilities.

I'm trying not to get too excited this early in the process...not until I'm sure of how it will help. It's difficult, though. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Phi4Sius said:
Okay, this can't be healthy. LOL. I've become literally obsessed. I'm performing research day and night on this stuff when I'm not at work. The results people seemed to have obtained with their CIs are pretty incredible. To think I may actually hear and understand out of my left ear after 25 years. Well, I know the results will vary greatly between individuals, and I may not have the same, but the fact that people are actually getting these results are very promising. I know it's too early to see exactly WHAT kind of results I will get...I'm just excited about the possibilities.

I'm trying not to get too excited this early in the process...not until I'm sure of how it will help. It's difficult, though. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Research is never a bad thing. I'm excited for you! I would think that you would be able to get enviromental sounds, I really haven't heard of anyone not at least getting that. (could be wrong though) Even that from a "dead" ear is a miracle, right?!

Have you been reading about the different brands and the different hearing aids? What are you leaning towards?
 
faire_jour - For HAs, I've been leaning towards Oticon and Phonak. I discussed both with my audie during my last visit and they stopped selling Oticons a few years ago, but they still sell Phonaks. I'm seriously considering the Phonak Naidas as my audie's a big fan of them. His only concern is that I would only be able to pick up environmental sounds out of my dead ear, which is why he got seriously excited when I mentioned CIs because of their capabilities for helping my dead ear *significantly.*

For CIs, if I go that route, I'm leaning towards Advanced Bionics. Reason why is the amount of stimulation from the 16 electrodes firing at the same time vs. 24 (I hope I remember that right) electrodes from Cochlear firing alternately. For some reason with what I've read about Advanced Bionics vs. Cochlear they seem to be the one that I want to go with.

I'll know more tomorrow afternoon and I'll be able to finally make a decision! The anticipation is driving me nuts!!! :D
 
Phi4Sius said:
faire_jour - For HAs, I've been leaning towards Oticon and Phonak. I discussed both with my audie during my last visit and they stopped selling Oticons a few years ago, but they still sell Phonaks. I'm seriously considering the Phonak Naidas as my audie's a big fan of them. His only concern is that I would only be able to pick up environmental sounds out of my dead ear, which is why he got seriously excited when I mentioned CIs because of their capabilities for helping my dead ear *significantly.*

For CIs, if I go that route, I'm leaning towards Advanced Bionics. Reason why is the amount of stimulation from the 16 electrodes firing at the same time vs. 24 (I hope I remember that right) electrodes from Cochlear firing alternately. For some reason with what I've read about Advanced Bionics vs. Cochlear they seem to be the one that I want to go with.

I'll know more tomorrow afternoon and I'll be able to finally make a decision! The anticipation is driving me nuts!!! :D
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My baby has AB for many reasons. She also has an Oticon hearing aid :D
 
Psst Cochlear have 22... :)

Good luck, go for what you think are the best. Don't get your expecations high!
 
faire_jour - How's that combo working for her? Are there any problems with one side being a CI and the other being an HA? Any plans for her to go bilateral?

overthepond- I know. I'm purposely keeping my expectations low for that reason. Unfortunately, with this stuff happening it's kind of too exciting to ignore. But I'm trying my darndest. LOL
 
Phi4Sius,

Good luck at your appointment. I hope you'll let us know how everything goes.
 
Phi4Sius said:
faire_jour - How's that combo working for her? Are there any problems with one side being a CI and the other being an HA? Any plans for her to go bilateral?

overthepond- I know. I'm purposely keeping my expectations low for that reason. Unfortunately, with this stuff happening it's kind of too exciting to ignore. But I'm trying my darndest. LOL
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She might go bilateral, but she does have residual hearing right now, so we are taking our time. She told me the other day she doesn't hear through that ear, so I took the CI off and showed her that she does. She had forgotten that the hearing aid helps her hear too.
 
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