Son's CI surgery

Well, there are things this site would have never taught me.

Tonight I had a rude awakening but I thank God for this particular moment... tonight my wife and I met a mother in her late 20's and they had this deer in headlights look on their faces even with their seven month old daughter fitted with hearing aids. The girl has severe to profound hearing loss, like our son, and was wary about cochlear implant. We sat down with her and talked with her for a couple of hours about our experiences.

We parted ways with the monkey getting off her (and I'm sure, her husband later tonight) back after when I told her that her daughter will be just fine with whatever decision they make for her.

So, in my bold opinion, I think your children with hearing loss will be JUST FINE if you love them. Be it if they are fitted with hearing aids or implanted with a cochlear implant or go on living without any hearing -- they will be OKAY if you love them.

Keep on loving them and they will do you very proud!

I love you all.
 
Fragmenter said:
.................
So, in my bold opinion, I think your children with hearing loss will be JUST FINE if you love them. Be it if they are fitted with hearing aids or implanted with a cochlear implant or go on living without any hearing -- they will be OKAY if you love them.
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Bold... as in no hair ??
Bold... as in fat letters ??
Bold... as in knowing what you're talking about.. !!

Nah just kidding. It's so nice that you could give them a view of both sides. And like you said, love and communication is the main thing !
 
So beautiful, Fragmenter!

I know the deer in the headlights look.

I see it every morning.

;-P
 
We refuse to "not expect much" from Toes's CI.
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Well I think a better view would be to look at the CI, as a blank slate for which everything is possible but nothing is promised.
Jag.......I'm not talking about the implanted kids who need speech due to articualtion, pitch and voulme issues. I had that myself til I graduated high school......I am talking about kids who still need actual LANGUGE therapy and who still have significent expressive vocabularly and syntax issues.
.....and I don't consider them CI failures at all. The CI has helped them access spoken language in a way better then hearing aids or nothing at all. But just b/c they have some access to spoken English it doesn't mean that they are oral sucesses. Most oral kids still have difficulty with syntax or vocab.
 
Small but awesome update.

Last night I asked my daughter what she wanted to be and she said she wanted to be a cheerleader via sign language and speech at the same time.

My son knew what he wanted to be but he just said he wanted to be "star wars" through sign language only. I had my wife tell Marshall that it was "Jedi Knight" that he wanted to dress up as for Halloween.

It took him three tries to pronounce "Jedi Knight" correctly and what blew my mind away was that my wife pronounced it behind our son's head. He repeated the words through sound only!

My wife and daughter needs to read lips to help them understand speech most of the time but our son actually relies on sound only to understand speech! I'm blown away..

We're going through the motions all over again for a bilateral implant.
 
Fragmenter said:
Small but awesome update.

Last night I asked my daughter what she wanted to be and she said she wanted to be a cheerleader via sign language and speech at the same time.

My son knew what he wanted to be but he just said he wanted to be "star wars" through sign language only. I had my wife tell Marshall that it was "Jedi Knight" that he wanted to dress up as for Halloween.

It took him three tries to pronounce "Jedi Knight" correctly and what blew my mind away was that my wife pronounced it behind our son's head. He repeated the words through sound only!

My wife and daughter needs to read lips to help them understand speech most of the time but our son actually relies on sound only to understand speech! I'm blown away..

We're going through the motions all over again for a bilateral implant.
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Welcome to the world of amazed CI-parents!!

A bold question.... how does this affect the view of you and your wife with regards to CI towards your daughter? Is there a tingling that she might be a candidate? And how does your daughter look at your son?

It's a bold question because in no way I want to suggest that she should have CI. i don't know her / your situation.
I just want to explore how your view changed from pre-CI knowledge to CI-knowledge, CI decision, and then experiencing CI...
 
Fragmenter said:
Small but awesome update.

Last night I asked my daughter what she wanted to be and she said she wanted to be a cheerleader via sign language and speech at the same time.

My son knew what he wanted to be but he just said he wanted to be "star wars" through sign language only. I had my wife tell Marshall that it was "Jedi Knight" that he wanted to dress up as for Halloween.

It took him three tries to pronounce "Jedi Knight" correctly and what blew my mind away was that my wife pronounced it behind our son's head. He repeated the words through sound only!

My wife and daughter needs to read lips to help them understand speech most of the time but our son actually relies on sound only to understand speech! I'm blown away..

We're going through the motions all over again for a bilateral implant.
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That is great to hear. He will only get better with that over time.

Best of success for round number two.
 
Cloggy said:
Welcome to the world of amazed CI-parents!!

A bold question.... how does this affect the view of you and your wife with regards to CI towards your daughter? Is there a tingling that she might be a candidate? And how does your daughter look at your son?

It's a bold question because in no way I want to suggest that she should have CI. i don't know her / your situation.
I just want to explore how your view changed from pre-CI knowledge to CI-knowledge, CI decision, and then experiencing CI...
Click to expand...

Good question: I'm a believer in cochlear implants if you can't benefit from hearing aids. I'm trying to be mature about this experience and not let it go to my head. I know my daughter will be able to communicate with the world just fine like her mother so I'm not worried at all about her future. She already has speech, language and hearing skills that she can build on top of but our son needs more attention but he's already catching up rapidly. I thought it'd take him a year to get to this level but it's only been almost 2 months!

We're not gonna start making any knee jerk decisions.. :) We haven't before so we won't start any time soon.
 
BTW, I think my amazement is the result of having low expectations... that's the best advice I can give to other parents. It makes the success taste even more sweet.
 
Fragmenter said:
.......She already has speech, language and hearing skills that she can build on top

.........................

We're not gonna start making any knee jerk decisions.. :) We haven't before so we won't start any time soon.
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I agree. Good to see you being "down to earth".

Keep us informed about your family. It's great to hear from y'all..
 
awesome update fragmenter!

curious does he has the "Z" down pat? it is the hardest one (as well as the "S") I had my a/v session yesterday I was surprised that I didn't say the "Z" correctly after listening to their "Z" then I tried to do the same but it came out wrong. I was baffled for a while then I asked "does a person hear his/her voice differently than hearing the other person's voice" the answer was yes. I am like ahh.. no wonder so I follow what they want me to do to produce the "Z" then I got it. wow!

you do "S" but add sound in the vocal cord. (teeth should vibrate)
 
I wish I could visit here more often, too.

Our daughter can pronounce "Z" but as for Marshall? My wife isn't sure so she just told me she'd try and get more information from their school tomorrow.
 
Great to hear a Marshall update! I've been dying to hear how he's getting on but didn't want to stick my nose in too much. I think a lot of people like to lay low for the first weeks of activation because they just need the space and to take it all in.

Best wishes with the process of going bilateral. I have a feeling that I will eventually go that way myself especially since I know that my insurance will pay for it (if I pass the qualifying tests of course). But not for at least a year or two yet as there are other things I want to do like have another baby!!
 
Boult said:
...I was baffled for a while then I asked "does a person hear his/her voice differently than hearing the other person's voice" the answer was yes. I am like ahh.. no wonder so I follow what they want me to do to produce the "Z" then I got it. wow!
...
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Now, this gets very interesting... I have known of this fact years ago and quite by accident (I had noticed it when playing with a tape recorder :D ). What you say is very true but it only applies to those with normal hearing or aided with HA(s). It cannot occur for those who just depend on a CI(s). Are you using a HA with your CI? The reason it doesn't happen for those that just depend on a CI is that a CI doesn't pick up bone conduction "sounds" as before with hearing or aided with a HA. If hearing with a CI, one hears oneself just as others hear you (which is not a normal thing for the rest of the world that can hear in some fashion sans a CI). That is why our voices sound so strange at first when hooked up for the first time like it did for me as I heard it right off the bat (assuming no HA is being used at the time).

A link that explains it further...Ask A Scientist - Sound of one's own voice
 
Frag, The rapid progress is truely amazing isn't it! I am glad to hear of Marshalls progress. He impressed me when we all got together.
The bilateral issue can be a hard road. We fought for many months before we switched ins co. The new company is willing to cover the procedure, thank God.
Please, keep updating us with Marshalls progress.
 
Frag, The rapid progress is truely amazing isn't it! I am glad to hear of Marshalls progress. He impressed me when we all got together.
The bilateral issue can be a hard road. We fought for many months before we switched ins co. The new company is willing to cover the procedure, thank God.
Please, keep updating us with Marshalls progress.
And tell him and your wife and daughter that we all said hello!
 
sr171soars said:
Now, this gets very interesting... I have known of this fact years ago and quite by accident (I had noticed it when playing with a tape recorder :D ). What you say is very true but it only applies to those with normal hearing or aided with HA(s). It cannot occur for those who just depend on a CI(s). Are you using a HA with your CI? The reason it doesn't happen for those that just depend on a CI is that a CI doesn't pick up bone conduction "sounds" as before with hearing or aided with a HA. If hearing with a CI, one hears oneself just as others hear you (which is not a normal thing for the rest of the world that can hear in some fashion sans a CI). That is why our voices sound so strange at first when hooked up for the first time like it did for me as I heard it right off the bat (assuming no HA is being used at the time).

A link that explains it further...Ask A Scientist - Sound of one's own voice
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link.. good one!

I think you confuse me
What you say is very true but it only applies to those with normal hearing or aided with HA(s). It cannot occur for those who just depend on a CI(s)
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It didn't occur to me when I had bilateral HA but now it occur to me when I am using CI.

No, I am not using HA anymore like what Hear Again said that my HA were of no benefit to me after a while.

Keep in mind I am AB user so my BTE has a Auria T-Mic (a in-the-ear microphone) so I am guessing it's different thing between AB and Cochlear hmm? and I am using HiResolution sound processing.

but it's amazing though...
 
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