The hearing and cochlear implant debate! Share your opinion!

[Pinky]

It was my thought with my ex doctor whom famous of CI surgeron since in 80's. He kept offer me to get CI when I was 18. I said no. Then in 2 years later in 2002, My third cousin gave a birth. He is deaf and usher syndrome same mine. His mom forced him to get cochlear implant when he was baby. His doctor said no ASL to teach him a sign language. His mom refused learn sign language to communicate with him. I disappointed with her for not allow him ASL. I can't change them. The boy isn't my son. I can't do anything with them. I rather let them figure it out themselves when he is getting older. If I have a baby. I must teach my kids to learn ASL real early at baby age. I disagree with my third cousin's doctor aka my ex doctor for not use sign language. He thought it's too early teach baby a sign language. It's so silly! :roll: I asked my husband what if I get ci. Will he stop use sign language? He said no! He want to continue with ASL. We agreed to teach our kids sign language to communicate with me and other deaf people.

I can't believe why is the ENT doctor and audiologist's treat CI baby to be 100% hearing not be hoh or deaf with sign language. :roll:

 

[Hear Again]

Going blind sounds scary, especially when you can't hear anything already. I hope I never lose my sight. I'm an artist and if I lost my sight I don't know what I would do.

I felt the same way you do about blindness -- only in my case, it was about losing my hearing. When I lost my hearing in 1995, I was extremely angry, depressed and suicidal. I was so depressed that I ended up being hospitalized for several weeks at which time I was given mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. Once I learned tactile sign, everything changed. My depression lifted and for once I actually felt hopeful about my future. Now that I know how to live as someone who is totally deafblind, I have no more fears as far as that is concerned. Even if my CIs were to stop working, I'd still be comfortable since I already know how to travel and communicate without being able to see or hear.

 

[Hear Again]

I recently noticed that the Band-Aid company has began to put braille on some of its packagings. The Band-Aids I have currently has braille on it (I wasn't paying attention and grabbed it and when I got home my fiance teased me and said "are you blind now?" to which I went "huh?" and he showed me the braille on the package. I thought that was cool. They haven't put it on everything yet, though.

Really? I didn't know that. Awesome! I hope other national brands follow suit!

 

[Hear Again]

Next time you see the audiologist and she has your file in her hand, snatch it out of her hand, pull out a huge red marker and write "NO CIs!!!" all over the file. Problem solved. You have the right to do that, it's your file.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe this is what Jiro did. In his audiologist's file, he specifically asked them to indicate he does not wish to have CIs.

Shel, that's something you may want to consider as well.

 

[Hear Again]

That's right. I am a prelingually Deaf adult and I have been implanted with the Nucleus Freedom for almost 3 years, it will be 3 years this upcoming October. I am 28. It's been a huge benefit to me even though I cannot understand speech. I can hear so many environmental sounds, and I get to enjoy music which was something I have always wanted to experience ever since I was a little tot. I no longer feel left out when I am in a car with a bunch of other HOH or hearing friends and they play the music in the car. I can now join in with them and enjoy instead of just looking out the window and wondering how the music would sound like if I could hear. My fiance is Deaf but can hear with his hearing aids and he blasts the music in his truck, and I get to enjoy it, I no longer feel left out anymore. It feels good. I would like to at least try to learn speech but I need someone who specializes in speech therapy with CIers, not someone who does general speech therapy or someone who does speech therapy with patients who had accidents where they lost the ability to speak or forgot how to speak and have to re-learn speech. They have no idea how CIs works, I need someone who knows how CIs work, because we hear sounds differently and therefore they need to teach us differently. It will be ok if I find I can't learn speech, I will know that I have at least tried.

I'm glad you like your CI Lucia and it allows you to appreciate music as well as decrease your feelings of isolation from those who are hearing or HoH.

I also love being able to hear music with my CIs. After I lost my hearing in 1995, I felt as if my whole world ended. Music has always been very important to me. It's been a part of my life since age 5. I played several musical instruments and sang in the choir at school. When I could no longer hear music for 9 years (with the exception of drum beats and some male vocals), I was devastated. Now that I'm able to enjoy music again, I've resumed my voice lessons (which I've been taking since 2005) and have plans this summer to learn how to play the harp. Speaking of being thankful, this morning I heard another song sung by Susan Boyle, a contestant on "Britain's Got Talent." For anyone who isn't familiar with the program, it's exactly like "American Idol" only it's a British version. Susan sang a beautiful rendition of the song "Memory" from the musical "Cats." After I heard it, it brought me to tears and reminded me of how thankful I am to have CIs.

 

[Pinky]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe this is what Jiro did. In his audiologist's file, he specifically asked them to indicate he does not wish to have CIs.

Shel, that's something you may want to consider as well.

They may want to change their mind and want to get CI in future. Maybe next decade. Who know..... Be careful what people do against CI and kept talk a bad about CI. They will change their mind and consider to get CI. I used to not want to have CI. Until in 2004, I changed my mind. I wanted to get CI. I've been wait for technology to coming. I felt it's confidence since I heard from people received CI over 100,000 to 200,000 receipted. It made me want to get CI right away! I felt safe to discuss with other CI user at AllDeaf instead deaf community's hostile about CI. I thanked to AllDeaf for accepted CI and HA forums.

 

[shel90]

They may want to change their mind and want to get CI in future. Maybe next decade. Who know..... Be careful what people do against CI and kept talk a bad about CI. They will change their mind and consider to get CI. I used to not want to have CI. Until in 2004, I changed my mind. I wanted to get CI. I've been wait for technology to coming. I felt it's confidence since I heard from people received CI over 100,000 to 200,000 receipted. It made me want to get CI right away! I felt safe to discuss with other CI user at AllDeaf instead deaf community's hostile about CI. I thanked to AllDeaf for accepted CI and HA forums.

The point is that audiologists shouldnt push CIs on their clients. I am not interested in it and I dont want to have to deal with justifying why I dont want one everytime I visit an audie.

Lucia, my problem was that was I kept moving and changing audis. I did get it put in my file but everytime I see a different one, either they forgot about what it was in my file or never got it.

 

[Pinky]

The point is that audiologists shouldnt push CIs on their clients. I am not interested in it and I dont want to have to deal with justifying why I dont want one everytime I visit an audie.

Lucia, my problem was that was I kept moving and changing audis. I did get it put in my file but everytime I see a different one, either they forgot about what it was in my file or never got it.

Do you know why? Because of your hearing loss with serve to profound deaf. Hearing aids is so limited on benefit. If you want to buy a new HA. It's waste the money. When you can't hear any sound environment or music. HA and CI are different between. HA is more limited the sound and character. CI is unlimited and understand all sound.

That's your choice to prefer be deaf. It's your decide. The audiologist do not mean to push on clients. Just encourage people to hear that all. I am sorry about you're not happy with Audiologists' offer you.

I don't mind my family and friends' encourage me to get CI. It's doesn't bother me. I have no longer benefit for new hearing aids anymore. I am tired of many situation when I can't see or hear. My option is CI to save my life.

 

[Hear Again]

They may want to change their mind and want to get CI in future. Maybe next decade. Who know..... Be careful what people do against CI and kept talk a bad about CI. They will change their mind and consider to get CI. I used to not want to have CI. Until in 2004, I changed my mind. I wanted to get CI. I've been wait for technology to coming. I felt it's confidence since I heard from people received CI over 100,000 to 200,000 receipted. It made me want to get CI right away! I felt safe to discuss with other CI user at AllDeaf instead deaf community's hostile about CI. I thanked to AllDeaf for accepted CI and HA forums.

Even if someone indicates in their file that they do not wish to have a CI, this can always be amended at a later time.

 

[Daredevel7]

I was one of those who were against CIs...very very against it. It still cracks me up that I did get the CI anyway. Talk about foot in mouth....

 

[shel90]

Do you know why? Because of your hearing loss with serve to profound deaf. Hearing aids is so limited on benefit. If you want to buy a new HA. It's waste the money. When you can't hear any sound environment or music. HA and CI are different between. HA is more limited the sound and character. CI is unlimited and understand all sound.

That's your choice to prefer be deaf. It's your decide. The audiologist do not mean to push on clients. Just encourage people to hear that all. I am sorry about you're not happy with Audiologists' offer you.

I don't mind my family and friends' encourage me to get CI. It's doesn't bother me. I have no longer benefit for new hearing aids anymore. I am tired of many situation when I can't see or hear. My option is CI to save my life.

I think I have more than enough education on how HAs and CIs work. Thank u. Yes, it is my choice to remain who I am cuz I have no desire to change it.

 

[faire_jour]

I think I have more than enough education on how HAs and CIs work. Thank u. Yes, it is my choice to remain who I am cuz I have no desire to change it.

Getting a Ci doessn't change "who you are". :roll:

Oh my god, you got glasses....are you still the same person I loved?<end sarcasm>

 

[jillio]

Anyone else see the irony in yet another hearing person telling yet another deaf person what a devise does or does not do? I think that is best left for the deaf to decide.

 

[Bottesini]

Getting a Ci doessn't change "who you are". :roll:

Oh my god, you got glasses....are you still the same person I loved?<end sarcasm>

Wrong comparison. It would need to be an implanted bionic eye.

 

[faire_jour]

Anyone else see the irony in yet another hearing person telling yet another deaf person what a devise does or does not do? I think that is best left for the deaf to decide.

Every single deaf person with a CI says that they are still deaf and that it is just a device. Why don't you bother to listen to them? They agree with what I said.

Also, since when should people be discounted because of their hearing status? YOU ARE HEARING TOO. Just because you tell people what they want to hear, doesn't make your HEARING opinion more valid than mine.

 

[jillio]

Every single deaf person with a CI says that they are still deaf and that it is just a device. Why don't you bother to listen to them? They agree with what I said.

Also, since when should people be discounted because of their hearing status? YOU ARE HEARING TOO. Just because you tell people what they want to hear, doesn't make your HEARING opinion more valid than mine.

Oh? You have personally spoken to every single deaf person with a CI? What about those without a CI?

Yes, I am hearing, and as such, give validity to Shel's feelings that CI would fundamentally change who she is as a deaf person. And my hearing opinion may not be any more valid than yours, but it is certainly more empowering and empathetic, and far less audist.

 

[Frisky Feline]

glasses aren't drilled made out of hole into the bone. That would be nice if CI that won't go into the hole of skull. so i would wear CI treated like a HA. oh well.

 

[AlleyCat]

In all fairness, I assume faire_jour likely meant every single deaf person she knows with a CI says that they are still deaf and that it is just a device. And I have to agree.

There has been a lot of petty bickering going on in this thread and others that have served to deflect from the true purpose of these threads.

 

[jillio]

In all fairness, I assume faire_jour likely meant every single deaf person she knows with a CI says that they are still deaf and that it is just a device. And I have to agree.

There has been a lot of petty bickering going on in this thread and others that have served to deflect from the true purpose of these threads.

Does that discount the fact that another deaf person feels it would fundamentally change who they are? Aren't those deaf individuals just as entitled to their opinions and their decisions without being ridiculed?

 

[missywinks]

Anyone else see the irony in yet another hearing person telling yet another deaf person what a devise does or does not do? I think that is best left for the deaf to decide.

I agree with you 100%. It is OUR life, how dare a hearing person decide or tell us that a device is good (or bad) for us? They don't know nor would they ever know. They have never experienced living as a deaf person nor would they experience having a device implanted in their head. I always get a kick out of hearing people who think they know everything. It is our own choice to make as a deaf individual.