To Implant or Not to Implant? That is my question . . .

[Hear Again]

I just said the fact that Freedom isn't good for ME. So thats why I am planning on going back to my old one.

I know a few people who had difficulty adjusting to the Freedom and switched back to the 3G as a result. Since experiences vary from person to person, it's impossible to say why the Freedom works so well for some people, but not for others.

 

[RedheadGrrl]

I know a few people who had difficulty adjusting to the Freedom and switched back to the 3G as a result. Since experiences vary from person to person, it's impossible to say why the Freedom works so well for some people, but not for others.

Yea. Too sad bec Freedom is the best one. I thought it helps me to hear the words better. Turn out it wasn't. The only thing I heard is the sound from around me. I trained myself to hear the words. It doesn't help. The 3G does. Oh well.

 

[sara1981]

im deaf and im not using CI

 

[Texan Guy]

I am deaf and I have a CIs. My parents and old teachers forced me to wear CIs when I was a kid. Right now, I love it. I hope it would help me to get in the job that I wanted since I was a kid, beside the military.

 

[Hear Again]

Yea. Too sad bec Freedom is the best one. I thought it helps me to hear the words better. Turn out it wasn't. The only thing I heard is the sound from around me. I trained myself to hear the words. It doesn't help. The 3G does. Oh well.

Redhead,

I think one of the reasons for this might be because you've become used to the sound of the 3G. Some people I know who upgraded to the Freedom didn't like its sound quality and complained that it didn't sound as clear as the 3G. At least you know the 3G works well for you...that's what counts.

 

[RedheadGrrl]

Redhead,

I think one of the reasons for this might be because you've become used to the sound of the 3G. Some people I know who upgraded to the Freedom didn't like its sound quality and complained that it didn't sound as clear as the 3G. At least you know the 3G works well for you...that's what counts.

Right Exactly! That what I told my audiologist and she told me "it will get used to it when you wear Freedom." So I wore it since Jan 07. Nothing that change. I went back for re-mapping two months later, none that helps.

 

[Hwy99]

I thought in a previous post you said you got the CI as an adult and that it was very much your own choice and that was why you supported waiting until adulthood to make the choice. I'm confused now.

Did you read whole of my story? It's because the CI give me the headaches. It does not work for me.. I only support adult's choice that's all. It's just up to them, I made my choice and regret for it.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

I met a deaf girl at Fitness Studio for a first time yesterday. (My hearing son spot her and sign to her that her mother is deaf and just go change room). He brought her to me as I just came downstair from change room. wow, I never see her before so we chat in friendly and general way. She have a CI and told me that she is not happy with it.

Her parents decided to implant her with CI when she was 4 years old. She speak good but she feel sometimes that her parents do not accept what she is after learn who she really is. I tried to positive her about her parents and told her that she should be glad that her parents did not hide her from Deaf culture but let her to involve with deaf, HOH and CI children which is great. She can do with sign language well. She accept and agree with me.

 

[highlands]

It did not say here. I am deaf and I am not qualify for CI. Some did not pass the test and they cant have CI.

I am hoh with 92 dbl bilateral loss and I am not qualify for CI ,either. but I'm thinking of getting a CI in the future if my loss gets worse and I qualify under the conditions of the insurance

 

[Foxrac]

Well I am deaf and have CI, but it's hard for me to admit that I am a regretted for having the surgery with CI. It's total wasted for me.

Before I got the CI, I thought I want to have a CI, I thought I want to talk, etc etc.. even though some of my friends warned me to not get the CI, I ignore them and only listen to deaf people who have the CI.

After the CI, I was all wrong. It sucks as hell. When I put the CI on my head, it give me headaches, makes my nerves going up makes me feel like I can't move too much or I will get irrated so immedately. When I don't have the CI on my head, when I itching my head with the implant inside my head, it always rings my ear off and it is more harder for me to itch my skin on my head because I can't feel my skin very much. Also my family always begging on me to have CI on, and won't stop even I told them that it give me headaches. My brother was trying to pull me to the speech class, I DON'T WANT! My mom kept pulling me to get a new updated CI, I know I don't want it, but my mom just kept forcing on me.

I felt so shame on myself and totally regret for what I have done to myself.

I recommend DON'T surgery on your head UNLESS you are serious about it! PLEASE be careful!

Wow, If you are accpted to attend speech class and after you can talk about everything then I bet that your parent would be excited and act like kid behavior then probably buy good cupcakes from bakery at wal-mart.

lol, just j/k.

 

[Foxrac]

I'm deaf and had CI but not wear CI anymore since 2002.

 

[Foxrac]

I am hoh with 92 dbl bilateral loss and I am not qualify for CI ,either. but I'm thinking of getting a CI in the future if my loss gets worse and I qualify under the conditions of the insurance

Are you took test in other countries? like Canada?

If you take test in USA then you would be quality for CI without doubt, depends on audioglist.

When CI surgery, medical service isn't free, also can be covered by insurance if accept to get surgery in other countries, not sure... if you already know that...

 

[DefLord]

I voted: I am deaf and have CI.

I have it since 2004. I love it but don't like Freedom CI. It doesn't help. I am going to ask my Audiologist to switch back to my old speech processer Nucleus 24.

Thats weird because teh Freedom is much better thant he Nucleus 24. My father had the Nucleus 24 and then he switched to the Freedom and says it is much better. How long have you had the Freedom? I currently have the Freedom and love it.

 

[DefLord]

I am hoh with 92 dbl bilateral loss and I am not qualify for CI ,either. but I'm thinking of getting a CI in the future if my loss gets worse and I qualify under the conditions of the insurance

That is bizarre you might want to get a second opinion - because I had a 90 db on one of my ear (which i got implanted) and was qualified. But you might want to shop around and see what you can find.

 

[RedheadGrrl]

Thats weird because teh Freedom is much better thant he Nucleus 24. My father had the Nucleus 24 and then he switched to the Freedom and says it is much better. How long have you had the Freedom? I currently have the Freedom and love it.

Since January. Look at number 27.

 

[dreama]

I don't like CI's.

I don't like the hype that they get being discribed as a 'cure' instead of just another type of assistive tecnology which is basicly what a CI is really. Some organisations such as Deafblind UK seem to focus exclusively on CI's and don't bother to inform their members about other things such as HA, Tan vibrators, low vision aids, computers, Sonic devices, or any other assistive tecnology. Not much anyway. It seems that just because the CI is so successful for some deafblind people, they recon we should all go and get one. I think that's cruel because not everyone CAN have CI's. Some people just don't qualify for whatever reason. So it's the hype mainly that I don't like about the CI. The idea of a 'cure' also stops people accepting their disability and I think that's also a bad thing.

Another thing I don't like is it's being forced on young children who are too young to make their own mind up. Not only that but some parents also use it as an excuse to deprive their children of BSL and I think it is very bad when this happens.

There is also a 3rd problem is that they CI and other 'advances' are all tested on animals. I am totally against animal testing. It wouldn't be so bad if they had stopped testing animals now that CI works for some people but they keep going on with new models and try having further animal tests as a means to justify implanting babies etc... That is the worst thing about CI really

 

[rockdrummer]

Some folks just don't adapt well to change. From what I gather many in the deaf community were also opposed to hearing aids. Granted the CI is a surgury as opposed to something that hangs on your ear but it's up to each individual (and I believe the parents of children) to decide. I have never seen anyone advertising the CI as a cure for deafness. That would be incorrect. What should be available is accurate up to date detailed metrics on success and failures so that anyone faced with the option will have the information they need to make an informed decision.

 

[highlands]

Are you took test in other countries? like Canada?

If you take test in USA then you would be quality for CI without doubt, depends on audioglist.

When CI surgery, medical service isn't free, also can be covered by insurance if accept to get surgery in other countries, not sure... if you already know that...

Thanks for your interest but the criteria in my country is probably more strict than north american countries. I must have at least 95 dbl loss bilaterally so I am not a candidate and PLUS many ENTs or audiologist don't have much background on CIs .. it sucks whenever I want to ask an audi his/her opinion he/she seems not knowing anything about CI and they think HAs should be enough but I can't feel relaxed with hearing aids..they help but they do not offer me speech clarity ... the hardest thing is that I cannot find any expert to get their opinion .. but I will not be giving up on CIs ..

 

[Hear Again]

I am hoh with 92 dbl bilateral loss and I am not qualify for CI ,either. but I'm thinking of getting a CI in the future if my loss gets worse and I qualify under the conditions of the insurance

Highlands,

I know exactly where you are coming from.

When I looked into getting a CI in 2001, the ENT I saw told me I had a "little too much hearing" to qualify as a CI candidate even though my loss started at 90 dB in the right ear and 95 dB in the left ear. My speech discrimination at that time with hearing aids was 30%.

I later found out that the ENT I saw was not a CI surgeon. If I had gone to a qualified CI center, I probably would have been told that I was a CI candidate.

Candidacy varies from center to center. Some centers will implant people with bilateral severe loss while others will only implant those with profound loss -- and you're right -- CI candidacy criteria in Canada is more strict than it is here in the U.S.

 

[Hear Again]

I researched CIs for 6 months prior to receiving mine and never came across anyone who described them as being a cure for deafness -- not from CI users or any of the 3 CI companies. If anything, I've heard people say that CIs are a tool.

Here in the U.S., the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) does not promote CIs. While they have informational booths at their conferences from one or more of the CI companies, they do not actively promote CIs over other forms of communication.