want to hear your opinions about cochlear implant

Bottesini said:
That is not true. That is the reason so many more people with severe loss than profound are able to attain speech. They have far more access to sound.

And it really insulting to anyone profoundly deaf who did not manage to attain speech.
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(Bott, I am sorry if what I wrote offended you. It was definitely not intentional and I will do my best to correct that. Please accept my apologies)

Please let me clarify my post: Yes, I may have some access to loud sounds, what I do hear is more of an incumbermant to me than a 'help', but I was referring primarily to speech,when it comes to speech, in the wrong conditions where I cannot rely on visual imput, I am deaf as it comes.

I also want to state clearly - I am anti-audism. I may have been raised (and for the most part still am) in a totally oral environment, and it may appear that I became one of the 'success stories' that oralists and audists brag about, however, paradoxically I only share my experience because I want to prove them wrong. I am not a 'success story' of the oral programs or the technological devices they push for a 'solution to the problem of deafness'. I have shared my 'achievements' to show the exact opposite. I am my own 'success story' I have achieved everything in my life by my own efforts (together with the help of my loving family and my faith in my Creator) not with any assistive devices. With determination, we can do anything we put our minds to do except hear.

I am not advocating for oral only, quite the contrary, I was never given the choice growing up - oral only was the only thing I was handed, and now I am required to remain oral for the work I am involved in together with my husband. If I were given the choice, I would not speak (it takes too much effort). Having the ability to speak does not give me QOL. It is an immense source of frustration, exhaustion, and cause of misconceptions and mis-understandings. Better life without it. Visual language and visual expression crosses over all communication barriers if we allow it to. I strongly detest that people judge others by the way they speak or not speak and say they are less intelligent because they do not have 'perfect speech'.

(Bott, you are a perfect example of one who does not use speech and you don't need to. You are intelligent (it is evident in your posts) and you show understanding and diplomacy to many if not all on the forum here. I appreciate you. I have learned much from you and I know there are many who can say the same).
 
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Hohtopics said:
I also find that those with a severe loss are a little more likely to be able to use the phone in some capacity as opposed to the profound's.

Not too long ago, I was at a beach with someone who had a severe hearing loss. And since we were at the beach, we didn't have our hearing aids on or anything. I casually asked the other person if he could hear anything in the background. And the person responded, "Yes, I could hear people talking in the background a bit". I was like "Whoa! You could hear all that?". Cause as someone with a profound's, my hearing without the aid or CI is almost nil.
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The question I put to that is: Was your friend able to make sense of the sound he was hearing, could he make sense of what those people in the background were saying? or was it just noise?
 
BecLak said:
The question I put to that is: Was your friend able to make sense of the sound he was hearing, could he make sense of what those people in the background were saying? or was it just noise?
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I'd think he'd probably also need to lipread if people were talking to him without his hearing aid. However, the fact that he even heard without his hearing aid sure beats the profoundly deaf usually not hearing anything without theirs.
 
AlleyCat said:
I used ASL all during my school years so I could have ASL interpreters tell me what my teachers and students were saying. It was a HUGE HUGE HUGE benefit.
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Okay, so you have no problem taking your ASL interpreter when hanging out with friends (private life)?
It seems all you guys do is go to school and talk about the benefits of ASL AT SCHOOL, what about your personal life?
My life been depressing since my implant broke, only way to communiate is friends through paper notes/texting.
I would find it incredibly akward to have an adult interpet me, makes me look "small and dumb" and I doubt you would bring an interpert to go to parties...

But again, it seems you guys have friends that are also deaf unlike me. All of my friends do not know ASL (asked many times last few weeks), well besides one. but one out of many in my classes and track team??
 
Hohtopics said:
I'd think he'd probably also need to lipread if people were talking to him without his hearing aid. However, the fact that he even heard without his hearing aid sure beats the profoundly deaf usually not hearing anything without theirs.
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The point I am trying to bring across is that even though I as severely-deaf can hear some sound, it is not useful sound, it is just irritating noise and gibberish. What benefit is that really?
 
bbaseballboy123 said:
Okay, so you have no problem taking your ASL interpreter when hanging out with friends (private life)?
It seems all you guys do is go to school and talk about the benefits of ASL AT SCHOOL, what about your personal life?
My life been depressing since my implant broke, only way to communiate is friends through paper notes/texting.
I would find it incredibly akward to have an adult interpet me, makes me look "small and dumb" and I doubt you would bring an interpert to go to parties...

But again, it seems you guys have friends that are also deaf unlike me. All of my friends do not know ASL (asked many times last few weeks), well besides one. but one out of many in my classes and track team??
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That's why I dont limit myself in the hearing world only. I am happy having both worlds.
 
Okay, so you have no problem taking your ASL interpreter when hanging out with friends (private life)?
It seems all you guys do is go to school and talk about the benefits of ASL AT SCHOOL, what about your personal life?
My life been depressing since my implant broke, only way to communiate is friends through paper notes/texting.
I would find it incredibly akward to have an adult interpet me, makes me look "small and dumb" and I doubt you would bring an interpert to go to parties...

But again, it seems you guys have friends that are also deaf unlike me.
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Most of us have both ASL abilty and speech abilty. It seems like you're buying into the assumption that we carry our ASL 'terps everywhere. Not quite. All it means is that we can function both with and without our HA/CIs!
 
bbaseballboy123 said:
Okay, so you have no problem taking your ASL interpreter when hanging out with friends (private life)?
It seems all you guys do is go to school and talk about the benefits of ASL AT SCHOOL, what about your personal life?
My life been depressing since my implant broke, only way to communiate is friends through paper notes/texting.
I would find it incredibly akward to have an adult interpet me, makes me look "small and dumb" and I doubt you would bring an interpert to go to parties...

But again, it seems you guys have friends that are also deaf unlike me. All of my friends do not know ASL (asked many times last few weeks), well besides one. but one out of many in my classes and track team??
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My point about knowing ASL in the schools is that it gets you through your classes of 30+ students (or however many are in your class) and being able to understand the teacher (and students asking questions). I didn't say an ASL interpreter had to go with you everywhere in private life -- that would be unrealistic. In private life, it's up to you to find the people around you that are willing to understand your deafness and communicate with you as best as you can. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. If you have friends that sigh, roll their eyes, whatever because you don't understand them or ask them to repeat themselves and they don't want to bother, it's time you find new friends. We've all been there and done that. Really. Stick around and you will hear the same stories time and time again.
 
AlleyCat said:
My point about knowing ASL in the schools is that it gets you through your classes of 30+ students (or however many are in your class) and being able to understand the teacher (and students asking questions). I didn't say an ASL interpreter had to go with you everywhere in private life -- that would be unrealistic. In private life, it's up to you to find the people around you that are willing to understand your deafness and communicate with you as best as you can. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. If you have friends that sigh, roll their eyes, whatever because you don't understand them or ask them to repeat themselves and they don't want to bother, it's time you find new friends. We've all been there and done that. Really. Stick around and you will hear the same stories time and time again.
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Yea, many deaf people I know who are native ASL users have great problem solving skills when it comes to interacting with non-signers. It makes me proud to call them my friends.
 
Yes, bbaseballboy123, despite what you may think most kids/people who Sign ALSO speak too! It's kind of rare overall to meet a voice off Deafie.
 
deafdyke said:
Yes, bbaseballboy123, despite what you may think most kids/people who Sign ALSO speak too! It's kind of rare overall to meet a voice off Deafie.
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You guys, I never said anything about actual talking to them (you talk - to them), I meant them talk to you without sign language. Major language everyone knows is English and if you cant understand someone because you cant hear then how can you be friends (this includes no help without interpreter.)
 
bbaseballboy123 said:
You guys, I never said anything about actual talking to them (you talk - to them), I meant them talk to you without sign language. Major language everyone knows is English and if you cant understand someone because you cant hear then how can you be friends (this includes no help without interpreter.)
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Me This post originally asked who the hell wants to text or write if you can't understand. He changed it as I quoted.
 
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bbaseballboy123 said:
You guys, I never said anything about actual talking to them (you talk - to them), I meant them talk to you without sign language. Major language everyone knows is English and if you cant understand someone because you cant hear then how can you be friends (this includes no help without interpreter.)
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Speech is not a requirement for friendship. Nor for communication.
 
BecLak said:
The point I am trying to bring across is that even though I as severely-deaf can hear some sound, it is not useful sound, it is just irritating noise and gibberish. What benefit is that really?
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I've seen some with a severe loss make a pretty good use of their hearing aids though.
 
bbaseballboy123,

Hang in there. You're going to be activated again shortly. That'll get you up and running again! :)
 
Hohtopics said:
I've seen some with a severe loss make a pretty good use of their hearing aids though.
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I don't wear HAs or CIs and I have very good reasons not to. Let's not have to go there, where I need to repeat myself to you over and over. You are only stirring the pot. I do not agree with assistive hearing apparatus. They are not necessary in my personal opinion. I am severely-deaf, not severely HOH. We differ in opinions obviously - so let's leave it at that.
 
bbaseballboy123 said:
Okay, so you have no problem taking your ASL interpreter when hanging out with friends (private life)?
It seems all you guys do is go to school and talk about the benefits of ASL AT SCHOOL, what about your personal life?
My life been depressing since my implant broke, only way to communiate is friends through paper notes/texting.
I would find it incredibly akward to have an adult interpet me, makes me look "small and dumb" and I doubt you would bring an interpert to go to parties...

But again, it seems you guys have friends that are also deaf unlike me. All of my friends do not know ASL (asked many times last few weeks), well besides one. but one out of many in my classes and track team??
Click to expand...

You are showing that you are lacking in self-confidence with that particular gloom and doom attitude of yours. It's not a characteristic trait one would find to be admirable.

With that type of attitude, you are only making the people around you feel uncomfortable.
 
relying on technology is a big sucker. I witnessed my hubby when he lost his processor. :shock:
 
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