What has a CI allowed you to do that before you couldn't

deafdyke said:
Oh OK......But still.....you might find a body worn aid of use in your unimplanted ear....Just a word of advice. And anyway, CIs are covered by health insurances and stuff (which is AWESOME for you!)whereas hearing aids aren't......grrrrrrr!
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I had asked my Audi (for my CI) that very question why HAs weren't covered like CIs. She basically said it probably was because the number of people needing a HA are numerous enough and getting more so everyday that it wasn't "practical" for health insurance companies to cover them. I could understand that argument at today's HA prices but not yesterday's HA prices. Whereas people needing and recieving CIs will be for the forseeable future be a much smaller population even though the expenses are fairly steep (anywhere from $50 to $100 grand).

I still think health insurance companies need to consider assisting in some form or fashion those wearing HAs.
 
She basically said it probably was because the number of people needing a HA are numerous enough and getting more so everyday that it wasn't "practical" for health insurance companies to cover them.
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I think also that it's b/c they are afraid that people will go for the tiny baby aids(which are generally more expensive and they break down faster) and the really digtal ones too.....
Whereas people needing and recieving CIs will be for the forseeable future be a much smaller population even though the expenses are fairly steep (anywhere from $50 to $100 grand).
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Well what about the folks who are opting for implantation even thou they get a ton of benifit from aids? I think that insurance cos might be reducing the approval of CIs and requiring an audiogram (both aided and uniaided) before implantation.....I know that some hoisptials have picked up the unpaid costs associated with implantation......GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR no wonder our health care costs are SO high!
 
Actually when I first started this past job, CI wasn't even covered... I called my health insurance company and asked why it wasn't covered their response was "It is cosematic" I was like WHAT?? are you kidding me?? You think I am getting a breast implant so my boobs would look better (even though I wasnt a woman - but trying to make a point" I said, have you seen anyone with a CI? It looks like they are walking around like aliens with antenanes on their heads. ROFL...

But now my insurance is now covering it after a year of fighting for it.
 
deafdyke said:
I think also that it's b/c they are afraid that people will go for the tiny baby aids(which are generally more expensive and they break down faster) and the really digtal ones too.....
Well what about the folks who are opting for implantation even thou they get a ton of benifit from aids? I think that insurance cos might be reducing the approval of CIs and requiring an audiogram (both aided and uniaided) before implantation.....I know that some hoisptials have picked up the unpaid costs associated with implantation......GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR no wonder our health care costs are SO high!
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I can agree with you on that about current projections that health insurance companies are looking at but that doesn't explain why they didn't cover HAs prior to the digital HAs and microHAs. HAs in the past have been rather plain vanilla...

As for your contention about everybody and anybody can get a CI even when people are still doing well with HAs... Well, I have my doubts on that. The reason I say that is because where I went to get my CI they considered me borderline and only as a candidate to be considered for a CI and I was legally deaf!!! I had to go through more testing before they agreed that I was truely a candidate and it was then up to me to decide whether I go through with it and obviously I did.
 
DefLord said:
Actually when I first started this past job, CI wasn't even covered... I called my health insurance company and asked why it wasn't covered their response was "It is cosematic" I was like WHAT?? are you kidding me?? You think I am getting a breast implant so my boobs would look better (even though I wasnt a woman - but trying to make a point" I said, have you seen anyone with a CI? It looks like they are walking around like aliens with antenanes on their heads. ROFL...

But now my insurance is now covering it after a year of fighting for it.
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*Snort* Cosmetic indeed! If those clowns knew what we had to go through to get one...and (as you said) on top of that how it looks on most of us (those that can't hide it under hair)...
 
Deflord.....that's GREAT that it's now covered. But, I mean a lot of insurances now cover CI.
sr171soars, I think it depends on the implant center. In the US, there are some folks getting implanted who get no benifit from hearing aids, but there are some who are getting implanted for dubious reasons. I know of a person who can hear 80% with hearing aids, who is STILL thinking about getting CI'd! I read an article by a member of the Oral Deaf adults, who is thinking of implantation so he can hear better in noise?!?!?! I just think that in a lot of cases, the criteria for implantation is a little too loose. I mean, there's nothing wrong with implanting a person who gets very little benifit from hearing aids ( eg at best, can only hear 30%-40% of speech AIDED, or who have auditory nereopathy. But implanting someone b/c it seems better? It almost seems like some people think they have to have the LATEST GREATEST most advanced technology possible, otherwise they are missing out. Go check out the SHHH boards....they yap on and on and on about how the technology is the thing that's gonna be the thing to improve our hoh lives.
Dunno why they didn't cover aids when they were plain vanilla......
 
DefLord,

Good luck to you on your upcoming surgery. It's amazing that now they can do the activation 2 weeks or so after surgery.... when I was implanted 3 years ago, I had to wait a month. Very nerve-wracking. Depends on where you get it done though!

I'll be honest and say that activation is not fun in the beginning. Be prepared to be OVERWHELMED and don't be surprised if there are a lot of things that you won't be able to hear for a while. I remmy my first couple days I couldn't hear footsteps, car horns, etc... but after your brain gets some time to adjust it'll get better and better! Whatever you do, don't set yourself up for impossible standards and don't try and compare your progress against other CI users who claim that they are tremendously "successful" with their CI's. It's a complicated road and everyone progresses with the CI at their own pace.
It is kinda amusing to hear all the Mickey Mouse/Darth Vader voices at first. That goes away though...

I was afraid I'd get slammed for getting the CI too. I graduated from Gally also and am an ASL teacher, for god's sake! Certainly I thought that my friends in the Deaf community would reject me. When they found out, some were shocked but eventually were supportive. I did have to reassure some of them that I was not going to turn into a pseudo-hearie (*making the "hearing" sign in front of my forehead) being in the manner of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Borgs from Star Trek, etc.... Every now and then I have to put up with a little bit of ribbing about having become a robot, but hey, it comes with the territory I guess.
 
Haha! Yea I know it is probably much more tolerant now than it was back then. I mean geez I could remember the "WARS" of the CI issues during my Gallaudet days. But you know the technology back then (in the 90's) was not as advanced as they are now. And now they are starting to become more acceptable. One of the strong deaf leaders in Texas got one and he even got one for his daughter, I fell out of my chair and he was the LAST person I'd expect to get one. But he is STILL very proactive in the deaf community, and he LOVES his CI but he says I am STILL DEAF! I am happy for him. So I'm somewhat excited and nervous the same time! Only 5 days to go!
 
What type of hearing loss is a good candidate for CI? My hearing loss is hereditary. Nerve deafness. Can CI correct nerve deafness? I was a former teacher and I want to teach again. Aside from my hearing, I also lost my self-confidence and this is my worse problem. I'm scared to try teaching again and mess up everything because my hearing sucks.
 
What type of hearing loss is a good candidate for CI? My hearing loss is hereditary. Nerve deafness. Can CI correct nerve deafness? I was a former teacher and I want to teach again. Aside from my hearing, I also lost my self-confidence and this is my worse problem. I'm scared to try teaching again and mess up everything because my hearing sucks.
 
athina said:
What type of hearing loss is a good candidate for CI? My hearing loss is hereditary. Nerve deafness. Can CI correct nerve deafness? I was a former teacher and I want to teach again. Aside from my hearing, I also lost my self-confidence and this is my worse problem. I'm scared to try teaching again and mess up everything because my hearing sucks.
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HI Athina! I see you are rather new to AD. Welcome aboard and enjoy!

Generally speaking, nerve deafness is a very broad statement of what ails anybody's hearing. You need to visit with an ear specialist to determine exactly what is your particular form of hearing loss. Once that is figured out, you then can proceed with possible solutions to resolve the issue. Sometimes, there is no solution for a hearing loss.

A CI is used when one's hearing loss is related to the failure of cochlear hairs to function properly. This is by the way the most common hearing loss. Typically, there are standards that are set in a host country that determines whether or not one qualifies for a CI. So, you need to find out where there is a "CI" center in your area. They will test you and determine your suitability for a CI.

Hope that helps!
 
DefLord said:
Ummm actually I probably will -

1) I come from a deaf family
2) My brother and I are pretty known in the Gallaudet community
3) I had been an advocate with deaf community for years

So - but yes I have started to see more acceptance within the community - I got slammed when I married my hearing wife. So this will be nothing new! ;) :Ohno:

haha
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Wow! I have almost exactly the same background! Don't worry about all those knives that's bound to end up in your back. You'll be allright... the future is going to change for the better.

BTW, were you and your brother one of the DPN leaders? You don't have to answer that, though.

Anyway, this thread is making the itch to hear almost impossible to ignore..
 
deafdyke said:
What has the CI allowed me to do, that I couldn't before? (imitates a SHHH/HE poster) It let me hear my poop plop in the toilet.....could NEVER have done that with hearing aids! (/end SHHH/HE poster)
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All I have to say is, that is awesome. Not a sound I would have thought about hearing. I am hearing and I try not to hear that sound lol.
 
RDC_girl said:
All I have to say is, that is awesome. Not a sound I would have thought about hearing. I am hearing and I try not to hear that sound lol.
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Pssssst Deafdyke was being sarcastic. There's this joke among non CI users that we are obsessed with the sound of our toileting after we are switched on :) They are just jealous heh heh.
 
Hi Cyborg soars,
Thanks for the info. Ear docs have poked into my ears way back and they say nothing's wrong with it. It's the nerves they said. Perhaps cochlear hairs have nerve endings of sorts. :) Ok thanks a lot, I'll go look for a better audi.

Athina
 
athina said:
Hi Cyborg soars,
Thanks for the info. Ear docs have poked into my ears way back and they say nothing's wrong with it. It's the nerves they said. Perhaps cochlear hairs have nerve endings of sorts. :) Ok thanks a lot, I'll go look for a better audi.

Athina
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Actually, "nerve deafness" is one of the ways of describing cochlear hair damage. I know for myself when I was young, they called my hearing loss nerve deafness. One can always hope. :D

I wish you the best of success in your endeavors!
 
Wow reading all this is getting me very excited, I get switched on in 'TWO' days!! These last three weeks have gone by sooo slowly,actually the month before I had my op went by faster than these last 3 weeks have argghh!! I know that I may not hear straight away & will take time but to think that I am on my way! Good luck to you DefLord for your upcoming op.
Ange.
 
Ange,

Deflord has been implanted for over a year - someone reactivated an old thread. I read some of his posts after he had been implanted and when I was waiting to be implanted and his results were very impressive. It's a shame he doesn't post here very much these days.
 
Don't feel silly, Ange! You only recently signed on...

Two days? (oh, make that ONE day!!!! :hyper: :run: )

Wow, there seem to be a spate of people getting CIs and "turning on" -- Lucia was like about 2 weeks ago (is that right, Lucia?)
 
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