When do you decide that you aren't getting enough benefit from hearing aids?

I should think the decision is easy here......you have a deaf/unaidble ear,with a hoh functioning ear that is best one on one and no other situtions.You have a progressive loss(prog loss people benifit significently from CI when they maxed out on aids)...Implant that ear.....you're not doing what I see some people doing.....being preoccupied with hearing without speechreading, or thinking that since CI is the most cutting edge thing out there it's gotta be best of the best......You're maxing out on aids.....that's the perfect sitution to seek implantation....
 
deafdyke said:
I should think the decision is easy here......you have a deaf/unaidble ear,with a hoh functioning ear that is best one on one and no other situtions.You have a progressive loss(prog loss people benifit significently from CI when they maxed out on aids)...Implant that ear.....you're not doing what I see some people doing.....being preoccupied with hearing without speechreading, or thinking that since CI is the most cutting edge thing out there it's gotta be best of the best......You're maxing out on aids.....that's the perfect sitution to seek implantation....
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Ha. In college I had a summer research internship at Boystown. They were trying to get D/deaf and hard of hearing science students to consider getting a PhD in hearing research. My research was actually about the vestibular system but I had to go to meetings with AudDs, PhDs, and other people involved with CIs.
Anyway, I had to attend weekly meetings with several very well known people in the world of pediatric CIs. I learned so much about what cochlear implants can and can't do (at that point I was not quite a candidate).
I learned that CIs aren't magical cures and that there is SO MUCH WORK (esp for children or people who were born Deaf).
Thus, I've spent the past few years reading up about the various processing methods, the number of electrodes, the electrode depth, etc.
I'm sort of afraid a CI clinic will think I'm crazy because I know about the stimulation strategies.
But can you blame me? I spent an entire summer alone in Omaha without a car and I was 19 so I couldn't go to bars. All I could do was read the papers I was given.
I knew nobody and walked a mile to and from work each day.

A not at all unrelated note- I hate Nebraska except for the Monk's garden at Creighton University where I spent a bunch of time with the monestary kitten.
 
I think I need to re-phrase, That is when I found out that I am not hearing and why pretend to act like hearing? Noticed some people pretend to understand me when pretend to be hearing. Really a real turn off for me.
 
diehardbiker said:
I think I need to re-phrase, That is when I found out that I am not hearing and why pretend to act like hearing? Noticed some people pretend to understand me when pretend to be hearing. Really a real turn off for me.
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From what you have said, it seems like we are in very different places.
You were born deaf but I have progressive hearing loss and have only been audiologically deaf since I was a teenager.

I can understand why you would not want to get a CI, as you say you are deaf so why try to be hearing (your words). That is great.
I'm in a different situation. I grew up in both worlds. I've known ASL since I was young but my hearing was ok-ish for my younger years.

In my case, I can't "pass" as hearing or Deaf. I'm "too hearing" to be Deaf but "way too deaf to be hearing".
 
or maybe the audie would think it's awesome you know so much about the processing and such of the CI's, and they will be able to tell you've really done your research. Nothing wrong with that! My audie loves it when I ask questions about this and that relating to CI's. I do my research too, finding out about the different strategies AB has to offer and discussing them with my audie to see if any particular one might be useful for me, that sort of thing. And even better when I can try the different strategies to get a feel for them and see which one works better for me.

If you do run into any issues with your insurance, surely the CI center you go to can be a great help, as well as the CI manufacturer. the CI manufacturers have their own insurance department full of folks who will deal with your insurance company... sometimes the insurance company is just clueless but the manufacturer (or insurance specialist from the CI center) can help resolve that issue and educate them.
 
Any advice on insurance?
What sorts of tests will I have to "pass" (or in reality fail)?

I downloaded the advanced bionics speech practice app and have tried it a few times.
I have 100% on telling the difference between completely different words but when I try to tell the difference between two similar words I fail.
 
ecp said:
Any advice on insurance?
What sorts of tests will I have to "pass" (or in reality fail)?

I downloaded the advanced bionics speech practice app and have tried it a few times.
I have 100% on telling the difference between completely different words but when I try to tell the difference between two similar words I fail.
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Well don't forget you have an ace in the hole with the fact that you have an unaidable ear......
 
deafdyke said:
Well don't forget you have an ace in the hole with the fact that you have an unaidable ear......
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I don't know if it is unaidable. I wear a hearing aid on my left ear mostly for environmental sounds. I hear stuff, mostly noise.
 
I respect your decision and I don't see anything wrong with it. I wanted that respect returned which is nearly impossible. I am born Deaf, can't audism accept that fact? Most of the time, they can't accept or gasp the idea how I survived while being Deaf. That is absurd!

I was also hoping that those with Hearing loss at later life expose more to audism, that you all learn that losing hearing does not mean end of the world. I would love see that education apply in world full of audism, so that they realize it is stupid to act as pure audism.

BTW, I was laughing at Professional golf torney complaint on craiglist that golfers wants super quiet zone, what a joke. LOLOL I love it. If hearing is so important to them and they can't stand the noise, then they are NOT qualified to play golf. End of discuss.

ecp said:
From what you have said, it seems like we are in very different places.
You were born deaf but I have progressive hearing loss and have only been audiologically deaf since I was a teenager.

I can understand why you would not want to get a CI, as you say you are deaf so why try to be hearing (your words). That is great.
I'm in a different situation. I grew up in both worlds. I've known ASL since I was young but my hearing was ok-ish for my younger years.

In my case, I can't "pass" as hearing or Deaf. I'm "too hearing" to be Deaf but "way too deaf to be hearing".
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diehardbiker said:
I respect your decision and I don't see anything wrong with it. I wanted that respect returned which is nearly impossible. I am born Deaf, can't audism accept that fact? Most of the time, they can't accept or gasp the idea how I survived while being Deaf. That is absurd!

I was also hoping that those with Hearing loss at later life expose more to audism, that you all learn that losing hearing does not mean end of the world.
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I'm really (sincerely) glad you have been successful. It is always surprising when hearing people are surprised that deaf people can DO things. Imagine that!

But for many people who have hearing loss that begins in childhood or later, loosing hearing is very difficult.
It wasn't as bad for me because I already knew ASL but for adults who suddenly loose their hearing, it must be devastating. They go from living in a world of sound to silence in days and are cut off from friends and family.
If they choose to learn ASL, they have to venture into a completely new social group with customs that are unfamiliar. And if they do learn ASL, they are still cut off from friends and family unless their friends and family also learn ASL.
So, loosing hearing CAN seem like the end of the world.
 
ecp said:
I don't know if it is unaidable. I wear a hearing aid on my left ear mostly for environmental sounds. I hear stuff, mostly noise.
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So in your case it would be like a HOH person upgrading from ITE aids for more powerful BTEs?
 
deafdyke said:
So in your case it would be like a HOH person upgrading from ITE aids for more powerful BTEs?
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I'm confused.
I wear the most powerful BTEs available (at the time when I got them) in both ears. More volume is not good for either of my ears. It just causes more distortion and income cases, pain.
So, no.
A CI wouldn't be like upgrading from a less powerful hearing aid to a stronger one. It would be more like going from seeing the world in a very blurry black and white to crisp color. My left ear with my hearing aid can sort of tell if a truck is about to run me over. <---that terrifies my husband because I have a bad habit of not hearing cars coming towards me when walking across a street or parking lot.
My left ear is useless but I still wear a hearing aid (whe I actually wear my hearing aids which is only when I'm out of the house) just to get sound and a balance.
 
Yeah, this is the reason why we need to break down Audism though education. When society allows audism continues, there won't be any education and sadly too many people would freak out once they gone into world of silence in instant, comparing to the rest of disabilities.


ecp said:
But for many people who have hearing loss that begins in childhood or later, loosing hearing is very difficult.
It wasn't as bad for me because I already knew ASL but for adults who suddenly loose their hearing, it must be devastating. They go from living in a world of sound to silence in days and are cut off from friends and family.
If they choose to learn ASL, they have to venture into a completely new social group with customs that are unfamiliar. And if they do learn ASL, they are still cut off from friends and family unless their friends and family also learn ASL.
So, loosing hearing CAN seem like the end of the world.
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ecp said:
I'm confused.
I wear the most powerful BTEs available (at the time when I got them) in both ears. More volume is not good for either of my ears. It just causes more distortion and income cases, pain.
So, no.
A CI wouldn't be like upgrading from a less powerful hearing aid to a stronger one. It would be more like going from seeing the world in a very blurry black and white to crisp color. My left ear with my hearing aid can sort of tell if a truck is about to run me over. <---that terrifies my husband because I have a bad habit of not hearing cars coming towards me when walking across a street or parking lot.
My left ear is useless but I still wear a hearing aid (whe I actually wear my hearing aids which is only when I'm out of the house) just to get sound and a balance.
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Actually it is simlair........the hearing that ITE and dinky aids offer is very often really really bad. as compared to btes.....the hearing difference is THAT much......and is simlair.....not saying its the exact same...but just simlair....You can hear something like 10% with an ITE then you can with a BTE.
 
deafdyke said:
Well don't forget you have an ace in the hole with the fact that you have an unaidable ear......
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I wouldn't say ecp has an unaidable ear, otherwise both my ears would be very unaidable as my loss is all in the 115db mark. It really varies from person to person, that is why the CI center's do all these tests etc.
 
NaidaUP said:
I wouldn't say ecp has an unaidable ear, otherwise both my ears would be very unaidable as my loss is all in the 115db mark. It really varies from person to person, that is why the CI center's do all these tests etc.
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I thought she herslef said that her ear was unaidable? But yes...you're right...it does vary from person to person...Which is of course why I caution people on assuming that CI is always better then aids for "deaf" losses.....This isn't what is happening here, and that's awesome.....ecp appears to really have maxed out...I mean she's getting enviromental sounds but not a lot of speech right? And that's with best aided conditions right? She's not obsessing over hearing without speechreading or thinking that the CI is the best thing in the world.(ie thinking "I can't hear well in noise or I'll use my unaided score to get it)......She's maxed out on aids with what sounds like somewhat poor speech perception...in other words she is hearing pretty much like the way I was with ITE aids....she can hear but not as well as she could with a more powerful device.
 
deafdyke said:
I thought she herslef said that her ear was unaidable? But yes...you're right...it does vary from person to person...Which is of course why I caution people on assuming that CI is always better then aids for "deaf" losses.....This isn't what is happening here, and that's awesome.....ecp appears to really have maxed out...I mean she's getting enviromental sounds but not a lot of speech right? And that's with best aided conditions right? She's not obsessing over hearing without speechreading or thinking that the CI is the best thing in the world.(ie thinking "I can't hear well in noise or I'll use my unaided score to get it)......She's maxed out on aids with what sounds like somewhat poor speech perception...in other words she is hearing pretty much like the way I was with ITE aids....she can hear but not as well as she could with a more powerful device.
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The only difference is that a more powerful hearing aid wouldn't be beneficial. Deafdyke, you, if I recall correctly, have mixed hearing loss so more volume could help you.
For me, I already have the strongest amplification available.
For me, A CI wouldn't be like switching to a more powerful hearing aid since more volume is actually damaging to my ability to hear. A CI would allow me to hear without the pain and distortion from hearing aids.
My left ear is pretty much unaidable. I can't really tell a difference from when I wear a hearing aid in that ear and when I don't. It sounds the same but maybe with a few more sounds.
At this point I need a way to bypass my ****ed up cochleas and a CI is the only way we currently have to do that.
 
What I'm saying isn't about a specific device.....you need more power is all....the story is the same...it's just the devices are different....make sense?
 
I think he's just protesting because more power isn't really the thing we are talking about, it's more clarity.

We can use analogies all day and the problem is mostly that yours isn't wrong, it's just a little clumsy for the situation.

It's more like needing a certain power tool in your garage but you only have the unpowered version of the tool, and it doesn't have the ability to cut through the material, while the power tool does.
 
But a CI is more powerful then an aid....It's more powerful so it gives more clarity....make sense?
 
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