Re: Anyone implanted due to Meniere's?

May 14, 2003

Hi

My friend has Menieres and was implanted about a year ago and is doing great.Her

name is Pat.If you want her Email Address just Email me..I am sure she would

love to tell you her story.

Dora Weber

Anyone implanted due to Meniere's?

Greetings everyone. I'm new to the group and interested in hearing

from anyone who has been implanted due to Meniere's disease. I'm

close to qualifying for a CI and trying to learn as much as possible.

Thanks!

May 14, 2003

Hi tgsigmon:

I got the CI because of hearing loss due to Menieres--what'ya want to know.

It's working for me and I haven't had a knock me down dizzy spell since the

operation in September.

Hal

May 14, 2003

Hi. I am currently in the process of receiving an implant. My hearing loss is

associated with Meniere's.

Have had 5 surgeries prior to this. took care of the vertigo but couldn't save

the hearing. Good luck with your process.

Jim in MN

Anyone implanted due to Meniere's?

Greetings everyone. I'm new to the group and interested in hearing

from anyone who has been implanted due to Meniere's disease. I'm

close to qualifying for a CI and trying to learn as much as possible.

Thanks!

May 14, 2003

Hi Hal, thanks for your reply!

A liitle backround on my situation:

44 yo male

bilateral MM

zero speech recognition left ear / 65% right ear (down from 76% in March '03)

minor daily dizzies / rare knock downs

lifelong career in sales / reaching the end of my coping skills re.

communicating

How bad was your hearing prior to September?

How long had you coped with the loss?

How much improvement from your CI?

Certain that I'm leaving out lots of ?'s please discuss anything you feel

relavent...

Thanks!

Tim

May 14, 2003

Jim thanks for your reply!

Were your surgeries shunts, VNS? Please describe the " process " that you have

experienced...

Thanks!

Tim

May 14, 2003

Hi Tim:

Menieres started 15 years ago as a couple of days of dizziness and hearing

loss and gradually progressed until I had to get hearing aides about 5 years

ago. They helped some until last May when I had a violent dizzy spell and

the hearing dropped to where I can hear a dog bark in the same room, some

road noise and jet planes but forget about speech. I'm 54 years old and a

life long teacher. Doc said the next step was super-powered hearing aides

but when I asked if my hearing was going downhill so fast that I'd need a CI

anyway, he agreed to skip that step. After testing for the CI I clearly

qualified--I could not begin to hear the voice on the CD so the testing was a

joke. Did an MRI and found nothing so in September I did the deed.

I was devastated when I lost my hearing. Got a wee bit paranoid. Anyway the

CI has made so I can communicate with my wife and kids again. I taught all

this year and the CI made that possible but, I tell you, it's a struggle.

There are some voices that I absolutely cannot make out--in person or on the

phone. There are situations that I have not figured out how to

work--intercom messages--meetings with lots of people talking simultaneously.

I had the shunt on the left ear about five years ago and it helped alleviate

some of the vertigo and I haven't had a really bout of dizzies since the

implant of the CI(knock on wood). Doc says I still my Menieres but the CI

seems to have helped with symptoms--when I look up suddenly I get a mild head

rush but nothing like the good ol days of killer roller coaster rides while

lying perfectly flat on my back.

Keep reading this forum and you'll see that everyone has different results

with the CI. I'm so much better off than I was without it, but I'd say I'm

operating at about 75% of hearing capacity--I do better on hearing evals but

those are in sound proof booths.

Hal

May 15, 2003

Jim, did you gain any improvement in your hearing after the shunt surgeries?

I had shunt surgery in '98 and 9 months after had normal hearing in that ear

for 18+ months. My nuero-otologist doesn't do revisions???

May 15, 2003

Yes, Tim they were shunt(endolymphatic sac enhancement surgery)