Re: Lurker concerns/questions

[Guest guest]

Hi Stan,

I'm so glad you posted to the group and let us know of your fears

and concerns. Believe me when I tell you you are not alone in having

these doubts and fears.. it's a perfectly normal part of the ci

process and you're going to find a wealth of support amongst the

members of this list.

I can certainly understand your aprehension at not being able to

hear for the 4-6 weeks following surgery..I'm not even a good lip

reader, but I managed just fine and carried a pad of paper and pen

with me so people could write their messages if needed...My mother

relied on note writing for 25 years or better and this was my

inspiration for getting through the post surgical recovery period..

I thought.. If my mom could do this for so many years.. I can surely

do it for 4 weeks! Spent a lot of that time communicating through

emails and chat lines too, but I had been using the pc as my primary

communication mode for several years prior to being implanted.

Sounds like you are quite a good lip reader so I think you will get

through that period with no problem.

As for the implant not working well, You are right in saying it's a

minority group that has failures.Many of us have had frustrations

along the journey, but this is entirely different than having a

failure. This is where you just have to put your faith and trust

somewhere and with a positive attitude say.. This is going to work,

I am going to hear better than I did!

Maybe you won't like the sound right away, and maybe you'll be the

exception like my family was.. My mother, one sister and I all had

immediate success upon activation. My oldest sister who had been

totally deaf for 30 + years took about 3 months to get good

understanding, but her progress was amazing and on a daily basis she

picked up more and more. I only had 3% hearing in my " good " ear and

my mom was totally deaf in both ears. I believe that with the amount

of hearing you still have you would do well, but I'm not the expert,

and I can't say this for sure.. I'm just going by my family's

experience. Just be sure to voice your fears to your surgeon and

between the two of you you will be able to make the right choice for

you. The majority of the ci users are in agreement that their

hearing is much better now than it was before being implanted.

Please know we are here for you and I hope you will continue to

share your journey with us. Many of us have been there, done that

and got the ci and couldn't be happier with the results.

Ask any question you want because no question is too mundane or

foolish to be answered..If you want to know.. It's a valid

question<smiles>

Wishing you all the best.

Warm regards,

Silly MI

In , " runwritebike " <scstraub@m...> wrote:

> Hi,

> I have also been a lurker, but have spent a great deal of time

> reading all the messages and finding out as much as I can about

> CI's. I thought a CI might be sometime in the next few years, but

> last Fri. I was evaluated by an audiologist at the Eugene Hearing

and

> Speech Center in Eugene, Oregon. I am totally deaf in my right

ear

> and have been for about 20 to 25 years. I use a Opticon Sumo

hearing

> aid in my left ear and have for over 35 years. The results for my

> good (?) left ear showed a 29.5% word recognition. I did do very

> well, according to the audiologist, at lip reading. After the

> evaluation, I was told that I qualify for a CI.

[Guest guest]

> Hi ,

Thank you very much for your reply. What you said about being able

to go for 5 to 6 weeks without hearing because your mother could do

it for years, really helps me. Since I was (am) in the same

situation. I feel if my mother could go for years and be as cheerful

and positive as she was without being able to hear, I should be able

to make it a few weeks. Then, just like you, I will be starting on a

new and exciting adventure. Unlike our mother's, we'll be sitting in

a rocking chair at a ripe old age, and be able to hear the creaking

of the rocker as we rock (LOL). And, just like all the CI'ers before

me, I'm sure I'll be on an emotional roller coaster. But, it should

sure be a lot better than the alternative. And, I'm ready for the

roller coaster (LOL). My hearing in my good ear

(with Oticon Sumo) has been going downhill a quite a lot in the last

couple of years. Just two years ago I could use the phone with the

Telecon setting on HA, now I have a very difficult time. Also, I'm

having a harder and harder time hearing (understanding) what is said,

even in a one-on-one setting. And, forget about a noisy setting. I

just attended my wife's class reunion and I couldn't hardly hear

anyone in the room, including my wife. Again, the alternative of not

getting a CI, is not one I'm looking forward to. So, hopefully it

won't be too long before I too will be writing about a CI moment.

Thanks again,

Sincerely,

Stan (Cottage Grove, Oregon)

[Guest guest]

I am in the same boat you are in, one ear has been dead for years

and the other is getting worse. My surgeon said that there is no

real evidence to prove implanting the good ear will give you better

results. So I am in the process of having my bad ear implanted.

Also more insurance companies are allowing both ears to be implanted.

Good Luck,

Doug

> Hi,

> I have also been a lurker, but have spent a great deal of time

> reading all the messages and finding out as much as I can about

> CI's. I thought a CI might be sometime in the next few years, but

> last Fri. I was evaluated by an audiologist at the Eugene Hearing

and

> Speech Center in Eugene, Oregon. I am totally deaf in my right

ear

> and have been for about 20 to 25 years. I use a Opticon Sumo

hearing

> aid in my left ear and have for over 35 years. The results for my

> good (?) left ear showed a 29.5% word recognition. I did do very

> well, according to the audiologist, at lip reading. After the

> evaluation, I was told that I qualify for a CI. The audiologist

said

> that since it's been so long since I've heard anything with the

right

> ear, that she would recommend that I have the good ear implanted.

> Although I felt that I probably qualified for a CI, I was

> anticipating them saying they would implant the bad ear. So, now

> although I'm planning on going ahead with the next step of

visiting a

> CI implant surgeon in Portland Oregon at OHSU, I have some

> questions/concerns. I plan on waiting to hear what the surgeon

says

> regarding which ear to implant. If he also recommends my good ear

> and I get approval (CT Scan/Insurance/etc.) for the implant, I am

a

> little nervous about being totally deaf for 5 to 6 weeks between

> surgery and turn-on. Then, I'm also concerned (nervous) about

what

> happens if after turn-on, my previously good (?) ear with a CI

> implant, doesn't work at all or that sound is terribly distorted.

I

> hear lot's of wonderful CI stories that encourages me an awful

lot,

> but I've also seen some stories (I believe a minority) in which

the

> implant didn't work or didn't work well.

> My wife wants me to go through with the CI and I also want to go

> through with it. I watched my poor mother struggle for many years

> without being able to hear and I don't want to have to go through

> that if I can help it. My mother passed away at 93 and for many

> years of her life she could not hear anything even with the most

> powerful body aid.

> Sorry for rambling on so long, but thought I would write about my

> concerns and see if anyone has any words of encouragement/wisdom.

> Thanks for listening. I really have gotten a lot of information

from

> this group and think it is one of the best.

> Stan Straub Cottage Grove, Oregon

[Guest guest]

Hi Doug,

Interesting to see what your surgeon said about not being any

difference between implanting good ear vs bad ear. Maybe when I

visit my surgeon, he'll say the same thing. It may have just been

the audiologists opinion that it would be better to implant my good

ear. Will just have to wait and see what the surgeon says. Good

luck to you, also. Have you been implanted yet or if

not do you have a date?

Best Regards,

Stan (Cottage Grove, Oregon)

> I am in the same boat you are in, one ear has been dead for years

> and the other is getting worse. My surgeon said that there is no

> real evidence to prove implanting the good ear will give you better

> results. So I am in the process of having my bad ear implanted.

> Also more insurance companies are allowing both ears to be

implanted.

>

> Good Luck,

> Doug

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm waiting for the insurance approval for my CI.

Remember, even if you good ear is not that good, it is still more

input for your brain to use.

Doug

> > I am in the same boat you are in, one ear has been dead for

years

> > and the other is getting worse. My surgeon said that there is

no

> > real evidence to prove implanting the good ear will give you

better

> > results. So I am in the process of having my bad ear

implanted.

> > Also more insurance companies are allowing both ears to be

> implanted.

> >

> > Good Luck,

> > Doug

> >

> >