Guest guest Posted May 12, 2003 Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 Hi I wish you the very best with your surgery ..take care .I will be waiting to hear how you are . Love Dora Bilateral Well the big day for me is to have my surgery on May 13th for my second implant and I will be bilateral. I will be staying overnight at a hospital in Miami and Dr. Balkany is doing the surgery. I will be going home the next day and hopefully I will be able to go online on Thursday. Take care South Florida Nucleus 24 10/98 3G 4/02 Bilateral May 13 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2003 Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 ...Hope all goes well. I am bilateral but a test so I have only one right now (get the other one back the 21st). I miss it and can tell a difference in almost everything except the phone. I miss telling which direction a sound is coming from and music is just not near as interesting and it was like going deaf again in one ear and something is missing....Sharon Myers (still waiting and hoping this is the only time I have to go through this) mic55@... wrote:Well the big day for me is to have my surgery on May 13th for my second implant and I will be bilateral. I will be staying overnight at a hospital in Miami and Dr. Balkany is doing the surgery. I will be going home the next day and hopefully I will be able to go online on Thursday. Take care South Florida Nucleus 24 10/98 3G 4/02 Bilateral May 13 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 28, 2003 Report Share Posted November 28, 2003 Hi Dora! This is ! I'm a candidatee for a CI just wondering why u needed to have a bilateral? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 Dora, I appreciate u taking the time to explain this all to me. i'm undestanding it a little better now .But u know when u think about it ,it would be best if everyone could have bilaterals. really we don'r know how much we're still missing withoutboth. but i guess if we can get along with just one CI then i guess it would take alot of convincing to get the insurance to approve it. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2004 Report Share Posted April 21, 2004 Hi Jerome Good to hear from you .I am reading all of your questions and comments on CI HEAR. I first had my N22 implanted in 1996.I had 12 electrodes deactivated due to facial stimulation caused by calcification in my cochlea.I still hard very well for about 4 years.Then my hearing began to go down.My Dr. reccomended I be implanted on the other ear with an N24C.Only 4 electrodes were deactivated.I heard very,very well ..i was hearing the high pitched sounds that I didn't hear with my N22 because so many of the high pitched electrodes were turned off. The reason I gained so many more electrodes with my n24C is because the selfcurling electrode array is snug up against the inner wall of the cochlea where the neve cells are located and as far away from the facial nerve as possible.the only electrodes that caused facial stimulation were the top 4 electrodes that are the closest to the facial nerve.That is where my cochleas are the most porous and the electricity is escaping through the holes,hits the facial nerve and everything goes haywire!! I was just at my clinic on Friday and my audiologist showed me the X_RAYS of both my electrodes..my N24C array reminds me of asleeping baby..it's arms and legs all tucked in. sleeping.My N22 is sleeping with its arms and legs spread out. From: Jerome Co Tan Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 8:11 AM dora_weber@... Subject: bilateral Hi Dora, Would like to ask if you had your bilateral implant done at the same time or one ear at a time? Regards/ Jerome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2004 Report Share Posted May 9, 2004 Hi and I see you are the one I was thinking of. Great to see you are still a guide dog user even with an implant. I've never talked with anyone who has one so don't khnow what people do or don't hear with them and like I said in a different post, my dad is considering a ci and while I am not there, I do now have a bilateral loss thatt I didn't have when I Was in class the first 2 times and caught myself wondering quite a bit this time if I will one day no longer be able to work with a dog because of my hearing. I'm not a candidate now for a ci but for other things thayt I think I'm finally ready for after having my new dog for that first year. Anyway, good to know you still have Gimlit and hopefully will be ableto have more guides if you choose to. I've said espeially when Santa was alive that I HOPE to never have to go back to a cane and I STILL think that way now that I have Santa's successor who is doing very well in the short time I've had him. Re: Bilateral > Dora, > When in Portland, there is no rushing, ok? We need to meet up. > Gimlet says so. LOL I dont doubt Medicare will pay for a 2nd, its > that 20% I need to worry about. > > *---* *---* *---* *---* *---* > Give your child mental blocks for Christmas. > & Gimlet (Guide Dawggie) > Portland, Oregon > N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup > rlclark77@... > http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/ > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Tina, I think I remember you, Santa seems to be the key here. There is no question about it, without the CI, I am not sure I'd be anywhere near as active as I am now. But at this point, I am positive that going bilateral, especially for deafblind, should be an automatic deal. And when I am bilateral, who knows, maybe I will advocate for this. Right now with the one, I feel safe working my dog. Come on over and I can show yuh what its like. LOL (Gimlet is nodding her pretty head, she wants to meet Arnold but I told her, leave the boys alone!) *---* *---* *---* *---* *---* If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. -- & Gimlet (Guide Dawggie) Portland, Oregon N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup rlclark77@... http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Well if I ever get to Portland she can meet my cute labby. Good I hope you can get that other one and that you can do some advocating and that it has alloewed you to be active and continue working your doggie. You got her from GDB didn't you? Were the instructors supportive when you were losing your hearing or did they know about it? They were great with me in class this time although I didn't need much and luckily they let me come home with the retrains rather than stay the full 4 weeks because we were doing so well and my 1 of my aids died right after i got home at least it wasn't in class! But everyfone was great and i think there were even a couple people in the retrain class with much worse hearing than mine and they made it somehow. Re: Bilateral > Tina, > I think I remember you, Santa seems to be the key here. There is > no question about it, without the CI, I am not sure I'd be anywhere > near as active as I am now. But at this point, I am positive that > going bilateral, especially for deafblind, should be an automatic > deal. And when I am bilateral, who knows, maybe I will advocate for > this. Right now with the one, I feel safe working my dog. > > Come on over and I can show yuh what its like. LOL (Gimlet is > nodding her pretty head, she wants to meet Arnold but I told her, > leave the boys alone!) > > *---* *---* *---* *---* *---* > If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. > -- > & Gimlet (Guide Dawggie) > Portland, Oregon > N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup > rlclark77@... > http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/ > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 Tina, Yep. class #28 Boring, Oregon. Yuh know, at the time, I sure wished I knew more about FM systems and the like. I dont know how I made it thru class but yes, the instructors were great and after 6 years with Gimlet, I can only say it could not have been a better match. Think it would be fun to advocate for this. I need to have something to do, hehehe. Oh which campus did you get Arnold from? *---* *---* *---* *---* *---* Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. & Gimlet (Guide Dawggie) Portland, Oregon N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup rlclark77@... http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2004 Report Share Posted July 23, 2004 I think wearing the two of them is best also. That way you would adjust to both at the same time. It would be just a readjustment to have to wear one and then go to them both! Anyway I am looking forward to getting this one hooked up. Bilateral Hi Phyllis Don't really have any tips to make your activation easier .I do remember my 2nd activation very well.When my audiologist turned my N24C on I heard and understood very well but when my N22 was added the sound was so wonderful ..so full and so balanced.I was hearing on both sides of my head for the first time in many.many years.I wore both processors for about 4 hrs. and then my N22 was taken away from me so that i could get used to my N24C.Was going to be a month or so but it stretched into 6mo.By then ,when i started using my N22 the sound was distorted.Things have worked out since and I am now enjoying wonderful surround sound. My advise to you is ..and i hope that your audiologist agrees..is to go home wearing both processors!! Dora Weber Nucleus Volunteer Advocate dora_weber@... Bilateral N22-96 N24C-01 Cochlear Otosclerosis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2004 Report Share Posted July 23, 2004 Dora, I would not like the idea of the first CI being removed to adjust to the second CI and then having to readjust to the first CI again. Am I understanding you correctly? Bilateral > Hi Phyllis > Don't really have any tips to make your activation easier .I do remember my 2nd activation very well.When my audiologist turned my N24C on I heard and understood very well but when my N22 was added the sound was so wonderful ..so full and so balanced.I was hearing on both sides of my head for the first time in many.many years.I wore both processors for about 4 hrs. and then my N22 was taken away from me so that i could get used to my N24C.Was going to be a month or so but it stretched into 6mo.By then ,when i started using my N22 the sound was distorted.Things have worked out since and I am now enjoying wonderful surround sound. > > My advise to you is ..and i hope that your audiologist agrees..is to go home wearing both processors!! > > Dora Weber > Nucleus Volunteer Advocate > dora_weber@... > > Bilateral > N22-96 > N24C-01 > Cochlear Otosclerosis > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2004 Report Share Posted July 23, 2004 I agree. I think I am going to try to adjust to both at once and see where that gets me. Maybe just the one when I am home alone sometimes. Bilateral > Hi Phyllis > Don't really have any tips to make your activation easier .I do remember my 2nd activation very well.When my audiologist turned my N24C on I heard and understood very well but when my N22 was added the sound was so wonderful ..so full and so balanced.I was hearing on both sides of my head for the first time in many.many years.I wore both processors for about 4 hrs. and then my N22 was taken away from me so that i could get used to my N24C.Was going to be a month or so but it stretched into 6mo.By then ,when i started using my N22 the sound was distorted.Things have worked out since and I am now enjoying wonderful surround sound. > > My advise to you is ..and i hope that your audiologist agrees..is to go home wearing both processors!! > > Dora Weber > Nucleus Volunteer Advocate > dora_weber@... > > Bilateral > N22-96 > N24C-01 > Cochlear Otosclerosis > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2004 Report Share Posted July 24, 2004 Dora, Whew! Breathing a sigh of relief. Glad I can adjust to both same time. I hope to see you at picnic too, still need to work out details. Bilateral > Hi > Yep,that is what happened.I couldnot wear my N22 (my first implant)for 6mos.due to not being able to get an appt.This was at the CI Center where I was implanted ..not at the center where I go to now.That would not have happened at the center where we both are patients.I have a friend who was sequentially implanted there and she has used both CI " s from day 1.Hope to chat with you at the meeting and picnic next month. > Dora Weber > Nucleus Volunteer Advocate > dora_weber@... > > Bilateral > N22-96 > N24C-01 > Cochlear Otosclerosis > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Hi Jackie I am sure you know my hearing history by now and how I came to be bilaterally implanted.My hearing had gone down with my first implant.....I don't know what your scores are with testing but my present surgeon will consider bilaterals for someone who gets 40% or less on HINT sentence testing.One thing ...there is no way of knowing preoperatively which ear will do best with a cI..so it is possible that the other ear would do better.I would talk this over with your CI team,Jackie. Dora Weber Nucleus Volunteer Advocate dora_weber@... Bilateral N22-96 N24C-01 Cochlear Otosclerosis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Forget about waiting for Monday and the questions from the guard, Sharon! I'll start now. Hasn't your Mom ever taught you to look both ways before crossing a street or parking lot? ;-) I could not resist asking this. I already have one friend in the hospital this weekend. I do not need another one. Do you hear? I am sooooo glad you were able to see the truck in time. Now you take care and enjoy your day. Patti Surgery Day 11/25/02 (What A Day!) Hook Up Day BWP 1/2/03 (A Happy Day!) 3G 1/31/03 (An Even Happier Day!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Thanks Patti. It's been a wonderful 2 years being able to hear again. I didn't feel you were butting into my business. It just showed me that you are a very caring and sensitive person. You probably worry more about others than you do yourself. I'm back to my old self again after learning a lesson the hard and spooky way. I remember those days using one hearing aid back in high school and I never liked it. That is why I jumped at the chance to be in the test trials for bilaterals. If I'd never had hearing just in one ear like you, I probably would have gotten one CI. I'm glad you are doing so well with yours. I was never a phone person either, Patti, except with my twin but I wanted to be. In the beginning I listened to those 800 numbers for hours, sometimes almost falling asleep. Then I'd take a nap, dream a little and get back at it. It wasn't easy but I was determined. I still ask for repeats and sometimes freeze up but it is ok. There are still fast talkers I can't understand or get to slow down but I have the option of hanging up. It's good to hear you no longer drench the receiver with sweat. That's a big step. Keep up the good work and go at your own pace. As you said, it does get easier with time. Hang in there. Sharon Myers Bilateral CIs *************************** Hi Sharon! I LOVE reading experiences from you Bilaterals both the good and the downright spooky. Thanks so much for sharing your latest, albeit, terrifying CI Moment. Yes, this is one thing your mom never needs to know about. Now I will mind my own business. 8-) I love to read what it's like to be bilateral. I have never ever heard via my right ear so I don't know what it's like to hear with two ears. It's really neat that in just two years you have become so dependent on hearing with your CIs that you are comfy just going about your business while listening for sounds with your CIs. WOW! You have come a long way in two years! I'm thrilled for you. Thanks for the phone tip. I will keep it in mind. I must admit I'm not a phone person. I do well with phone calls with my siblings and close friends; but I stress out at the thought of talking to someone who I am not familiar with. It's hard getting over a lifelong phone phobia. Each time I do answer the phone, it gets easier and I no longer leave the receiver drenched in sweat. ;-) Thanks again for sharing your latest bilateral experience. Continued success to you, Sharon! Patti Surgery Day 11/25/02 (What A Day!) Hook Up Day BWP 1/2/03 (A Happy Day!) 3G 1/31/03 (An Even Happier Day!) __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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