personality change

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I've been lurking with this forum for 3 years and 2.5 years ago I was

considering the cochlear implant, I was a borderline candidate and decision

has been hard, but in the end I settled with hearing aids.

Now I'm considering again the cochlear implant, I can hear low frequency

sound but it's just not useful in social situations like parties and

restaurants where I entirely depend on my lipreading skills.

Lately I've been avoiding strangers and meet within close circle.

I wonder how many people here experience personality change after having the

cochlear implant?

Thanks.

Regards,

Jerome

[Guest guest]

Hi Jerome.

I know I did. I have become a lot more like my old self. For several years, I

have been avoiding people as much as possible, and getting more like that all

the time. Now I am happily interacting with people again. My friends have even

said that I look younger than I have in years. LOL I wish. I think I just feel

younger.

Jane

personality change

Hi,

I've been lurking with this forum for 3 years and 2.5 years ago I was

considering the cochlear implant, I was a borderline candidate and decision

has been hard, but in the end I settled with hearing aids.

Now I'm considering again the cochlear implant, I can hear low frequency

sound but it's just not useful in social situations like parties and

restaurants where I entirely depend on my lipreading skills.

Lately I've been avoiding strangers and meet within close circle.

I wonder how many people here experience personality change after having the

cochlear implant?

Thanks.

Regards,

Jerome

[Guest guest]

Jerome,

Most definitely! Ever since receiving my first CI, my friends and family

have commented on how much more relaxed and outgoing I am. Even though I

attended social events prior to my CI, I didn't derive the same pleasure out

of them that I do now. Thanks to my CIs, I have no hesitation about joining

in on a conversation. At school I've discovered how much easier it is to

communicate with my professors and other students without having to rely on

a captionist or interpreter. It feels wonderful to be part of a group

without feeling like you are on the sidelines wondering what everyone is

talking or laughing about. I feel much better physically too. I don't have

as many migraine headaches as I did prior to my CIs because I no longer have

to concentrate as hard as I used to in order to hear. Without a doubt, my

life is 1,000 times better now that I have CIs!

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G

Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom

Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06

[Guest guest]

Hi Jerome,

I think I may know you from Beyond Hearing or Hearing Aids. I was a

borderline CI candidate up until July when I finally qualified. I had my

surgery on September 6 and was activated on September 27. I too have decent

low frequency hearing, but my speech discrimination with the hearing aids

was declining fast. I was increasingly frustrated with the poor quality of

speech with the hearing aids (and was using new Phonak Savia 311's with

booted FM). I went in for so many adjustments, it was pathetic. I was still

using the phone prior to the surgery, but with two ears and FM--- and with

increasing frustration. I was just about to have to resort to trying Captel.

My hearing loss was severely impacting my ability to do my work.

I couldn't be happier with my CI. I was able to understand speech at

activation and could hear on the phone right away. Of course, everything

sounded very robotic at first, but voices have normalized now.

As to personality change, I had never allowed my hearing loss to isolate me

in a physical sense. However, I was isolated in the sense that I couldn't

understand most of the conversation going on around me. I depended on my

husband to tell me what was going on-- usually after we got home. Now, I am

not straining to hear. With the Beam program, I have had a good deal of

success hearing in restaurants and noisy places. People not only tell me

that I look happier and more relaxed, but they have also told me that my

speech has improved. I literally feel that the CI has given me my life back.

Lynn

Fairhope, AL

Nucleus Freedom

Surgery date: 9/6/06

Activation date: 9/27/06

_____

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

Jerome Tan

Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 11:20 PM

Subject: personality change

Hi,

I've been lurking with this forum for 3 years and 2.5 years ago I was

considering the cochlear implant, I was a borderline candidate and decision

has been hard, but in the end I settled with hearing aids.

Now I'm considering again the cochlear implant, I can hear low frequency

sound but it's just not useful in social situations like parties and

restaurants where I entirely depend on my lipreading skills.

Lately I've been avoiding strangers and meet within close circle.

I wonder how many people here experience personality change after having the

cochlear implant?

Thanks.

Regards,

Jerome

..

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=50277/stime=1164694493/nc1=3848445/nc2=2/nc3=3>

[Guest guest]

I am another who definitely experienced, not a personality change per se, but a

change in the way I relate to the world. I am much more confident about

approaching people, less fearful that when I do I will not understand them

because they don't articulate well, etc. My MOOD has changed dramatically. It

was the one thing I hadn't anticipated, feeling less anxious and stressed and

more hopeful about things as a result of my new life with the CI. There was a

time that I said I'd never get a cochlear implant. I am so glad I changed my

mind!

Deb

Jerome Tan <tan.jerome@...> wrote:

Hi,

I've been lurking with this forum for 3 years and 2.5 years ago I was

considering the cochlear implant, I was a borderline candidate and decision

has been hard, but in the end I settled with hearing aids.

Now I'm considering again the cochlear implant, I can hear low frequency

sound but it's just not useful in social situations like parties and

restaurants where I entirely depend on my lipreading skills.

Lately I've been avoiding strangers and meet within close circle.

I wonder how many people here experience personality change after having the

cochlear implant?

Thanks.

Regards,

Jerome

[Guest guest]

Hi Jerome,

prior to my CI, I was becoming more and more withdrawn from social contact,

because things were just too hard for both me and the people I was trying to

converse with. One on one wasn't too bad, if the room was quiet,but anywhere

public,

forget it.

Since my Ci (two years ago in a few days) I like to think I've 'bloomed "

again - can take part in

group conversations, talk with people I've never met before, handle foreign

accents better

(Talking on the phone to IT help desks located in Malaysia, for example)

The CI really was a life changing event fo me.

NZ

personality change

Hi,

I've been lurking with this forum for 3 years and 2.5 years ago I was

considering the cochlear implant, I was a borderline candidate and decision

has been hard, but in the end I settled with hearing aids.

Now I'm considering again the cochlear implant, I can hear low frequency

sound but it's just not useful in social situations like parties and

restaurants where I entirely depend on my lipreading skills.

Lately I've been avoiding strangers and meet within close circle.

I wonder how many people here experience personality change after having the

cochlear implant?

Thanks.

Regards,

Jerome

[Guest guest]

This thread brings into mind of how many of us suffer from some sort of

nervous or stress disorder that " could " be attributed to the frustrations of

trying to hear (prior to our CIs.) Personally, I've a history of colon

problems.

Since the CI, I believe I too am more like my old self in personality. Life

is just easier if you aren't constantly either trying to hear or read lips

or just give up in frustration and crawl into a shell and avoid all sorts of

gatherings. Evon

[Guest guest]

Jerome,

I emailed my sister to let her tell her side of the story on how my

personality has changed. She's walked me every step of the way through this CI

journey and sometimes even dragged me when I took two steps back. I think the

honor should be hers. I'll post when she returns my email.

Sharon Myers

Bilateral CI user

*******************

Jerome wrote: I wonder how many people here experience personality change

after having the cochlear implant?

---------------------------------

Everyone is raving about the all-new beta.

[Guest guest]

Jerome,

Here's my sister's reply.

Sharon

> Hi. I'm Wanda, Sharon's sister. I encouraged Sharon for

quite a while to check into getting the CI's before she

would even consider it. As a hearing person I could not

understand why not getting the CI's would even be an option.

Sharon has always been a very good person (perhaps a LITTLE

high-strung, but nevertheless a good person). As she was

losing more of her hearing, she started being more

withdrawn. She was always really good at lip-reading, but

she even got to the point where she wasn't comfortable with

strangers at all. I could tell she was going through some

serious depression, but I felt completely helpless and had

no idea how to help. So, I kept hounding her about the

CI's.

Finally, when an ENT specialist told her that she was

completely deaf (she was convinced she could still hear with

her ears, but it was actually with her eyes), and her only

options were a lifetime of lip-reading or the CI's she woke

up!!!

I have never been so excited as I was on her hookup day.

Sharon and my son ran through the leaves so that she could

hear the sound they made. There have been so many firsts

for her. Sounds that hearing people tune out and take for

granted suddenly were special to our whole family because

this was the first time Sharon had heard so many of them. I

had tried so long to persuade her to do this, but I had no

idea how well it would work.

I also realized after she started to hear, how truly

depressed she had been before. Now instead of staying at

home away from people, she is never at home -- you almost

have to make an appointment. She acts like she has never

seen a stranger. Her personality has done a complete turn

around.

After she got a cell phone, I had to get a Verizon so that

it would be free so us to talk. I have to tell you that

they did not know how many free mobile-to-mobile minutes we

were going to use!

Sorry this is so long, but I can not tell you what a

difference the CI's have made, not only for Sharon, but for

our entire family.

After seeing the difference it has made with Sharon, I would

really suggest that you go for it!!!!!!!!!

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Jerome,

I've had problems with strangers as far back as I can remember. I was born

with a small hearing loss. These CIs have made a world of difference to me. Hope

one day you will be saying the same.

Sharon

Posted by: " Jerome Tan " tan.jerome@... jtan788184

Date: Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:16 am ((PST))

that's very nice. me too i don't have problem with stranger when i'm

hearing

well long time ago, i just can virtually approach anyone without any

fear.

now i'm avoiding everyone even acquaintance.

Regards,

Jerome

Hi. I'm Wanda, Sharon's sister. I encouraged Sharon for

> quite a while to check into getting the CI's before she

> would even consider it. As a hearing person I could not

> understand why not getting the CI's would even be an option.

>

> Sharon has always been a very good person (perhaps a LITTLE

> high-strung, but nevertheless a good person). As she was

> losing more of her hearing, she started being more

> withdrawn. She was always really good at lip-reading, but

> she even got to the point where she wasn't comfortable with

> strangers at all. I could tell she was going through some

> serious depression, but I felt completely helpless and had

> no idea how to help. So, I kept hounding her about the

> CI's.

>

> Finally, when an ENT specialist told her that she was

> completely deaf (she was convinced she could still hear with

> her ears, but it was actually with her eyes), and her only

> options were a lifetime of lip-reading or the CI's she woke

> up!!!

>

> I have never been so excited as I was on her hookup day.

> Sharon and my son ran through the leaves so that she could

> hear the sound they made. There have been so many firsts

> for her. Sounds that hearing people tune out and take for

> granted suddenly were special to our whole family because

> this was the first time Sharon had heard so many of them. I

> had tried so long to persuade her to do this, but I had no

> idea how well it would work.

>

> I also realized after she started to hear, how truly

> depressed she had been before. Now instead of staying at

> home away from people, she is never at home -- you almost

> have to make an appointment. She acts like she has never

> seen a stranger. Her personality has done a complete turn

> around.

>

> After she got a cell phone, I had to get a Verizon so that

> it would be free so us to talk. I have to tell you that

> they did not know how many free mobile-to-mobile minutes we

> were going to use!

>

> Sorry this is so long, but I can not tell you what a

> difference the CI's have made, not only for Sharon, but for

> our entire family.

>

> After seeing the difference it has made with Sharon, I would

> really suggest that you go for it!!!!!!!!!

>

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

No, but I do have a twin with one CI. We are able to talk on the phone for

hours. She finally got her CI in August of 2005. She had two sisters to

encourage her.

Wanda is my youngest sister.

Sharon

************

Posted by: " C J " cjcj05@... momtwins5551

Date: Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:55 am ((PST))

What a beautiful story Sharon and Wanda. I wish I had

a sister to share my CI expierence with.

Are the two of you twins? I have 25 year old twins.

Connie

---------------------------------

Everyone is raving about the all-new beta.