Hi, I am C. Knight (bilateral C I)

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My name is C. Knight (deaf-blind since infancy) and I am now 48 years of

age.

I wore Hearing aids for over 40 years-and they quit working for me-so I now have

bilateral cochlear implants.

P told us (my Precious Art and I) about the CI Hear group. (Thank you

)! I also see some familiar names on this list. It's good to see all of

you!

Art whom I call (Precious) and I have been happily together for going on our

sixth year and we live here in New Port Richey FL.

We both have beautiful guide dogs-he has a golden retriever Male named dusty age

6. I have a seven-year-old Black Lab Female named charcoal

We met at Southeastern Guide dogs inc. in June 2000. After we graduated from

the guide dog school we exchanged e-mail addresses and went our separate ways.

Several days later, I sent him an e-mail and well one thing led to another and

we found our special wave-length (love) for each other.

I was married at that time and my now ex husband (ex and I were married to each

other times 2) were not getting along with each other.

He didn't see a problem but I saw plenty. He didn't have any patience with my

deteriorating hearing ability and he also had chronic temper tantrums.

So I was so very depressed and I felt so isolated. My ex didn't care and he

didn't understand and never wanted to understand.

I told Art (precious) that I was comtemplating running away. On October 30, 2000

Precious with a friend and town car came to my home in GA and we loaded up what

I needed to take and my guide dog and leaving a note to ex in the door, I left

him and GA behind, never to return.

Precious and I have been through a great deal together . Even though I was

loosing my hearing daily, we were still able to communicate-even if he had to

repeat things to me or rephrase what he was saying to me in order for me to

understand what was said.

Now with my bilateral CIs, we are communicating so much easier and many doors

have been opened to us. We simply enjoy covnersation over coffee or even if we

are just sitting together.

With my implants (bilateral), i so much enjoy listening to programs such as

Judge Judy, and some of the other court programs on TV. I also enjoy listening

and can understand very clearly the news-when they don't have that loud

background stuff in the backgground.

We read / listen to talking books together.

After my first implant (my CII), it took me seventeen months to get to where I

could understand talking books again. I thought at first, that that joyful part

of my life was over-for I loved to read. At that time too, I was using the SAS

strategy-which I cannot tolerate.

Seventeen months post activation of my CII, my audiologist Dr.

in Tampa FL with Apryl Sweat (AB rep) present switched me to the HiRes.S.

strategy. this was September 3, 2003.

This set us (precious and I) on an uphill trott! And I mean we trotted!

In January 2004, I purchased a T-Mic and let me tell you all, I took to that

t-mic like a horse to water! hahaha!

I use that cellular phone with absolutely no problem!

When I got the HiRes, Talking books became a joy once again!

After much hassle and changing of medicaid HMO insurance health plans, I got the

approval for the second C I in August of 2005.

In the earlier days of trying for the second implant, one of my first HMO plans

objected to the second implant for the reason " that according to medicaid rules,

a second implant was considered " a personal comfort item " .

Now my blindness was given as the necessary reason for the implant-but that

particular HMO (no longer in business) just didn't get it.

But here we are finally bilateral.

Hugs to all!

C. Knight

Deaf-Blind since infancy

Reading e-mail via JAWS, (screen reader)

Bilateral C I,

Cii implant, 03-11-02

90K Implant, 11-29-04

e-mail, admiral-lck@...