Re: Bilateral regrets ?

[Guest guest]

Why should anyone elses regret affect you, ? Do you regret going

bi-lateral? Why dont you rephrase the question and ask if anyone is

happy that they went bi-lateral? I think its better to look for the

positives in life, rather than the negatives.

Ted F.

>

> Has anyone ever regretted going bilateral ?

>

> Thank you

>

[Guest guest]

Hi-

I just went bilateral after having one side for 3 years--(the right

side was activated just a week ago)

There is a big difference -----it definitely helps to hear from both

sides--it is really apparent if you listen with both-then disconnect

the right side---basically you get used to hearing with just one and

so think things are ok-but when the other side is activated it brings

up speech recognition at minimum 20% to 40% and that is just in a week-

PS-when i go to the audi to get mapping--I have her do it by

different frequencies-as that can really help as opposed to just

broader bands--I have the new AB 120's

Last-I'm sure everyone will have a different experience-but I am sure

glad i did it.

Dennis Handa

On Nov 25, 2007, at 1:24 PM, Vacks wrote:

> Has anyone ever regretted going bilateral ?

>

> Thank you

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Late in 2004, I lost all my hearing in my " good " ear, then got an implant,

got much better hearing than any time in the past. The other ear,since birth

almost no hearing,now practically zero. I am told, time and again,even

bilateral will not help. Any new development that will give me hope?Thank

you, Moses Katz

On 11/25/07, Vacks <vacklist77@...> wrote:

>

> Has anyone ever regretted going bilateral ?

>

> Thank you

>

>

[Guest guest]

, to me the decision to go bilateral is pretty easy. I don't want to

go bilateral. My lifestyle just doesn't present an issue anymore which it

would benefit me a great deal. I'm retired - so, I am content with what I have

(left implant June/2003). Others who are retired may feel totally

different than I do - so, it is definitely a personal decision. I don't think

it is

really something one needs to weigh around with others. You have one - so,

you know what is involved. Do you want all that doubled? True, you'd get a

much better sense of " where " sounds are coming from I guess - but, does that

bother you? See what I mean? Many will totally disagree with me. That's

ok. It's " my " decision. I'm happy with it.

Evon

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[Guest guest]

Late in 2004, I lost all my hearing in my " good " ear, then got an implant,

> got much better hearing than any time in the past. The other ear,since birth

> almost no hearing,now practically zero. I am told, time and again,even

> bilateral will not help. Any new development that will give me hope?Thank

> you, Moses Katz

>

[Guest guest]

None! I was very glad that I did it and am enjoying the extra oomph

and support that the other ear gives me. I particularly notice the

additional benefit in noisy situations. Also music sounds better to

me than before, which is a bonus.

Nucleus Freedom both ears

>

> Has anyone ever regretted going bilateral ?

>

> Thank you

>

[Guest guest]

That sounds much better, when you put it like that, . Your first

message made it sound as though you might have been a disgruntled

customer who went bi-lateral and didnt get the results they expected.

No aplogy is required. Good luck in your endeavours.

I only have the one implant, but would get the 2nd one without any

hesitation. My implanted ear has taken over now and the other ear is

just there for the ride. The hearing aid in it is still very helpful

though, in giving me a better rounded sound, but the ear on its own is

useless.

Ted F.

>

> I apologize. I didn't mean to be vague. I have been successfully

> implanted with one ear and have recently been exploring whether or

> not to go bilateral. I have done a lot of research and have seen a

> lot of positive comments from professionals and users but I want to

> be able to weeing in negative possibilities in making a a decisions

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Ted-

>

> What is it like to have a CI and a HA? I have heard that people liked

> having two CIs more than having a CI and a HA because the sounds

sound

> better...

>

> --

>

In my case I heard well with a hearing aid and a implant. The trick is

to adjust the hearing aid to the implant not for the ear in order to

get best results. Luckly for me since I can not go bilateral with the

implants.

[Guest guest]

Hello

For me, the C.I. and hearing aid work well together. After I had had

the C.I. for about 12 months, the hearing aid was reprogrammed to work

better with the C.I. not the other way around.

I can't comment on whether the sound is better with a C.I. and a

hearing aid, than 2 C.I.'s. But knowing the benefits I got from 1 C.I.

I would jump at a second one. In my case, the second one will only come

about if I win the lottery. The government paid for my C.I. and its

their policy and one with which I agree, to give as many people as

possible, the chance of better hearing. This can be achieved with just

the one C.I.

Ted F.

>

> Ted-

>

> What is it like to have a CI and a HA? I have heard that people liked

> having two CIs more than having a CI and a HA because the sounds

> sound better...

>

> --

>

[Guest guest]

, you went a long way round to misconstrue the meaning of my

post.

It is GOVERNMENT POLICY that they will only pay for one C.I. They are

not going to change it for Ted Fletcher. When I said that I agreed

with that, it was in the context that I am happy that twice as many

people would have access to the same level of hearing I have achieved

with one C.I. I have also written here, that I would have the second

C.I. in a heartbeat, should the aforementioned government policy

change. Its NOT a perfect world.

We have just had a change of government on the weekend in Australia

and when they pull our troops out of Iraq, they will have that money

to spend on something else. Who knows what that might be....

Ted F.

>

> Ted,

>

> I am amazed that you would agree that the government should never

pay for a

> second CI. Even though that is not what you have said in so many

words, that

> is the implication. Let me tell you a little story:

>

> In 1996 I needed new hearing aids as the ones I was wearing were

failing. I

> was at the time " between jobs " -- AKA unemployed. I was also a

single mother

> with a 9 year old daughter. At that time I was living in NYS. I

went to

> VESID to open a new file to get the new hearing aids as I did not

have the

> funds to do this myself. I was then sent to an audiologist at a

center

> nearby. After a number of visits and subsequent testing of various

hearing

> aids, the audiologist was ready to make her recommendation. Now,

based on my

> trials with the HA's, we had determined that the one's that worked

best for

> me was a particular digital HA. But, these were, at that time,

very

> expensive, and to that date (according to the audiologist, and the

people at

> VESID) NYS had refused to pick up the tab for those hearing aids.

Thus, she

> told me she was making two recommendations: for the expensive aids

and also

> for an alternate make/model that would SUFFICE, but not be as good

as the

> digital aids.

>

> I then instructed her to make only ONE recommendation: for the

expensive

> digital aids. She was very hesitant to do so as she felt that I

could wind

> up losing out and having to re-apply and go through the process

again. But

> I was firm. I explained to her that as long as she gave the State

the

> opportunity to purchase cheaper HA's for me, that is what they

would do. Why

> should they care what is best for me? At the end of the day, she

was

> persuaded to do as I asked, albeit with major reservations.

>

> I received a call from VESID offices, telling me that they had

received the

> formal recommendation and had put the request through but that I

should not

> get my hopes up as NYS had never paid for such expensive HA's at

that point.

> But, again, I reassured them and told them that I have a very

strong belief

> that NYS WOULD pay for them.

>

> Two weeks later (it might have been three but I do not remember) we

had our

> answer: NYS would release the funds for the purchase of the

requested

> hearing aids! The VESID officers were overjoyed and majorly

surprised.

> (They later told me that they were happy about the results because

it paved

> the way for future HA's purchased for other needy HOH people in

NYS. I was

> glad to hear that.)

>

> A lesser HA would have improved my hearing, true, but would not have

> afforded me as much improvement. We need to reach high - to attain

the same

> accesiblity to jobs, recreation, education, and anything in the

public

> sphere - as those who able bodied. I respectfully disagree with

your

> statement that the government has the right to deny a bilateral CI

to person

> based on the idea that a single CI " improves their hearing " . If a

bilateral

> CI would allow a person to function even more closely to the

functioning

> level of a hearing person, then a person who needs the bilateral CI

should

> be enabled to receive it.

>

> I have difficulties using the phone, and in noisy situations -- and

believe

> me, these difficulties are truly detriments to my ability to get,

keep, and

> perform a job. If I were able to use the phone without difficulty

and to

> network more easily in noisy situations, I would have done much

better in my

> career and been able to increase my earning power. Unfortunately,

that has

> not been the case. And, if I were denied the right to such

improvements in

> my life, even paid for by my government, that would enable me to

become a

> better and more productive worker in the workplace, then I would

think

> something is wrong with our system.

>

> Ok, I am climbing down off my soapbox now...I just had to say that.

>

> Stern

>

> For Shalva's Special Children, Dreams Really Do Come True...

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>

[Guest guest]

Its not a perfect world though is it ? You know that. In a

perfect world, everyone would get what they asked for.

Be grateful for the one C.I. you do have, even though it might not be

as many as you would like. Doesnt it make life more comfortable for

you, or would you rather have none than one?

Ted F.

>

> and Ted,

> I found 's comments interesting and sensible too. As a

> deafblind person with one CI and one deaf ear, I can attest to the

> fact that having a half set of working ears is not good enough.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Long time not Talk, Type,... whatever, sorry I have been absent so

long, work is crazy now for me and free time is scarse...

I don't often disagree with your point of view , but in this

case I am not completely on side with your statement " government

should only pay for one CI so that more can benefit is not

acceptable " I believe the opportunity should be given to as many HOH

persons as possible to get useful hearing restored, which means with

limited funding one per person. I don't believe that should be an

absolute either, there are cases like your good self where bi

laterial implants should be the norm, your limited vision makes it an

entirely different situation. Personally I have said from the start I

would never want a second CI if it meant someone else missing out or

even having to wait longer to get the benefit I have received form my

single device.

I firmly believe there are good reasons for some patients to get

Bilaterial Implants, especially young children and deaf/blind

patients that makes perfect sense. However patients like myself I

classify in the " Nice to have " rather than " Need to have " category.

So from my point of view I will not ever push for another Implant for

myself, not as long as there is a single patient on a waiting list

for a first implant, however I would love to see our Government

approving Bilaterial Implants for those patients I mentioned above

that is a whole different story to me.

BTW for those who don't know me, I am in Canada, and we

have " Socialized medical coverage " so Government pays for our

surgery, device, and Mapping, but they only pay for one. Some

provinces are " experimenting " with Bilaterials for kids, and special

needs - i.e. Deaf Blind which is a great thing, but for someone like

me I do not expect it will change and I am fine with that.

Regards,

Mike " Ears Hopin " P

>

> and Ted,

> I found 's comments interesting and sensible too. As a

deafblind

> person with one CI and one deaf ear, I can attest to the fact that

having a

> half set of working ears is not good enough.

>

> You've all heard the argument, we were born with two ears for a

reason.

> Two ears is not surplus. Two eyes, two arms and hands, two legs.

Surplus?

> No.

>

> The argument that government should only pay for one CI so that

more can

> benefit is not acceptable. If it was, we would see many more

amputees with

> one prosthetic arm or leg.

>

> I cannot go bilateral because government (Medicare) will not

cover the

> 2nd CI. Yet they will cover two prosthetic arms or two prosthetic

legs.

>

> Many who have one CI do just fine. I challenge those to wear

blindfolds

> for a few days and come back and tell me, one CI is just fine.

>

> *---* *---* *---* *---* *---*

> Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

> & Dreamer Doll ke7nwn

> Newport, Oregon

> N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup

> rclark0276@...

> http://webpages.charter.net/dog_guide/

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I see your point and I don't " totally " disagree, I guess I should have

been clearer in making my point, what it comes down to for me - and I

am really speaking for myself, is I realize it will always come down to

the almighty " Dollar " and when I think about how best our health care

dollars can be spent I believe the majority of patients can get great

benifit from one implant. Yes we would receive additional benefit from

a second, but not as much benefit as another patient getting that first

device and some useful hearing. Health Care budgets are always tight

and it will always be a battle of priorities, life threatening

treatment comes first, life improving comes next and on it goes. I wish

there would be enough $$$ to provide for everyone, but we all know tht

will never happen, so my feelings are spend the money to benefit the

greatest number of patients possible, it makes more sense to me that

way.

I think allot of the priorities around the One per Patient Policies

comes from trying to stretch that health care dollar, and I can't argue

againts that too much, if we could get more money into health care it

would be a whole different story.

The problems we face in Canada are slightly different, here government

pays if you meet the criteria, but the wait time in most provinces is

astounding! Patients right now in Nova Scotia are waiting 24-36 months

to get a surgery date, and that date is often another 12 months beyond

the time they have already waited, can you imagine what would happen if

they began to do bilaterials for those that wanted them....

I do fully agree there are many who should receive Bilaterial implants,

as I stated in my first post, people with vision imparment have a

greater need to localize sound and that is a whole different story,

kids are a different case as well, 2 working ears make a difference in

there development and in the long gives them a better chance at

attaining higher educations and contributing to society instead of

requiring assistance.

I guess my feeling is this is not a black & white issue, a policy of

ONLY ONE PER PATIENT! is not good enough, but Bilaterial for everyone

is not the anser in my opinion either, it would be nice if Bilaterial

implants were part of the criterial and if the need is great enough the

patient gets 2.

OK I will get off my soap box now too, I don't want to critize those

who support Bilaterials, I believe many should receive them, I just

don't feel everyone needs 2 and I know I really don't need a second.

Besides if I had 2 I would never be able to get away with my " Sorry I

can't hear you the batteries are dead " when the wife & kids start to

nag... and I just couldn't have that...

Take Care everyone.

PS, , say Hi to Annika from Ol Gig, glad to " Hear " she like the

new processors, I bet she is a real heart breaker now ;-)

>

> ,

>

>

>

> I see your comments are directed toward , but posted publicly

so I

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