BillyBarule Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 My name is Bill. 50, CA. Getting implanted 1st of Nov. Terrified! Have had great ears for most of my life till 2 years ago. I'm getting implanted in my right ear .Gonna wear a hearing aid my left ..I have not heard one good thing ?Can anybody say anything good ?Please I'm very nervous .Thank you . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted October 16, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hi @BillyBarule and welcome! I can say a lot of terrific things about my CIs! I was nervous too for my first CI. After having that CI for 8 months, I was not nervous at all for my second CI, just very very excited. I lost my hearing over time and these CIs have given me so much hearing back. It is amazing! It required daily aural rehab to train my brain to understand the CI input but it was fun training as I saw progress happen so quickly. This first three months are full of so many WOW moments. Which processor did you choose? There is a lot of great info here from many people. Explore a bit and feel free to ask any questions. Wishing you the best! Megan L. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Megan L. Posted October 16, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hi @BillyBarule! Welcome to HearPeers ? Like Mary Beth, I can also say a lot of terrific things about my CI! I have had a severe hearing loss since the age of 2 and had zero discrimination in my left ear. But now I have such clarity when people are speaking and my discrimination is in the high 80s which is a wonderful change. I can use the phone with such ease now, something that I was never able to do! Music also sounds the best it ever has. However, all this is possible due to a lot of aural rehab. Your brain will learn to hear differently than before with time. Practice and repetition is everything with the CI to get the best results. Also, challenging the CI in unique ways will help too - for instance : I watch videos that have no captions to see how much I can understand and watch until I understand majority of words being said. I was very nervous too with my surgery! So, nerves are normal. In fact, one year ago Wednesday was my surgery at Johns Hopkins. As scared as I was, it was the best decision I ever made for myself up to date. It has improved my quality of life in so many ways - social, work, and misc things like phone calls. Ask all the questions you need to! Best wishes ? simona, BillyBarule and Mary Beth 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted October 16, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Welcome! Others have made great comments. I have also benefited from an implant. I only have lone like you will be. I’m doing incredibly well. I can talk on the phone and listen to music. Plus being able to have a conversation with anyone in any setting is the best perk!! Best of luck!! Keep us posted. BillyBarule 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBarule Posted October 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 Was worried about how it will look? Got a gray unit to match my hair.. Stupid I know but? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted October 17, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 @BillyBarule Being concerned about how your CI processor will look is definitely understandable. No shame in that at all. Check out the www.Skinit.com website and you will see lots of choices in decals that work with our processors too. You can even design your own. One person took a picture of her hair and designed a matching skinit cover. Some people like the bolder designs. It’s all good. Are you getting a Sonnet or Rondo processor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBarule Posted October 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 Advanced Bionicd.. Does that mean anything ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBarule Posted October 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 Bionic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBarule Posted October 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 Bionic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted October 19, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 In the US, there are 3 approved brands of CIs. Med-El, Advanced Bionics and Cochlear. As CI users, regardless of brand, we share many many similar experiences. This is a forum by Med El so the vast majority of people here are Med El users. Feel free to stick around and share your journey. As I said, we all have many similar experiences. Definitely check out our topic on aural rehab. It is full of fantastic tips to help learn to listen with CIs. For processor specific questions, you may have better luck asking in a forum of other Advanced Bionics users. Wishing you the best. I hope you get to meet other CI users near you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Brinkman Posted October 26, 2017 Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 My name is Steve Brinkman and I have been wearing hearing aids for about 30 years. My hearing has taken a turn for the worse over the last few months, and I have been told I qualify for a CI. It has been a weak now and I still can't make the decision to have the implant or not. I am terrified that I wont be able to recognize my wife's voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBarule Posted October 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 Good evening Steve. I'm 50 and hearing aids no longer work either. Made the Decision 10 months ago at Kaiser in Santa Clara California. All set to have my surgery next week November 1st. Got a call from them yesterday Canceling My procedure. Ongoing Thyroid problem. I'm very bummed about it. Sorry I can't answer your question. I've heard nothing but good things. Good luck with whatever you choose.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted October 26, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 Hi again @Steve Brinkman well there is not guide line to say how well ou will hear. But with lots of rehab and training I’m sure it will be amazing!! For most of us there is no other choice. We just can’t function with normal hearing aids. If your comfortable with your surgeon then go for it! There’s nothing to lose. If and when you get your implant it will take a while for things to sound normal as our brain adapts to a new way of hearing. But our brains do adapt! The brain is a wonderful tool! For me most all sounds are the same as I remember. But there are simmany better sounds now!! So crisp and clear! Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted October 26, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 Hi @Steve Brinkman Welcome! My CIs have given me the best hearing I have had in many decades. They are amazing. I did a lot of aural rehab to help my brain adjust. There are no guarantees. I hope you get the same benefits I do from a CI. Voices sound amazingly natural for me but they didn’t at first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Brinkman Posted October 26, 2017 Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 I will be attending my first seminar next Thursday, but wanted ask, what exactly is aural rehab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted October 26, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 Listening practice exercises that help us learn how to listen with our CIs. Check out our topic called REHAB for lots of great suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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