Jan Berry Posted October 30, 2019 Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 Hi! I am new to this forum and am excited to learn from everyone. Here is my story, as briefly as I can... Eighteen and a half years ago (2001), I woke up one morning to very poor hearing in my left ear. Within 6 weeks, I was profoundly deaf in that ear. With high-dose steroids, I preserved the hearing in my right ear - and then again in 2011 - and then...in 2018, the hearing in my right ear dropped significantly and I got a hearing aid. Then it dipped again last winter and we started talking about a cochlear implant. At first insurance (Anthem Blue Cross) denied it but with an appeal, they approved and I was implanted on September 6th and activated on the 17th. So far, so good, but as I read Mary Beth's posts, I realize that I could be working harder. It is hard to find the time and continue to feel motivated. I use Angel Sounds mostly, but have dabbled with the programs on the Advanced Bionics site. (My implant is a MedEl.) Any suggestions for auditory rehabilitation therapy are welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted October 30, 2019 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 30, 2019 @Jan Berry Check out the entire topic called REHAB. We have shared many helpful websites, apps, activities etc for aural rehab there. My audiologist’s rule was ...CI on during all waking hours and CI alone for at least two hours a day. I did CI alone as much as possible after work. For me it was a self reinforcing activity. Aural rehab led to better hearing....better hearing made me want to practice even more! I woke up every morning, put my CI on and wondered what new sounds I would hear that day. I started off with just static and beeps so I had a lot of training my brain to do! Smile https://forum.hearpeers.com/forum/27-rehab/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnL Posted October 31, 2019 Report Share Posted October 31, 2019 Jan welcome. I started using AB clix on my iPad and found that, in the early going, it was helpful. However, after a while it wasn’t much of a challenge so I switched to angel sounds on my computer (the computer has many more option than just an iPad). Someone once pointed out that anything you listen to during the day is “rehab” because you are making your brain work to hear sounds/speech. I think it’s good to keep that in mind. I’ve been “activated” for about six months and it is a marathon, not a sprint. I admit that sitting in front of a computer doing aural rehab can be boring but if you think about all the positive aspects of being able to hear and understand you will realize it is worth it. I’m not where I want to be yet but even small improvements are a positive sign. Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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