tmscarlett10 Posted September 5, 2020 Report Share Posted September 5, 2020 Hi all! My name is Tiffany. I have had sensorineural hearing loss for twenty years - since I had a brain tumor removed at age 8. That was just one ear that went immediately, and then the other ear suddenly losing hearing years later, with slow reduction still. So I finally got accepted as a CI candidate, since hearing aids don't help much. I still don't know whether I can get one or two ears, i might have to get bimodal. Either way, super excited, and nervous! Absolutely open to comments, advice, questions! See ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 5, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 5, 2020 @tmscarlett10 Welcome to HearPeers! My CIs have been life changing. I have been implanted for 5 years. We are a friendly group. Feel free to ask any questions you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Megan L. Posted September 11, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 11, 2020 @tmscarlett10 Welcome to the group!! I am bimodal 😎 It will be 4 years this November I got implanted in my left ear. Best decision but like you I was nervous and excited! Ask us any questions you may have 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmscarlett10 Posted September 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2020 Hi @Megan L., I am glad you mentioned that you're bimodal, because I am actually considering that. Pending the results of an MRI and CT scan, we can figure out whether or not my left ear is implantable. In the case that if is, i will probably get bilateral; in the case that it is not, then I'm guessing bimodal route. How does it help you with background noise and such? Since my bicross HAs don't help me at all in this area, I'm interested to know how it might work with a CI Megan L. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 12, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 12, 2020 @tmscarlett10 I had used BiCROS hearing aids before too. They pick up sound on the “dead” side but everything we hear comes into the better ear so there is no way to tell the direction of sound. When we use two separate ears (bilateral CIs or bimodal), our brain uses info from both ears to tell us which direction the sound is coming from. It also opens the possibility for our brain to use this info to help us hear better in noise. It really is an amazing journey of our brain’s neuroplasticity. It is difficult to describe completely. Other CI users get it since they took their own journey too. It’s an exciting time. Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Megan L. Posted September 12, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 12, 2020 @tmscarlett10 I only considered bimodal! Johns Hopkins - where I was implanted, did my worse ear incase something went wrong then I’d still have a “good ear.” I qualify in my right ear but I happy for now with my HA helping my CI 😁 I’m not in the mindset to go through surgery again. Every time I get off Zoom or a Teams phone call, I say to myself “Thank goodness for my CI! What would I do without it. How could I do without it?!” It’s amazing technology. As for noise - ditto on everything @Mary Beth said! Everyone struggles in noise even the hearing people. Today, I found myself saying to the people in the dentist office, “can I turn this down? I’m having a hard time hearing and understanding you with this in the background.” So far people have been agreeable and understanding especially with all these masks and then double masks + a face shield at the dentist. If you can make hearing in noise easier for yourself definitely do it and try not to feel shy 😁 Keep us posted!!!!! tmscarlett10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmscarlett10 Posted September 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2020 Thank you @Mary Bethand @Megan L.. The more I think about it, the more excited I get. And this website is an absolute life-saver! I can't believe all of the information I'm getting, that I probably wouldn't from my doctor! I love how everybody can be so free about sharing their experiences. And @Megan L., I am almost always shy about my hearing loss. I've been told by so many people, 'Get comfortable with your limitations', but it's a lot easier said than done. And I've been working on it for 20 years, lol. Mary Beth and Megan L. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Megan L. Posted September 14, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 14, 2020 @tmscarlett10 Its an exciting time! You should be excited 😊 Yes this website has so many great and helpful topics that you may not get any where else. The people are awesome too! In my opinion, it’s therapeutic talking about your experiences good and bad. We all are here to support each other and see everyone do well 😁 At least for me it is. Everyone has limitations and I’m sorry they said that to you. It doesn’t sound very helpful or kind. Just keep doing you and own it 💪😎 Where are you getting implanted? tmscarlett10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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