Matt S Posted September 12, 2021 Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 Hi everyone. I just wanted to say I have loved the stores in these forums and I'm really sad I didn't find this place sooner. So I lost my hearing in my right ear as a toddler when I got the mumps. I have just kind of lived with it since. The best I could anyways. I get the normal friends saying you have no idea what I just said call out because they know me well enough that sometimes I just get tired of having them repeat themselves and just shake my head haha. It's so great to know you guys understand. Well now this brings this question. I changed careers and I am now doing something that I absolutely love. I love it so much that I'm really bummed knowing I might not be able to excel at it because of this. I work in the operating room. Some of the surgeries I am placed with my bad ear towards people and at times makes it extremely hard to hear. With all the noise in the room already it's just rough to keep track of conversations. I don't want to make people repeat themselves over and over in the OR a forever thing. I made the jump and tried CROS hearing aids and it does help but I am wondering if I should make the jump to CI. It's been so long living with this I am scared that it will make things worse just based on that change after 40 years of no sound. Or will I kick myself for waiting so long to do this. I would really love to hear what you guys would do in my shoes. Again thank you ahead of time. So glad I found this forum, I really needed people to talk to about this that understand I forgot to add that I have been approved for CI I just wanted to hear from the older guys that lived with SSD for a long time before they made the jump to CI. Matt Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianna Posted September 12, 2021 Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 Matt, i am similar. Just turned 65 and retired. I have been thinking that if i could have done something like this 20 yrs ago my career would have been totally different, in my opinion you need to go for it so you can continue in your field. Im no doctor but i can tell you my last 24 hours have been amazing and with the non ear i get what the implanted ear is missing so at the very least i feel ahead of the game already. I will continue to advise "go for it" Di Matt S and Mary Beth 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianna Posted September 12, 2021 Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 Oh and i gotta tell you, with ha, ive been through 3 sets and still have the habit of reaching for the volume button and finding its maxed and i still couldnt get the words spoken. Now i simply reach into my pocket for remote however, with the implant i dont have too!!!!! Im getting it all, cat meow, creaky floors, running water, i can tell whats going on in the house! Mary Beth and Matt S 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 12, 2021 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 @Matt S Welcome to HearPeers! I am glad you found us. My right ear had not processed any sound for 24 years before being implanted (although it had heard before that). It started off hearing static and beeps at activation. Within a minute those static and beeps started lining up with syllables and hours later the first words started to appear. Amazing journey. Here is a link to a captioned video where I describe that first day of hearing with my long standing deaf ear. Wishing you the best! Stick around and share your journey with us. We are a friendly group. Smile. Matt S and elmatador43 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt S Posted September 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 3 hours ago, Dianna said: Oh and i gotta tell you, with ha, ive been through 3 sets and still have the habit of reaching for the volume button and finding its maxed and i still couldnt get the words spoken. Now i simply reach into my pocket for remote however, with the implant i dont have too!!!!! Im getting it all, cat meow, creaky floors, running water, i can tell whats going on in the house! Thank you Dianna. I have learned to live with this for so long hearing stories like yours are making me excited about going for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt S Posted September 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Mary Beth said: @Matt S Welcome to HearPeers! I am glad you found us. My right ear had not processed any sound for 24 years before being implanted (although it had heard before that). It started off hearing static and beeps at activation. Within a minute those static and beeps started lining up with syllables and hours later the first words started to appear. Amazing journey. Here is a link to a captioned video where I describe that first day of hearing with my long standing deaf ear. Wishing you the best! Stick around and share your journey with us. We are a friendly group. Smile. That was amazing Mary Beth. Thank you so much for your story. As a child I remember going to the doctor and getting a reply of "at least you have one ear". With that I went 35 years happy I had one even with the struggles that came with that. With these posts and all the new technology for this I'm for the first time excited to try something. If I can pick up one conversation I would have missed without it is a win in my book. Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 12, 2021 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 @Matt S These CIs have been life changing tech for me. I hope your experience is as wonderful. I go to NYEE in NYC. Which CI center are you going to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt S Posted September 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 31 minutes ago, Mary Beth said: @Matt S These CIs have been life changing tech for me. I hope your experience is as wonderful. I go to NYEE in NYC. Which CI center are you going to? I have just started to do my research on the best center for me. I live in Oklahoma City, Dallas is only 3 hours away from me and would be doable for the right place. I am open and would love any input or knowledge you have on centers in this area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 12, 2021 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 @Matt S Are you connected with a Med-El regional representative yet? Follow this link and sign up for a free one on one session. The regional rep will be familiar with CI centers in your area. Looks like there are openings this week. https://web.cvent.com/event/6276db38-b631-49ec-95fe-189b83917861/summary?rp=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianna Posted September 12, 2021 Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 You are welcome matt! Matt S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lora Posted September 25, 2021 Report Share Posted September 25, 2021 Matt, I also have SSD and also work in the operating room (I am a surgeon in Phoenix) and this is one of the most challenging hearing environments in which to work. I have had a BAHA for 10 years but am contemplating CI. Recently I consulted with an ENT surgeon (who also has CIs bilaterally) and his advice to me was that, yes, CIs will be the best option for me. BUT he set reasonable expectations for the OR. He says that in quiet or in "normal" social environments CI will be fine but in the OR a CI will not help as much as you would hope. He tells me that if he is operating and is standing next to the scrub tech he can hear fine but if the circulator is across the room he will not be able to hear. What do you do in the OR? This ENT and I discussed that I need to be a better advocate for myself in the OR. For instance, at time out, he says he introduces himself and says "I am hard of hearing" so that people are aware and know he will not hear them if they say something from across the room. Perhaps this is something you need to learn to do as I am learning to do. Once I started disclosing that I was hard of hearing to my work colleagues and OR staff it was amazing how many people also said they were hard of hearing. I find my BAHA works pretty well in the OR except for it's inability to localize and my inability to wear my headlight effectively which is one main reason I am considering a CI. Let me know if you would like to speak. Or please feel free to keep in touch as I am probably going to be moving forward with a CI before the end of the year. Lora Hebert, MD Phoenix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 25, 2021 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 25, 2021 Wishing you the best on your CI journey @Lora! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 26, 2021 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 26, 2021 Recent study on SSD with short and long duration and comparable success with cochlear implant. https://journals.lww.com/otology-neurotology/Abstract/9000/Impact_of_Duration_of_Deafness_on_Speech.95523.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2YR2HdVEtvkymMu3QqZ5VK4OSTL_tp9ZskKYsv6R5m-WdPUDQDnNJ6Htc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAP Posted October 20, 2021 Report Share Posted October 20, 2021 Hi there from Ontario, Canada. Have been offered a CI for SSD. Aged 57 and so nervous about the change and adjustment to sounds. I wear a hearing aid on Lt side d/t otosclerosis which works so so. Looking for the positive and negatives of undergoing implant as well as recovery and adjustment time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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