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New to this:)


Christa

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Hello

 

I am new to a cochlear implant. Just had my activation on July 8th.

Taking some getting used to.

 

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Hello Christa

I would have to say, it took some getting used to for all of us.

Welcome to hearpeers! Feel free to share as much or as little about yourself as you would like. Also feel free to ask as many questions as you would like. Looking forward to getting to know you. Congratulations on your activation

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Hi Christa,

Welcome. I was activated on March 9th. A lot changes during the first few months.

Mary Beth

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Hi Christa,

Welcome to Hearpeers. It does take getting used to but it's worth it. Ask any questions. We will all pitch in to answer.

Sandy

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Thank you very much. I am working hard at it, and am even doing the homework I was given LOL

Even though it has only been a week, I was thinking can this sound become normal to me?

I have opted to leave my hearing aid out of the other ear as I learn to use the cochlear. Is this the norm? I heard I would learn quicker?

I only have about 4% hearing with my hearing aid in that ear anyway.

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christa

I have 2 cochlear implants which I got a few months apart. My Audi told me to try to leave my first processor off as much as possible, to give the new implant and my brain a chance to catch up.

It will get better. Try to remember the 3 P's. PATIENCE, PRACTICE and PERSISTENCE. It is going to take a little time but you will see improvement. There will be days where you have small victories in hearing something for the first time or clearer than you ever have, and there will be days where you will feel frustrated.

Just take it day by day, continue practicing and you will get there. Please continue to let us know how you are doing and ask as many questions as you can.

Adam

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Hi Christa. 

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

I have single-sided deafness and was implanted two months ago. My left ear still hears very well, and I know I shouldn't be complaining, but sometimes I do wish I could turn it off. I have definitely made progress, but in normal hearing conditions, my good ear is so dominant that I ignore the sound coming from the CI. 

 

We all have to progress at our own comfort level, but I suspect the learning process will go quicker if you take your hearing aid out.

 

Lenny.

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Hi Christa,

I know at first things sound so different it can be hard to believe that things will ever sound normal. I started just with beeps and static. That advanced to a robotic sounding voice. Then it advanced to both a robotic sounding voice and a normal quality voice at the same time. Then it became just a normal sounding voice. This all happened in the first few months. I wore my CI alone as much as possible and only used my other HA when absolutely necessary. After three months, I started wearing both together regularly but I still train my CI ear alone each day.

I found it helpful to write down what I could understand each day during the first weeks.

Mary Beth

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Mary Beth, I'm still hearing the robotic sounds and like Christa, I find it hard to believe that this would ever sound normal. So it's good to hear from people who have been through it . . . gives me hope. Thanks.

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Hi Lenny,

How long have you been activated? I found that doing listening training apps everyday and also listening to audiobooks and podcasts daily, helped a lot.

Mary Beth

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Very interesting to hear from everyone. I am very happy to hear that the robotics sound will dissipate, and that everything will sound "normal"

Do you think it is that the robotic sound became normal? Or that things do sound "normal" ?

I am going back today for my 1 week follow up appointment.

I have a few adjustments I think I would like them to make. Also I received some equipment that I have no idea how to use LOL So I will be asking lots of questions.

 

I am in Canada

Is everyone on here from Canada as well? Or is this site world wide? Kind of new to everything I guess LOL Maybe those are questions your not supposed to ask?

It's ok if you don't answer LOL

I find it very helpful to speak with all who know exactly what I am going through.

I will for sure have more questions!

Christa

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Christa

At least for me, everything sounds exactly as I remember it. I am late deafened. I live in the U.S.

We have members here from all over the world

Not really sure how my brain interprets the new sounds it hears, all I can say is that it sounds normal to me.

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Hi Christa,

I am also in the U.S. but this site unites users from all over the world.

For me, I can say that it does sound normal. I heard robotic and normal speech for awhile until the robotic tone peeled away. I now meet people and hear their voices for the first time and they sound like normal voices. Our brains are amazing. The first three months were a wild ride of discoveries. Everyday I was reporting new WOW moments...guess what I heard today...smile.

Good luck at your MAPping.

Mary Beth

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Christa,

Look for SANDY COULL - she's from Canada. ;)

Very interesting to hear from everyone. I am very happy to hear that the robotics sound will dissipate, and that everything will sound "normal"

Do you think it is that the robotic sound became normal? Or that things do sound "normal" ?

I am going back today for my 1 week follow up appointment.

I have a few adjustments I think I would like them to make. Also I received some equipment that I have no idea how to use LOL So I will be asking lots of questions.

I am in Canada

Is everyone on here from Canada as well? Or is this site world wide? Kind of new to everything I guess LOL Maybe those are questions your not supposed to ask?

It's ok if you don't answer LOL

I find it very helpful to speak with all who know exactly what I am going through.

I will for sure have more questions!

Christa

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Mary Beth. Next week will mark two months since activation. Still early days, I know. 

 

Christa. I'm from Australia, so this is definitely a world-wide forum.  :)

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Definitely Lenny Lee - I am from CROATIA: try to look for that odd little country on the map

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Lenny,

I am curious, why did you decide to go with MEDEL?

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Ivana,

I actually spent one day in your beautiful country while on a cruise. Smile

Mary Beth

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Ivana,

I actually spent one day in your beautiful country while on a cruise. Smile

Mary Beth

Dubrovnik I guess? ;)

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Yes Dubrovnik. We wished we had more time there.

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Adam.

 

My decision to go with MEDEL was a hard one! Cochlear is an Australian company so they have pretty much covered the market for CIs while MEDEL is the underdog here. Advanced Bionics is almost non-existant so I ruled it out quite quickly.

 

I did quite a bit of research on the net and my decision between Cochlear and MEDEL changed from week to week. After lots of second-guessing myself, I kept coming back to the underlying CI technology of stimulating electrodes sequentially (Cochlear) vs simultaneously (MEDEL). It just made sense to me that simultaneous stimulation would result in something closer to natural sound. This idea, along with the fact that MEDEL had the deeper insertion, is what sold me.

 

Lenny.

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Sounds good Lenny

I am always curious as to why people choose what they do because the reasons can be so different. I imagine because of where you live, there was a lot of pressure to go with cochlear?

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Mmm... Interesting question - what woukd Matt say? :P

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Yes Dubrovnik. We wished we had more time there.

Yes - beautiful but overcrowded city :(

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