Professional flutist with single sided deafness considering CI to replace Bone Anchored Hearing Aid

[Lisa Y]

Hello…I went spontaneously deaf in my right ear 24 years ago.  I have perfect hearing in my other ear.  .I am seeking feedback regarding possibly obtaining a CI for single sided deafness.

 I am a professional flutist & have been using a bone anchored hearing aid for last 6 years.  My BAHA has given me the confidence to play in orchestras again but I still only hear on one side & have never grown accustomed to the devastating loss of stereo sound I miss so much….I also still have no directional hearing.  

Seeking feedback from others with a CI for single sided deafness, especially as it relates to how music is perceived.  Do the pitches match between your perfect ear and your CI side? Does the CI side negatively interfere with the sound perceived your normal side?  

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.  Thank you so much.

Lisa

[Jared Charney]

Hi @Lisa YI lost all hearing in my right ear about 4 years ago and was implanted one year ago. Bass and drums are the most easily recognized instruments and everything else can be a hot mess but no matter what I still hear so much better. I know this is vague but my life is so much easier bec. of my implant. I would def. suggest exploring the potentials but for me again hearing music in my deaf ear through the CI will never be the same but at this same time I find it to be a minor miracle. 

[Lisa Y]

@Jared Charney

Hi Jared,

Thank you so much for your insight.  I really appreciate your feedback & am so glad the CI has proved to be so helpful for you.  I had a couple of additional questions for you.  

When both of your ears are working together, are you aware of the odd noises being generated by your CI when listening to music.  Or, does your brain filter out the electronic noises & allow you to still hear the music perfectly?  Do you get the sensation now that you are hearing in stereo sound? 
 

Thank you so much for your insight.

Lisa

Edited December 4, 2021 by Lisa Y
To tag Jared Charney on this message

[Mary Beth]

@Lisa Y

to tag @Jared Charney so he is alerted to your post just type @ and then immediately type his user name.  A window will pop up.  Select his name in the window.  You will know if the tag worked as it will display as blue if it worked.

[Jared Charney]

@Lisa YYes, sorry that was a little confusing on my part: it's a hot mess if I'm streaming music directly to my implant. If I'm listening say w/my Bose headphones it sounds more like stereo and same even if I'm not using headphones but my good ear still does all the heaving lifting etc. No matter the case it's a zillion times better than before surgery. LMK if this is helpful! and @Mary Bethhi!

[Mary Beth]

Hi @Jared Charney!

[Mike F]

Hi @Jared Charney I am also considering a CI in my deaf ear. I have partial hearing in one ear and get by with a hearing aid but struggle. I am most interested in clarity in conversation. Does the implant sound natural? Is it a noticeable improvement in clarity?

[Jared Charney]

@Mike FSo hard to articulate for me still @Kyliewho has been implanted longer I think is better at describing what it's like to have the CI in one ear combined with a "normal" ear. One thing that continues to marvel me is when the battery (I use rechargeables) goes out and literally feels like half of my world (not just sound) drops away but do keep in mind that I have pretty sever tinnitus and that is also one of the most marvelous pluses to my implant: once I put my Sonnet2 on I don't hear it at all. So, I think Kylie made the best articulations that the CI combined w/the "normal" ear makes everything sound normal/natural. When I do my rehabbing over a year later it still doesn't sound natural but that's fine by me bec. once again it's a combination that I'm working from. Another perfect example of hearing more natural bec. of the CI is when I watch something w/my Bose headphones and the sound hits my CI and now all of a sudden I hear shows/music in stereo again--last big plus for me is hearing sound localization especially when I'm working ( I do photography) and having a much better sense of where sound is coming from is wonderful. After I lost my hearing in my right ear not figuring out where sound was coming from literally freaked me out. I know this is long winded and not edited but hope it helps, I literally cannot imagine my life w/out my CI

[Kylie]

Yes I found both overall clarity and ability to follow conversation improves significantly with the implant.

At first the two ears together will sound separate and strange, like electronic layers, but over time this settles into one coherent sound. The brain somehow sorts it out to produce one lovely normal-ish sound! Now that I'm 2 years in, the world sounds so normal that I completely forget I'm wearing a CI for hours at a time. It's really that good for me.

[Mike F]

Thank you Jared and Kylie. Since I asked about your experience with a CI and SSD, my situation took a drastic turn. For an unknown reason, I quickly lost all hearing in my "good" ear. I also soon learned that my bad ear was not a good candidate for a CI because of a neuroma. My hand forced, I quickly made the decision to have my good ear implanted. I am 1 week post op and excited for activation. It helps to hear positive feedback, I'm encouraged that I will rejoin the hearing!

[Mary Beth]

@Mike F

That’s a lot to deal with in a short time.  Are you using speech to text apps to help until activation?

[Mike F]

I have been using a few of these aps, they definitely help. Luckily, the surgeon had an opening and agreed to move quickly. I have only been completely without hearing for less than 2 months but it's not something that you can easily describe. I mourned my loss for a few days and decided that I can not let this or anything else in life stop me. I am extremely grateful for all the amazing people that were available to help.