Joemar10 Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 I got my Med El implant yesterday morning. I am a healthy 70 year old with heriditary progressive hearing loss. I admit, I was very nervous about doing this at my age and enduring the pain that the initial healing would involve. I must say that so far it has been a breeze. The worse pain I have had was in my ribs and chest muscles from sleeping on my back all night. I am a side sleeper. I have had no dizziness or nausea. I took one pain pill last night, which was actually a preemptive move, just in case I woke up with pain. If my activation and subsequent recovery go this well, I will be even more elated. I have had some rather severe tinnitus in the implanted side, but I had that before. Also, since my wife changed the dressing and treated the site earlier today, I hear/feel my pulse in that ear. I hope that is temporary. Just wanted to report my good results so far and hope everyone is this lucky with their experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 3, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 I'm so glad your surgery went so well! Mary Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Sandy Posted September 4, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 I'm glad all is going well. When will you be activated? Keep us informed of your progress and ask any questions. One (or all) will answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted September 5, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 joemar10 So glad to hear that the operation went well. Now comes the time to be very patient in waiting for your activation. It will get here before you know it. Feel free to ask as many questions you can. For each person, activation can be a little different. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joemar10 Posted September 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Mary Beth, Sandy, Adam, Thanks for the replies and encouragement. Today is the 6th full day after the implant procedure. Still no excessive pain. implanted ear feels stopped up, but that was expected, since it is essentially "dead". Wound is healing nicely. Will get stitches out next Fri. I have been a barbershop singer since 1965 and for the past 7 years have not been able to do that at the level I was used to. I can still sing, because I have decent pitch perception in my "good" (radidly getting bad) ear. The problem starts when the singing stops. Conversation in a quartet/chorus environment is almost impossible, making me the one who is constantly asking "what are we singing? My hope is to be able to be able to sing in a decent quartet again and be a productive quartet/chorus member, not a burden to the rest of the guys.. This is probably unrealistic, but I will know at some point after activation. Who knows, maybe I'll be the first quartet champion with an implant. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted September 8, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Joe, The attitude I went into my activation with was that if it could help me be not so tired at the end of the day from having to lipread it was a win, anything more was gravy. I went to the activation with low expectation but high hopes. I think you might be surprised. Like anything, it will take some hard work andractice but it is all worth it. Keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joemar10 Posted September 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Adam, I know that every situation is different. I am cautiously optimistic, but not unreasonably naive. If I can just get back to the situation of being able to understand conversation and contribute without feeling that everyone has to compensate for me would be great. My wife of 31 years is wonderful and knows when I am wearing my hearing aids and when I am not wearing them (mostly at home). She is also my ears and my translator when we are at a restaurant or in an unfamiliar situation. My hearing loss was very gradual at first, (much more rapid lately) and knowing at an early age that I would probably be deaf, because of my fathers family history and my 6 older siblings deafness prepared me to be a master lipreader. When I finally went to an audiologist about it for the first time about 14 years ago, he could not believe how bad my hearing was after having the initial interview and then doing the tests. I know that I am preaching to the choir, but as long as I know the subject of the conversation, and no one changes directions to rapidly, I can still keep up pretty well. The quartet thing is pie in the sky, but having won two quartet championships at two different levels of competition, both while using hearing aids, it is still a dream that I have. Already having the singing skills should serve me well, if I can just hear pitches. If not, no chance of singing at any level. To make a long post longer, I just washed my hair for the first time in 8 days. Right now, that is almost reward enough. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 9, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Joe, Just remember that what you hear at activation will be the worst it gets. Everything gets better from there. I only heard squeaks, static and beeps at activation but was understanding speech before long. Music is greatly improving too. Good luck, Mary Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted September 9, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Music and the phone took the longest for me to come back. At one point I thought I would never be able to listen or understand music again. Things then started to change much quicker. It was like my brain realized "oh yeah, I remember this". You gotta keep plugging away at it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joemar10 Posted September 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2015 Got my CI on Sept. 1. Stitches removed Sept. 16. Will be activated Oct. 2. So far so good. Recovery from surgery was unexpectedly easy and pain free. Just hope the thing works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted September 25, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 25, 2015 Best of luck joemar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted September 25, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted September 25, 2015 Joemar10 Just 7 days away! You have got to be getting excited! Don't forget to update us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joemar10 Posted October 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2015 I got my implant activated on Oct. 2nd. While I do not think my expectations were too great, the immediate results do not even live up to them. I have yet to hear a "word'. Every sound, whether it is the computer keyboard or a voice is the same pitch and is just an electronic sounding "noise" with the implanted ear. I am a singer, so I am very cognizant of pitch. I just blew every note on my pitchpipe, and every pitch with the implant is exactly the same. My other ear (better, but not still very good) hears the pitch correctly. I did sort of hear music from my wife's iPad earlier today while she was showing me a "cute puppy" video. Actually I just heard the beat, but previously I could hear nothing from her iPad in my worst ear. To make it more frustrating, the magnet is too weak and the Coil keeps falling off. With all the seemingly redundant things they send with the package, you'd think they would supply several different strength magnets. My audiologist says that I should have a stronger magnet by Monday, but I will have wasted a weekend that I could have been adapting. On another subject, does anyone on the forum wear a medical bracelet, and if so, where did you get it, and what is the wording? I think implant manufacturers are missing the boat, and some revenue, by not providing the option to get one from their company with the correct wording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted October 3, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 3, 2015 Hi Joemar10, No one can really prepare you for what to expect at activation because it varies greatly from person to person. That being said, having the ability to understand speech at activation does not mean you will end up performing better than someone who does not understand speech at activation. All I heard was beeps and static that matched syllables a bit. Now I can listen to podcasts, audiobooks and talk on the phone without difficulty. I was activated in March. So do not be discouraged. It's time to train your brain. If you have an iPad, download ABClix app. Start with level 1. Just see if you can tell if the word has 1, 2, 3 or 4 parts. Then progress from there. It works. I do wear a Medic Alert bracelet. I got mine directly from Medic Alert. On the bracelet I noted my CI and online you can add any info you want. I copied the MRI warning info from MedEl and entered MedEl's phone number and the serial number of my implant. Music took a bit longer than speech for me. It's getting better month by month. I enjoy listening to music now. Hang in there. It's a wild ride. As far as your temporary problem with your coil magnet strength.....what about wearing a headband this weekend to keep it I place? Best of luck, Mary Begh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Ivana Marinac Posted October 8, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Just love so simple advices like yours Mary Beth... Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joemar10 Posted December 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 I was activated on Oct. 2nd, and have had several mapping sessions. Understanding speech is getting better and music is making some sense too. I definitely hear more "stuff". I hear conversations that are some distance away from me and to the back of my implanted side, where I would never have even heard a sound before. I hear birds in my backyard and sirens on the street several blocks away, where again, I would never have heard anything. The strange thing is that I understand "electronic " speech, such as voice on my mobile phone GPS better than "human" speech. I guess the electronic gadgets can communicate better among themselves than we can communicate with them. I just tried my Rondo, because I did not have a strong magnet before, but do now. Even with the strongest magnet, it will not stay on even with no sudden movement. When I hold it in place, I can tell that the sound quality is as good as the Sonnet processor. I really want to use the Rondo. Anyone have any suggestions besides wearing a headband? I am 71 years and really have no interest in revisiting the seventies. Is there a special order stronger magnet, as someone on this forum suggested? I use the strongest magnet on my Sonnet, and have no problems with itching or soreness, but the Rondo is significantly heavier. Thanks for any suggestions on how to use the Rondo without fear of losing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Sandy Posted December 17, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hi Joemar, I'm glad to see that you are starting to hear more sounds. It takes time and the 3 Ps - patience, practice and perseverance. Something we have all needed to learn. Regarding the magnet, there is one that is stronger than the ones we are given. You should ask your audiologist. I wear the clip with mine and it's been effective most of the time. Hope this helps. Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted December 17, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hi Joemar, So glad things are progressing nicely for you. Your audiologist can get a stronger magnet from MedEl for you. Just contact your audiologist. Several people have them. Mary Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted December 17, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Glad to hear things are progressing. I have trouble with synonyms( words that sound the same, boat, goat float,etc) but otherwise things are coming along. Definitely patience has really been hard for me. But hang in there things will get better!! Good luck and keep us posted. Kara of Canada 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joemar10 Posted December 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Somewhere on this forum I saw a couple of posts where people said that there are stronger magnets available for the Rondo. My audiologist says that #4 is the highest for a Rondo, but there are stronger ones available for the Sonnet. I would have sworn that the posts were addressing the Rondo. I can not find the posts now. Does anyone out there know for sure, or have stronger magnets than #4 for a Rondo? I don't want to beat a dead horse or question my audiologists knowledge, but I'd like to know for sure. I really want to use the Rondo, but right now it will not stay in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Ivana Marinac Posted December 18, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Somewhere on this forum I saw a couple of posts where people said that there are stronger magnets available for the Rondo. My audiologist says that #4 is the highest for a Rondo, but there are stronger ones available for the Sonnet. I would have sworn that the posts were addressing the Rondo. I can not find the posts now. Does anyone out there know for sure, or have stronger magnets than #4 for a Rondo? I don't want to beat a dead horse or question my audiologists knowledge, but I'd like to know for sure. I really want to use the Rondo, but right now it will not stay in place. Joemar, We have a great moderator Erik Haugsby who can definitely help you - send him a pm with your question if he doesn't see your question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted December 18, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Mary Beth is the best to ask. Or Erik Haughbsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted December 19, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 I would contact your MedEl CSR and ask him/her. Also you can contact the inhouse MedEl audiologists. I have not needed to get a stronger magnet personally but people have posted that they have been able to get stronger magnets through their audiologists from MedEl. Someone posted a picture of one and it did not appear to be a removable magnet but rather a special part. Do you have a Synchrony internal implant? I have one Concert and one Synchrony. The magnets are designed differently and I need a magnet in strength 4 for the Rondo on my Synchrony side and strength 3 for the Rondo on my Concert side. If you decide to contact MedEl directly, let us know what you find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted December 19, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 I believe people called these MedEl custom magnets if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Ivana Marinac Posted December 19, 2015 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 Hmmm... Mary Beth, I am not sure but - do you believe that Synchrony has weaker internal magnet component? My thoughts would go in the direction of different flap thickness. It would be, however, interesting to get little bit more in depth knowledge about this specific stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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