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My Journey


Ms_D

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Hello All:

 

I have to say that I am so glad that I had the Cochlear Implant surgery!  For years (7 years to be exact), my doctor constantly asked me if I would consider the cochlear implant.  He always said that he believe I would be a great candidate for the surgery and that he believe it would help me tremendously.  I always told him I was not interested in having the surgery.  Last August or September, I had to go to the doctor because my tinnitus in my left ear was increasingly loud and painful (I have had tinnitus in my left ear since elementary school - it's permanent, 24/7/365).  Since my regular doctor was booked, I had to see another doctor.  He, too, encouraged me to get the cochlear implant.  By this point, I was willing to look into it.  So, he referred me to a doctor.  I started the process of seeing if I am a candidate in October of 2014.  My insurance company approved it in December, and I had the surgery done on January 7th of this year.  I have to say that the surgery went well!  After the surgery, I was a bit "woozy" and hurting, but not as bad as I thought I might be.  My doctor told my family (after she had completed the surgery) that they could see me in about thirty minutes and that I would have to stay in recovery for two hours.  Well, the nurse had my family take me home within an hour of me entering the recovery unit (they told me it was like 40 minutes).  I was prescribed pain medicine, but I only took I think three of them. I took things easy for two weeks to give myself time to recover (even took off work for two weeks).  When activation day came, it was amazing.  I heard for the first time ever in my right ear!  For me (and I have heard others say this), it all sounded like robots, but I still could make out some words!  

 

It's a blessing!  Now, I am two months and a week away from the one year mark since activation day and my right ear is becoming my dominant ear.  My left ear (which I started losing hearing in around the age of 12...and now only have no more than 10% of my hearing left in it) is becoming less able to "focus" - that's a way of saying it.  I have the most powerful hearing aid that was on the market when I got this hearing aid two years ago, and I used to can hear very well with it on a volume of 3 or 3.5, but now, I have to have my hearing aid turn all the way up when I am not wearing my processor.  Even with my hearing aid volume turned all the way up, I am having more trouble than before with understanding words sometimes with my left ear.  This is what has lead me to believe my right ear is becoming my dominant ear.

 

I am hoping to try to get the implant in my left ear in 2017.  With the cost of insurance, insurance deductible, and total out-of-pocket expense so high, my husband and I will use 2016 as the year to save up toward these cost for 2017.

 

For those of you who are reading this and are considering getting the implant, I highly recommend you do and that you go with Med-El.  Where once I could not even take notes at church while my pastor is preaching because I had trouble hearing (though I did improve a bit when I got the new hearing aid, I still could not take notes), these days, I don't have to have my husband take notes over the sermon for me.  These days, I am taking my own notes!  I am hearing, and understanding!  I can even be looking down at the paper writing, and still be able to understand what is being said!  It's so amazing! 

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  • HearPeers Heroes

Wow! Amazing story Donna, just amazing...

Each one of the story is different but so familiar! :) :) :)

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Donna I am so happy that things are working out so well for you. The scariest step is always the first one. A lot of people have that fear of the unknown. Of course if you ask everyone, pretty much all will say that they wish they had not waited.

Thank you so much for sharing as it will be a big encouragement for somebody trying to make the decision.

Adam

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For sure the first was the scariest. I wouldn't hesitate for the second one. Well I should be patient!!! Lol

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Donna,

Great story! I think about my HA ear no longer being helpful as my brain decided that it did not want to work so hard to hear so little so it focused on the CI signal instead. That was when I knew it was time for a second CI. So our experiences are very similar. I hope 2016 flies by for you so that you can get your second CI and start on the bilateral journey. I've only been bilateral for 3 weeks but it is already amazing. You are going to love it!

I'm so happy that your CI journey has gone so well. Isn't it wonderful to feel happy about going to the audiologist now?

Mary Beth

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Wow Donna, what an encouraging journey you have had. I'm happy for you. Sandy

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  • 5 weeks later...

Thanks everyone!  I'm hoping I'll be able to get the implant in the other ear.  I think the biggest issue is having to wait (when the time comes) to see if the insurance company will approve it.  In the meantime, I'm continuing my journey and improving hearing with the implanted ear.  I cannot believe I waited so long to have it done. :-)  Tomorrow will mark one year since my surgery. :-) On February 12th, it will mark one year since Activation Day.  

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Donna,

Didn't the first year fly by? It's hard to believe we are reaching our one year activation dates soon.

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Congratulations to you both on such a milestone!! That's awesome

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It's so nice to read your impressions after certain amount of time... :)

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It does go by rather quickly. Can't believe it will be 5 years for me in April

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Mine is not a CI, but 2 and a half years... Interesting how something become so natural and inseparable part of us.

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Couldn't even imagine leaving the house without them. Of course I try to squeeze every last ounce of power out of my processors and have been caught out with dying processors and no batteries. Don't do that much anymore as my lip reading isn't as good as it used to be

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I am quite bonded to these processors. First thing on, last thing off.

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I agree. I love my processor. I hate when the batteries die too. The beeping noise makes me crazy. Lol!!

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:D  I also dislike it but remind earlier when I start slightly not understand people just a fraction of words - I know, it's beginning of the end but I have caught myself several times without batteries... I was obsessed with habit of checking my battery in reserve and then I just snapped... Few times was careless and had to go through the punishment of not hearing. Well, if you don't teach yourself, your horns will... :lol:

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Donna,

Wonderful story! Great encouragement for me, as I was just activated on 1/14/16 for first time.

So glad you are doing well.

Elaine

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I like the fact that the warning beeps last a little longer with Sonnet over opus 2. Gives me more time to go get them changed and not miss anything.

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:D  I also dislike it but remind earlier when I start slightly not understand people just a fraction of words - I know, it's beginning of the end but I have caught myself several times without batteries... I was obsessed with habit of checking my battery in reserve and then I just snapped... Few times was careless and had to go through the punishment of not hearing. Well, if you don't teach yourself, your horns will... :lol:

Wow Ivana you are very intelligent! Where do you come up with all these sayings!!

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From the kindergarten...:)

No - seriously...  :D  :lol:

 

There was a story which I remembered pretty well even now... It's about goat which went out of it's drove looking for a grass, a neighbour threw a stone and broke goat's horn.

She returned into her drove, a guide saw that and asked it: where she went? (this is a fable ;) ) She returned: - Nowhere. I was with the rest of.

- Well, if you were here why your horn is broke?

 

So: if goat lies, what's happened with your horn? :P  - Rephrase of this my mum would ask me if I wouldn't write all into my notepad. She was a teacher - she knew immediately when something went wrong in the school. :D  :D   

 

This is the moment when I learnt that first time you start to grow up - is when you laugh to yourself sincerely.  :D

I started to remember that I maybe don't need air, but batteries for sure... :lol:  :lol:

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But our batteries do need air! (Just joking! I couldn't resist!)

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Understood quite well the comment  :D  :D

Perhaps I should a sun, but... there is catch also....! :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

 I did have some trouble regarding my new insurance.  The clinic that I have been a patient at told me they were not in network with my new insurance.  The insurance company verified this as well as my work's benefits representative.  Since I will need mapping, my husband and I have been spending this entire month trying to find an in-network doctor.  The majority of them that are Med-El clinics are not in network.  Those who are in network do not have the equipment to do mappings.  We were considering doctors about 3 hours or so away.  Then, the new audiologist at the clinic that I have been a patient at told us (after we called and asked if they would be willing to go in network under the clinical gap rule) that they are in network.  We were confused.  The audiologist told us that she don't know why someone at the clinic would say that the clinic is not in network.  At least I am able to stick with the clinic I have been a patient at. :-)  My next appointment is on the one year anniversary of Activation Day - February 12th. :-)

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Sadly, a lot of people have to travel 3,4,5 hours to a clinic for mappings. Luckily I live 20 minutes from my clinic

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