Seeking Implanted Musicians...

[Mary Beth]

Good point Ivana. I hope they are never satisfied and continue to find things that work even better for us!

[Adam]

Here ya go Tim

Hi Adam,

I've always done a lot better with music than my expectations, and have no regrets losing my residual hearing for CIs.

He can contact me -- sjgould@gmail.com is best, and/or have him (and you!) check out this group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/aamhl/

Lots of CI musicians there.

[Kara of Canada]

Actually Mary Beth I think it's the surgeons with the ego issues that say things like that. I bumped into my surgeon a couple of weeks ago he was quite concerned for and was asking how my journey was going. I sensed relief in him after I told him. It was going quite well.

[Kara of Canada]

Also I scared him with my complications in surgery!! Lol

[Adam]

I have a comment but will share in a different category as we are starting to drift

From rims original inquiry.

Adam

[Tim McKenzie]

Adam, Thanks for the effort to search, find and share the link to Sarah’s blog. Now, I’ve really got some readin’ to duo!

 

Kara, Mary Beth and Matt, Thanks, also, for your kind and encouraging feedback.

 

I’ve got a lot going on this month (have started a month-long residency at a local hotel, involving weekly rehearsals with special guest artists, etc.) so I’m likely to be even less of a presence here than I have been already! …but this issue is never far from my mind.

 

I have been scheduled for an MRI in early March to rule out any structural barriers to a CI. I’ve learned that meningitis, in particular, can cause ossification in (usually only) one cochlea, so that’s a key concern. If one of my cochlea has ossified that would settle the question of which side to implant …and also rule out ever having another implant down the road. I’ve also learned that I am not a candidate for a Hybrid device because I have too much low frequency hearing loss and have had severe/profound high frequency loss for too long. Reportedly, this puts me in the demographic of recipients who are “quite miserable with their hybrids”?

 

It feels like I'm on an emotional roller coaster these days. The almost universal and dramatic improvement in speech recognition reported by not only you all, but other CI recipients I've read about and spoken with, is certainly compelling, Also very encouraging to learn of the generally positive experience you've all had with hearing and appreciating  music (ability to distinguish one instrument from another; sounds(or beginning to sound) "normal" again; etc.). But, countervailing reports of dissatisfaction among other CI recipients (also some audiologists and technicians) with one or more of the key components of music appreciation (i.e., pitch, tempo, timber, etc.) really scare me. If I had to choose right now between speech recognition and hearing (and playing!) music ...well, it feels a bit like a Sophie's Choice. Not nearly as gut wrenching and devastating as that choice, to be sure but, when I put myself in that moment? ...it feels pretty close.

 

I do know that an ability to both make a full commitment to the procedure (and follow up training) and peace with the risks is key to a successful CI, so as I do more research and learn more I'll surely be checking in with more questions.

 

Again, I appreciate your help. Thanks to you all...and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Tim

[Mary Beth]

Best of luck on your journey Tim.

[Adam]

Remember Tim

Whatever decision you make is the right one. I think you are going about it the right way. Talk to as many people as you can. Don't forget, Sarah said to feel free to email her. Being a musician, she would be a great resource. As well as that FB group she spoke about.

Adam

[Ivana Marinac]

Tim,

 

Each day situation is different - at present, science is not just satisfied with speech perception than with quality of functioning: different strategies are developing each day. So, don't take the situation in binary manner: it's not just 0 or 1.

 

I would just refer to the statement about ossified cochlea caused by meningitis - it doesn't need to be exclusive criteria. It really depends of local status of cochlea - even partially, cochlea can be implanted even partially.

[Ford]

Hi Tim

I'm a guitarist in just about the same situation you were when you started this thread. Was wondering how things ended up for you?

Ford

[Mary Beth]

Hi @Ford

Welcome!  If you have any questions for us, just jump right in.

 

I have had bilateral CIs for 3 years and they have enabled me to return to playing the piano.  I am so thankful.

[Kara of Canada]

Welcome @Ford! 

[Ford]

Hi Everyone - I have just finished my pre-evaluation for suitability with House Clinic in LA, and at present the ball is in my court. I am considering a CI in my "bad" left ear as I have normal LF hearing  ( < 20db up to about 500 hz) in both ears but total HF loss in both ears (> 80db over 1khz) - classic extreme waterfall audiogram. I am pretty sure after my last visit that I should go ahead, but need to pick which company to go with, do some vaccinations and schedule the surgery. I am convinced that for speech recognition a CI will be extremely helpful, but as you can imagine I'm worried about losing what meager hearing  I have. I can play guitar even without HA's well enough, but would love to hear the high frequencies and harmonics again. I would be amazed if I could eventually hear guitar even half as well as I used to in my left ear again...from what @Adam says this is possible :-)

My audi and surgeon both do not prefer one mfgr over another for speech quality (they are all good and reliable) and also do not have preference for any for music quality -- they say that there is a tendency for musicians to pick Med-El, but my surgeon says that is likely as much due to marketing as to quality of outcome in his experience. I realize this is a med-el forum, but am curious for any feedback on why you chose med-el over the competition.

As you can imagine I will have tons of questions as this process moves along, and I have only just started my research seriously now that this is likely to be a reality (I plan on surgery next Jan most likely).

Thanks for the welcome!

Ford

 

 

[Mary Beth]

Hi @Ford!

 This is a Med-El forum but we have a few users of other CI brands here too.  I have friends with all 3 FDA approved CI brands.  There are great results, average results and below average results with all three brands.  That’s why surgeons and audiologists do not promise any specific results ahead of time.

 

I chose Med-El due to the range of electrode options.  My first side was complicated and the surgeon needed a range of electrode options in the operating room to choose from during surgery.

 

Since having Med-El CIs I have learned a few things that make me thankful that Med-El is my brand.  Namely...

-at this time Med-El is the only US CI brand that gives us a 5 year warranty when we upgrade processors later through insurance.  All 3 brands offer the 5 year warranty with surgery but the other 2 brands only offer 3 year warranties with upgrades later on.

-Med-El makes all of its new processors backward compatible to work with older internal implants.  This is not so important to us at the beginning of our journey, but since we hope to keep the same internal for a long time it will become important later on.  I have a friend with another brand CI who is stuck using the generation of processor she has because her brand’s new processor does not work with her internal implant.

 

These are things I learned after my surgery.

 

I wish you the best no matter which CI brand you select.  CIs are life changing.

[Ford]

Hi All - I am now down to the wire in choosing mfgrs and leaning towards med-el (over AB). Since I will be bimodal user the integration offered by Nadia is appealing, though not sure it is totally essential. For one, I currently have two older but totally fine Bernafone HAs (that I have been self programming), so if suitable It would mean not needing to upgrade right ear HA right away ( and I would have a spare too). The MEd-El site has a doc comparing bimodal benefits of med-el and AD/Cochlear (though a guy (Dan Swartz) kinda debunks it on the AB forum)...but the med-el doc is kind of compelling regardless. Anyway... it seems med-el will stream bilaterally to CI/HA using telecoil in neck loop. I have not used telecoil before, though have used stereo streaming (FM to neckloop) for calls and media on my current and previous HA's and can definitely see the benefit of that when it works (historically my experience has been buggy with drop-outs, etc). Does anyone have experience with bimodal setup (Med-El) and any feedback on how that works for you?

 

Many thanks

Ford

 

 

[Mary Featherston]

@Ford - this is just one data point, my own (short-lived) experience.  I am currently using a CI in one ear and my old hearing aid in the other - I'm getting the other ear implanted in October.  In my experience, your ears and your brain try really hard to integrate what you hear on the two sides.  My Med-El CI and my GNResound hearing aid together give me good integrated listening.  I'm actually pretty amazed by it.  I think most of that integration process is your brain looking to take what the two ears hear, and give you integrated sound.

 

Please note I'm not an audiologist or a doctor or a scientist and I don't even play one on TV.  This is just what SEEMS to me to be happening based on my experience.

[Mary Beth]

@Ford

 

welcome and wishing you the best regardless of brand you choose.

 

I have bilateral Med-El CIs and they have returned music to my life.  I am so thankful.

 

It is very difficult to find non biased info on line.  Either people work for the brands or receive research funding from the brands etc.

 

I connect via telecoil daily and have no problems with sound dropping out.

[Kara of Canada]

Hi and welcome! I was bimodal for a year and a half. My HA was too old to integrate with a the telecoil. But I managed. With a second CI the intergration is phenomenal! I hear way better with two then I ever did with bimodal or HAs. So it’s a ver y individual thing. Everyone has different hearing abilities so it’s hard to compare. I love my neckloop and I love them sound of music! 

[Ford]

Thanks Everyone -- the more I read the more I think I am going to go with Med-El (over AB)...too many pluses in that column.

I assume a good telecoil/bluetooth neckloop will work with most T coil hearing aids? I am wondering why I was getting dropouts on my Bernafons -- usually when I turned my head a certain way... I think the neckloop that comes with those aids use bluetooth to FM and FM to the aids... rather than tcoil....but the aids have t-coil in them too just never used it really.

[Mary Beth]

@Ford

 

I have been using Artone 3 MAX BT neckloop daily for the past 2 years with no problems.  Any HA with an active Tcoil will work with a Med-El processor set to MT or T.

[pdk]

Hi Tim 

You say you talked to Sara about the choice of implant.

What was the outcome.

Come to that , which one is the best for music?

I have to decide shortly.

Peter

[Mary Beth]

Hi Peter @pdk and welcome

 

I wish you the best on your CI journey.  My CIs have returned music to my life and I am so thankful.

[pdk]

Thanks Mary Beth,

Going for final meeting with audiologist. (Tigerberg Hostpital Capetown South Africa) to get final costing of implant components.

Cochlear is the preference here. I'm trying to find out the difference in speed of the nucleus 6 vs the nucleus 7, finances are limiting me to the nucleus 6 . It would seem that they both support the same basic hearing software (not worried about iphones).

Will then make decision for implant scheduled on 14th Sept.

Peter

[Mary Beth]

Good luck Peter.

@pdk

[Jdashiell]

On 8/24/2018 at 12:12 PM, Ford said:

Hi All - I am now down to the wire in choosing mfgrs and leaning towards med-el (over AB). Since I will be bimodal user the integration offered by Nadia is appealing, though not sure it is totally essential. For one, I currently have two older but totally fine Bernafone HAs (that I have been self programming), so if suitable It would mean not needing to upgrade right ear HA right away ( and I would have a spare too). The MEd-El site has a doc comparing bimodal benefits of med-el and AD/Cochlear (though a guy (Dan Swartz) kinda debunks it on the AB forum)...but the med-el doc is kind of compelling regardless. Anyway... it seems med-el will stream bilaterally to CI/HA using telecoil in neck loop. I have not used telecoil before, though have used stereo streaming (FM to neckloop) for calls and media on my current and previous HA's and can definitely see the benefit of that when it works (historically my experience has been buggy with drop-outs, etc). Does anyone have experience with bimodal setup (Med-El) and any feedback on how that works for you?

 

Many thanks

Ford

 

 

Dan Schwartz debunks EVERYTHING related to hearing loss treatments, equipment and ALS. He is well known as a naysayer on many things. Bad guy in my humble opinion.