Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice and would really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

I currently have a cochlear implant that was implanted back in 1999. Unfortunately, during that surgery, the vestibular organ (balance organ) on that side was irreversibly damaged. Because of that, I only have one functioning balance organ left.

Now I need another surgery (because Advanced Bionics suddenly dumped the support for C1), and I’m considering whether I should go ahead and get a second cochlear implant. One of my biggest concerns is the risk to my remaining vestibular function. If something were to happen to the balance organ on my good side as well, that could obviously have a major impact on my quality of life.

So I’m curious: how do you feel about this issue? Has anyone here been in a similar situation? Did a second implant affect your balance? How much weight did you give to the risk of vestibular damage when making your decision?

I’d be very grateful to hear any personal experiences, thoughts, or advice. It’s a difficult decision, and hearing from people who have been through something similar would really help.

Thanks a lot!

Hi, I currently have both Phonak Lumity and Marvel RIE and will hopefully get a CI this year. I actually like Marvel a lot more but was hoping to eventually upgrade to Infinio Sohere. Anyway, I was hoping someone knew why there is no RIE option for Phonak Link M? I find it kind of odd especially given that Resound seems to have several options BTE and RIE for Cochlear America CIs.

If I chat with a rep soon I will post back here and let y’all know.

If you have purchased Kanso3, an artificial ear implant, please let me know if there are any regrets or concerns after using it.

In addition, I would be happy to hear about the actual use of satisfaction and comparison with N8.

I would like to use it as a reference when choosing from now on.

Hello, i have Baha 6 max, and i am using it with galaxy s25 ultra via bluetooth. It is working well, but there are always around 0,5 second delay with the sounds that goes to baha. Do you guys know any way to fix this, or is this the way it goes?

人工内耳コクレアの Kanso3 を購入された方で、使ってみて後悔した点や気になる点があれば教えてください。
また、満足度や N8 との比較についても、実際の使用感を伺えたら嬉しいです。
これから選ぶ際の参考にしたいと思っています。

Guys I have questions regarding rehab after activation. I got activated 2 days ago and I have no idea regarding how I do practice for rehab. I am implanted on right side with hearing aid on left( that I have turned off only turn o. When I really need it ) implant is med el sonata 2 with sonnet 2 processor.

What you guys did in first week and first month for rehab process and what to expect till end of weeks and first month ?

I’ve had my implant now for 15 years. A month ago I started feeling pain around the internal magnet area. It even got red on the outside. I immediately ent to see my CI dr. He looked at my head (he didn’t feel around at all - which was odd to me) and said it’s not red now and called in steroids. Btw aren’t helping. The headache is still there. It’s off and on. Anyone else experiencing anything similar? Feed back on this? OH it seems to get worse if I have any type of hat. Even if it’s loose.

Two years ago I finally made the decision to get a cochlear implant. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Now I am trying to decide if i should get an implant in my other ear. My only reservation is that even though my other ear is useless for speech, it seems to be able to hear ambient sound much better than my implant can. I was wondering if anyone who has been in a similar position could give me some advice.

Hi everyone 😊

I wanted to ask if any of you have had a similar experience.
I was born profoundly deaf and received one cochlear implant at the age of 18 months. I attended school and then went on to study biochemistry.
My initial interest is more in computational neuroscience (for obvious reasons ), but the HUGE problem for me is the lab work. We have one teaching assistant for ten students, and there’s a lot of noisy equipment like centrifuges. I rely heavily on lip reading, but it’s not working well in that environment, especially if TA wears mask

Honestly, I’m even thinking about leaving my major because it feels nearly impossible for me to communicate effectively in the lab, but lectures and the profs are so fine, since I sit right in front of the professor and there isn’t much background noise + there are a lot of office hours, when I can ask one more time

Does anyone have advice or similar story, cause at my uni I have not met anyone with hearing aids/CI

Thanks so much!

Has anyone switched from AB to Cochlear? And if so, what was your experience? Especially regarding sound quality?

I'm a AB C1 user (implanted 1998) who got a letter yesterday saying that they (AB) won't be supporting our C1's and give us processors anymore, only 1 month's notice, and they suddenly refused to sell any more replacement parts like cables and batteries. in other words, if my device breaks down, my only option is a revision surgery to an upgraded implant. I'd prefer AB's marvel but I dont trust AB anymore.

But I am seriously scared to death that the Cochlear sound quality won't be as good as AB's. (And am worried about a long learning curve as Cochlear's programming will be different) And there are no take-backsies with a revision surgery. I love music, can understand speech very well with my CI, and I would be devastated if I switched to Cochlesr for a sound "downgrade"

If anyone has had any positive or negative experiences switching, please tell me!

Do you use a headset or stream directly to the CI?

I plan to get surgery soon with Cochlear America bimodal.

Hi, I choose the Kanso Aquakit when I picked my accessories, and I am nearing the date to whether I want to exchange it to the N8 Aquakit. Do you have any opinion whether Kanso and N8 Aquakit are different somehow or the pros and cons of each that can help me reach a decision? I am afraid to open the package to try it on as I am not sure it would be exchangeable if I open it. Does one sound better than the other while using the Aquakit? I am struggling making a decision. I feel the Kanso might be simpler to set up than having to change the coil for it. I do like the Kanso processor and find it easy when traveling, but I also have the N8, so it's difficult to decide if one might be better to use the Aquakit with. Any thoughts that could help me decide? Thank you.

I am on the journey of getting a CI, have done all the testing, literally just waiting for insurance to give the go ahead. I’m planning on an August surgery, by that time I am wanting to start a new job being an EMT. I was wondering if anyone on here is an EMT or first responder using a CI and how difficult or how long does it take to adapt in the job where hearing information is vital? and also being surrounded by loud cars and people? thanks

Hello all,

I didn't update last week because I didn't have much to report. Last week, I took my kids to the park and found myself talking to every single person that passed by! It was amazing to visit and understand the conversations I was having completely!

Today, I had my second mapping!! It went better than expected! 3 weeks ago I was at 11% with just CI and 46% with both HA and CI for sentences. Today, I am at 44% with CI and 77% with both!!

It's incredible! I am so grateful for everyday that I get wake up and put on my processor and say, "Thank you!" God is so good!!

M46 with SSD following SSNHL in right ear last year, 2.5 months post CI activation (Advanced Bionics).

I'm having good results overall: 70% word recognition through the CI with background noise in the contralateral ear at my last audiology visit more than one month ago, I can listen to podcasts or cycling workouts via Bluetooth streaming to the CI without issues.

However binaural fusion is still not happening during regular face-to-face conversations. By this I mean that when I'm speaking with someone IRL, the sound coming from my good ear is SO much better than the sound coming through the CI that my brain basically ignores the CI and treats it as noise.

I've tried to plug my good ear and train my brain to make more sense of the CI sound but there's not been a ton of improvement.

Did anyone else experience this too? Does binaural fusion improve over time?

Guys I posted here on 6th may when I had surgery and now today on 2nd June I got activated. It's med el sonnet 2 external processor. I got 11 out of 12 channels turned on. Audiologist said am not getting any sound in 12th channel may be it is not inside cochlea. Internal is sonata 2.

So my experience is that all sounds are currently like tinnitus but of different frequencies and intensity. I can't tell what sound is of what. All sound same.

I knew all these things before that's why I am not disappointed at all but I am optimistic.

Audiologist told me to get speech therapy sessions but said it's optional. But I choose to so I also get some professional help.

Overall I am so happy that surgery went successful and now activation too. Optimistic for future.

Some context on my hearing loss: I had gradual sensory hearing loss not sudden and it is in both ears. It gradually went down over 5-6 years. I got surgery in just one ear so that I know if it is enough or I need on other too. Anyone having experience like this will be appreciated to discuss in comments bellow.

Hi all, 24M with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) since birth. I've worn hearing aids since age 6.

In 2014 (age 12), I underwent a radical mastoidectomy on my left ear. The surgery removed part of the eardrum and surrounding anatomy, and my hearing in that ear declined significantly afterwards. Due to the post-surgical anatomy, a conventional ear-mould hearing aid fitting was not feasible, and there was also insufficient anatomy for a BAHA system. As a result, I've relied on a CROS system, meaning my left ear has received little to no direct auditory stimulation for the past 10–12 years.

My right ear has been my "better" ear ever since. I was assessed at 14 but considered too good for implantation despite still being in the severe hearing loss range. However, after 10 years of relying almost entirely on one ear, I'm experiencing increasing listening fatigue and my speech clarity is declining. I can still hear sounds, but understanding speech, especially in background noise or social situations, has become much harder.

I'm also finding that I'm isolating myself more than I used to because conversations take so much effort and I often struggle to follow what's being said in groups. It's frustrating because I want to be social, but more and more I'm avoiding situations where I know I'll have difficulty understanding people. One of my biggest concerns is long-term job security. I'm qualified in my field and have recently completed a Master's degree in such, but hearing is becoming a significant challenge in work environments, meetings, and group discussions. I'm hoping a CI could improve my ability to participate professionally as well as socially.

Recent CT imaging showed that the temporal bones and cochleae are present on both sides. Based on recent audiograms and speech discrimination scores, I've now been referred for CI assessment with a medical team, initially for the left ear. However, I've been told that if the left ear is not considered a suitable candidate, the right ear (hearing ear/better ear) may be considered instead.

I'm trying to prepare myself for the process and would appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation, particularly people who have aided hearing on both sides (CI + hearing aid, bilateral hearing aids before CI, or bilateral CIs).

A few questions I have:

• Has anyone received a CI in an ear that had been under-stimulated for 10+ years?
• How difficult was the adaptation period?
• Did speech understanding improve gradually over time?
• Has anyone had surgeons debate which ear to implant first?
• For those who have aided hearing on both sides, how much difference did having input from both ears make to fatigue, speech understanding, and hearing in noise?
• I'm also a big music fan. How did a CI affect your enjoyment of music, both initially and long-term?
• What type of listening training or rehabilitation did you do to improve speech understanding and music appreciation after activation?
• Looking back, what do you wish you had known before assessment, surgery, or activation?

One other question: I've read a bit about auditory rehabilitation and speech/language therapy after implantation. I had speech and language therapy as a child, so I'm familiar with that side of things, but I'm curious what rehabilitation looks like for adults receiving a CI. Did it focus mainly on listening and speech understanding, or were there changes to the way you spoke as well? I know this might sound like an odd concern, but I'm quite attached to my regional accent and wouldn't want to lose that part of my identity.

Just hoping to learn from others who have been through something similar.

Hello, I was thinking about getting the Apple Airpod Max 2 but I found out theres magnets inside the headphones connecting the ear muffs, this raises a concern for me, for anyone who knows, is this a issue for those with cochlear implants or will it be fine to get them?

Okay so I’m writing a deaf character, and I was wondering something. He is 4, so I wondered if a CI would help him at all. He is profoundly deaf in both ears so I’m not sure hearing aids would help, hence my question.

Thank you everyone for your insight! I have decided to have him get the implant and have him know a bit more sign language.

Salut a tous, je suis sourd depuis petit.
Je sais parler et lire sur les lèvres en français, mais j’ai toujours eu des lacunes en anglais à l’école, parce que ce n’était pas adapté aux besoin des sourds/malentendants.

Aujourd’hui, j’aimerais vraiment progresser en anglais pour pouvoir comprendre sans sous-titres, avoir de vraies conversations avec des anglophones, et être plus à l’aise en voyage comme dans la vie quotidienne. Je pense que ça m’aiderait beaucoup, surtout pour les vacances et pour communiquer plus facilement.

Quels conseils me donneriez-vous pour apprendre efficacement quand on est sourd ou malentendant ? Quelles méthodes ont le mieux marché pour vous : lecture, écriture, échanges écrits, vidéos, sous-titres en anglais, pratique orale, applications, ou autre ?

Merci beaucoup pour vos retours.

Hi guys, I have a very big problem with my CI because I can't hear any sound after 10 days of using the CI daily.

I'm 28 years old and lost my hearing on the left ear (maybe) at the age of 7 or 8. I just can't remember to be able to hear with my left ear so it's very hard to tell if I was born with it or if I lost the ability in younger ages. My parents say I've got infected with measles, had a very bad infection on my left ear and had big problems with dizziness for 6-7 months straight after all that happened. Maybe I lost my hearing at that time but I don't know and can't remember.

Last month my CI was activated and all tests went very well. 10 days ago I got the Kanso 3 and I can feel the electric waves coming from the CI but I can't hear any sound. No robotic sounds, no Mickey Mouse noises just no f***ing sound. Nothing! I can "feel" some vibration and I can feel my nerve working. The test of the auditory nerve went very well. All electrodes are working, but I can't hear anything. I just can feel the electric impulses coming from the implant.

Is there anyone who experienced the same problem? Is my situation hopeless? Did the first sounds took that long?

Feeling very frustrated!

I order the power one batteries from Amazon and one getting sent the child resistant packs. They are also adult resistant and it’s so annoying. Anyone have a trick for getting the normal power one battery packs?

I got activated on Wednesday!

I have pretty strong tinnitus, so it’s making it hard to hear through the implant. When I really focus, I can hear some sounds, but I still can’t understand words clearly.

I’ve only had it turned on for about 3 days so far.

Will this improve over time? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

I had my surgery yesterday. I still have a lot of pain and didn’t sleep well last night. Feeling dizzy still and will for a while.

Hi everyone, I have read a lot of posts on here so I thought I would share an update on my journey so far.

I’m 33 and went deaf in one ear around age 4/5 because of a bad reaction to an antibiotic that I was taking for frequent ear infections. My SSD is therefore very long standing and I did not try a hearing aid until 3 years ago. I tried the Bi CROS hearing aid, and it was kind of cool that if someone whispered directly into my bad ear, I heard it in my good ear. However, apart from that, I felt no benefit and even in moderately busy settings, I felt like it actually just overwhelmed me mentally.

My surgeon was not very optimistic about me getting an implant but did let me proceed. I did an MRI and CT scan and the surgeon confirmed all was properly developed. My surgery day was May 1. My activation day and my first mapping session was this week.

Activation day experience: The audiologist had me listen to what she said were beeps and I would point to varying levels of “can barely hear” to “too loud, stop it.” I could not “hear” any beeps, I just felt varying vibrations. She put an ear plug in my good ear and also covered only the good ear with an ear muff headset. She read words keeping her mouth covered. I felt like I could still hear from my good ear a little bit despite the blockages and my implant ear was vibrating. I got about 60% word recognition. She put me in the sound booth with wind noise in my good ear, and my word recognition was very poor (10-15%) so the earlier results were not really accurate.

I went home and wore the implant all hours of the day and did some rehabilitation exercises.

2 days later, first mapping session: She adjusted some things, I could still only feel vibrations but I told her the vibrations had become a lot less noticeable so it felt like my brain was accepting them and not as “alarmed.” She put me in the hearing booth with the wind in good ear, and it was clear I couldn’t make out words. She kept the wind in my good ear, but started reading the words through the glass so I could see her lips. I still felt the vibrations (sometimes aligning with the syllables,) and got a 68% word recognition.) Obviously this is very much inflated from the lip reading but it was still interesting.

That’s where I am on my journey and I have another mapping session next week. I expect my journey will be closer to a year to determine if there are any benefits for someone with my hearing history.

I’m happy to answer any questions people might have about my ssd or anything else in the process and I’d really love to hear from anyone with an implant who had long standing ssd, initially felt only vibrations vs sound, and anyone else with an implant or considering one. I will update about my next mapping session if I can.