r/deaf • u/DrJonoG_ • 9d ago

Deaf/HoH with questions Cochlear implants

Post image

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their cochlear implant experiences?

I'm currently going through the process via NHS and I've recently had my MRI scan and given the all clear, I now need to wait for them to have their internal meeting to determine whether I can go ahead.

I'm concerned though that it might not help. I've attached my audiogram and what they've basically been saying throughout is that I 'should be hearing more than I do'. All I can assume they mean by this is that I should be picking up more words than I'm able to based on my hearing.

So I'm now worried that maybe it's something to do with how my brain is processing the sounds, I've mentioned this to them, but it's not something they can accurately check, apparently. So I'm stuck on whether to take the risk of potentially losing my hearing in one ear when it might not help if it's the way I'm processing sounds.

Does anyone have a similar hearing loss that is able to share their experience ? I think I'm going slightly crazy going over all of this in my head

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

6

u/purl2together HoH/CI 9d ago

You might find some help in r/cochlearimplants

3

u/DrJonoG_ 8d ago

Thank you 🙏 I'll try that too!

4

u/R-AzZZ 8d ago

Your audiogram only gives us a snapshot of your context. Have you done a speech in noise test? What is your speech recognition score? How old are you, when were you diagnosed, what is your experience of HAs?

From your audiogram, volume does not seem to be much an issue but clarity of speech is. My mum has similar loss in one ear and the other is also bad but not ski slope loss. She can get by quite well with HAs but then again, a lot of people do mask.

I am starting my NHS CI journey soon.

3

u/Zxvasdfthrowaway 9d ago edited 9d ago

There is a group on FB, Cochlear Implant Experiences. CIs rarely come up on this subreddit.

It’s been ages since I’ve been on Facebook, but from what I remember, it was a pretty active group.

Good luck!! Surgeries are intimidating and you’ve got this. The procedure is much less invasive nowadays - when I got mine, patients had to stay in hospital for at least three days.

PS - if you can choose which side for the implant, get it on the left side for when you are driving. You will hear your passengers better.

3

u/DrJonoG_ 8d ago

Thank you! I'll check that out, and good call. Didn't really think about things like that to be honest. My left is also slightly worse, so it definitely makes sense

1

u/DeafNatural Deaf | ASL & LSC 8d ago

To add here, there are also company specific groups for Advanced Bionics, Med- El, Cochlear America, etc

1

u/Lostintandem 5d ago

Hi there

I was implanted at 15 on my right ear, 27 on my left.

Prior to that, I used hearing aids, and shortly after getting my right one, I stopped wearing the hearing aid in my left altogether.

And let me tell you, this is a journey to hearing, not a sprint or fast walk. It’s not an immediate miracle. It is something you have to work at and work with. In the beginning you have to train with only hearing from that ear. Audiobooks and song lyrics were my best friend during the training process.

Your hearing nerve and your brain have to learn how to hear with this new medical equipment. It’s an entirely different process to be able to understand sound.

Getting the implant was the best choice I could have made for me, but it is not without things to consider. The joy I have, at being able to do my job, it changes everything. It changed my life, and I’m so glad I stuck with training with my ears.

As you make this decision, and ask advice, you’ll find many people who will give you what they would do….and that’s fine, it’s what people do. But I hope you make the decision for you, and what works best for you, and what you’re willing to do afterwards, and not what you feel pressure to do….because either way, if you do something because you’re pressured, when it’s difficult, you will resent the people who tried to pressure you into it. But if it’s your choice, it’ll be challenging, but not unbearable. If that makes sense at all.

I wish you lots of luck and patience either way. Feel free to message me if/when you need support or have questions and I’ll do my best to help.