Hello to all the CI recipients on the forum…I’m not due for my 3 yr assessment until late July/August. So I can’t update you on any new scores. Other than saying I’m very happy with my bimodal system of hearing. I don’t think I’ve had any improvement over the last year. And I have no plans to go bilateral as yet.
How are all of you doing with your assessments? I’ve just been reading through some old posts and was wondering how you are all going now…
What are all your scores now that you are implanted, WRS? Sentences? SRT? Are you bimodal or bilateral now? What CI do you have?
Things have gone just great for me, I feel so incredibly fortunate. I am now 8 months from activation. By the three month mark my scores were in the 90’s (in quiet). Voices seem quite normal for me again - though some female news presenters seem rather whiny and little girlish, but I think some of that is actually for real. Elocution no longer seems important on television! But at least I can hear them!
I can speak on the telephone again - either by Bluetooth streaming, or by holding the phone to my ear - I have an Advance Bionics processor which has a T-mic right at the ear canal which facilitates “hearing” on the phone. Being able to hear on the phone is an absolute game changer in my life. I can now advocate for myself and handle my own affairs once again. It’s a thrill to just pick up the phone to book a hairdressing appointment. That said, I do still have a phone phobia. I went so long with texting and emails, that I tend to stick to them. Lengthy phonecalls still require a lot of effort - it’s not that I can’t hear, but the brain needs to still process what I am hearing without the aid of visuals. Sometimes I just have to tell my friends I am maxed out and bid them goodbye. I have had to do the same at social gatherings - just too much auditory stimulation, I guess.
Do I have any regrets. Absolutely not!. It miraculous to have this implant - I am still in wonder at the technology.
I remain bimodal for now, by choice. I do have some hearing in my other ear, though I cannot make out speech. It does help with listening to music and the television - kind of rounds out my bionic hearing. I imagine there will come a time that my residual hearing will be of so little use that I will opt for the second implant. Getting implanted really drove it home to me how deaf I was. I would be in very big trouble if my implant or processor failed me, so that is always in the back of my mind.
I am doing good, about 2 years post implant. I need to get another test to see how I score (last one was about 50%, but many changes since then). It has been almost a year since I was last tested and I have seen great improvements. I am now able to talk on the phone, but rarely do so because my other ear works pretty good.
I listen to pod casts everyday on the way to work and back - streaming directly to my CI. I am pretty comfortable with all of them, but at times higher pitched voices can be challenging. It all seems to be coming along for me. I am feeling pretty comfortable at work and don’t have many problems communicating with my peers.
Kind regards,
Dave
So the long story is over on my thread, but the recent test is 100% in quite, 80% in noise. I can mostly use a regular phone if I need to (streaming is still better).
I currently have several programs set up to play with. All with the same map but with different features turned on or off. This week is the first work conference since I have been implanted (thanks COVID) so we will see how that goes.
its been 1 1/2 yrs since activation. Nothing has changed. Still have no word recognition and 44% sound. That’t it!Still sounds like a radio in-between stations.Difficult to have a 1-1conversation because the static sound interferes with my good ear.Social gatherings are a nightmare. See the audiologist in the fall for a hearing test. Right now I rarely wear it. Can’t stand the sound.I am so glad that things are so great for you.I wish I could say I have no regrets but this has been the worse mistake in my life.I have the Kanso 2.
I received my Cochlear brand implant almost 2 years ago. I have the Nucleus 7 processor. In the other ear I have Resound Enzo Q. I’m glad I have the implant. The Resound hearing aid is useless. My hearing is good but not perfect and I do still get help from lip reading. I am 89 and my brain probably doesn’t work as well as it would if I were younger. I received the implant at the worst time for Covid. Being “locked down” meant I did not interact with people other than my husband for over a year. On the occasion when a medical appointment demanded my presence I found I could not hear what the masked person was saying. I still cannot hear anyone wearing a mask. For my rehab I relied on ESL sites and news programs on the internet. Some people are easy to understand, others are not. Now very few people wear a mask anymore and I can understand them quite well. I attend exercise classes where there are high ceilings and hard walls. Lots of echo. The Nucleus 7 does not have a setting for that kind of noise and so understanding people is not good. I set the processor on forward focus which does help somewhat. I can make phone calls which were impossible before the implant. I do use Innocaption app which transcribes what is said but I can hear quite well as the sound comes directly to my devices. One of the joys is that I can hear birds that I could not hear for more than 30 years. I can’t find them, of course, because with only one implant all sounds come from my left no matter where the bird is. But I can hear the bird. A week after being activated I had the pleasure of hearing katydids in my back yard. One thing I wish I could do with my processor is adjust the volume without resorting to my cellphone. I sometimes go to a nature conservancy for a few days that is “off the grid”. No phone. No cell connectivity. If I try to use the Nucleus Smart app it tries to connect, and tries to connect and never succeeds. So all in all, I’m happy. I hope more people respond. It is good to hear others’ experiences.
Birds are pretty neat to hear. Like you it’s been many years not hearing them or not hearing them well enough to identify them. With two implants I can hear birds well. It took about a year after activation to start learning how to locate them. It took lots of practice finding them with sight then directionality slowly came.
For those interested in birds there is an app my wife shared with me. It’s a lot of fun to use it is the “Merlin” app. She has it on her iPhone and I have it on an Android phone. Works great.
It has been a while since getting tested at the audiologist so I am not sure what my word and understanding scores are at the time. I do know they are slowly improving with practice in different environments. For me, if I get into a place that is difficult to understand all it takes is getting back into that environment a few times to notice an improvement understanding there.
My in quiet scores were around 85% or a little better. Coming from 4% and 8% before the implants I am not complaining at all! My scores in noise were around 65%. I am sure all scores have improved since that appointment.
Each of us with implants have had to learn how to learn speech and new sounds with our implants. We each have different ways to learn, figuring that out is the challenge. It’s sad to hear about someone getting an implant and not doing well with it. It can be difficult for some and others it comes easily.
I am so impressed that at 89 you are able to master all the technology needed to gain benefit from the CI. I am 72 and This is the reason I was not successful.This was my biggest challenge.I was never told all that was involved. I thought all I had to do was wear it. I wore it 12hrs a day for 1 1/2 yrs with no benefit. I don’t use a cell phone no apps or streaming devices or was I informed about auditory rehab…This is my biggest failure. I not only blame myself but also the Dr. and audiologist.They assume that everybody embraces technology. I was never evaluated for my willingness or capabilities to master this. this should be part of the evaluation and I conveyed this to the audiologist. She said she has other s who gained benefit even though they did not use all the technology. I cannot believe this after reading everyones success stories.I have the Kanso 2.
Kathykillea04, at 72 you are a youngster! You need a self confidence boost. You may not have a computer or cellphone but I’m sure you have a public library near you. Most libraries have Internet access for patrons. Ask the librarian or a tech savvy friend (grandchild?) for help accessing ESL sites. ESL as you know I’m sure, stands for English as a Second Language. There are not many helpful CI sites on the Internet but there are many millions of people working to master English and these sites are helpful. On some you see and hear the person speaking words so you get the benefit of help from lip reading. On others there might be a story that is read for you to hear. There will also be the printed text to help you follow. Start as a beginner and see your ability to understand speech improve.
Your audiologist or the Cochlear rep might be able to put you in contact with a local mentor who might be willing to meet with you and help you one on one.
Good luck!
One of my problems is that I have normal hearing in the other ear. The static sound from the CI overtakes the good ear.I have a computer. I have visited cochlear sites for exercises as well as other sites offered. If I was given this info a yr ago it might have helped. I also looked into auditory rehab sites but they charge $150/session with a minimum of 10 sessions.All I ever wanted was something to equalize sound but the Dr said an implant would be better. I believed him,I see now this would never have been my choice if I was told what was involved to see any benefit.I was deaf in the 1ear for 6yrs prior to implant. Woke up one day and was profoundly deaf after getting my first ever flu shot 2 weeks prior. (a rare side effect)Numerous mappings over a yr have had no result including those by a cochlear audiologist.I don’t think I need a confidence boost. I need a reality check that this is a failure for me and I need to stop trying which only leads to more frustration . I read others success stories and found them inspirational. which gave me hope.I was also told prior to implant that I should not have high expectations so I would not be disappointed.That should have stopped me them.
It’s great to see so many positive outcomes from those implanted. Congratulations to you all, it’s not an easy decision to make to have a CI.
I’m bimodal with N7 and GN Resound Enzo, I love it, my life has turned around since my implant. I’m due for my annual mapping late July early August. I need to pull my finger out and start more rehab if I want to improve on my 94% to get the perfect score like Pat.
Kathy,
this approach only works if your other ear is bad enough, if it has a severe to profound loss, too, or even is deaf.
If your other ear is too good then your brain won’t learn automatically. In this case you need to do rehab explicitely.
Ah, I was right
You should have a smartphone. From there try listening to podcasts to your CI only. You may also look for audiobooks and read the printed version at the same time you are listening it. You need to do this a couple of times with the same audio source(s).
Hello Deaf_piper,
my last assessment has been in January this year at my 2-year appointment. I don’t have any idea how my scores have been the last time as I am not really interested in statistics at this time. The only thing that counts is that I am happy with my current maps Why?
Listening to talking people is much easier for me than at the time where I had 2 power hearing aids.
I am also glad to have 2 implants. My second ear was as bad as my first ear before surgery. So there was no reason not being bilateral. It is really nice to be able to listen to birds chirping. It’s cool to hear a bike coming before crossing the road. It’s fantastic to hear leaps rushing in the wind again. I like my implants very much.
This is also one of my issues. I do not have any kind of cell phone or Ipad.the accessories from cochlear I was given I returned.,that includes all the streaming devices with the exception of mini mic.I am not tech savvy. I told the audiologist before being implanted. I wanted something simple. This should not have been an option for me. All I wanted was something to equalize sound like the BAHA but the Dr said this was better.
Hi there, well, you dont have technology, but you do have tv or radio, right?, do you have grandchildren or friends willing to spent say half hour to sit with you? Have someone read (newspaper, magazine or book of poems) they read words to you and you repeat.
Your brain needs to hear and recognise the sounds, no matter how small, repeat until you do repeat the words how you should hear it. In order to be able to tell your audi what you are not hearing. It can be fun or simply reading hour.
just wanted to share my scores. Pre CI was 1%,6 mo 18%, 1yr 17%. They reprogrammed went to 44% but after several weeks (14mo) lt dropped 7% i was reprogrammed again. Don’t know what it is now. Have not been retested.
Why?