One month implant activation update

Cochlear Implants
#1

I thought I’d post an update. It’s been a month since my AB implant has been activated and 2 months since surgery when I had an anesthesia reaction that resulted in SSHL in my non-implanted ear. I will post my new hearing tests sometime next week. My 1 month audi appointment was delayed due to Labor Day.

I could barely understand a few words at activation, but was doing great just hours later. Two days after activation I was hearing on the phone and whizzing through my rehab. I still have problems differentiating between certain letters, like M and N. And I have to do more work to improve hearing with background noise. But overall it’s unbelievable!

I’m truly amazed at how well I can hear, especially with both the AB implant and the Link hearing aid. I love how they work together. It’s definitely been a success.

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#2

Congratulations.

It sure sounds like you are doing excellent.
Some of the letters and sounds you are not getting could be corrected at your next mapping.

It’s going to get even better.
Keep us updated.

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#3

Thanks! My next mapping is Monday.

I just found that one of my doctor’s offices is all echo, making it really hard to understand. I’ll see if my audi can adjust for that?

#4

Taking my notes with you can be very helpful.
I always forget things so keeping notes on my hearing and environment has always helped.

Good luck on Monday.

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#5

Sounds like good progress there! I also had a bit of trouble with differentiating M and N, also D and G sounds. Gets easier when everything starts really filling in with the nuances of sound getting more clearly defined.

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#6

@db4art you are making wonderful progress. All your rehab mightn’t appear to be doing much at the moment. That’s perfectly ok, it’s the end result at 12 months that the extremely important one. Keep us all updated as you go through this exciting journey. Good luck…

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#7

I had my one month visit with my CI Audiologist Monday. I knew I was hearing better, but I can’t believe the results! And neither could the audi.

When tested for my evaluation last January, my word discrimination with both ears was only 36% in quiet. Monday it was 100%! I understood every single word! I need to work on hearing with background noise, but even that is better. At a little over one month since activation, my hearing is now borderline normal.

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#8

@db4art they are very impressive outcomes for you. Well done…

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#9

Amazing results. WOW
Congratulations.
I would say you are an exception, the quickest to do this well for sure.
Thanks for sharing.

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#10

I know I’m an exception and this isn’t the way it usually goes. I’m totally blown away by how well I’m doing!

The implant ear is still higher pitched so I need to keep working to make it sound “normal” to me. But sound and speech does sound “normal” to me when I use the implant and the linked HA.

BTW, there are times I’m overwhelmed by sound. I went to an outdoor arts festival, with art and music, and there was sound everywhere. It takes some getting used to.

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#11

Glad you’re making progress with your CI, though you’ve only had one mapping sequence completed. You also seem to think someday you’ll have good speech understanding in background noise. Not sure where that is coming from since CI’s do not do well (performance wise) with loud background noise. Any Audi would of told you that day one, so I hope you your not over reaching here on several levels.

#12

I’ve had 3 mappings so far. One at activation, one after one week and this last one at a little over a month. Will I be able to hear speech in a really loud environment? Probably not, but that’s no reason to not work on it. My ability to hear speech with some background noise has already improved. Did you look at my test results?

My old audi, new CI audi and surgeon all presented me with realistic expectations. I went into this knowing that I could be one of those who might never hear with my implant. I understood it would probably take months or years of work to learn to hear again. These one month test results were NOT anticipated! But I am so happy with my AB implant and Link HA, as well as how fast my own brain is adapting to the implant.

I’m not overreaching. I’m taking my amazing results so far and trying to keep improving.

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#13

I was fitted with my abutment for a Pronto 5 SP on Aug 24th 6 weeks later the abutment fell out! Doctor says it’s because of radiation therapy that I am receiving close to that area. Now I have to wait several months after radiation to have another operation. Talked them into putting the Pronto on a soft band which I get next week. Know I won’t get anywhere near your results but I just can’t stand what I have now for another 6 months or more.

#14

This is a nonsense statement.

I am proof that CI hears pretty darn well in noise, much better than previously with hearing aids for sure.

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#15

Same here, my score on the +5 test runs in the low 90s. I don’t have my one month scores handy but it looks like db4art is starting from a much worse place then I did so those results aren’t bad at all.

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#16

Sorry about your need for radiation and its effects on your device. I’m not up on bone conduction surgery. I hope you get great results when you finally get it all squared away.

#17

Thanks pathurley. Low 90s is also a really impressive result. We both need to keep working at it, don’t we?