Right ear Activation Day

[Dragonesa41083]

I like your videos, I'm a cochlear implant candidate and I'm already approved for it, I am hoping that I can get it done on both ears on the same day and if I do then I will be happy. I'm very surprised how you said that your other ear hears alittle better than the older ear what I also enjoyed was you signing in this video which allowed me to feel more welcome to sign during my activation, whenever that will be, I'm still far away from getting the surgery date and then activation. :)

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@Dragonesa41083 The reason that my right ear (the one that was activated in the video) could hear better is because I've gotten used to the CI from my Left. I was saying that I could hear better in my Right ear than the day my Left ear was activated. Audiologist explained that it was because I've gotten used to it. Funny enough, now that I have both, my left ear is more dominant than my right. When I had hearing aids, my right ear was more dominant. Funny how ears work.

[Dragonesa41083]

@LadySekhmetDJ, wow that is creepy, my left ear is the bad one and my right ear is the good one (it's the only ear that hears right now but it's assisted with a hearing aid) I wonder if my left ear will dominate my right ear if I have 2 CI's done at the same time and then wait for activation but for me, I'll be training my left ear at night time to get the brain used to "seeing" the left ear.  Since I already know what sound is with my right ear. :)

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@Dragonesa41083 wish you best of luck with your activation day!! Yeah, my friend that was video taping it is deaf, so I was signing it for her behalf and for any body that's seeing the video, very helpful. I have one that I subtitled. My audiologist also always requires interpreters to be present (my audi can also sign, but not fluently). Again, best of luck, and don't freak out the first few days....you'll hate it (trust me), then you will start to hear more clearer. :-)

[Dragonesa41083]

@LadySekhmetDJ, Oh, I am aware that it won't sound like it's supposed to when you first get it activated, many people that I know with a cochlear implant has said this but with time and practice along with patience it'll sound like it's supposed to or even better. :)

[keto6789]

shes pretty. im happy for her.

[Beun007]

I like her

[ASexyLady14]

Hi,

You are funny! I laughed when you and your audiologist make jokes and stuff. I like the expression of " What color is my shoes?" lol I have a couple of questions about the CI. You said that you wore hearing aids before and got a CI now. How different are they? I wear HA too and my hearing is getting bad as I get older. Do you hear a lot more sounds than the HA can pick up? I was wondering because I'm thinking about getting a CI too! Thanks! : )

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@ASexyLady14 sent you a msg.

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@ASexyLady14 - Reason why she was asking questions is to see what I'm hearing and what I'm not. She was increasing the volume, adjusting at the same time...that's why I said "What are you pressing the buttons for?"

I could hear very well with HAs, but my residual hearing progressively gotten worse. To me, everything sounds the SAME, BUT, with a lot more clarity and higher pitch. I can hear birds, my cats using the litter box, my dog's tags when she runs, crickets, etc.

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@ASexyLady14 - These sounds are at a much higher frequency. I couldn't hear them before. Yes, I hear a LOT more than what the HA can do. CI isn't for everyone, and I would only suggest them to people who have progressively hearing loss, and they've grown up with HA's. Not someone who never heard "sound" before, as it can get extremely overwhelming.

[RiseandSign]

Awesome. So happy you've found a modern day miracle :)

[RiseandSign]

Thank you for sharing. Looks like you're using an interpreter? (Drives me crazy that audiologists work with Deaf people on a daily basis, but don't become fluent in their language. Grr...) What situations do you find you need/don't need an interpreter any more?

Back when CI first came out, they were recommended for people who did NOT benefit from HA. Looks like that's changed? Were you nervous to be cutting off your auditory nerves and the chance to use HA, if the CI didn't work out?

[Dragonesa41083]

@RiseandSign, they don't cut off your auditory nerve, they just drill into your cochlea to insert the electrode array, the implant itself is behind the ear under the skin. The auditory nerve sits near the cochlea but they don't cut it. The part that's responsible for getting the sound to that nerve is your cochlea, once the hairs fall or become damage, that's it, you have a degree of hearing loss. I'm getting a cochlear implant soon and will have a same time operation on two ears

[Dragonesa41083]

@RiseandSign Also on the implanted ear, you can't use a hearing aid anymore, this is because there is no residual hearing (natural hearing) so the hearing aid becomes useless.

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@Dragonesa41083 - Not always. I still have my residual hearing. My surgeon inserted the electrodes very carefully and slowly. So I can still hear with Hearing aids, but boy it sounds really low, and awful. I couldn't believe how much I was missing!! :-) Many surgeons tend to go too fast that they damage the delicate hair cells.

[Dragonesa41083]

@LadySekhmetDJ, wow so you have your residual hearing in both ears with the implants? How many months apart are the 2 implants? I have a friend who got his implant and after the surgery he still had his residual hearing, he also said that, with time that will die out on it's own but that's okay because the implant takes over the jobs of those little hairs.

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@RiseandSign Sorry for SUCH a late reply!! Yes, my audiologist always provide interpreters to clients that are fluent in ASL. Personally, the only times I use interpreters is classrooms and lecture settings. I don't need them for doctor's appointments and such.

They do not cut off the Auditory nerve (dragonesa explained). You need to have Auditory nerve for CI to work. ;-)

Not at all nervous. My residual hearing was progressively getting worse, so HA was not going to help.

[phaze101200oo]

Great story I am happy for you! I also wear CIs

[SgtMantis]

How neat, do you have a vid for day 1?

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@SgtMantis No actually. I know...I'm bummed that I didn't do it. The first one was a little bit WORSE than this one because of the sensory overload, but then you get used to it fast. So when I had the "shock" thing, that's why I said, "I hate that!!". But then I got used to it very fast, so it didn't bother me as much as it did for my left.

[KurtG85]

So happy for you! I could watch these videos and get teary eyed all day!

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@KurtG85 Thanks!! Too bad my mom didn't video tape me when I heard Crickets for the FIRST time EVER. She nearly cried because the number one thing that I've always wanted to hear was crickets, and I couldn't hear it before because my hearing aids didn't pick up the frequencies that high.

[KurtG85]

@LadySekhmetDJ Thats awesome. I love sound and music, it always fascinates me; every small sound I hear. i would be a much different person if I couldn't hear.  Has your speech changed much since being able to hear your own and others voices or do you think you will always have the 'accent' you developed by learning to speak by observing just lip movements (or whatever else helped you learn).

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@KurtG85 Yes, my speech has improved quite a bit. I used to have a very difficult time saying the silent sounds, such as S, CH, Z, etc. Now, I can pronounce certain words better. Sometimes, people can tell that I need to get remapped because my speech is not sounding clear. It's kind of interesting that way. I think you'll always have a slight "deaf" accent, nothing you can do about it, but you can certainly improve on it.

[KurtG85]

@KurtG85 Interesting. Thanks very much for sharing this info!

[josiecantrap]

This is great!

[smashsamus]

so what do you think about music?? don't you just love it?! :D

[LadySekhmetDJ]

@smashsamus OF COURSE! Music is much more enriching experience, and I can pick up the vocals much better than I used to. Many CI users don't realize that Music is VERY tough to process because of a HUGE dynamic range of sounds and it takes a while to really learn, and listen.