If you're a candidate for a cochlear implant, what will you do?

I'm tagging @rae54 @lizzy102 @davekoh @dstell @alice44 @christinahaire @annick24 @bdzwahlen on this discussion.

If you're considering a cochlear implant, what questions to you have? What factors are you considering?
If you've had a cochlear implant, what tips would you share? What do you wish you had known?

I am contacting Mayo Clinic on Monday to schedule a consultation meeting - I am nervous but excited - I have had hearing loss for 17 years. With my profound hearing loss I have tinnitus (very loud) and clarity loss. One question is whether the implant will help with all 3 of these ?

How do I chose the doctor at Mayo?

How long after a consultation appointment do they begin the process ?

Congratulations on moving forward. What did your regular audiologist or hearing instrument dispenser recommend? If you use hearing aids now, do you use any assistive technology that goes beyond those hearing aids? And, does that help? Do you know any people who have cochlear implants?

@julieo4 I am close but not quite at, the point where I would qualify for a CI. I think I will try the Oticon More hearing aid before going the CI route. What scares me is the irreversibility of it. I think maybe a little bit of vanity too, but that I can overcome. It's knowing that once it's done, you have it whether or not you are happy with it, and whether or not it improves my hearing by much.
JK

The new hearing aids work so well for so many. Add on a bit of assistive technology and many people can manage for years. I did.

As a 14 year member of the national board of HLAA (in the 80s & 90s), I watched many people go for cochlear implants. Some of them were far more profound than I was at the time. Watching them come back into the hearing world after struggling so hard was enlightening and encouraging. Since that time, CIs and hearing aids have improved. I was told in my 20s that I'd be deaf by the time I was 40. I was also told then, that there would be nothing that could change that or help me in my lifetime. (This was in the 60s.) I'm so thankful for my involvement in HLAA, because I learned first hand about advancements in technology & medicine .

Timing is everything! Many don't realize that the National Institutes of Health did not establish the National Institute for Deafness and Communication Disorders until 1988. Prior to that time there was very little research going on in this area. The concept of CIs was laughed at. Institutions that were doing research in this area were all doing it on their own; no collaboration and no funding. When that started to change, things started to happen. So thankful for modern medicine.

Today there are hybrid CIs. In some instances residual hearing is preserved, while in earlier implants this was not possible. The beat goes on, and things get better! I'm so glad I didn't wait though as I've had 16 years of better hearing since getting my CI in 2005. I can't imagine what my life would be like now had I not gone the CI route. Feeling blessed!

Rae, Each of Mayo Clinic's campuses has a specialized team that evaluates, treats and rehabilitates hearing loss. These teams include specialists in otolaryngology (ENT), audiology and speech pathology. So, you don't need to chose a doctor, rather, you will have a team of specialists who work together with you to provide the most appropriate treatment for you.

Read more here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cochlear-implants/care-at-mayo-clinic/pcc-20385023

The time between consultation and beginning the process will, in part, depend on your schedule. Be sure to let them know your availability and preferences. Are you coming from out of town or are you local?

...ah would love to visit Mayo from Ontario but impossible, would be nice if they would open up a Clinic/Hospital here in Canada! Maybe one day?