@billchitwood @julieo4 I've never heard of a CI making your hearing worse but I have to imagine it's because of the learning curve needed to retrain your brain on hearing differently. I agree with Julie that it doesn't take too many hearing tests before you start to remember those words (they call them spondees, I believe). Some audiologists use recordings for these words. It's to make sure that the volume of the words are consistent. I hope that one day the hearing system could be tested without our input. Heck, Dr. McCoy would be able to do it (this is a pun if you're not familiar). One thought comes to mind. Since most hearing loss is in the high frequencies and because the high frequencies are picked up near the opening of the cochlea, a hybrid device may be a consideration for the implant. The electrode array is shorter so as to not disturb the innermost part of the cochlea, which receives the low frequencies. The CI processor will function as a hearing aid so it amplifies the low frequencies and these sounds enter the cochlea as they normally do (air conduction). I know that Cochlear America makes a hybrid but I don't know if Med-El or Advanced Bionics offers a hybrid.
Tony in Michigan