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Cochlear Implants: How well do they work at an older age?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Aug 7, 2022 | Replies (143)Comment receiving replies
I am reading your posts @billchitwood, albeit a bit late, with great interest because I am on the course to possibly get a cochlear implant. I feel very fortunate to be close enough to Mass Eye and Ear IMEEI) to be able to make that my hospital of choice - it's rated second in the country. The doctor I had an appointment with this week was absolutely great. He was very patient with our questions and explained things very well. You sound very happy with your Mayo doctors too. That makes such a difference.
I have an appointment for the first week of January with the audiologists at MEEI. I will be with them for about two hours and then another appointment with the doctor. It's so nice when you feel so good about a doctor, he was everything I could ask for in a doctor, at least so far.
When the audiologists do their tests do they test you with hearing aids in? I am trialing some Oticon More hearing aids and I think they are helping but I'm not sure if that's my imagination so I would really like to have a test to see my word comprehension with them. Unfortunately, by then I will have to either return these or buy them, they are from my local audiologist.
I will be very interested in hearing how things go with your activation.
JK
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Your Audiologist might be able to extend the trail period if you ask - or test out another one because if you do the Cochlear Implant the side that is done will have the piece you will need - and you would probably need a whole different one for the other ear. So I would definitely wait in purchasing a set until you know if the Implant will work for you.
And yes, they should test you on a good hearing aid as well when they do the tests. But don't do a dumb thing like I did and basically 'cheat'. I've been so used to filling in words that when I took the test with the HAs I automatically filled in the blanks, which made it appear I was hearing better than I was! When they did the test with noise and the hearing aids I couldn't even get one right, at which point the audiologist figured out I wasn't hearing most conversations. Over the years I've gotten very good at faking hearing conversations. My family didn't catch on for years and one son is still convinced I hear everything he says over the phone (boy is he wrong!)
Today I went to lunch with son and daughter and basically enjoyed being with them. The one hearing aid I was able to use on the left side kept turning on and off and didn't seen to want to work well at all. I suspect it might be because the right side (which I can't use now) is the controlling HA? The right side one just wanted to whistle, driving both Robin and Craig nuts and not helping the left side at all. For past two days it hasn't streamed into my Iphone either, which means being on the phone is really hard.
Until they activate me I won't have hearing on the right side where the implant has been done. So I shall just smile a lot. Understand I'm going to have a lot of re-learning to do and they won't just be able to flip a switch and I'll be able to hear. Becoming a bionic woman is a lot of hard work, but hopefully will be well worth it in the end. I'm more than willing to put the time in - today was so hard sitting there and unable to join in the conversation, and when I did I wasn't sure I wasn't shouting as I couldn't hear myself.
Good luck with your venture and wishing the very best for you. If you have any questions this is a wonderful group for getting answers and support.