Bilateral Cochlear Implants
- Group Forums
Group Statistics
361 Members.
0 Blog Posts.
4 Files.
50 Discussions.
You are a Member.
Please log in.
CommentAuthorspoonlady
CommentTime Mar 19th 2010
Born profoundly hearing impaired, I wore hearing aids for the first 30 years of my life. I'm a metalsmith by profession, and years of pounding metal ( very noisy profession!) and I lost more hearing in my bad ear. I had an Advanced Bionic implant done in '98, and took about a year to relearn to hear. In the meantime, I still wore a hearing aid in my good ear and the implant in my bad ear. It got to the point I didn't need my hearing aid and I relied completely on my implant, which worked so much better. 3 years ago, when my health insurance finally allowed bilateral implants, I went ahead and got a Freedom implant in my good ear. Curiously, with two different implants, two different sound maps, it all works for me. My brain has no problem coordinating the slight sound differences, but my newer implant has a better sound than the old one and works better. The only problem is that my good ear is hypersensitive to the higher frequencies, so I have a real problem with high frequencies, so it hurts more to hear. Sometimes I have to shut off the Freedom and use the old Advanced Bionic processor for it doesn't pick up the high frequencies as much. However, my good ear took to the Freedom implant really fast, in weeks compared to my bad ear, but then nobody told me I had to relearn how to hear back in '98. The adjustment period was different. The good ear will learn faster, and the technology does make a difference. I'm not so sure if I'm willing to subject my bad ear to a new implant for it means having to live with the high frequency tones, which is the bane of my life. Does anyone have aching ears from high-pitched sounds on a regular basis?
It was worth going bilateral, 11 years apart, but I wish the post-op recovery wasn't so rough to deal with.
It was worth going bilateral, 11 years apart, but I wish the post-op recovery wasn't so rough to deal with.
CommentAuthorJesskittles83
CommentTime Mar 15th 2010
When I got my first implant, a nucleus 24, i had it implanted in my worst ear which was my right since my audiologist said they use the worst ear to be implanted. I had it for about 5 years when i decided to go bilateral and got a freedom in 2006 the baby one took a while since your brain takes a while because each ear hears different things but they still blend together.. this past fall/winter we found that my first implant partially failed to a point where it was no use for me and i recently had it replaced last month feburary 2010 with the nucleus 5. I had it turned on this march 12th it has been a week now. yea, ppl sound like mickey mouse and all those cartoons but after i went live that day my audiologist tested me on colors and spondee words (baseball, popcorn, cupcake) i still could understand the words a little bit through the "tinny" voice because she had me listen first but i was totally lost when she was saying purple cuz i didnt know she moved to colors since she had me pointing to the pictures or colored bars and thought she was saying popcorn or cowboy or both haha.. it was funny.. so yea your first ear will always be your dominant ear and we try so hard not to compare them soundwise but we cant help it!!
CommentAuthorSharonC
CommentTime Dec 21st 2009
I was implanted in left ear in June and right ear in Oct. of this year. So far my left ear which was really the bad ear and first surgery has responded much quickier especially with the N5 upgrade. The baby ear is coming along but much slower have to wait 3 months for 3rd mapping which I am dumb founded by. But I am told it is more difficult to map sudden deafness from medication. That the ear has issues that need more time. I can hear and understand now out of the baby ear but the sound is different I know it will come along and I love the balance of understanding that I get with bilateral implants it absolutely makes a big difference. Will post more as improvement comes. SharonC
CommentAuthorDaveRutledge
CommentTime Jul 20th 2009
In 2000 the prevailing advice was to implant the ear that most recently had hearing. This ear was my right ear as my left ear had been deaf for more than a decade. I did very well with one implant, but missed directionality and found myself positioning my body for optimal performance particularly in social situations. I added my second CI to my left ear in 2006. It was also very successful. I immediately could use it to recognize speech when it was hooked up.
I feel like my right CI is my dominant ear, but that I get better bass results out of my left CI. I can use a cell phone with either ear. I enjoy music better with two implants. I do not need to position myself (or my head) in group settings. Lastly, I can turkey hunt and now know where the gobbler is gobbling from! ;)
I feel like my right CI is my dominant ear, but that I get better bass results out of my left CI. I can use a cell phone with either ear. I enjoy music better with two implants. I do not need to position myself (or my head) in group settings. Lastly, I can turkey hunt and now know where the gobbler is gobbling from! ;)
CommentAuthorSueG (blusu)
CommentTime Jul 18th 2009
Hmm... lots to think about. "Each ear is distinctive and non conforming. Each ear brings different information to my brain. My brain merges all the data into one coherent information stream."- vmssynergy. I think that sums up a valid expectation I can look forward to...(and patience, patience, patience)
CommentAuthorKaren K.
CommentTime Jun 2nd 2009
I had my right ear implanted first (Nucleus 24 Contour) as it was slightly worse than my left ear (113 db R compared to 108 db L) and had only mostly low frequencies left. My right ear used to be my better ear in younger years prior to the CI.
Five years and nine months later, my left ear was implanted with the Freedom. On the very first day of activation, the hearing in the left ear sounded very natural, sounding better from the start than the first one (which started out rather electronic-sounding). It took a while to coordinate them bilaterally. The Freedom upgrade processor seven months later on the older CI made it more natural-sounding and easier to work with than the 3G BTE. My older right CI still sounds a little better on the phone than my left CI (don't ask me why). My left CI is a little bit subdued in its maps than the older CI, which is apparent when the older CI goes dead on me.
Five years and nine months later, my left ear was implanted with the Freedom. On the very first day of activation, the hearing in the left ear sounded very natural, sounding better from the start than the first one (which started out rather electronic-sounding). It took a while to coordinate them bilaterally. The Freedom upgrade processor seven months later on the older CI made it more natural-sounding and easier to work with than the 3G BTE. My older right CI still sounds a little better on the phone than my left CI (don't ask me why). My left CI is a little bit subdued in its maps than the older CI, which is apparent when the older CI goes dead on me.
CommentAuthorvmssynergy
CommentTime May 16th 2009
I don't think of one ear as being better or worse than the other. Each ear is distinctive and non-conforming! Each ear brings different information to my brain. My brain merges all the data into one coherent information stream. I work with my audiologist to make sure the program for each ear are the best for that ear. I have been implanted since 2002 and I am still improving my hearing through annual program "tweaks"....and improved listening skills. As Kare found out, not having pre-conceived notions about which ear is "better" allows your brain to improve its discrimination skills on its own! Valerie
CommentAuthorKare K. – Cochlear Volunteer
CommentTime Apr 11th 2008
Well, my story is completely different. Even though I became bilateral during the same surgery, my right ear (the side that my surgeon said should be implanted first if I had gotten them one at a time)responded much better. My audiogram was flat, so it's not that one side was more deaf than the other. Whatever the reason, the left ear was loud, overly sensitive, and annoying while the right ear settled down quickly. Surprisingly, after a year, the left ear emerged as my better side.
CommentAuthorSheila M - Cochlear Volunteer
CommentTime Apr 10th 2008
Ohhhhh, I'm growing depressed now! My history is identical to yours - same amount of time for everything you described except my 2nd implant was done 2/13/08. You're saying it took 2 years for the sound quality to get better? ugh!!! My audiologist told me at the first mapping on 3/12/08 that eventually my new implant (Freedom) will outperform my old Nucleus 22 (each has a Freedom processor). Hope mine is different in a positive way!
CommentAuthorCamille J. - Cochlear Volunteer
CommentTime Apr 9th 2008
So after you FINALLY made your decision to have your first implant on the right or the left ear - sometimes a very difficult decision - what happened when your other ear was implanted? Was it better, worse or as good as the first? People agonize sometimes over whether to implant the ear with a little more hearing, the stone-deaf one, or both ears have the same equally crummy hearing (or lack of it). My surgeon chose FOR ME in 1990 - my loss was equal (110 dB)and he thought I'd do better on the right as I'm right-handed. Twelve years later I received my 2nd CI (by then this side had been totally deaf AND unaided by a hearing aid for more than 30 years). I found that it took almost two years to bring the sound quality NEAR to as good as the 1st CI. I've had the 2nd one for 6 years now, and although it's very good, I don't think it will equal the better quality of the 1st one. It's all good, though, I'm a very happy BI-CI'er! ; ) Camille
1 to 10 of 10