Patchwork Girl's Rambling Warps
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
      ( 3:09 PM ) Jessica  
A few people have asked me "why now?" The short answer is that I was not ready until a few months ago... I've known about cochlear implants since around 1990 and it seemed kind of weird to me. I had a friend who had one, but we didn't talk about it very much if at all... or rather, I don't remember talking to him about it..

In the spring of 2013, I went for a hearing test and the audiologist and the ENT both spoke to me about CIs... they said a hearing aid can't help me as much any more, not even the newer ones.  I was thinking "no WAY" but decided to at least go ahead and check it out and go for the cochlear implant evaluation. I went and although I was interested, what put me off was that the audiologist there basically told me to "forget about music"... first thing I did when I got home was to do an internet search for "cochlear implant music" and saw lots of links.

I have seen mixed reports from musicians about being able to enjoy music...

I decided that I would make a decision after getting the MRI to see if I can even get a cochlear implant. Well, I was supposed to get an MRI last summer, but that did not happen until December 2nd 2013. I joined a few CI facebook groups and yahoogroups and a few other forums and websites & read them passively.  All of a sudden, a couple of days before the MRI date (12/2), I had a major turnaround and decided that yes, I do want a CI... I didn't feel like I had a whole lot to lose and as far as the music issue, I would work at it. Overall, once someone gets a CI, it takes work to train the brain & I am willing to do that... my music hearing history (piano lessons from 7 through teens, flute in high school, music in general) tells ME that I have a good chance to be able to hear music at least okay with the CI. I hope to be able to play music again, but the best thing will be to be able to just enjoy when others play, recordings, etc. From the links that I sent in the last blog entry, I think that some of it may have something to do with programming.

That said, I plan to keep my expectations low... to the point of being more interested in the 1 week post op checkup rather than the activation day. I'm guessing that hearing all these sounds, some which I haven't heard since I was 2, may be confusing... there will be beginner programs to help me get used to the implants.

I have a memory of when I put my right hearing aid back on after not wearing it for a long time. The sounds I heard in that ear were disturbing...some of them (busses passing in NYC) made me dizzy. I regret not continuing to work on re-learning to use the right side, but I can't go back, so I won't worry about it... maybe someday I'll get a CI on that side, but let's first get the CI on the left side, my dominant ear...


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Welcome to Patchwork Girl's Rambling Warps blog... where I talk about just about anything from projects to just stuff to rants and whatever... I started blogging here on July 31st, 2002 and have been blogging on my website with Movable Type. I do not promise to blog regularly! I will blog when I feel like:

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