My hearing has been successfully restored by a Cochlear implant. AMA

Proof? (See the sidebar for details on proof)

2 seconds! will upload imgur pics

Is it true that with cochlear implants you cant listen to recorded music properly because of its digital format? Mate told me this and I couldn't believe it.

false

Praise the lord! Just kidding, praise science and things that actually exist.

Fuck the lord and praise the surgeon that operated on me! haha

Congratulations on your new CI :)
My son was born profoundly deaf, and my husband and I decided to get him bilateral CI's when he was 12.5mnths old - the surgery was a huge success, as were the years of speech path. & audiology appts. He just turned five last week, and is now able to articulate better how he hears, and often tells me that the TV and the computer make noise, even when they are off... We are attributing this to feedback, but I am curious, do you get 'feedback' when you are around electronics, whether they are on or off??

Nope no feedback issues at all for me. Sorry to hear that

How do you feel knowing that you are now hated by the deaf community for being able to hear again?

http://cache.ohinternet.com/images/0/0a/Feelsgoodmangreen.jpg

I know my questions are going to be long and drawn out but I'm curious. My wife has lost her hearing in her left ear as well, we (father, her and myself) are unsure as to when she lost hearing, she thinks she never had hearing in her left ear or a doctor damaged it or she did when she was an infant/child.

She has a ruptured ear drum. I am not sure if a cochlear implant would be good but doesn't hurt to ask. what was if anything covered by insurance or was it all out of pocket? How much was it if you don't mind me asking (you can PM me if you like)? what are some of the requirements for an implant, what does it look like? How long did it take, from first consultation to now?

I'm sure I'll pester you with more questions. and thanks for doing a AMA!

I'm from Scotland so I was totally covered by the NHS. The only requirement is motivating yourself to learn to hear with it. Google, nucleus 5 sound processor. That's what I have. Op was 3 days, switched on a month later and here I am now 11 months later

I just recently watched "Sound and Fury"- do you think that in the years since that film was made that there has been a betterment in the development in the technology used for the cochlear?

Do you ever face prejudice from family/friends who are deaf because you have a cochlear?

Is it still as taboo as that film made it feel?

I never face prejudice and as for the film, I need to watch it first! will look it up

They restored your hearing to a 30 DB sensitivity? holy fuck that is awesome

Been told I have "super hearing" from an audiologist! :D

What's your favorite song?

Foo Fighters - times like these

http://i.minus.com/i2lSnYY3nOY7l.gif

Amazing gif! also you have a little cake beside your name, so happy birthday

What has been your greatest auditory experience, outside of sentimental things, like hearing your parents voices.

Too many to choose from. The best experience for me is the ability to have a proper conversation

Hey dude.

What do you mean by it sounds like beeps? I can't really relate at all i mean, how did that turn into.. a voice for example that's just weird I don't understand!

I don't understand either. The human brain is more complicated than you can imagine. Over the time of 1 and a bit months everything went from hearing like fire alarms to normal sound. Crazy technology

I'm gathering you did have hearing before, but it deteriorated and now it's back, correct me if I'm wrong though. Did you bother to learn sign language during the deafness? Or did you always plan on getting this implant so you didn't bother?

I never bothered with sign language because I've always been brought up in the hearing community. Being deaf is new to me. I didn't always plan on getting implants, the only reason I got one was because I couldn't see any other way for my hearing being restored.

I just wanna say good for you, I work in the field of disabilities and have had personal experience watching my grandparents go blind and deaf. i can only imagine what your life will become! How do you "pay it forward", I'd consider it a gift, do you?

I consider it a huge gift that I've got it. Very, very grateful and lucky to live in a world that gives you a chance like this

Your life must be absolutely changed for the better, I can't imagine the relief!

When hearing was an issue what sound did you miss the most for making everyday tasks easier, that hearing people take for granted?

People's voices. I had to learn to lipread and I can't stress how exhausting that is. Not being able to communicate with people leaves you feeling very isolated and alone.

when you got the implants in, did you notice that one ear was hearing better than the other ear? this is because when one ear is not hearing for a long time, your brain upregulates the sounds it gets from the nerve coming from one ear. then when you fix the ear, your nerve is still upregulated, so even though both ears are hearing the same, one nerve is firing more.

I really should have said I only have 1 implant in my left ear. I can still hear a tiny little bit of normal sound out my right, but that's like traffic or really loud noises. But thanks, never knew some of that!

How was it listening to music again?

Like jacking off for the first time

What was the first song you listened to after the implants?

All ready answered this. but blink-182: feeling this

Have you yet discovered a noise that makes you cringe?

masturbation

But did you stop?

;)

I'm nerve deaf in my left ear... Would a cochlear implant help my situation? I haven't looked much into it and it kinda scares me (the surgery)

No idea, best checking with your audiologist

Where are you from? I'm only asking because I'm curious what the costs were and if insurance covered it, obviously wouldn't ask personal details, just wondering in a general sense cause of that interesting it from the Michael Moore documentary on this being considered experimental....

I'm from Sunny Scotland.

Was there a period of having to learn how to speak again?

When I lost my hearing my speech got slightly worse but now It's starting to sound a bit better

Did you ever consider learning ASL and integrating yourself into the Deaf community before getting the implant?

Nope. I didn't want to go deaf or classify myself as being deaf. Difficult thing for a teenager to go through

Have you listened to Muse yet?

seen them live a few years back. Great band

My wife is an SLP (speech language pathologist) who works with children. One of the children she has worked with for years has Coclear implants. This year he has had to move from their K1-5 to a new school. Their has been a huge amount of resistance in the district from people involved with the deaf only school to him going anywhere except the deaf school. It seems that many people who are deaf really feel offended by people who get implants. How have other deaf people reacted to your decision to get implants?

I don't know anybody who's deaf, but I guess we'll find out in this tread

You said your hearing was "restored" - do you mean completely restored? What is your hearing level compared to the normal level? (I'm not familiar with how to read the charts, so if that says it then I apologize.)

Is your right ear un-implanted and 100% deaf? How do you adapt with one newly hearing ear and one non-hearing?

My hearing level is normal now in my left ear. The right ear still has a little bit of hearing left in it so I can still hear loud things like traffic. It doesn't make that much difference having 2 different ears

How about a picture of Your skull where the implant is? Surgery pics? Can You attach something else that´s magnetic on Your head? Like fridge magnets? Congrats on improving Your life!

Don't have pics but yes. great party trick is to stick keys to my head and run around yelling "Has anybody seen my keys?"

What kind of music are you listening to?

Anything that isn't in todays top 40

What kind of music are you listening to?

Anything that isn't in todays top 40

What was the first song you listened to after the implant?

answered this a few times. blink-182: feeling this.

Has anyone asked you - "Can you hear me now?"

Yeah, the dude below you

Are you a screamer or a moaner?

I'm a creamer http://www.moviecritic.com.au/images/jizz-in-my-pants-andy-samberg1.jpg

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

You should really have that shouting issue checked out Dr ;)

I am glad to hear that your life is better now.... my question do you know where the rotate image button is.

I actually don't! but do you know how to rotate your head? hehe

It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't both the opposite direction.

My bad, was a quick upload for proof.

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http://i.imgur.com/zN9vs.gif