From Hands and Voices November 2010 newsletter I came across an excellent article from a first person account by a boy he wrote while in the 5th grade four years after getting his cochlear implant. Both the boy and his mother recount their experiences and frustrations after he contracted Bacterial Meningitis in an article called "What It Sounds Like" - Jordan Lopez Kinglsey, 5th grader at Tucker Maxon. Be sure to read the rest of the story in a link at the bottom and find out what happened.
(I recently heard what it apparently sounds like for my daughters' with their cochlear implants and I was really upset by the type of sound that was conveyed. In talking about it at a parent group one mom told me her story. Her son, Jordan developed Spinal Bacterial Meningitis at age 6. As a result he lost his hearing. Following is a recount of his experience. Thank you, Jordan for your story. It really put me at ease! Like most parents it is important to me that my girls hear me and now I know they can! Helen)
"... after 11 days the doctors told my mom I was all better but I could not even sit up by myself or walk and everything was very quiet. My mom and I always sang songs and said "I love you" you before we went to sleep at night. I remember that my mom's voice was getting very quiet and far away. On September 13th I woke up and was afraid because I could not hear my mom's voice anymore and she was crying. I cried too.
For the next four months I couldn't hear anything. I remember my mom teaching me how to walk without falling and how to ride my bike but I was sad because I couldn't hear her voice.
She taught me to read lips and feel my throat so I would know how loud I was talking.She told me we were going to fix my ears.I was very happy and excited!
.... My mom and I went down to San Francisco .... the doctors were going to fix my ears so I could hear again! I was tired of reading lips and not understanding everything people said.
When I was 'turned on' and I heard the beep I yelled, :" I can hear!" and mom started to cry. So did I. Hearing the beeps were good but when I heard my mom's voice, I was upset. Her voice and mine sounded like a computer! The doctor's voice and audiologist sounded like a computer! I was real mad because my ear was not fixed! I did not want to hear like this!
My mom and I went back to the hotel room. She told me in her computer voice that she couldn't 'fix' my ear any better than it was now. I remember being very mad because I wanted my real hearing back, not a computer ear!
My mom told me I could choose to hear or not to hear. To hear, I would have to wear a processor. I took off the processor and went to sleep. I was sad and mad. I remember waking my mom up in the morning so she could put the processor on. I wanted to hear again, but I was still upset and sad.
My mom and I came to Tucker Maxon so I could learn about the processor and so I could hear better. I remember being very mad because I had to wear a processor to hear. I could not hear my friends when we went swimming. I was mad because the teachers told me I was deaf but I was not like the other deaf kids. I did not like learning to hear sounds that I once knew. I had to learn what everything sounded like again and that made me mad.
*READ THE REST OF THE STORY AT HANDS AND VOICES* or go here and click on the November 2010 issue.
5 comments:
Couldn't read the rest of the story :(
What is your definition of success of a cochlearised child?
Jean Boutcher
The child is comfortable with it, finds it beneficial and advantageous.
Anony @ 11:28 PM,
The boy ends up benefiting from his CI and now enjoys it. He just needed some time til his brain adjusted to the new sound input after having been hearing during his first 6 years of his life.
From what I read, the kid said he could eventually HEAR LIKE HE USED TO. He is happy now. So, it seems like it takes time for brain to process sound like they should be. It's not computerized anymore like it was in the beginning.
You would think that if a CI person can understand what people are saying then that would be considered "success" and that no one misunderstood the CI person when he/she speaks.
Success is different for each individual, apparently. It depends on what the person expects. Some profoundly deaf person implanted as an adult who has no intention of training to pick up words or speak, might only have this goal of understanding environmental sounds will consider it a success while other might define it as being able to pick up words and speak fluently.
Candy and Everybody:
That's correct. Prior to my CI implant on Feb. 21st of this year and it was turned on 5 days later. I went back there to tweak up on March 4th. With my CI aided Audio as follows:
500hz - 20db
1000hz - 15 db
2000hz - 20 db
3000hz - 15 db
4000hz - 10 db
My current hearing level averaged at 16 db. That's within the hearing range. Remarkable!
My digital hearing aid was averaged in 65 db and without using hearing devices- 105 db and 97 db.
The sound quality with Cochlear Nucleus 5 is beyond outstanding. It does not sound any type of digital or computer sound after you get used to it. The first few days that I have experienced was hearing the zzzz background noises which is norma. The brain reacts from the electrodes with active and constant impulses. The zzzz noises has been depleted quickly depending on individual. I think this kid had experienced similar what I had.
It's a remarkable product and now, the question is, does every profound and severe deaf babies should get implanted? I think it should if the parents have the choice to make it happen.
Russell
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