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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Very interesting conversation. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Could either of you comment on how the cochlear affects your ability to remain oriented? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When I began wearing hearing aids 40 years ago, I realized I did not feel safe traveling. My solution then was to wear only one, even though my hearing required two, so that the “naked” ear could hear ambient sounds and traffic. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Do you have any of this ability when you have a cochlear implant? And what about echo location? Do you have any of that? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks so much for sharing your experiences.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Deborah<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If any of you are ompletely blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFB-DB <nfb-db-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Penny Leclair via NFB-DB<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 27, 2022 12:02 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List <nfb-db@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Penny Leclair <penny.leclair@rogers.com>; Sara Coleman <scolemae@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [NFB-DB] Cochlear Implants Response<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>My experience is almost the same as this, and I am very pleased with the idea that the hearing I have now will never change like with hearing aids your hearing declines, most people this is true, and you have to go through the loss of what ever that hearing decline will bring.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Penny<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-CA>From: </span></b><span lang=EN-CA><a href="mailto:nfb-db@nfbnet.org">Sara Coleman via NFB-DB</a><br><b>Sent: </b>April 27, 2022 10:28 AM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:nfb-db@nfbnet.org">nfb-db@nfbnet.org</a><br><b>Cc: </b><a href="mailto:scolemae@gmail.com">Sara Coleman</a><br><b>Subject: </b>[NFB-DB] Cochlear Implants Response<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Hello!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>I became eligible for cochlear implants in 2016 and had the first done in 2016 and the 2nd one done in 2020. Life changing for me as I have Ushers 2A with hearing impairment as a child and now legally blind becoming progressively worse.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>I received the Kanso from Cochlear. They are an oval unit which sit up and back from my ears. Since they come in different colors I have a set which matches my hair color so not that noticeable so I’m told.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Once I got used to the first implant I find them to be incredibly better than hearing aids. Cochlear implants are more successful for people who had hearing and good language development. Hence the need for a complete evaluation to understand your personal circumstance. The ability to understand speech because I can hear the higher ranges of speech is very much improved for me. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Recovery from the surgery itself was about a week. Minimal pain, mostly from the incision behind the ear.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Once the unit was activated it took me about 3 months to feel like sounds were more normal from the first highly digital, robotic sounds. I found listening to my favorite shows and lots of NPR, audiobooks and magazines helped accelerate learning how to hear using the cochlear. My directional hearing also improved once I got the second unit. I’m 5 years out from my first implant and my hearing improves with each 6 months “tune up” visit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>I couldn’t be happier.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Sara Coleman<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Subject: [NFB-DB] Iplants<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Hi everyon,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>I?m thinking about implants and I wanted to ask some questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Howvisible are the implants?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Are they totally better then hearing aids?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Do you like them versus hearing aid? How long was the recovery process?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Thanks, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>Sent from my iPad<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA>NFB-DB mailing list<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><a href="mailto:NFB-DB@nfbnet.org">NFB-DB@nfbnet.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>