My cousin was born deaf, and had implants done. Her parents raised her to lip reading and sign language. As she grew older she chose when to turn on her implant. She is now 29. She 'hears' at work, when she is with her infant She wore them to her wedding but at her request only the priest spoke. Her and her husband spoke and signed their vows. Amazing gift she CHOSE to use. Not forced to use
I saw a few people mentioned that they didn't understand how she could know what an "echo" it. Just because she was deaf doesn't mean she doesn't understand the definition of the word. An echo is a word with a meaning, she can understand a definition and apply it in the correct situation.
***** If I say that an echo is similar to a ripple in a pond, you know what I mean because you already know what both of those are. If I tell a deaf person that same thing they will be confused. But I can explain it like, "If we were in a big, empty room and we yelled, the sound would bounce off the walls and come back to us, so we would be able to hear ourselves after we stopped yelling." Depending on the person, I might have to explain sound waves but they can understand that, if they hear their voice after they have stopped speaking, that is an echo.
Justo Talkalottashit Using Sign Language, you can say all of the same things that you can with your voice. I, actually, find it easier to use sign language, it is much more visual. People that cannot hear are perfectly capable of understanding a ripple. They can understand a diagram of sound waves bouncing off of walls. Just because they are deaf, doesn't mean they are stupid. We stopped using the term "deaf and dumb" because it is inaccurate. Sign Language is not a rudimentary language, I am perfectly capable of explaining this concept to someone that is profoundly deaf, I have explained this concept to people that are profoundly deaf.
A hearing aid only amplifies sound. So there has to be some natural hearing available. Not so with implants. Implants skip all the parts of the ear and stimulate the hearing nerves directly. But there are only 22 electrodes stimulating the nerves, where there are usually thousands of little hairs doing that job with natural hearing. Wikipedia has lots of good reading on how they work as well as the ear anatomy.
I just got implanted on February 11th, 2009 and just watching you go through the same thing I did almost made me cry...sounding like a chipmunk or like you're on helium is awkward, but IT HELPS SOOOOO MUCH! : )
Hey there! I'm very pleased to hear that you're going well, and thanks for sharing the video. I have a cochlear implant and I've gone on to be an audiologist. Also, I'm pleased to say that your hearing will very likely keep improving over time as your brain gets more and more used to it. Best results are seen after years of implant use. I've had mine for about 12 years now! Good luck :-)
Congratulations!! That's soo cool!!! I am 15 not deaf but fluent in sign language and I love it.. I'm actually thinking of doing something with sign for my career! I LOVED watching it!!
I wish i can get these but too poor and on medical but do not know if my medical would pay for it :( I have to use a crappy $30 Sound Amplifier from Radio shack to hear lol. Ive had 13 ear surgerys over the ears, tried hearing aids, but they died after a few years of use. So now im stuck with trying to find a better alternative. Anyway grats on the implants! Im glad technology has gotten to the point of being able to help people like this!
Contra. I want you to know about DARPA Artificial Telepathy. It uses microwave technology that allows people to hear voice transmissions straight to the brain. I am fortunate to be a part of this emerging technology. I am very happy for your new hearing. I personaly have had multiple surgeries on my left ear from cholesteatoma. I have only my cochlea and an enlarged ear canal from the damage. Good luck!
I'm having difficulty knowing what the wearer is hearing. From an audio engineering point of view what can the wearer ( implant recipient) hear. Are there personal tweaks the actual wearer can change? I guess the woman is detailing this pretty good. I wonder how you hear music?
It seemed odd to me for her to ask you to describe what you are hearing (noise, static). I'm assuming you'd have never heard static before, so how would you even know if you were hearing static?
Amazing video.. i think my son is going to have one implanted for him..he is 1 Y now.. When children around my kid's age get the CI,will they be able to speak normally?..with out the thick accent\tongue? Will he appreciate music, symphonies and what ever requires melodic appreciation
There are a lot of tweaks that can be made. They even come with remote controls so the hearer can make those tweaks when they switch environments (noisy to quiet environments, etc.). There's some information on the implant manufacturer sites. One that has good info is cochlear.com in the section "for professionals". The "for recipients" section is all marketing speak.
I have to look but not sure when this video was uploaded but I think it is truly awesome that you got a coular implant (sorry spelling is not so good). I am not deaf but I am hard of hearing. I can't hear high frequency noises for example a cricket chirping.
I have a cochlear implant that has been activated and I went through the same things. Its all just noise and distorted you cant really make anything out apart from your own voice. The problem with mine is they didnt put a magnet in to hold the external processor in place so they are doing that next week.
I just went through this two days ago. I still don't hear anything. Up until I had the implant surgery I had some hearing on one side. My right ear has been inoperative since I had a motorbike accident 30 years ago. The implant has stopped any "hearing" I had left. All I get right now is a sort of tinnitus over the top of the background noise.
just curious.. do u still use sign langauge? I noticed this was posted in 2007 its been about 5 or 6 years now... how do you view your choclear implants now? Sorry if it is a rude question.. I am just very curious.. you also seem that you did have hearing aids and are wonderful skilled lipreader...so I wonder how much different things are now for you... thank you for sharing your experience.
How do you know what static sounds like or a duck or chipmunk . How can you have knowledge recall of sound when you never had knowledge of these sounds to begin with.
is the doctor signing at her?? because how can she answer all her questions :S.. I have a cousin who has the implant shes 2 years old.. is their evidence that the implant work? like they can learn how to speak very well?... THANKS..
@Chevalier765 some body was probably off the screen doing ASL. and didn't want to be seen. or she reads lips really well. I had a friend that was deaf and he learned to read lips really well for the people that he came across that did not know ASL so he could communicate with them.
Hi! I got my CI turned on 3 weeks ago and the echo sound is still there. How long before the echo sound went away. Like you I have worn hearing aids for over 32 yrs. I'm 37. Am I being impatient? Will my ear "open up" as time goes on? You sound great and I can imagine that you are doing better and better. Thanks for the video!!! :)
@realrapzzz If you're hearing impaired you read lips through speech therapy for many years.Your senses and life are different so you rely on what you see and your life changes and adapts to your other senses to guide you through conversations, the same with learning speech by sound. If she closed her eyes she probably wouldn't have much of a clue to what the other lady is saying or she would have a difficult time making out the words she is saying depending on her conditioning to sound.
@candycloud19 you would only want one because you are hearing. most deaf people prefer to be deaf. there is a better sense of community. hearing people don't respect deaf individuals like they should. implants are dangerous. being deaf is not. If you are deaf, and you would like an implant. I don't disagree... but when hearing parents of deaf children force it on them, and not let them live as a deaf individual, they are riding them of a wonderful experience. and it isn't fair to the child.
I was actually wondering how she would know what 'static' sounds like. (seems hard to explain to someone who can't hear!) And then I read your question and the answer :)
There are two kinds of deafness. One is a lack of auditory brain, and one is an ear issue. If one lacks brain, they can't hear even with the implant. If it is an ear issue, normally deafness isn't 100%. These people learn to "hear" through small amounts of hearing. If it is complete, then it would be like one would assume. If these people are over the average age of 11, then they normally get the implant removed later. They never learned to tune out sound and it becomes way too overwhelming.
It doesnt quite work that way. You dont go from total silence to suddenly hearing. I think its kind of unique for everyone but for me it was just noise that didnt make sense. It also gave me a headache. The problem is I used to have perfect hearing so theres no telling if my brain will learn sounds over the coming years.
i do understand why some deaf people are against CI. it is mainly because, most of them cant find anyting wrong with being deaf, for them its a culture, its way of living. its their choice, and they are entitled to it.
I was offer the cochlear implants twice then change my mind due to the surgeon wanted to put the implant in my left ear something I cannot grasp plus I did not like the size of it. It told the Dr to give mine to someone else that is desperate & in need for implants. Today I have no regets.
@contradica Having 2 sources of sound is great, isn't it? (I'm actually hearing, if you didn't know that, I'm on my first year of sign language- it's very fun!) One wouldn't expect there to be a great difference, but there certainly is. Another thing- Isn't sign language much faster than english?
@stripepanther1989 I'm very curious to your stethoscope solution! What kind of program do you use? Do you use headphones? Or DAI? And do you have AB or Cochlear? I'm a GP in training and just started to hear with CI's and looking for the rigth stethoscope solution! Looking forward to your reaction!
@contradica Wow! Thats a really cool skill to have! Since you got your implant are you still able to read lips as well as you did before or are you out of practice?
i don't know how i would respond when they ask what i heard if i've never heard before.. like how would you describe it if it's the first time you've heard it??
It must be really strange to gain access to a new sense, or a long-dormant like that. The brain must not know - at first - what to do with the information coming in...
Most deaf people are against it not only it can damaged your whatever hearing you have have left cause it their culture and people refuse to accept them so they refuse to blend in cause they have hearing loss Im for one is hard of hearing refusing to get implant cause my family refuse to learn ASL and things i need
Yet ANOTHER deaf woman who is hot. I think if you're a woman who is deaf, chances are you're going to be hot. I don't know why, but it's a pattern I've noticed.
H0EYHEMP | December 11, 2010 | 8 likes, 0 dislikes while removing cochlear implant, Doctor found green MOLD growing inside cochlear implant metal plate. I'm lucky to be alive today!!!
seem she not look happy. Something she can do is open mind to see what deaf culture like and meet them might feel same how she feel? Whatever it make her happy either way. It's up to her.
What I don't understand is how a deaf person would know what a "duck, chipmunk" would even sound like. Shouldn't hearing someone's voice for the first time just come across as noise? And wouldn't it take years to understand that noise as words?
Deaf people are experts at lipreading, this lady could lipread in spanish and english even when she is hardly looking at my lips, she could also speak fluent spanish & engliush, yes she is deaf I promise.
i just started talking to a beauifull girl who went deaf due to accident.and well she is no dif its quite easy to carry a convorsation with her congrats :)
![My Non-Dramatic Cochlear Implant Activation [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Pbt386JbmTU/mqdefault.jpg)
My cousin was born deaf, and had implants done. Her parents raised her to lip reading and sign language. As she grew older she chose when to turn on her implant. She is now 29. She 'hears' at work, when she is with her infant She wore them to her wedding but at her request only the priest spoke. Her and her husband spoke and signed their vows. Amazing gift she CHOSE to use. Not forced to use
I saw a few people mentioned that they didn't understand how she could know what an "echo" it. Just because she was deaf doesn't mean she doesn't understand the definition of the word. An echo is a word with a meaning, she can understand a definition and apply it in the correct situation.
***** If I say that an echo is similar to a ripple in a pond, you know what I mean because you already know what both of those are. If I tell a deaf person that same thing they will be confused. But I can explain it like, "If we were in a big, empty room and we yelled, the sound would bounce off the walls and come back to us, so we would be able to hear ourselves after we stopped yelling." Depending on the person, I might have to explain sound waves but they can understand that, if they hear their voice after they have stopped speaking, that is an echo.
Justo Talkalottashit Using Sign Language, you can say all of the same things that you can with your voice. I, actually, find it easier to use sign language, it is much more visual. People that cannot hear are perfectly capable of understanding a ripple. They can understand a diagram of sound waves bouncing off of walls. Just because they are deaf, doesn't mean they are stupid. We stopped using the term "deaf and dumb" because it is inaccurate. Sign Language is not a rudimentary language, I am perfectly capable of explaining this concept to someone that is profoundly deaf, I have explained this concept to people that are profoundly deaf.
A hearing aid only amplifies sound. So there has to be some natural hearing available. Not so with implants. Implants skip all the parts of the ear and stimulate the hearing nerves directly. But there are only 22 electrodes stimulating the nerves, where there are usually thousands of little hairs doing that job with natural hearing. Wikipedia has lots of good reading on how they work as well as the ear anatomy.
I just got implanted on February 11th, 2009 and just watching you go through the same thing I did almost made me cry...sounding like a chipmunk or like you're on helium is awkward, but IT HELPS SOOOOO MUCH! : )
Hey there! I'm very pleased to hear that you're going well, and thanks for sharing the video. I have a cochlear implant and I've gone on to be an audiologist. Also, I'm pleased to say that your hearing will very likely keep improving over time as your brain gets more and more used to it. Best results are seen after years of implant use. I've had mine for about 12 years now! Good luck :-)
I think it's cool how they can make deaf people able to hear. It's fascinating to me. Also, your very pretty!
Congratulations on the implants, they are definately a life changer.
pretty anxious to see how my activation goes on Tuesday!
lip reading is hard.. especially when theres words/ phrases that have the same lip movements.
for example
"i love you"
"island view"
"olive juice"
Congratulations!! That's soo cool!!! I am 15 not deaf but fluent in sign language and I love it.. I'm actually thinking of doing something with sign for my career! I LOVED watching it!!
I don't know why I love your voice
I wish i can get these but too poor and on medical but do not know if my medical would pay for it :( I have to use a crappy $30 Sound Amplifier from Radio shack to hear lol.
Ive had 13 ear surgerys over the ears, tried hearing aids, but they died after a few years of use.
So now im stuck with trying to find a better alternative.
Anyway grats on the implants! Im glad technology has gotten to the point of being able to help people like this!
She already said she used to wear a hearing aid. She has the knowledge of what those things sound like because she has heard them.
Contra. I want you to know about DARPA Artificial Telepathy. It uses microwave technology that allows people to hear voice transmissions straight to the brain. I am fortunate to be a part of this emerging technology. I am very happy for your new hearing. I personaly have had multiple surgeries on my left ear from cholesteatoma. I have only my cochlea and an enlarged ear canal from the damage. Good luck!
I'm having difficulty knowing what the wearer is hearing. From an audio engineering point of view what can the wearer ( implant recipient) hear. Are there personal tweaks the actual wearer can change? I guess the woman is detailing this pretty good. I wonder how you hear music?
It seemed odd to me for her to ask you to describe what you are hearing (noise, static). I'm assuming you'd have never heard static before, so how would you even know if you were hearing static?
Amazing video..
i think my son is going to have one implanted for him..he is 1 Y now..
When children around my kid's age get the CI,will they be able to speak normally?..with out the thick accent\tongue? Will he appreciate music, symphonies and what ever requires melodic appreciation
There are a lot of tweaks that can be made. They even come with remote controls so the hearer can make those tweaks when they switch environments (noisy to quiet environments, etc.). There's some information on the implant manufacturer sites. One that has good info is cochlear.com in the section "for professionals". The "for recipients" section is all marketing speak.
At the beginning, you said that you don't hear her but you answered to all her questions.
i don't understand.
Cool Video! I'm a CI candidate myself. Just still waiting on insurance before undergoing surgery. It feels like an eternal wait. :D
13 years later.. any update and hoèe u doing great
Is so increíble to see this, I mean, hearing sounds you’ve not heard before ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have to look but not sure when this video was uploaded but I think it is truly awesome that you got a coular implant (sorry spelling is not so good). I am not deaf but I am hard of hearing. I can't hear high frequency noises for example a cricket chirping.
I have a cochlear implant that has been activated and I went through the same things. Its all just noise and distorted you cant really make anything out apart from your own voice.
The problem with mine is they didnt put a magnet in to hold the external processor in place so they are doing that next week.
I just went through this two days ago. I still don't hear anything. Up until I had the implant surgery I had some hearing on one side. My right ear has been inoperative since I had a motorbike accident 30 years ago. The implant has stopped any "hearing" I had left. All I get right now is a sort of tinnitus over the top of the background noise.
Activation. I still get the ringing but can pick up some sounds now.I actually heard a clock ticking.
just curious.. do u still use sign langauge? I noticed this was posted in 2007 its been about 5 or 6 years now... how do you view your choclear implants now? Sorry if it is a rude question.. I am just very curious.. you also seem that you did have hearing aids and are wonderful skilled lipreader...so I wonder how much different things are now for you... thank you for sharing your experience.
How do you know what static sounds like or a duck or chipmunk . How can you have knowledge recall of sound when you never had knowledge of these sounds to begin with.
is the doctor signing at her?? because how can she answer all her questions :S.. I have a cousin who has the implant shes 2 years old.. is their evidence that the implant work? like they can learn how to speak very well?... THANKS..
Sounds like I'm on helium... THAT's the description i was looking for to describe my hearing, haha
@Chevalier765 some body was probably off the screen doing ASL. and didn't want to be seen. or she reads lips really well. I had a friend that was deaf and he learned to read lips really well for the people that he came across that did not know ASL so he could communicate with them.
@MathiasMichell not sure why your comment got negative votes, it is a good question for those who dont understand.
Hi!
I got my CI turned on 3 weeks ago and the echo sound is still there. How long before the echo sound went away. Like you I have worn hearing aids for over 32 yrs. I'm 37. Am I being impatient? Will my ear "open up" as time goes on? You sound great and I can imagine that you are doing better and better. Thanks for the video!!! :)
@WildCardFive formerly deaf people can also be formerly hearing people.
@realrapzzz If you're hearing impaired you read lips through speech therapy for many years.Your senses and life are different so you rely on what you see and your life changes and adapts to your other senses to guide you through conversations, the same with learning speech by sound. If she closed her eyes she probably wouldn't have much of a clue to what the other lady is saying or she would have a difficult time making out the words she is saying depending on her conditioning to sound.
with each adjustment it will get better. be patient!
@MathiasMichell most deaf people lip read and can talk but the reason they dont sound like you or me is because they cant hear themselves talk
@candycloud19 you would only want one because you are hearing. most deaf people prefer to be deaf. there is a better sense of community. hearing people don't respect deaf individuals like they should. implants are dangerous. being deaf is not. If you are deaf, and you would like an implant. I don't disagree... but when hearing parents of deaf children force it on them, and not let them live as a deaf individual, they are riding them of a wonderful experience. and it isn't fair to the child.
@Glassy125 - perhaps she wasn't always deaf. They don't say. But if she is making comments like that, it seems likely.
hey how are they working out for you now? a lot of comments on CIs sound really positive, people seem much happier with them rather than hearing aids.
I was actually wondering how she would know what 'static' sounds like. (seems hard to explain to someone who can't hear!) And then I read your question and the answer :)
Our son also told us that we sound like Chipmunks when he used the new Nucleus Freedom. No the same with the old Spectra 22
You are so lovely! I wish you all the best in the future and I hope you will be very happy!
like a flower the world blooms to you, God Bless !
@MathiasMichell She's either reading her lips or someone is signing for her
There are two kinds of deafness. One is a lack of auditory brain, and one is an ear issue. If one lacks brain, they can't hear even with the implant. If it is an ear issue, normally deafness isn't 100%. These people learn to "hear" through small amounts of hearing. If it is complete, then it would be like one would assume. If these people are over the average age of 11, then they normally get the implant removed later. They never learned to tune out sound and it becomes way too overwhelming.
@contradica If you had binoculars could you watch people far away and know what they're talking about? If so, that's really cool.
Does the sound from a hearing aid differ from the implant? Or did the hearing aid only give you some basic noise cues?
im wondering how an implant would help my tinnitus and if i should get one
I'd be interested to know how sound compares in the cochlear implant versus a hearing aid?
It doesnt quite work that way. You dont go from total silence to suddenly hearing. I think its kind of unique for everyone but for me it was just noise that didnt make sense. It also gave me a headache. The problem is I used to have perfect hearing so theres no telling if my brain will learn sounds over the coming years.
i do understand why some deaf people are against CI. it is mainly because, most of them cant find anyting wrong with being deaf, for them its a culture, its way of living. its their choice, and they are entitled to it.
I'm happy for her! science will take us a long way!
I didn't know lips reading is that effective
I was offer the cochlear implants twice then change my mind due to the surgeon wanted to put the implant in my left ear something I cannot grasp plus I did not like the size of it. It told the Dr to give mine to someone else that is desperate & in need for implants. Today I have no regets.
Thank God for this technology to enable those who want to use them to have a choice to do so! :)
4 years afterwards the video, what would you tell us about your CI everyday experience?
@contradica, how could you afford it, those are expensive as hell and insurance rarely pays for them?
@contradica Like a boss I would say you were on the spot with everything Congrats on getting your hearing back.
are you reading lips at the start?
i meant painful to watch :) how she processed that. Good luck with the implant! its amazing what we can achieve with technology.
@contradica Having 2 sources of sound is great, isn't it? (I'm actually hearing, if you didn't know that, I'm on my first year of sign language- it's very fun!) One wouldn't expect there to be a great difference, but there certainly is.
Another thing- Isn't sign language much faster than english?
3:10 How do you know what a loud speaker sounds like if you are deaf?
@Reload25
It seems like she wasn't born deaf. I don't know though.
So how are the implants working for you now?
@contradica thats so cool how you can lip read. its a very cool ability.. i wish i could do it
Did you here anything at all before the implant?
how dos she know what the woman is saying
@contradica Wow, you're very good at lip reading. I hear 100% so I imagine it can be difficult to lip read everyone.
how exactly is someone who cant hear suppose to be able to relate that they might sound like a chipmunk, duck, or robot?
how long had this young woman been deaf before this video?
what made you decide to get the implant? i'm thinking about getting one but not made up my mind yet
how do you explain a sound to a deaf peson?
@stripepanther1989
I'm very curious to your stethoscope solution!
What kind of program do you use? Do you use headphones? Or DAI? And do you have AB or Cochlear?
I'm a GP in training and just started to hear with CI's and looking for the rigth stethoscope solution!
Looking forward to your reaction!
@contradica Wow! Thats a really cool skill to have! Since you got your implant are you still able to read lips as well as you did before or are you out of practice?
YAY!!!!! congrats! technology these days is amazing!!!!!
did the implant work out for you?
i don't know how i would respond when they ask what i heard if i've never heard before.. like how would you describe it if it's the first time you've heard it??
Most of these people have had hearing aids.
So they know what some sounds sound like.
how does she now whats an echo?
My son is getting his surgery Nov 8th any suggestions?
yes but how does he know that if hes never heard what a quack sounds like?
Ah, advanced bionics!
@contradica Can you hear music?
How she nows what she says?
Are you from Lubbock, Texas? I'm asking because I might have seen you a couple times.
How's the progress?
It must be really strange to gain access to a new sense, or a long-dormant like that. The brain must not know - at first - what to do with the information coming in...
Most deaf people are against it not only it can damaged your whatever hearing you have have left cause it their culture and people refuse to accept them so they refuse to blend in cause they have hearing loss Im for one is hard of hearing refusing to get implant cause my family refuse to learn ASL and things i need
Yet ANOTHER deaf woman who is hot. I think if you're a woman who is deaf, chances are you're going to be hot. I don't know why, but it's a pattern I've noticed.
Crazy how nature do dat.
Thanks for uploading this, I find implant technology interesting. Are you really 30? You looked my age (21) or maybe even younger in this video, haha.
H0EYHEMP | December 11, 2010 | 8 likes, 0 dislikes
while removing cochlear implant, Doctor found green MOLD growing inside cochlear implant metal plate. I'm lucky to be alive today!!!
Hopefully everything works out for you ....enjoy life ...
seem she not look happy. Something she can do is open mind to see what deaf culture like and meet them might feel same how she feel? Whatever it make her happy either way. It's up to her.
Lip reading?
Very interesting, glad things are going well. Amazing technology.
What I don't understand is how a deaf person would know what a "duck, chipmunk" would even sound like. Shouldn't hearing someone's voice for the first time just come across as noise? And wouldn't it take years to understand that noise as words?
Ty for being a fluent signer too :)
You are just Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bless you Darling!
-.-; how do you think any deaf person understands people? sign language or lipreading.
Deaf people are experts at lipreading, this lady could lipread in spanish and english even when she is hardly looking at my lips, she could also speak fluent spanish & engliush, yes she is deaf I promise.
Thanks for the note. I am learning to be patient! Hve a good week, :)
i just started talking to a beauifull girl who went deaf due to accident.and well she is no dif its quite easy to carry a convorsation with her congrats :)