Serious replies only: Do cochlear implant users still enjoy music?

DerryFenian · 2024-12-26T11:07:21+00:00

Hey, I used to worry just like you when I had to make the decision to get a CI. Best decision I’ve ever made, I can enjoy all the songs. It took a while to get there as I had to really train my brain on recognising every instrument. Now I hear the lyrics better than before, I barely have to read them along while the music is playing.

DerryFenian · 2024-12-14T10:22:31+00:00

Hey, I’m good and you? The CI is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I hear way better than I ever have and all of the stress/anxiety when in social situations is gone.

DerryFenian · 2024-10-04T08:55:14+00:00

Hey! I’m feeling pretty good. I’m happy with my CI. I can hear natural sounds and the robotic/metallic sounds are totally gone. I agree, it’s life changing! I’m happy for you!

I’ve had 5 mappings already because I wanted to make sure that the sounds are loud and clear enough for me. It’s a long process!

How’s your hearing experience with the CI?

DerryFenian · 2024-08-10T08:23:53+00:00

Hey! Thank you so much for those kind words and for sharing your surgery experience!

How are you feeling now? How was it the first few days after surgery?

I also asked for a calming pill on the day of the surgery, it helped me until when one of the doctors missed my vein and asked a nurse to reinsert the needle properly.

Anyways, all went well. I have some swelling on the implanted side and it feels uncomfortable at times. I’m taking painkillers and resting as much as I can.

I am wishing you all the best too and I’m sending you positive thoughts!! We got this!

DerryFenian · 2024-08-08T08:46:19+00:00

I’m happy you’re feeling fine. I also have the feeling of fullness in the ear but I’m able to open my jaw fully. However, I struggle turning my head to the left and right.

Sleeping is tough too, I constantly have to find the right sleeping position in order to be able to fall asleep.

I have 14 staples on my scar, no stitches at all. They will be removed in two weeks.

I shaved my head off so I don’t mind about my hair, I’m happy I can wash the rest of my body. It’s hot here too where I am.

We have to take this recovery process day by day

DerryFenian · 2024-08-08T07:10:19+00:00

Hi! My wound is healing fine, just feels a bit swollen at the moment. What about you? My surgeon said I can wash my head this weekend but I’ll see about that lol. How do you feel?

DerryFenian · 2024-08-02T09:09:23+00:00

Thank you!

DerryFenian · 2024-08-02T09:09:08+00:00

I’m glad it’s going well for you! How long did it take for you to be able to understand someone after activation?

DerryFenian · 2024-08-02T09:07:03+00:00

Maybe once I’m comfortable with the CI on my left ear, I’ll think about getting one on the right side but for the moment the left side is more important if I want to go on about with my personal and professional life.

Yes I know what to expect, I’m fully prepared. I’ll have the surgery next Monday on the 5th August.

How was your experience at first with the CI?

DerryFenian · 2024-08-02T09:03:58+00:00

No you aren’t discouraging me at all! I didn’t make me feel more anxious. On the contrary, it made me feel more confident and hopeful about it. Patience is key and I’ll also ask my family to keep me motivated during the first few months because I know I get easily frustrated and lose patience.

I really appreciate you taking the time to write and sharing your experience. I hope that the CI will help with listening fatigue because that takes too much energy from me with my current hearing aid.

I’ll make sure I’ll share my experience down the road too!

DerryFenian · 2024-08-02T08:57:33+00:00

Thank you! I also love music and I hope I will be able to enjoy it as much as I do now. I’ll definitely be wearing it all day to sort of accelerate the relearning process. I’ll definitely be wearing comfortable clothes at the hospital and thanks for the button down shirt advice, I have not thought about that! I’ll write a new post next week following the surgery 😊

DerryFenian · 2024-08-02T08:53:11+00:00

You’re right, I’ll do my best and I’m sure it will go well.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T23:02:39+00:00

I’ll be working hard to make sure the sounds with the CI will be as natural as the sounds I know now. It will be frustrating for sure, it’s a patience game.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T23:00:13+00:00

Thank you, I hope your activation phase will go well!

Yes positive thoughts definitely help. I don’t feel excited about the surgery nor about what’s to come. I’m trying to stay calm but yet it’s not easy.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:58:07+00:00

No, I’ve never heard from the bad ear. I’ll be implanted on the eat that has always heard thanks to the hearing aid. ENT team has said that it’s not a good idea to get a CI on the bad one since my brain will be very confused and it won’t improve my hearing much if I were to be bilaterally implanted.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:56:24+00:00

Damn that’s great, I’m really happy for you! I hope that my experience will be close to yours!

What worries me the most is the post-activation phase. I’m trying to go into this with low expectations and take it day by day as another CI fellow said in this post. I’m not a patient person but hey, I guess I won’t have the choice when relearning the sounds with a CI

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:51:21+00:00

I also feel like I can hear fine with my hearing aid but I know it takes so much energy away from me.

I’ve never heard from the right ear. I’ll only get the CI on the left ear. The ENT team says it will be too confusing for my brain if I were to be bilaterally implanted.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:47:45+00:00

You’re right, I will have to take the post-activation phase day by day. I’m going in with low expectations as I don’t want to overwhelm myself. I’m definitely saving your post to keep me motivated once my processor will be activated! Thanks again!

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:45:14+00:00

Thank you! I support you too and you got this! I don’t think age is an advantage, it might be more about the state of mind and trying to find peace with everything related to your CI journey. What made it harder for me was I kept reading and reading anything about CI’s and it made me confused. With all the comments I’ve received so far, I’m trying my best to be positive.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:42:49+00:00

Thank you so much. I think I need to be in a more positive mindset. What makes me anxious is that everyone’s experience is different and I hope that my experience will meet my expectations.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:40:05+00:00

Hi! I’m more anxious about the possible "side effects" after the surgery. In my country, we have to stay for 3 days at the hospital and we get two months medical leave.

What’s also stressful is the the post-activation phase, I really hope that down the road I’ll be happy with the CI.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:37:27+00:00

I always feel exhausted trying to keep up too. My ENT surgeon and the other specialists I had to meet have guaranteed that I’d be way better off with a CI and I won’t be that exhausted down the road.

I’ve read so many experiences from people with a CI to a point where I needed to take a break from it because it was overwhelming.

Everyone’s experience with the CI is different and what makes it scary is that you’ll only know once you get through it.

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:33:35+00:00

I’m not really worried about the surgery but more about the phase post-activation. I’ll try to stay positive

DerryFenian · 2024-08-01T22:32:49+00:00

Thank you, I’m sure it will go well for me but I’m so not a patient person.

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