Literally going Cyborg

[Blagard]

Nope not the joystick. After years of flying on an intermitent basis bugged by the fact I can't hear a word over the vox because of a profound hearing loss, I have recently had a cochlear implant. No miracle cure expected, but I get switched on in a couple of weeks and will be literally directly wired for sound! Heck I may even hear the stall buzzer or a check 6 call.

The thought of the PC audio cable being plugged directly into my sound processor seems sort of weird, but I must admit I am rather looking forward to getting at least some audio input after years of relative silence.

For those that don't know what a cochlear implant is, It's a chip implanted into the skull with electrodes wired into the cochlear, which is the hearing organ with its nerve going to your brain. I sort of cringed a bit today when I discovered that part of the surgery included putting a 16mm dia by 2mm deep rebate into my skull to seat the chip part in! Unfortunately it does not come with an upgradeable motherboard or additional RAM to give me any futher benefits   

[1MADDOG1]

Ask about the bonus graphics card and the mail-in rebate.

Seriously though, I hope everything works out for the good. It will be like another world.
Take the sound level in steps as you don't want to blow it out on the first sorti.
Good luck and best wishes.

[uptown]

  May I suggest Twinbooms sound pack? 

[lyric1]

To give some perspective on just how profound this change is.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7hPx0k8QsY

[Torquila]

Scary stuff bro, give us a shout-out when you get the occular upgrade as well 

[Changeup]

Nope not the joystick. After years of flying on an intermitent basis bugged by the fact I can't hear a word over the vox because of a profound hearing loss, I have recently had a cochlear implant. No miracle cure expected, but I get switched on in a couple of weeks and will be literally directly wired for sound! Heck I may even hear the stall buzzer or a check 6 call.

The thought of the PC audio cable being plugged directly into my sound processor seems sort of weird, but I must admit I am rather looking forward to getting at least some audio input after years of relative silence.

For those that don't know what a cochlear implant is, It's a chip implanted into the skull with electrodes wired into the cochlear, which is the hearing organ with its nerve going to your brain. I sort of cringed a bit today when I discovered that part of the surgery included putting a 16mm dia by 2mm deep rebate into my skull to seat the chip part in! Unfortunately it does not come with an upgradeable motherboard or additional RAM to give me any futher benefits   

Congrats to you sir!!!!!  Now for the horrible truths of sound in-game:

Do not listen to:

Shawks voice
AKpepprr's voice (you wont be able to concentrate)
HiTech's check 6

[Shuffler]

I hope all goes well. Too many take their hearing for granted.

[nrshida]

Wow, that video was quite moving.

Good luck Blagard, Ralph Vaughan Williams on standby I trust?

[ozrocker]

Congrats!
I've been totally deaf in my right Ear since 1988. Happened while
I was in the Army. "Sensorineural" hearing loss. In other words, nerve damage.
Have moderate loss in left.
Have had "Tympanomastoidectomys" 1 on each Ear.
Was initially given "Bicross" hearing aids from Landstuhl in Germany.
I couldn't stand them, I just deal with it without hearing aids.
Wonder if it would benefit me as well.


                                                                                                                               Oz

[ink]

wow man Awesome

[Blagard]

Congrats!
I've been totally deaf in my right Ear since 1988. Happened while
I was in the Army. "Sensorineural" hearing loss. In other words, nerve damage.
Have moderate loss in left.
Have had "Tympanomastoidectomys" 1 on each Ear.
Was initially given "Bicross" hearing aids from Landstuhl in Germany.
I couldn't stand them, I just deal with it without hearing aids.
Wonder if it would benefit me as well.
                                                                                                                             Oz

I certainly could not tell you what benefit you would get or even if you are a suitable candidate. Each case has to be investigated on it's own merits. Personally I have been totally deaf in my right ear for perhaps close to 20 years

I had a high frequency loss in my left ear that had the effect of me being deaf over 1khz and normal at 250hz, but it is extremely difficult to understand speech and I aquired lip reading skills without even knowing it! Alas, eventually even with lip reading the loss was so bad the struggle was eventually too much.

The choice I got was an implant in my right ear and gamble the nerve would function. Or implant my left ear and also lose the residual hearing it has! I have gone for broke and had it done to my left ear. I used to be able to hear some engine noise and wheel rumble on the tarmac but not any more.
Pretty much total silence online right now. However when I get switched on after the healing is complete I should be able to hear a hell of a lot more. The sound quality will be entirely new to me and I have to "learn" to hear again.

I suggest you at least let the experts test you and find out what can be done. It is a risky thing to undertake and testing involves the psychological side of things as well as your hearing. Not everyone is going to be up to the challenge and cope with the risks. Apparently I convinced them I was sane enough! . If the merlin sounds like a lawnmower I will not be amused and that could do the trick for me.

[Pigslilspaz]

Buddy of mine and his little brother both have Coch implants. He had to remove his during wrestling matches in highschool though. Luckily our coach knew sign language so there was no delay which there would have been with an interpreter.

[MK-84]

I believe they have a bluetooth version of the cochlear implant, that would be very useful.  One of my customers had one, and It was literally night and day difference for him.  like total hearing loss to what he described was fairly normal hearing ability.

[Zoney]

Edit:Bad Zoney, bad.

[Blagard]

I believe they have a bluetooth version of the cochlear implant, that would be very useful.  One of my customers had one, and It was literally night and day difference for him.  like total hearing loss to what he described was fairly normal hearing ability.

A bluetooth connection can be made to the implant via the external processor. So you can use a bluetooth mobile set with it and some other bluetooth connections as well, but they still require the bluetooth part as an add on. If your customer has a cochlear processor with bluetooth built in then that's great. I know the one I am getting does not and I'm unaware of any that do. Although I am sure it will happen eventually. The following link is to one I will be having http://www.cochlear.com/au/node/14021

It's great to hear of people who have had terrific success with an implant, but because results vary so much, you have to be realistic and just hope you do better than the average - At the other end of the scale there are total failures!