How my cochlear implants sound to me - a late-deafened adult and audiologist 

Thanks for noticing! I love that my CIs give me the ability to check my own captioning! ;-)

Hello, how was your initial experience of hearing from the implant along with the hearing aids. Were you able to still hear speech from hearing aids or even that got distorted because your implants were not fully functional for you. Curious because I'm considering implant. I can only hear from one ear with hearing aids on.

It's definitely different at first - give your brain time and yourself grace. Also, do make time to practice because it helps you progress faster! Sending you positive vibes!

No one can really answer that. Because you are a hearing person, processing the signals mechanically, a CI does not do this, it processes digitally. It's a different kind of hearing, but you are getting so used to it, that this is your new normal. Your brain learns like a complete "new language". That's why you can't really compare CI hearing with normal hearing.

Hi Eric - as I said in my video, learning to hear through a CI is like learning a new language. It doesn't happen overnight. Your brain is used to receiving and processing an auditory signal in a specific (i.e., through the outer, middle and inner ear) and since the CI is bypassing the outer and middle ear and providing a direct electrical signal to the hearing nerve, your brain will need time to intepret this. Some people hear and understand right away, some people don't get to that point until later. There are so many factors. Since I don't know your whole hearing history, it's hard for me to predict how you might do. What I've learned over the years with CIs is "hope for the best but know that it may not work as well for you as for others."

The link to the simulations is in the video. They are 1, 2, 4 and 8 channel simulations that I re-purposed based on what I remember my perceptions being.

Hi Ismael - there's always a bit of recalibration after each mapping. It's like learning how to see clearly again after your glasses' prescription changes. The important thing is to keep taking data and if you notice that her abilities are dipping down, then you need to figure out why that is (e.g., mapping issue).

Hi Lisa - My second side perhaps sounded a little better than when my first one was first turned on. Knowing what to expect also makes a big difference. For me, the hardest part of going sequential bilateral was taking the time to practice with my second side alone. I did/do so well with my first one and well, life , that I realize in retrospect that I didn't work on it as hard as I did my first one. With my first one, I had almost no auditory access to great auditory access. The second one definitely did provide that sense of balance on that previously unaided side, I did better listening in noise as well as localization. I also realized I could hear softer sounds with two than I could with one. If you look at my speech perception abilities, the percentages are about the same when you look at individual sides (92%+) but even with just 5 years' difference between both ears, my first side is still my dominant side. As you know, there are so many factors that can affect what it might sound like - was my better/worse ear implanted first, cochlear physiology, auditory deprivation (I was without any hearing on my second side for about 3 years when I gave up my hearing aid), how long I was deaf, right vs. left brain, etc. All I know is that I'm grateful that one battery dies, I can still hear. :)

She should get a second opinion. I've seen about a dozen videos from unilateral recipients where they had normal, or partial hearing in one ear, and severely reduced, or no hearing in the other.