Cochlear Implant Number 3 - Two Year Review!

I just had my 2 year mapping, about 6 weeks early, as I was up in Auckland for another reason. I had my 18 month review back in October, and at the time I thought there was no real improvement. However, soon after I did notice that for some reason I was hearing better on the phone.

I was still getting some Non Auditory stimulation though, which was getting worse, which meant that the electrode I was hanging onto for dear life, really did need to be switched off, just as the audiologists had been telling me all along.

If I give you one piece of advice that you should heed - it's thus:

Listen to your Audiologist. They know BEST!

They switched off that horrible electrode... and Voila - here are my results....


HINT (open set) Sentences at 3 months: 100%
HINT (open set) Sentences at 6 months: 98%
HINT (open set) Sentences at 9 months: 100%
HINT (open set) Sentences at 18 months: 98% (Grrr)!
HINT (open set) Sentences at 2 years: 100% (Yippee)

In background noise +10db SNR at 3 months: 92%
In Background noise +10db SNR at 6 months: 96%
In Background noise +10db SNR at 9 months: 83% (gone down!)
In Background noise +10db SNR at 18 months: 90% (back up a bit)
In Background noise +10db SNR at 2 years: 100%

In background noise +5db SNR at 3 months: 24%
In background noise +5db SNR at 6 months: 47%
In background noise +5db SNR at 9 months: not tested
In background noise +5db SNR at 18 months: 38%
In background noise +5db SNR at 2 years: 95% (HUGE DIFFERENCE)

CNC Words Alone at 3 months: 63%
CNC Words Alone at 6 months: 65%
CNC Words Alone at 9 months: 68% (Slowly improving)
CNC Words Alone at 18 months 60% (gone down)
CNC Words Alone at 2 years: 85% (Whoohoo)

CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 3 months: 82%
CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 6 months: 83%
CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 9 months: 87%
CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 18 months: 75% (Gone down)
CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 2 years: 95%

This is a huge improvement, and one that has put a permanent smile on my face. I never thought it would happen, became to believe that this implant wasn't as good as my first! Just goes to show that the brain eventually does start making sense of it, but it might take a bit longer the 2nd time around when your brain isn't quite as fast!

Thanks to my Audi's for getting me there, and for the Docs who persevered! Any sane person would have run of the hills ages ago!!!