Cochlear Implants

What is a cochlear implant?
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to prove a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consist of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin.

The implant consists of : A microphone which picks up the sound from the enviroment. A speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone. A transmitter and receiver/stimulator which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses. An electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve.

* An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the enviroment and help him or her understand speech.

How does a cochlear implant work?

A cochlear implant is very different from a hearing aid. Hearing aids amplify sounds so they may be detected by damaged ears. Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound. Hearing through a cochlear implant is different from normal hearing and takes time to learn or relearn. However, it allows many people to recognize warning signals, understand other sounds in the environment, and enjoy a conversation in person or by telephone.

How does someone receive a cochlear implant?

Use of a cochlear implant requires both a surgical procedure and significant therapy to learn or relearn the sense of hearing. Not everyone performs at the same level with this device. The decision to receive an implant should involve discussions with medical specialists, including an experienced cochlear-implant surgeon. The process can be expensive. For example, a person’s health insurance may cover the expense, but not always. Some individuals may choose not to have a cochlear implant for a variety of personal reasons. Surgical implantations are almost always safe, although complications are a risk factor, just as with any kind of surgery. An additional consideration is learning to interpret the sounds created by an implant. This process takes time and practice. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are frequently involved in this learning process. Prior to implantation, all of these factors need to be considered.

My Mentor & I

Mrs. Hafner and myself sat down together yesterday and discussed the senior project. We made a couple phone calls to Camden County College, and see if we can sit during some class sessions to see what it's like. On Monday after school, she's going to take me up there and we are going to sit in one of the open sessions. We already are considering how I may present my presentation. I can tell this semester will go really well.

The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time!

Weds. night was an interesting night. Most of the participants in the senior project showed up. We've discussed the future plans as far as meeting up with our sponser's, writing in our journals daily and blogs, and what was appropriate and not appropriate for the blogs and journals. Each one of us had to introduce ourselves, our sponser, our mentor, and who we showed up with. We had to then speak about what we chose, and where the inspiration came from. It was counted as a midterm grade so I HAD to do it. I was very nervous talking infront of all those people. Then, I tried to just suck it up and do it anyway. It was a big reliefe when I was finished! Hopefully these last two marking periods go by smooth and how I plan them to?!

My Weekend!

My Weekend was so much fun!! On Friday, I went to my friends house and I just stayed in and watched movies. On Saturday, I finally got my paychek, so I cashed it and came home and got dressed. I was going to go to the B.C. (it's a club) for my friend Andre's birthday, but I ended up not going. I hung out with my cousin til about 3 a.m. Then she brought me home. My "sister-in-law" Pooh Pooh came and picked me up from my house around that time and we went out and met up with a couple of other people. We were out until 7 a.m. We finally came home and went to sleep, I didn't officially get up until 2 in the after noon. Then, Saturday night, there was a party. It kind of ruined my night because by the time we got there, it was cancelled. But, we took the party to the house and everyone stayed and had so much fun, til' about 9 a.m! Finally, SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!!!!!!!! We had a superbowl party at Pooh Pooh house, eveyone there was taking pictures, and having sooo much fun!! My weekend just really took a lot of stress out of me that I have been holding in. It made me feel much better; I have to do it again some time!