Bilateral Cochlear Implants

I knew it would eventually happen. As time went on, the material got harder, and Ariana's hearing was worsening a little. She hit that wall and we had to figure out how we could help. Ariana asked us once again about getting a CI. We didn't think it was possible, but her Audiologist thought that there was a good chance that she could be a candidate. We went to see Dr. Woolley at the end of her 1st grade year. She was already 7 years old, kind of late to be talking implants, but to her benefit she had language and some residual hearing. He ordered an MRI for both ears. By a miracle from God, she was a candidate! Both ears had ossification, but nothing that he said that he could not deal with. He felt certain he could get a full insertion of the regular array of electrodes into both ears. We were dumbfounded and knew that God was in control and this must be meant to be. We really wanted her to have the benefit of having two ears! God gave us two ears for a reason. He said that if we wanted to do the deaf ear that had not heard in almost 8 years, we had to do it rather quickly due to it was ossifying at a fast rate. We had UHC and they cover bilaterals. The implant center was uncertain if she should even have that ear implanted due to the nerve not being stimulated in so many years and it was kind of a long shot. Not to mention that she needed time to get used to one implant, much less throwing in two in the equation. It would never probably compare to the better ear that we were going to implant due to that ear had always had some residual hearing. But first things first, let's get the better ear implanted first and then convince them to do the other.

We had to wait until August 2005 to do the 1st implant. She had been on a waiting list to get into the AVT (Auditory Verbal Therapy) program at her implant center. Once she got in, she stopped going to her auditory oral speech therapist. The surgery went really well and he got it in! However, there was soooo much more ossification than he thought. Dr. Woolley was not aware of the amount until he got in there. He was scared. If it didn't work, she would be worse off than before. She would have no more residual hearing and could no longer even wear a hearing aid in that ear. The Dr. had to drill through pure bone. It went perfectly though, the healing was great, and all electrodes fired. It was about a month before everything started making since to her and she fell in love with her new way of hearing!!! At first she didn't even respond to her own name. Everything sounded so foreign to her. Oh, all the many, many sounds we take for granted! It brought tears to my eyes seeing her hear sounds that she never could pick up with her hearing aid before.

In November, 2005 a month and a half later at age 8, she got her 2nd implant to the ear that had not heard since she was a baby. It would have been better to wait awhile so that she could get used to the 1st implant according to her Audiologist, but time was not on her side. Dr. Woolley said "if we are going to do it, we have to do it now". In addition, our insurance was going to be changing after January and then it would not have been covered 100%.

There was more ossification in this ear than the 1st ear, but he had less trouble with this surgery due to he was so well prepared and equipped. He had a double array on hand in case he needed it. He got it in with the regular array! The road to rehabilitating this ear has not been easy. She tries to compare it to her good ear, but there is no comparison. However, she has made tremendous progress this past year and she hears so much better with two vs. one. For a long time, she was sneaking and turning it off...she didn't want to hear the world! The world was too loud! It really helps her localize and fill in the missing pieces of what is being said. She doesn't hate it like she used to either. She is doing so good and I am so blessed that she was given this wonderful gift to hear the world.