Time to Consider Cochlear

  E's hearing aids are pretty much just expensive earrings. He is not showing any signs of response to sound. Our audiologist told us that it was time to start considering whether or not we were interested in a cochlear implant. For those of you who are not familiar with what a cochlear implant is or does, this link explains a bit:

http://products.cochlearamericas.com/cochlear-implants/how-nucleus-5-works

  A cochlear implant does allow a person to receive sound input. While a CI does provide a person with hearing, it is not the same as natural hearing. A CI is NOT a "cure" for hearing loss. A person with a CI is still deaf. When the processor is not in use, the person receives no sound information. Most children implanted with a CI before the age of four do acquire spoken language skills. Not all deaf people are candidates for a CI because there are various causes of hearing loss. A CI bypasses a non-functioning inner ear and relies on a properly functioning cochlea. At this time, it is believed that E would be an excellent candidate for CI.

  My husband and I now have several big decisions to make. We must decide if we want to pursue implantation for E. We must also decide if we are going to move E's care to a different hospital system. We have had both very good and very bad experiences at our current hospital. There is a hospital in our state with a very well developed and renowned pediatric audiology program. Changing would mean a great deal of paperwork, possible further delays, and a two and a half hour ONE WAY drive to the hospital. It could potentially mean much better care for E in the long run. My brain hurts from all of the swirling information and questions!