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• cochlear implant
• Posted: 2009-02-28 22:30:00 By Nicole E
• Hi everyone,
  
  I am a mom of two little kids and about 12 degrees of vision loss and profoundly to severe hearing loss. Hearing aids just don't work for me and my eyesight is deteriating ever so fast.
  
  I went to meet with a dr about getting cochlear implants, but I am sooooo scared. I guess going from hard of hearing to deaf, even though, I should be able to hear better, scares me.. I also am thinking of doing both at the same time, therefore I will be completely deaf for a month andhow will I communicate with my kids. Yes I can talk and they can hear. But they can't write and talk to me and tell me what htey want and what they need..
  
  I am really scared!! Can anybody give me advice....
  
  Thanks, Nicole

• Posted: 2009-04-02 09:51:09 By Michael M
• Nicole,
  I have 3 kids under 6 and have Usher type 2. I rely on lip reading to fill in the gaps. My kids are learning quickly that they must look at me when they speak - which is also a good lesson in manners. It is scary, but kids adapt quickly. In fact, you are giving them a gift - compassion, patience (as well as manners). I would also suggest teaching the kids some simple sign language (like drink, food, thank you, I love you).
  Mike

• Posted: 2009-04-06 23:38:03 By Darran Z
• I use ASL with my kids. It seems people with Usher don't realize there are more than one way to do things. Teaching yourself to use other resources to communicate like ASL does take alot of stress off everyone. All three of my kids (ages 10, 7 2) use ASL with me.
  
  Remember CIs *may* help you, but not always.That's the trick, they don't always produce the results we want. This is one reason I have not pursued it.
  
  I think adapting to our visual and hearing loss is most hard for anyone with Usher. But beleive me, once we have adapted, learning alternative ways to communcation, reading and writing (like learning ASL and Braille) then it opens the doors to the world to us.
  
  It's OKAY to be diferent. There are alternative ways out there.
  
  Also, you may be interested in joining a Family Support group that is only for those who are both visuallyimpaired and deaf. I can provide that information if you want. Please email me at darranzenger(at)yahoo.com and I'll send the information. Most of folks on this list are Usher parents.
  
  Darran