Cochlear Implant Stories and Experiences

We are fortunate to have the personal reflections of two people as they experienced their cochlear implant adventure. These pages contain emails that these people sent to inform others of their experiences with the cochlear implants; they give an excellent feel for the experience as well as a lot of good information. (I wasn't clever enough to record when these stories were written, but I think it was in 2000 or so. So many of the details may be out of date. But I'm betting you'll find these stories fascinating!

September 2005 - Almost everyone with a CI probably has lots of "aha!" stories about CI experiences. Here's Denise Portis with one of the best I've heard!

September 2006 - Here's Dale Oftebro with her reflections on the fifth anniversary of her hookup. Dale's hearing history is a bit different than most CI users, because heard virtually nothing for 50 years before getting her CI! Here's her story.

More on this and related topics

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Rush Limbaugh Gets Cochlear Implant

December 2001

A few months ago Rush Limbaugh was doing his radio talk show much as he had for the past ten years. He would converse with callers on the telephone seemingly without difficulty.

Then one day he announced that his hearing was deteriorating and he had been seeing a variety of doctors in an attempt to determine the cause of his hearing loss and devise a treatment. This went on for several weeks, with Mr. Limbaugh finally announcing that he was virtually deaf and would be receiving a cochlear implant in the near future.

Last Wednesday was the day! Mr. Limbaugh was implanted at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, and returned home on Thursday. His talk show is being hosted by various substitutes until after New Year, at which time Mr. Limbaugh will resume his host duties. In a statement issued Thursday, he stated, "I feel great! The surgery went smoothly and I'm looking forward to enjoying the holidays and returning to the air in early January."

Renowned for his conservative views, which include opposition to the ADA and mandated compliance with access laws, Mr. Limbaugh is unlikely to become an advocate for the hearing loss community. We'll follow his progress as a person with hearing loss and report as appropriate.

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'Hear and Now' Chronicles Taylors' Cochlear Implants

November 2007

Paul and Sally Taylor can hear the sound of applause. A documentary about the couple, who received cochlear implants at age 65, will play at the St. Louis International Film Festival Saturday and Sunday. For the first time in their lives, Paul and Sally Taylor can hear the sound of applause. And they'll probably hear more of it this weekend. A documentary about the couple, who received cochlear implants three years ago at age 65, will play at the St. Louis International Film Festival Saturday and Sunday. The movie tracks the couples' lives in the year after they received the implants. "Hear and Now," directed by the Taylors' daughter, Irene Taylor Brodsky, won the audience award for best documentary at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Full Story

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Denise Portis' CI Pre-Activation and Activation Videos

July 2008

Denise Portis has always been very open about her hearing loss and how she deals with it. And she has just posted on her website two videos related to her cochlear implant. One is of her activation, and the other is of her pre-activation jitters. And both are CAPTIONED! You can view them by visiting her website at http://hearingelmo.com/ and scrolling to her entries of July 2, 2008. Enjoy!