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A couple of years ago, our department manager combined this training as an afternoon extension to a departmental all-hands meeting. One of my close friends is a very articulate, knowledgeable lady who is deaf. Or perhaps I should say, was deaf. She has cochlear implants that now allow her to hear.

So, we were into the second hour of the training when I noticed that she had turn her implants off and was playing solitaire on her Palm Pilot.

The instructor liked to use her as an example of someone with a “special condition”. Whenever he spoke her name, I’d give her a nudge and she’d look up, smile at the instructor and then go back to playing solitaire.

I had to suffer through the training—I’d left my Palm Pilot in my cube.

Here’s another story that will add fuel to the fire about Cochlear Implant debate:

Girl Dies of Bacterial Meningitis

Doctors said bacterial meningitis is not contagious. They believe it may have been caused by Katie’s cochlear implant. They said it could have been prevented with a vaccination.”I had tried and they were always out,” Engle said. “After going back several times, I forgot about it.”

I gotta really ask the hard hitting questions:

Who said that bacterial meningitis is related to CI?
When did she have her CI surgery?
Why was it so difficult to get the vaccination?
Why did the doctor(s) go ahead with CI surgery when she didn’t have vaccination?
Did the doctors know or didn’t know she had her vaccination?

I hope this is a lesson learn “the hard way” for all prospective CI patients and their doctors. But I would say in this case protocols were not followed!

I know the protocols because I had all my shots before the CI surgery!

Guess where?

Guess who’s paying for it?

Supposed there was no Iraqi liberation? Then what would her life be?

I dare those that are opposed to Iraqi liberation tell her to her face that she would’ve rely on Saddam Hussein and Iraq’s antiquated health care to help her hear.

Deaf Iraqi girl to receive care in U.S.

Just a cautionary tale that I’ve heard second hand. But the info comes from a lawyer very familiar with the SSI/SSD regulations and the deaf community so I wouldn’t discont this as rumor. However, I don’t have the time to investigate so maybe someone else can.

FYI, SSI/SSD can require a medical history update every 2 years.

This lawyer is hearing through the grapevine that many deaf people that have SSI/SSD and then have a Cochlear Implant are now starting to comply with the SSI/SSD rule to update their medical history. As soon as the SSI/SSD reviewer finds out that they now have a CI, they get cut off from SSI/SSD without much of a warning, on ground that they’re no longer “hearing-impaired” but instead their ears are “fixed” (repaired). Doesn’t matter how well one can hear with a CI, their hearing is “repaired” and now employable.

I personally know of one individual who truly relies on SSI and went through the hoops with Medicaid to pay for her CI surgery (finally scheduled for July after over a year process) This person was just informed of this and now has to make a gut-wrenching decision to decide which is more important -  CI or SSI.

So if anyone has knowledge about this issue, would be nice to know if this is true or not.

What does the telecommunications relay funds have to do with cochlear implants?

Hearing loss help available for children