Interview with Teresa Gonzalez Cochlear Implant Recipient
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AO/Beck: Hi Ms. Gonzalez, thank you for agreeing to speak with me today.
Gonzalez: Hi Dr. Beck. It is nice to speak with you.
AO/Beck: Can you tell me a little about your profession please?
Gonzalez: I work with my husband. We design and build large homes in Texas. We both studied architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.
AO/Beck: How long have you been building homes?
Gonzalez: About 27 years now. We also do a little commercial work.
AO/Beck: Very good. Thanks for telling us a little about your background. I'd like to switch gears a little and find out about your hearing loss. When did you first notice problems with your hearing?
Gonzalez: Probably about 9 or 10 years ago I started to notice problems in understanding words. It actually started with tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and the ringing was worse for me than the hearing loss. The ringing never stopped and the hearing loss got worse and worse. I went to a number of ear, nose and throat doctors and there wasn't very much they could do. Eventually one of the doctors did a blood test and told me it was my immune system not working properly and then eventually both ears were causing problems.
AO/Beck: Did both ears go out at the same time, or did one go out first and then the other?
Gonzalez: It seemed to me like I lost the hearing gradually, and one ear was worse at first, but they went out pretty much together over a number of years.
AO/Beck: Did you try hearing aids?
Gonzalez: Yes, I used hearing aids for five or six years, and they certainly helped. When digital hearing aids came out, I tried those too, and they were better than the standard technology, but as my hearing got worse, I wasn't able to use hearing aids. The hearing aids took some getting used to. I wore them all the time, and I wound up wearing them so loud that it was physically painful for me. So I wore them everyday because I had to wear them, but I never liked them and as my hearing got worse, they didn't work as well as they did at first.
AO/Beck: What was it that made you decide to get a cochlear implant?
Gonzalez: I had little choice. I waited as long as I could and then I was up against the wall and speech and sound hurt. It was almost impossible to communicate and it was getting very bad. I was not able to use the telephone for more than five years. I was very scared, but my family was supportive and they encouraged me to get a cochlear implant, so eventually I decided I had to do it, and as you can tell, I can use the telephone again!
AO/Beck: And when did you have the implant surgery?
Gonzalez: It was in April of this past year (2001).
AO/Beck: And then about 6 weeks later you had the implant tuned-up and turned-on?
Gonzalez: Yes that's right. You have to wait for the wound to heal and he swelling to go down. So then finally I went in to get the tune-up and I could hear almost immediately, just about as soon as they turned it on. I heard sounds right away, they were very clear and even the audiologist I was working with was very happy to see my results. I was able to hear soft tapping and beeps and speech right away. It was thrilling for me and for my family too. My husband was there and he couldn't believe how well I had done, he couldn't even talk at first!
AO/Beck: Could you understand voices without speechreading, or must you watch the face of the person speaking?
Gonzalez: Yes, the first day, I could understand my husband's voice without seeing his face. Some people are easier than others, but if someone speaks clearly, and they pronounce the words carefully, I can get by without watching them speak sometimes.
AO/Beck: Does your husband's voice sound like the same voice you remember or is it different?
Gonzalez: People ask me that all of the time. Voices sound the same to me. The voices are not mechanical, they are real-life sounding. Even music is pretty good. If the song is a familiar song, I do very well with the melody. If it's new, I can pick up the tune if there is no background and no other noises. I can learn new songs pretty easily.
AO/Beck: How many hours a day do you wear the implant?
Gonzalez: I wear it all day long, from 6:30 AM till midnight. I never turn it off during the day. I think the implant is very useful and it has made my life and my work much easier.
Using the telephone is an important part of my work, and I do that through my cochlear implant.
AO/Beck: Thank you very much for sharing your experiences regarding your cochlear implant.
Gonzalez: You're welcome. I hope my story is useful to other people.
AO/Beck: I'm sure it will be. I wish you continued success and a happy new year.
Gonzalez: Thank you too.
For More Information on Cochlear Implants click here.
Gonzalez: Hi Dr. Beck. It is nice to speak with you.
AO/Beck: Can you tell me a little about your profession please?
Gonzalez: I work with my husband. We design and build large homes in Texas. We both studied architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.
AO/Beck: How long have you been building homes?
Gonzalez: About 27 years now. We also do a little commercial work.
AO/Beck: Very good. Thanks for telling us a little about your background. I'd like to switch gears a little and find out about your hearing loss. When did you first notice problems with your hearing?
Gonzalez: Probably about 9 or 10 years ago I started to notice problems in understanding words. It actually started with tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and the ringing was worse for me than the hearing loss. The ringing never stopped and the hearing loss got worse and worse. I went to a number of ear, nose and throat doctors and there wasn't very much they could do. Eventually one of the doctors did a blood test and told me it was my immune system not working properly and then eventually both ears were causing problems.
AO/Beck: Did both ears go out at the same time, or did one go out first and then the other?
Gonzalez: It seemed to me like I lost the hearing gradually, and one ear was worse at first, but they went out pretty much together over a number of years.
AO/Beck: Did you try hearing aids?
Gonzalez: Yes, I used hearing aids for five or six years, and they certainly helped. When digital hearing aids came out, I tried those too, and they were better than the standard technology, but as my hearing got worse, I wasn't able to use hearing aids. The hearing aids took some getting used to. I wore them all the time, and I wound up wearing them so loud that it was physically painful for me. So I wore them everyday because I had to wear them, but I never liked them and as my hearing got worse, they didn't work as well as they did at first.
AO/Beck: What was it that made you decide to get a cochlear implant?
Gonzalez: I had little choice. I waited as long as I could and then I was up against the wall and speech and sound hurt. It was almost impossible to communicate and it was getting very bad. I was not able to use the telephone for more than five years. I was very scared, but my family was supportive and they encouraged me to get a cochlear implant, so eventually I decided I had to do it, and as you can tell, I can use the telephone again!
AO/Beck: And when did you have the implant surgery?
Gonzalez: It was in April of this past year (2001).
AO/Beck: And then about 6 weeks later you had the implant tuned-up and turned-on?
Gonzalez: Yes that's right. You have to wait for the wound to heal and he swelling to go down. So then finally I went in to get the tune-up and I could hear almost immediately, just about as soon as they turned it on. I heard sounds right away, they were very clear and even the audiologist I was working with was very happy to see my results. I was able to hear soft tapping and beeps and speech right away. It was thrilling for me and for my family too. My husband was there and he couldn't believe how well I had done, he couldn't even talk at first!
AO/Beck: Could you understand voices without speechreading, or must you watch the face of the person speaking?
Gonzalez: Yes, the first day, I could understand my husband's voice without seeing his face. Some people are easier than others, but if someone speaks clearly, and they pronounce the words carefully, I can get by without watching them speak sometimes.
AO/Beck: Does your husband's voice sound like the same voice you remember or is it different?
Gonzalez: People ask me that all of the time. Voices sound the same to me. The voices are not mechanical, they are real-life sounding. Even music is pretty good. If the song is a familiar song, I do very well with the melody. If it's new, I can pick up the tune if there is no background and no other noises. I can learn new songs pretty easily.
AO/Beck: How many hours a day do you wear the implant?
Gonzalez: I wear it all day long, from 6:30 AM till midnight. I never turn it off during the day. I think the implant is very useful and it has made my life and my work much easier.
Using the telephone is an important part of my work, and I do that through my cochlear implant.
AO/Beck: Thank you very much for sharing your experiences regarding your cochlear implant.
Gonzalez: You're welcome. I hope my story is useful to other people.
AO/Beck: I'm sure it will be. I wish you continued success and a happy new year.
Gonzalez: Thank you too.
For More Information on Cochlear Implants click here.
