Rush Limbaugh's Cochlear Implant Surgery a Success

Drudge Report ^ | 12/20/2001 | Matt Drudge

[bluesagewoman]

Bump?

[Nataku X]

it's all signals completely generated by the processor directly to the brain, so I'm pretty sure it's completely different...

[mc5cents]

Written compassionately, of course.

Yes, aren't libs the compassionate ones. Did you hear that lib from Los Angleless today on Rush's program? He was either calling the callers idiots, or cutting them off. Who was that guy and how in the name of goodness did he ever get on Rush's show!? Paleeze!

Anyway, tomorrow we go into the Christmas weekend with Walter Williams, always a good show and heavy on lessons on LIBERTY! and what it is. We have become so socialized in this country that someone like Dr. Williams sounds radical when in reality, he is probably left of most of the founders.

Anyway, God Bless you Rush, Godspeed, Merry Christmas!

[womanvet]

I emailed Rush when he first announced his problem.

Harold Dean Miller, a Mennonite writer, travels around the country with his family, giving talks about Christian music, and performing concerts at churches. Several of the children have cochlear implants, and the family sings beautifully. Since it is four-part acappella singing, I would think they can hear music well enough.

PTL for the successful surgery.

[gumbo]

Several of the children have cochlear implants, and the family sings beautifully. Since it is four-part acappella singing, I would think they can hear music well enough. PTL for the successful surgery.

I'll second the PTL.

Just reporting what Rush himself said about his future potential for hearing music.

[Exit148]

I'm delighted for Rush!!

The one big thing that has impressed me is that with all Rush has gone through -- with all the uncertainity he faced, with all the disappointments, he always maintained a disposition that was remarkable. I know that he is an optimist, but his cheerful nature during all this heartache impressed me. I've always had the deepest respect for him, but this whole episode, and how he reacted to it publicly, has raised him even higher. IMNSHO.

[Deep Cover Hollywood]

I felt today was the day. Godspeed Mr. Limbaugh. I pray for the best possible outcome; your ability to hear the sound of a well struck drive off the tee! You are a national treasure and a force for profound and positive change in our great Nation. I applaud your courage, along with the skill and dedication of your physicians. Merry Christmas, Rush. All I want for Christmas is your returned hearing. After all, I did get my two front teeth!

[Rowdee]

While I've gotten over Rush, this is certainly excellent news for he, his wife, family, and fans.

Good luck, Rish, with the rest of it.

[2nd amendment mama]

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I'm sure all will go well....Maureen's in God's hands.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I very seldom listen to Rush anymore. But I am glad for him, and hope he gets some or all of his hear back.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Make that "hearing" back.

[_Jim]

What exactly will he hear? Will he be able to carry on a normal conversation without the aid of a monitor (like he uses now)?

My sister adjusted quite nicely to a CI (as she calls her Cochlear Implant).

It took a bit for her to get 'used' to the sound - and they tried several different algorithms in the external 'processor' (DSP) pre-processes any signals that are magnetically coupled through the skin to the actual implant that contacts the actual nerve endings that used to carry sound from her ears into her brain.

I think she described the sound she first heard as a bit of a buzzing sound at first - imagine Peter Frampton and his 'talking' guitar ...

She can now carry on normal conversations, talk on the phone - she is practically normal now!

[oldvike]

Thanks for the info! Great to know that your sis is doing well. Did she lose her hearing late in life like Rush?

[_Jim]

Rush and many of us will benefit from the emerging field of medicine that uses VSLI chips to

Carol - bless your tin-foil wrapped heart, but, the next big FAD is SOC - System On a Chip. (VLSI still requires outside support and interface circuitry to perform. SOC incorpoartes EVERYTHING except the battery and antenna on the 'chip')

Memorize this *new* buzzword, do web searches on it and move into this century (VLSI is old hat) ...

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Two components make up the external unit worn behind the ear by cochlear implant users -- a microphone, which receives environmental sounds and transmits them to a speech processor, where mechanical sounds are then converted into a processed electrical signal. This processed signal is sent to the brain via the implanted electrodes within the inner ear.

Wow, that amazing! Hope it goes well.

[Grassontop]

Fantastic news! Praise God for Rush Limbaugh! Many speedy megadiddos to the truth seeker and seer! Grassontop

[cajungirl]

I wonder what the training to use it is like. I thought they just sort of turned it on. Does one have to learn how to use it? I cannot imagine that. But Rush sure got a wonderful, wonderful Christmas present. He has been a trooper thru all this, no self pity, just adapting in a cheerful manner to a terrible thing,,hope I can do that when my time comes, and all of us face something like this at some time in our lives unless we are totallly healthy, have no loved ones to get sick and die of a sudden illness in a matter of seconds. Life deals bad stuff but Rush made a graceful response to it.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Thank you for this post. I did not know when the procedure was scheduled but figured it was during his current vacation. Bless Rush's heart. May God continue to bless his healing and give him the best this implant can possibly give. I just know that Rush's strong spirit and determination will make this a great success all the way around.

[_Jim]

Did she lose her hearing late in life like Rush?

Yes she did -

- she had a family and three kids plus hubby when her hearing finally faded to zero ...

But, thanks to this miracle - she is active again now!

Part of her hearing problem seemed to stem from childhood - and it grew progrssively worse over the years.

On one ear/one side the nerves did not seem to be suitable for an implant - but the other side was still good!

I remember story she relates about the first time she heard birds with her CI - she couldn't tell if her 'processor' was acting up or not (she hadn't heard birds due to her diminished hearing loss for probably ten years!).

The only drawback is - she is now reliant on a supply of AA batteries for her hearing. A set of rechargeables are good for about 1 waking-day ... AA alkalines slightly longer ...

[_Jim]

I wonder what the training to use it is like. I thought they just sort of turned it on. Does one have to learn how to use it? I cannot imagine that.

My sister spent a lot of time time making trips back for adjustments in the 'processor' algorithm - and of course the university doctors were VERY interested in her progress so there were tests each week too!

I think that it took some getting used to, so there is a re-training of the brain that takes place. The big benefit was that she already had years of speech behind her - so it was more a matter of adapting there re-learing everything.

She found several support groups that deal with this sort of thing too ...