Are you curious what it sounds like to hear with a cochlear implant? Here's your chance! The video above will give you an idea how speech and music sound to a person with a CI. Keep in mind this is a generalization and every CI recipient's experience is unique. The following link will take you to a blog that explains the learning process much better than I can: http://cochlearimplanthelp.com/journey/needing-a-cochlear-implant/cochlear-implant-simulations/
This Saturday will mark five months of going live with my CI. I've made a lot of progress and I'm excited to see how well I'll be hearing when I celebrate my one year anniversary of activation.
What happens when you wear a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other and they're made by different companies? Double the number of gadgets!
I feel very fortunate to live in the age of technology. I don't know what I would do without my smart phone and texting. I realize this isn't something you hear most 40-somethings say -- unless they have a hearing loss. Thanks to Bluetooth technology, I am able to use my phone with the gadgets in the picture above to have any sound from my phone transmitted directly to either my CI (left gadget) or my hearing aid (right gadget). It is a great way to go hands free when on the phone. And it's also nice for listening to music. The problem is choosing which one to use. My CI is made by Cochlear America and my hearing aid is made by Phonak. Each company developed their own tech gadgets and can only be used with their CIs and/or hearing aids. For instance, Cochlear America and Resound, a maker of hearing aids, are owned by the same company. If I wore a Resound hearing aid I would only have one Bluetooth phone accessory, the Phone Clip (gadget on left). I could have chosen to go with a CI by Advanced Bionics since it is owned by the same company that makes my hearing aid, Phonak. But I like to make life complicated so I chose to go with Cochlear America.
I went with Cochlear for various reasons that I won't get into at this time, but I will say I know that someday I will most likely need a CI for my right ear. If I decide to wait a few years to
get my right ear implanted, I may need a new hearing aid and can choose
to go with one made by Resound. This period of double-the-number-of-gadgets is only temporary.
I still don't feel confident in my ability to talk on the phone
with my CI so most of the time I choose to call someone using my Compilot (you guessed it, the gadget on the right). The Compilot looks and wears like a necklace, allowing me to talk on the phone hands-free. I have been using it for a few years and it has been fantastic for listening to music as well.
So far I am really enjoying the Phone Clip. I'm using it as I write this. I have it synced to my iPad and I'm listening to 80s music. Having music piping into only one ear takes a little getting used to, but hearing anything with an implant takes some adjustment. After all, having a cochlear implant requires a change in how you hear everything...and the number of gadgets you'll have to learn how to use and keep track of.
