This post is sponsored by Cochlear Americas.
As always, all views expressed are my own.
My father passed away five years ago. Throughout his life, he had experienced hearing loss in one of his ears due to a childhood illness that caused hearing damage. This plagued him his entire life. When I was a little girl, I remember climbing up on his lap and trying to whisper in his ear. Often, he would have to remind me that I had to learn to whisper into his good ear. As time went on, his hearing worsened. I pleaded with him to try a hearing aid as he was missing out on quality family time. Most often when our family would gather, he would sit on the couch in a corner and just stare. He was often withdrawn from conversations or he would repeat what we had just talked about. It was sad for me to see him going through this. There were times when I would call my parents to check up on them, and if my father would answer the phone, he would quickly pass the phone to my mother.
During this time hearing aids and resources were limited. He had tried a hearing aid once, but it was uncomfortable, and the background noise was too much to handle.
Living with untreated hearing loss may cause you or a loved one to miss out on connecting with loved ones and participating in activities you truly enjoy. I am sharing my Father’s story as I was recently introduced to cochlear implants.
According to the National Institutes of Health website, one in every three people 65 years of age and one in every two people 75 years of age and over has hearing loss. And, on average research finds people with hearing loss wait 10 years to get their hearing loss treated.
Through my partnership with Cochlear Americas I want to share with you that if someone you love is experiencing significant hearing loss, there are wonderful solutions that are available now. Loved ones do not have to miss out on the areas of life that bring them joy and connecting fully with those they love.
What is a Cochlear Implant?
A cochlear implant is an FDA-approved, surgically implanted medical device that replaces the function of the inner ear (cochlea) and is designed to mimic natural hearing. Cochlear implants may help adults with hearing loss in both ears who are not receiving enough benefit when only using hearing aids.
For some people, using only hearing aids with moderate to profound hearing loss can be like listening to a loud, badly tuned radio. It may be loud enough, but the words are not clear. Cochlear implants are designed to provide clearer sound to help you understand what is being said. To learn more about cochlear implants and other implantable hearing solutions that could help your loved ones visit their site here
How a Cochlear Implant allowed Richard to become Unstoppable
Through my partnership with Cochlear, I had the opportunity to connect with a gentleman named Richard, a cochlear implant recipient. Meeting Richard via a zoom call I had the wonderful experience of getting to learn his personal hearing journey. Richard became deaf after a bout with scarlet fever at the age of 5 years old. He started using hearing aids at the age of seven. He suffered total hearing loss at the age of 30. At that point, he was totally deaf and depending upon lip reading for communication. Prior to his hearing loss, music was his passion. He and his wife would often attend the Metropolitan Opera. When Richard lost his hearing, he was afraid to let music start sounding mechanical. He wanted to get rid of his old tickets to the opera as he wasn’t sure he’d be able to ever enjoy it again…
When you suffer sudden deafness, you quickly find out who your friends are, many just melted away, unable or unwilling to cope with the new requirements of conversations. Casual conversations with strangers were painful and awkward.
After a random meeting with a stranger that introduced him to cochlear implants, Richard’s life had changed. Just before his 65th birthday, Richard chose to have bilateral cochlear implant surgery, ending his 35 years of deafness. As a result, Richard’s mission was to take others out of the isolation of deafness.
Before deciding on surgery Richard attended Cochlear’s support meetings.
I decided to use the company’s offerings because the support was exceptional. I felt this was especially important. I did investigate other companies offering Cochlear Implants but the support and the size of Cochlear put them in my corner. Afterwards…your audiologist is going to become your new best friend. They are going to be the person you work with to get the best use from your Cochlear Implants. Because we are all different, the diagnostic tools and customized adjustments they make will be the focus. The process and the results have been far better than I could have hoped. Do I regret I did not do it sooner? Yes, of course, but I am grateful for the opportunity to enjoy life to the fullest again.
Richard is an amazing man. I’m very pleased that I had the opportunity to speak with him, learn his hearing journey and become better acquainted. He is extremely dedicated to helping others and has an abundant source of information available for anyone considering implant surgery.
Connecting with friends and family is so important. A loved one shouldn’t have to miss out on family conversations, hearing their grandchildren laugh or fully hearing the music that brings them such joy.
If you or someone you love is showing signs of hearing loss, there are solutions to help that are available now. Hearing aids are the first step to treating hearing loss; however, if hearing aids alone are not providing enough benefit, it might be time to consider a cochlear implant. If you are interested in learning more I encourage you to visit the Cochlear Site
Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for
hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.
Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.
Leave a Reply