For some reason my last post cut off at the very end (maybe I exceeded the word limit?). The last sentence on there should say, “I’ve been praying that if this is the right path for me to take that I would qualify and if it’s not, that I would not. Since I did qualify, I feel confident that this is a good direction for me to go.” My prayer now is for wisdom as I decide which specific device to have, and that God will stop this process if there is any reason why it would not be a good idea for me to proceed.

I still feel good about the things we decided yesterday. I do find myself thinking about the residual hearing I have left. I am hearing a bit more than I did at the worst in this episode. When on the phone, I can tell when someone is speaking. I can’t understand it at all, but I know they are speaking. I can hear the phone ring some of the time. I can hear a little bit of my husband, Chet’s voice (he has a deep, fairly loud voice and speaks to me very loudly, apparently!). I don’t understand most of what he says, but with lip-reading I can understand a little. At church, with earbuds and a listening device and intense concentration, I can follow most of what the preacher is saying. Last night at Bible class I tried to use the listening device. I guess it takes more concentration and effort than I realized (and I knew it took a lot) because after an entire day of hearing tests and word and sentence lists, and working at understanding long detailed discussions with professionals at the clinic, I just couldn’t do it. I tried and I really did want to understand. Even when I was trying to concentrate, I was only getting about half of it. I really found it difficult to concentrate. I also notice a slight vibration in my skull sometimes using that device (I think from the high volume) and it was mild last night, but irritating enough that I couldn’t take it very well. I don’t know if it was my brain that was too fatigued to do it, or if my ears were overstimulated already, or if I just was too tired and didn’t have the energy, or maybe a combination of all of the above. Whatever it was, I only lasted about 10 or 15 minutes and I had to take it off. I hated that, but it was the choice I needed to make at the time. Of course, I couldn’t hear or understand any speaking after that.

Here are the cochlear implant manufacturers and the devices and the things that I consider notable for me to consider at this point:
Cochlear: This company has been around the longest and has a good success rate. They have worldwide service, so if we were traveling internationally, we would likely be able to find someone who could service my equipment if I had any problems. We do travel, and we are planning (Lord willing) to do some mission work in a few years after Chet retires, so this got our attention. Their device is the most attractive to look at (in my opinion) and they have some fun covers that are easy to snap on and off so you can dress them up or down according to your mood. Obviously the appearance is secondary to function and reliability, but it’s a nice perk. If you are going to be wearing this behind your ears and on your head for the rest of your life, it would be nice to be able to have some fun with it. Some days I might want to wear zebra stripes or metallic purple or pink camo, but maybe not on a formal night on a cruise, or to my kids’ weddings, etc… you get the drift. This is the company, however, that currently has a recall on their newest technology and I’ve heard that they keep saying they are getting it taken care of, but it’s been 2 YEARS and they still don’t have it resolved. If we went with this company right now, I would be implanted with the previous generation’s technology. That doesn’t seem best to me. Since I hope to have this equipment for the rest of my life (or at least many years) it seems best to get the latest and most advanced technology available right now. An audiologist also said that they tend to be slower than the other two companies when you need parts or repairs done. I have pretty much decided against going with this company because the things I mentioned above are pretty significant negatives in my opinion.

Advanced Bionics (AB): This company is the one that I had originally dismissed because I read about their recalls and a manufacturing citation. Both the doctor and the audiologist told me that all of the companies have had these and that I shouldn’t discount them because of that. I’ve heard about several patients has who are “stars” with their CIs, and they all have devices from AB or the company I will discuss next, Med El. I was told all 3 companies are good, but when I asked some professionals about the various companies, one said they all perform similarly and one said they felt the two I just mentioned were a little more high-tech and advanced, but any would be good choices. The big thing that AB “brags” about is that they have a device called Neptune that is waterproof. At first, I didn’t really think this was such a big deal, but the audiologist told me that it actually is. Most devices are considered water-resistant, but that’s really about normal sweat, humidity, etc. One claims to be fairly waterproof from another company, but they don’t recommend you swim with it. It’s more the sort of thing where if you dropped it in the sink, you could get it out quickly and it would still be ok. The Neptune is actually made for swimming. That’s not the biggest factor, but we do spent a lot of time around the water when we travel and it would be nice to be able to be on a boat or at the beach and not have to worry about getting splashed, but still be able to hear. I am planning to join a water aerobics class soon to start moving again and begin working out and it would be great to be able to hear the music, instructions, and be able to socialize with others in class. Again, not the most important factor, but nice for my lifestyle. They also have a product called Harmony. It is the largest of the processors available now, and in my opinion the least attractive. You get to pick 3 different colors to jazz up the back of the part that goes behind your ear) and there are “skins” you can buy to wrap around it like a sticker, so there are some options. Not as easy as the ones Cochlear makes, but options nonetheless. One nice feature is that there is a small microphone that goes over the natural opening of your ear. It allows you to place a phone or headphones over your ear normally and it will pick up the sound there and send it through your processor. All others require placing the phone above your ear near the microphone on the processor. That is like the Behind the Ear hearing aids I have been wearing, and in 3 years, I still haven’t quite gotten used to it. It’s difficult for me to find the “sweet spot” where I can hear it well, and when I do it is uncomfortable to hold the phone in that position for long periods of time, so that microphone that allows holding the phone in a normal position would be nice. I also wondered how else it would be an advantage. Why would it matter if it’s over the “natural” opening if you aren’t processing sound through there anymore? Basically, it also takes advantage of the natural acoustics of your outer ear – the “bowl” helps block outside noises so the microphone can pick up more of what you are trying to hear. I found out that typically when you get CIs you get one processor per ear implanted, but my clinic gives you two per ear at so that you have a backup. That means that if I go with this company, I could get the Harmony as my main one and the Neptune as my backup and have the use of both devices. That would give me the most flexibility in my life. It would be unusual for both processors to fail at the same time, so if I had equipment problems I would likely be able to use one while the other was being fixed, but could use the Neptune as a backup if necessary. It also means that getting service while traveling becomes a non-issue. I will have 4 processors so even if I have a problem I will have enough backups to get me through until I’m home again and can take care of things. This company is also about to release a new product. It looks like it will be sometime in the late summer or fall. If I go with this company, I would probably start with the Neptune as my primary system, and get a certificate saying that I am going to wait a couple of months until the new product is available, and get that one as my “backup”. I would then use it as my main processor and the Neptune for the appropriate water situtations. Right now this is the option I’m leaning toward. I could get the latest technology out there (the new processors will be smaller and more attractive than the Harmony and with an accessory have bluetooth capability for many devices!) and I could also have the waterproof Neptune – this would give me the best technology, the most flexibility from a company that has a good track record for successful users and reliability. Seems like a pretty good choice.

The last company to consider is Med El. Their latest product is called the Maestro. They are a European company so the design is sleek and beautiful. There are no controls on the processor. Everything is done with a remote or automatically. Cochlear also has a very nice remote, but no automatic functions. AB has automatic functions, but no remote. You would make any manual adjustments on the processor. To be honest, I haven’t paid a lot of attention to this company, but am convinced I need to do more research. The staff at my clinic feel like this is also a great choice, so I need to look into it further.

That’s pretty much where I am at this point. I will need to make my final decision when they call to schedule surgery, so I want to get on this and get that done. It feels like a very big decision. I know they say any will be good choices, and it’s mostly about fitting my lifestyle as well as I can. Another significant factor is battery use. Batteries are expensive and most of these devices use either 2 or 3 disposable ones every 2 days! That’s a lot of batteries! Most also offer rechargeable batteries – expensive at first, but I feel certain they make up for it over time. I need to check details for each device on this.

Hope you all found this interesting. It definitely is for me!