Choosing A Cochlear Implant – Is Your Provider Giving You All The Information?

By Eric Sherman

Recently, I found myself in a Facebook group chat discussing how someone decided on their cochlear implant.  The person shared that they “naively” went along with their surgeons recommendations.  Fortunately, the implant worked out well for the person, but it raised an interesting question.  How much influence does the healthcare provider have over the individual’s decision in selecting a cochlear implant brand? 

I posed this question in several cochlear implant Facebook Groups. What influenced your decision to choose a specific brand? And why?  177 people responded and interestingly 60% of those respondents stated their choice was influenced by the cochlear implant center (hospital included), audiologist, and surgeon.  This is reasonable considering people generally trust their hearing healthcare providers.  But another picture emerged about hearing health professionals I did not expect.

I found people were unaware they had a choice when they were going through the selection process for a cochlear implant.  Certain facilities and government run healthcare systems have contracts with certain manufactures and insurance, limiting the devices that were offered.  Also, choices were limited because of known recalls or device failures. Audiologist and surgeons have a certain level of comfort and experience working with certain brands, so they would guide patients toward one brand over another.  One person even shared that one of the cochlear implant manufacturers settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged kickbacks to health care providers.

Trust and comfort is important when dealing with your hearing health professionals, and you should have all the facts when your audiologist, surgeon, or implant center recommends a life-long implant for you or a family member.   This includes knowing if their recommendations are based on business reasons, experience, or personal preferences. 

In the end, when going through your selection process for a cochlear implant, you need to do your research and due diligence.   If you can’t get the device you want implanted, you may have to switch providers or facilities. 

#cochlearimplant

If you like our blog, please subscribe and share with others. Thank   you!

Ci Wear is a patented shirt designed to secure and help protect cochlear implant (CI) processors and other mobile listening devices. Use as a rash guard, swim shirt or an exercise apparel.    Ideal aqua accessory for waterproof cochlear implant sound processors. 

Don't Risk Losing Cochlear Implant Processors When Swimming

Recently, this story was sent to us by an audiology group about one of their patients who was surfing with cochlear implants while on vacation.

A storm was brewing, and a large wave pulled off my son's entire cochlear implant processor and headpiece. Devastated, he swam in to tell me, but searching for it was nearly impossible in the strong surf. For the next 3 days while the storm raged, I went down to the shore and watched the pattern of the wind and the waves. On my family's last day of vacation, the storm had finally subsided so the I decided to snorkel near some rocks the waves had been hitting. During one dive as a wave pulled away sand from the floor of the ocean, the dad saw something red under a rock. When I swam down to investigate, I found the processor still connected to the headpiece, which was stuck under the rock! When I  pulled on the processor, the headpiece would not budge. I knew that I was running out of air and if he went back to the surface to get a breath, another wave would come and bury the device again. So, I gave one final tug which pulled the headpiece free. I returned to the surface with the entire device! As if finding the processor after 3 days in the ocean was not amazing enough, my family was astounded to see that it still worked!

This is a truly amazing story with a happy ending, but many families and individuals around the world are not as lucky. Some people clip their processor to some part of their clothing only to find it lost after being tossed by a wave, or crashing on mountain bike. Mishaps during recreational activities happen. Unfortunately, for people with cochlear implants those mishaps can be very costly. 

As a parent of a child with bilateral cochlear implants, our greatest fear came when our son participated in any activity where there was a chance he could lose his processors. We became helicopter parents even though we never wanted to limit our child’s ability to participate in any activity. As a result of this problem, we created the Ci Wear shirt.

Ci Wear makes specialty shirts designed to secure and help protect cochlear implant processor(s). It has patented pockets that include elastic bands to clip the processor to and a button hole inside of the pocket to run the sound cord under the shirt. This reduces the risk of a wave, hard fall or crash knocking off your processor(s).

If you have ever spent money on a case to protect your cellphone, then a Ci Wear shirt is for you. It is the perfect accessory for your cochlear implant processor(s), and gives you the security, comfort, and confidence to participate in and enjoy all types of activities without the fear of losing your device.

#swimming #cochlearimplants #Secure #CiWear 

Cochlear Implant Experience – Leah's Story and Review of Ci Wear

Leah, who’s a bilateral cochlear implant recipient shares about her 20th Wedding Anniversary Trip to Australia and how Ci Wear helped enhance her experience.

Hello Rock Stars of the Ci Wear Team,

I must admit that these few experiences I am sharing here - would have been very different deaf.  For the two separate days that we did these excursions, I wore my Bilateral CI Advanced Bionics Neptune processors all day. The CI Wear shirt is so comfortable.

1. Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef - the view was indeed inspiring - the colors were awesome, almost unfathomable the diverse landscape - but the sounds!  The water, the biologists guided talks, the snorkeling-helpers! I was really glad I could hear the helpers...  When I first sat on the edge of the platform and peeked into the water, it was so clear it looked like I was on the top of a skyscraper, I thought I was going to fall right down to the bottom! I heard all of the snorkeling helpers' reassuring words and direction when they were putting on my lifejacket and directing me on the placement of how to hold my swim noodle.  They even gave me a snorkel tube with red-tape, in case my head pieces fell off and I was in distress.  - But guess what?  THE CI HEAD PIECES STAYED IN PLACE!  And it is funny now, thinking out it… I was soooo nervous about ME falling, but was never in fear that my CIs would end up at the bottom of the ocean - as they were tucked in your fabulous shirt!

 

CI devices secured in Ci Wear shirt sleeve pockets

2. THE BEST EXPERIENCE WITH CI WEAR. We did the bridge climb in Sydney! It turns out the bridge form you fill out asks if you wear Hearing aids.  You can not wear hearing aids on the climb as they will blow off your head.  I explained that I wear CIs and that I would be okay on the climb with my CI Wear shirt.  They called over the head of security and the manager of the climb-office.  I demonstrated showing them the CI Wear pockets, the Neptune clips secured to the white bands, the pockets, the wire-feed section and from the processor to the magnetic head pieces.  And then without missing a beat - I said, “And if there IS a big-huge wind that does blow the magnets off my head... - (without stopping my words, I swept both my hands against my scalp - you should’ve seen their eyes!) … they are safe and secure, as they are tethered to me, and I can simple click the magnets together and toss them in my shirt. (and there they were, my CIs safe and sound).  The manager and security chief were SOOOO impressed!  They had never seen anything like it!  They commented how very well prepared I was to do the bridge climb!  We were in the front of the group and I heard the guide, the cars on the bridge, the commuter trains, and my husband’s romantic words at the top of the bridge, and my son’s woo-hoos when we completed this incredible activity!  www.bridgeclimb.com

Feeling like you're on top of the world when you can hear "Down Under."

3. When we got home the garden was very overgrown and a part of the fencing needed repair - the shirt was great. I could work up a sweat digging around, and I could dance around to my Spotify music playing on my phone, and all the while my CIs were safe and sound!

During work secure your CI with Ci Wear

Once again, thank you and many blessings to your company!

Get out there and hear!!!!

- Leah P

If you are looking for a comfortable wearing option that secures your cochlear implants try a Ci Wear shirt.  Visit us at  www.ciwear.com.

#cochlearimplants #CIShirt #Snorkling #hearing

SWIMMING WITH COCHLEAR IMPLANTS IS IMPORTANT FOR WATER SAFETY

By Eric Sherman

For many people, swimming is a fun and refreshing activity…especially when it’s hot. For parents, (like us), with a child who is profoundly deaf, swimming can be quite challenging, nerve racking and scary.

When trying to beat the heat, we head to the beach and my son loves to swim in the ocean looking for fish.  He will chase them by diving through waves and swimming away from the shore. I often find myself in the water for hours making sure he is safe.  It is exhausting and frightening trying to keep him from drifting to far down the beach and/or getting caught up in the current or swimming into large sets of waves. 

Thankfully, he wears waterproof bilateral cochlear implant processors and can hear instructions about where to swim and when to come in, etc.  This has been extremely helpful in keeping our son water safe! It also enables us to do more water sports, like surfing and body boarding.  We do check his devices periodically to make sure they are on and working.  Sound quality is not a concern as long as he can hear his name and follow instructions.  

If you’re having problems getting your child to wear their CI device in the water because of sound quality, comfort or wearing configuration options… then try to find solutions that will help make them comfortable in the water with their device.  It’s a safety issue more than anything else. It’s important for your child to be able to hear lifeguards, other people, oncoming boats or personal watercrafts and especially you.  When my son was swimming looking at fish, he was drifting to far from me; I yelled his name, his head popped up out of the water. I told him to swim back towards me and he did.  Without the ability to hear, we would probably limit his swimming activities.  Swimming is therapeutic for our son, so this would not be a good thing.

In our house, we make wearing cochlear implant processors mandatory in the water like wearing sun block.  Most cochlear implant manufactures offer a water configuration for their devices.  In time your child will get use to and understand any sound differences in the water, but make sure they are comfortable. There are wearing options such as hats and arm bands, etc.  Our son wears a Ci Wear shirt.  It's a sun protected swim shirt designed to secure and help protect cochlear implant processors. If your child isn't comfortable wearing their processors in the water find a wearing option that works for you.  In the end, your child needs to hear to be safe and being comfortable will likely lead to a more enjoyable experience.  

#swimming #beach #cochlearimplant #watersafe #Kids 

                                                                                                                                      

Ci Wear is a patented shirt designed to secure and help protect cochlear implant (CI) processors and other mobile listening devices. Use as a rash guard, swim shirt or an exercise apparel. For more information visit www.ciwear.com