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 

CI WEAR FOUNDER RECEIVES PATENT FOR SPECIALTY SHIRT TO HELP DEAF SON-

Can Benefit Many Active Individuals                                                   

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 9, 2016)-Ci Wear, LLC. (www.ciwear.com) an apparel company focused on creating active gear for the hearing impaired, announced today the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 9,242,093 for a specialty garment used during physical activity to conceal a hearing device and its wires to 

Shirt can be worn in all environments including underwater

protect against entanglement and dislodgment. This proprietary shirt design reduces the exposure of hearing devices such as cochlear implant (CI) processors,  smartphones and MP3 players; and their prospective sound cords/headphones. By integrating the device into the shirt, this adds a layer of protection from tangles and snags that cause loss or damage, especially during activities in tough environments such as  surfing, skiing, water parks, soccer, rock climbing and basketball.

              

"The idea for Ci Wear came from watching our son swim with his waterproof CI processors," explained Eric Sherman, inventor of the Ci Wear shirt. "We noticed our son spent a lot of time tending to his processors and headpieces, and not enough time playing. We wanted to find something our son could wear that improved his experience in the water and not be a hindrance."

By incorporating the hearing device, the user could slide their CI processors or any electronic device into the sleeve pockets, thread the cords through the shirt, and enjoy any physical activity without the need to make constant adjustments for comfort and protection of equipment. This patent is an important component of Ci Wear, differentiating its clothing from other apparel, especially in the area of active wear for individuals who use hearing devices. Ci Wear is focused on enhancing the users experience. Parents of hearing impaired children have expressed their appreciation for a product like this because it works wells with sports across the spectrum all while neatly concealing the hearing device and its sound cord/wire.

About Ci Wear

Ci Wear shirts are used as rash guard/swim shirt in the water or as a high performance shirt on land. The shirt features raglan sleeves and flat lock stitching for added comfort and flexibility. The shirts are made in the USA and sell directly to consumers via online store. For more information visit www.ciwear.com.

#Activegear #technology #Ciwear #cochlearimplant  #ProFinderContest

Trampolines - Great Way to Address Sensory Seeking Behaviors

By Eric Sherman

As a follow-up to my story about the lycra swing being a great way to address spinning behaviors, I wanted to share how the trampoline is another great way to address other sensory seeking behaviors.  In addition to our child spinning in circles, he also liked jumping.  When our son was a toddler he would jump off anything he could climb on, such as a bed, other furniture and climbing apparatuses at the park.   One day, he used his dresser drawers to climb on top of the dresser.  When preparing to jump off, the weight of my son along with the open drawers tilted the dresser forward, partially yanking the anchors out of the wall.  Thankfully the dresser was anchored or our son might have been seriously injured.  Our son’s jumping behavior was not only dangerous, but it was damaging our home.

Jumping is a fun activity for children and it helps them learn about coordination and movement.  Our son’s jumping

issue was a sensory seeking behavior that needed to be satisfied.  

We addressed this behavior in occupational therapy (OT) and it helped. Our son learned how to control himself when he was on high objects and how to climb off them, instead of jumping.  The OT also introduced our son to the trampoline.  Our son loved jumping on the trampoline.  It was a great motivating tool during therapy sessions, but once he got home the beds in the house took a beating.

Clearly we needed a trampoline of our own.  We purchased an 8’ trampoline with safety netting and put it up in the backyard.  It worked great!  We found that after jumping on the trampoline, for at least 10 minutes, our son became calmer and more focused.  Also, he stopped using our beds as a jumping apparatus.

Since the purchase of our first trampoline 7 years ago, both of our sons jump on it daily.  Trampolines are not only good for children with sensory seeking behaviors, but a great form of aerobic exercise.  If you are looking for a gift the entire family will enjoy consider a trampoline.  

If you have a solution for a sensory seeking behavior, please share with us.

More about Ci Wear

                                                                                                                                                  

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

#cochlearimplants #trampolines #sensory #swimming #shirts

COCHLEAR IMPLANTS AT THE BEACH | BEST ACCESSORY | SWIMMING

Going to the beach wearing cochlear implant processors can be challenging.  Being comfortable and protecting these expensive devices can affect your day.  Do you take off your processor going out into the water? Do you bring a special bag or case for your hearing equipment? What accessories will best secure my processors if I go out in the water or play beach volleyball?

Clipping sound processors to bathing suit top or bottom, using Velcro straps, lanyards, or swim hat can seem like an easy solution, but it can also expose your devices to simple mishaps that can potentially lead to loss or damage.  When at the beach, we’ve all seen toddlers get bumped off their feet by a rising tide, individuals getting hit by waves, or people playing physical games in the sand.  In an instant, a processor can be knocked off a person’s body.  Not properly securing your cochlear implant processors to your body can ruin your day and be quite costly.

The best accessory for cochlear implants processors at the beach is a Ci Wear shirt.  This rash guard / swim shirt is designed to secure cochlear implant sound processors, adding a layer of protection for the devices and its sound cords.  My son has been knocked around pretty hard in the waves when swimming and surfing, and the processors stayed secured inside the shirt’s pockets. In addition, special loops in the collar keep wires to the back of his head and are helpful in rapidly locating his headpiece if they become dislodged.

Avoiding the beach is a thing of the past with our son, we all now enjoy it.  Our focus is more on the activities and experiences, a lot less on his equipment.  If you or your child are looking for a more comfortable and secure wearing option for your cochlear implant processors, try Ci Wear. 

#swimming #beach #cochlearimplant #surf #ciwear #kids

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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. For more information visit www.ciwear.com

                                                                                                                                                  

Determining the Right Magnet Strength for My Cochlear Implant Headpiece

By Eric Sherman

Finding the correct magnet strength for each person is different. Our son is bilaterally implanted, very active, and it always seems his headpieces are coming off when he is playing. We started using just two magnets that came in the universal headpiece, but that didn’t seem to work on one side of his head. We added one more magnet to make it three on the one side, and that was a mistake.

The connection point on his head began to turn red. Our son wasn’t really complaining that much so we left it alone. Well, over a period of time, he began to develop a sore on his head at the connection point. The magnet strength was to strong. This was not good. We ended up having to take the processor off until his head healed. Not the smartest thing to do to your child, especially during the school year.

Still having a magnet strength issue on the one side of our son’s head, we tried folding very small layers of paper on the bottom of the battery well of the headpiece to move the 3 magnets away from the connection point. The papers worked, but the magnets were still too strong and it still caused the connection point on our son’s head to turn red and tender.

We learned that the little foam spacer that comes with the AB headpieces (UHP and AquaMic) can be placed in between the magnets. For the longest time, we thought the spacer just went on top of the magnets. Our audiologist suggested we insert two magnets then the foam spacer and add another magnet on top (see picture). This seemed to be the right combination for our son. He had fewer problems with the magnet coming off and it didn’t irritate his head.

When swimming with the AB AquaMic, we place 4 magnets in both headpieces. This seems to help keep the headpieces on better with all the jumping in and out of the water. Using goggles and a Ci Wear shirt also helps with easy location and rapid placement if the AquaMic becomes dislodged from the head.

When using increased magnets strengths during swimming or other sports activities where the headpiece is prone to come off was for short periods of time. Monitoring the connection point on the head is important to make sure the magnet is not generating any skin irritations. After using increased magnet strength for your activity, definitely go back to your daily magnet strength. If the connection site on the head is irritated, you may want to consider giving the sore side a break from wearing the headpiece. Consider using a different magnet strength next time.

Determining magnet strength is a trial and error process. Don’t do what we did and a leave on until a sore appears. A red and irritated looking site is a good indication the magnet strength is to strong.