Cochlear Implant Basics

Cochlear Implant Basics

por Richard Pocker

Temporada 1

David Dorsey-A Sports Reporter for a Great Metropolitan Newspaper with a Hearing Loss

David's high frequency hearing loss was interfering with his job as a reporter and was a strain on him and his family. He was a through researcher. He wanted to retain whatever natural hearing he had. In his case a hybrid cochlear implant was the best possible solution. A hybrid cochlear implant is a combination of a cochlear implant with a hearing aid component. They are not common, and David’s search led him far afield from home until he found a surgeon in which he had full confidence. His high frequency hearing loss probably started when he was very young. Like many others, he did not realize he had a problem until he was an adult, and his story speaks to many of us who lived in denial of our hearing loss. Happily, he received an Advanced Bionics hybrid, and he talks about his progress and the changes it brought to his life.

Chris Goodier-Woke Up with a Sudden Hearing Loss. How It Affected her Career

Growing up with normal hearing, Chris woke up one morning when she was 32, to discover she had lost her hearing in one ear. The sudden hearing loss was compounded by a progressive loss on the other side. With no hearing on one side and a series of powerful hearing aid on the other, she struggled to keep her job. But one day, she realized the fight was futile. Her hearing was too far gone. Being told by a succession of doctors that there was nothing they could do for her or that a cochlear implant was not the answer because the “sounded mechanical,” she adapted a new vocation which allowed her to isolate herself. Happily she attended a convention of the Hearing Loss Association of America where she was able to collect brochures and information that led her to getting cochlear implant surgery and activated with a Cochlear Kanso processor. Today she is bimodal, a ReSound Hearing aid on one side and a Cochlear Kanso on the other. Fully functional she has joined the world of sound again. TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

Dr. Jack Wazen- Cochlear Implant Surgeon Discusses Criteria for Candidates

I recently overheard Dr. Jack Wazen mention a study he was conducting at the Silverstein Institute in Sarasota regarding pre- and post-operative vestibular issues of cochlear implant recipients. It is a subject of interest to many candidates and I was fortunate that Dr. Wazen agreed to find time in his schedule to sit down for an interview and talk about the study and a wide range of issues relating to cochlear implants; success rates, MRI compatibility, age issues and implant success rates and most of all issues he has faced in his decades of experience as well as his vision and hopes for the future of cochlear implants. This is an interview you won’t want to miss. TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

Robin Chisholm Seymour- Grieving Hearing Loss

Is sudden hearing loss equivalent to an amputation of a limb? Does that loss manifest itself in anger or apathy or something else? Is it different for those who experience a progressive hearing loss versus a collapse of all their hearing? Recently I posted a question on social media: “Has anyone utilized a grief counselor after experiencing a sudden hearing loss?” The post resulted in a spate of responses. Some wished they had a resource when it happened to them. Others who found support through family and friends. There were those who “toughed it out” and others who found comfort through the power of prayer. Robin Chisholm-Seymour, a bilateral cochlear implant recipient, and a fellow member of the Facebook group, Bilateral CI Warrior, has extensive experience in grief counseling for both hearing loss as well as those who have lost their animal companions was gracious enough to sit down with me for an interview to explore this subject. We discussed grieving in broad and specific terms, common behaviors and coping techniques and commonalities as well as the differences in the way people handle hearing loss. If you or a loved one has experience hearing loss, Robin’s insights will help you find the answers to cope with the loss and find a way forward. TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

Elena LaQuatra- Funny. You Don't Look Deaf

“You don’t look deaf.” I can’t recall how many times I heard that comment from strangers. I suspect most of us, at one time or another, have been shocked by the public’s ignorance of hearing loss. Elena LaQuatra, a television news anchor, gives us her take on how to reply to that insensitive comment with tact and aplomb. She sees it as an opportunity to educate the public. Her deafness is a part of who she is, but it does not define how she lives her life. She is unstoppable. Along with help from her colleagues and family and friends, she has risen to the top of her game. Deafened by meningitis at age four, her parents opted to have her receive a cochlear implant by the time she was five. Her story reiterates that receiving a cochlear implant can open the world to a recipient. Those who are willing to work hard, are on the road to success. We may have an invisible disability but there is no reason to become invisible. Listen to or read her story and be inspired. TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

Suzanne Tillotson-An Unstoppable ICU Nurse With Cochlear Implants

I recently came across this post on social media. It stopped me in my tracks and I knew I had to have Suzanne Tillitson’s story as part of the library of podcasts on Cochlear Implant Basics. There seems to be nothing that can stop Suzanne from accomplishing her goals. She is an ICU nurse with bilateral cochlear implants. Cochlear implants made much of it possible but her amazing perseverance and dedication is inspirational. This is her story: Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing well. The bilateral CI life is treating me well. My word recognition is at 98% bilaterally and if we weren’t masked (double and triple ply) I’d be able to understand most anything. Do I still practice? Absolutely! What is my best story since I’ve become bilateral? Well, it’s actually a sad story. I’m all about the positive, but there are some sad things my implants have allowed me to do. This year has been difficult for all involved. It’s been especially difficult on patients hospitalized with COVID and their caregivers. Most recently I cared for a person at the end of life. The family was snowed in several hours away. I clocked out, set up the video monitor and called the family. My Eko stethoscope was gingerly placed where I could hear my friend’s heartbeat while I sat nearly under the bed and held the hand of a dying father while his daughter cried and said “Dad, I’m holding your hand.” I’d squeeze his hand to let him know he was not alone. “I’m with you Dad. I’m singing your favorite song Daddy. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.” All the while I held his hand. I stayed tucked under the view of the video in hopes the family didn’t feel I was intrusive. The heart beat slowed, breathing slowed to a few breaths a minute and their father passed away peacefully holding my hand as proxy to his daughter. My implants made this possible. My implants allowed me to return to my job as a nurse. My implants allowed me to be uprooted and deployed (I don’t like this term) to another hospital and begin the life of a COVID nurse. My implants allowed me the honor of hearing the last heartbeats of the loneliest people in the world. They provided me with hope for a better future for myself and now I work to provide a better future for our families and those recovering from COVID. Never sell yourself short. Being deaf doesn’t define me or limit me. It made me a better nurse, mother, and wife. The implants gave me the ability to communicate properly and effectively. If you are ever having doubts, think of me. If I can do this every day. Anyone can. Much love to you all in your journey. TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

Richard Pocker- Cochlear Implants After 35 Years of Total Deafness

Totally deaf for 35 years, Richard received bilateral cochlear implant surgery just prior to his 65th birthday. He went from zero speech comprehension to 85% with time and effort at rehabilitation. He was implanted with two Cochlear implants and activated with two Cochlear Nucleus 6 (which he later upgraded to Nucleus 7 external processors. Only to prove that long term deafness does not necessarily result in poor results of getting a cochlear implant. Today he enjoys socializing, using the telephone (something he was unable to do for 35 years) and hanging out in the local vinyl record store, Daddy-O’s. TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

Lou Ferrigno Part 2 One Year After Cochlear Implant Activation

One of the more frequent questions that candidates for cochlear implants have been about rehabilitation. Once a candidate receives the implant and is activated by their audiologist, the initial sounds might be robotic or sound like Mickey Mouse. Commitment to doing rehabilitation exercises is key to getting the best results. Your brain needs to learn to hear again and the more one does the rehabilitation programs, sounds will normalize better and faster. Just over a year ago, I was honored to have the opportunity to talk with Lou Ferrigno about his new cochlear implant and his experiences that let up to his decision to get one. Recently I heard him participate in a video presentation and I was amazed at the improvement in his diction. In June 2022, I met him at the Hearing Loss Association of America convention in Tampa and again impressed with the improvement. He graciously agreed to do a follow-up interview with me. The results are best demonstrated by listening to parts one and two for comparison. He also talks about his decision to seek out his options to move forward to get a cochlear implant for his second side. Thank you Lou Ferrigno for your insights and congratulations on the improvements. Rehabilitation never ends. Lou’s story is a reminder this hearing journey is not a race but requires dedication to getting the best hearing you can achieve. TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

Lou Ferrigno Part 1 Story of a Champion

Champions are a breed apart. Their motivation and their dedication are far beyond average. Mohammed Ali said it best; “I hated every minute of training. But I said… Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” When the opportunity came to interview a recent cochlear implant recipient who also is a special champion I jumped at the chance. Lou Ferrigno at age twenty-one was the youngest Mr. Universe and later went on to win it two years in a row along with a long string of other wins in body-building competitions. His career included his best-recognized performance as The Incredible Hulk in the television series. In a recent interview, Lou mentioned being bullied as a child for his hearing loss. I could identify with that. We both lost our hearing at about the same age and used analog body-worn hearing aids with a wire running to an earpiece. I was a skinny weakling, but I could not image anyone picking on Lou and live to tell the tale. After suffering with a life-long hearing loss Lou was implanted in April and is now using a Cochlear Kanso 2. Like most cochlear implant recipients, he mentions how he waited too long to get a CI. The misconceptions held him back and it was only after a friend received a CI did Lou understand the potential for getting out of the isolation of deafness and into the world of sound. His dedication to rehabilitation is a factor to his rapid success. For a man who understands dedicated training it should come as no surprise. There is a lot to learn here about that dedication to perfecting his hearing and speech. Lou is also the first recipient I have interviewed with experience with the Kanso 2. There is insight to this device that candidate who are deciding which Cochlear processor to choose will find helpful. TRANSCRIPTS ARE AVAILABLE AT COCHLEARIMPLANTBASICS.COM

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