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Kanso 2 cochlear implant4/12/2023 ![]() It was all a little daunting but having most of my worrisome questions answered by my doctor and by other cochlear recipients slowly gave me confidence to go forward with the process.īuilt-in Rechargeable Battery: The rechargeable battery is non-removable, and internally settled (built-in) inside the Kanso 2. Fast forward to 2011, and after being told I qualified, I started to research more and more about cochlear implants all the while asking questions in social media. Yet, during a hearing evaluation, my audiologist told me I should consider cochlear implants, and I went home feeling overwhelmed. Never imagined that hearing-aids were no longer going to be sufficient for me. Either way, I was one of those people that thought hearing-aids were always going to be part of my life. ![]() Therefore, I was always given antibiotics or antihistamines, and ironically, it was also said that the medications I was taking affected my hearing loss as well. Ask the audiologist you are working with about them, and insist that they let you try them before you buy hearing aids.As a child, I had allergic reactions to everything and anything that grows under the sun, (i.e., grass and tree pollen, dust, mold, etc.) So I commonly experienced recurrent ear infections. Telecoils don't matter until you know what they can do. One transmitter, attached to a PA system is all that is needed to connect to all the telecoil equipped 'receivers' in the arena. Imagine a presenter having to wear 50 microphones because there are 50 people in the arena that need to connect. The reason, in a nutshell, is that in order to connect with a BT hearing device, the speaker/PA system has to have a microphone that interacts with each specific BT device. BlueTooth is wonderful at connecting wirelessly to some audio devices, but it doesn't work in venues with public address systems. There has been a huge push to sell BlueTooth features that add considerable cost to hearing aids. It's a terrible shame that the people who sell hearing aids do not educate their 'customers' about the options a hearing aid can provide. It's a vicious circle, but the reality is, we who have hearing loss deserve to be able to participate in society just as those who need curb cuts for mobility access do. In regions of the US where HLAA chapters are active, you will find far more places with this technology because people have requested it, educated about it, and advocated for it. Consequently, many places get by without providing access. However, the ADA also requires that people ask for access, so it forces us to know what we need in order to be able to ask. Transmitters should be installed in all performing arts centers, in auditoriums, in meeting rooms, churches, etc. That is referred to as 'communication access'. The telecoil is what connects your hearing devices to all the technology mandated by the American's with Disabilities Act. You don't need it all the time, but when you do it's invaluable! Keep us posted.Ī hearing aid or cochlear processor without a telecoil is like a car without air conditioning. I wish you luck and encourage you to go for it. It's easy to think that 'old ears cannot learn new tricks', but that isn't true. I didn't not necessarily like what I was hearing as it wasn't completely clear, but it was a sign that ear was actually working. I found as time went on, by using a headset, I was able to understand speech that had previously been garble. ![]() I had not worn a hearing aid in the ear I had the CI done on for years so that ear had what is called 'sensory deprivation'. I spent a lot of time listing to a portable radio via telecoils and also with a headset. I had been told a year prior, to do this. It does help rehabilitate the sense of hearing a bit. If not, put on a pair of good quality headphones and plug into to those devices. If your hearing aids have telecoils, invest in a neckloop that can be plugged in to a radio, computer, ipod, etc. ![]() If you use hearing aids now, I suggest you use them to connect to an audio source regularly for practice. Lots has to do with rehabilitation that you can do for yourself both before and after getting a CI. For some that time is short, for others it may take longer. It's important to understand that it takes the brain time to adjust to hearing differently. When the hearing mechanism has been used as best it can be, CIs tend to work better and sometimes faster. Success can also relate to how long you have been without good hearing, or without being aided for hearing loss. If you are in good health there is no reason why age should keep you from getting a CI. They are amazed at how much this has helped them. I personally know several people in their 80s who have had successful cochlear implants. ![]()
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