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Did you know HEARING JOURNEY offers TWO ways to learn about Advanced Bionics technology directly from AB recipients and share your cochlear implant experience with others? We encourage you to visit both HJ CHAT and HJ FORUM for the best Hearing Journey experience.

HJ CHAT meets every Thursday evening from 7-10 pm ET/4-7 pm PT for a live exchange of questions, answers, and support. Please join by logging in and clicking on the green "US Weekly Chat" box on the home page. **Once in the chatroom, if you are prompted to log in again and cannot with your HJ username and password, please log in as a Guest, but with your HJ Username.

HJ FORUM is available all day, seven days a week. You can read discussions from others or add your own posts. Sign up for the Forum's DAILY DIGEST to receive a brief summary of the day's discussions by email. Want to read the most recent discussions? Log in and click on LATEST TOPICS. Want to start a new discussion? Log in and click https://hearingjourney.com/post/discussion

ForeverYoung2010 · Platinum Member · ✭✭

I was at a fund raising event on Saturday, June 18th - AB supports Jacob’s Ride for Hearing. The event was held in Bowie, Maryland. I drove up to the metropolitan D.C. area to stay with friends and attend the event. I took a selfie at the baseball game (Bowie Sox) located at the Prince George’s Stadium. It was good weather for it! Mindy

About Me

I was deafened by Streptomycin at around 18 months of age. I was diagnosed at two and a half years old with a 50 dB loss in both ears. I was first aided in my left ear with hearing aids; went bilateral with hearing aids at age 23. I attended two private oral schools for the deaf while very young, learned to lipread and talk. I was mainstreamed with hearing peers by second grade. By the time I was implanted with CI's, my hearing loss had progressed to 120+dB loss in both ears. I constantly talk about my life "before cochlear implants," and "after cochlear implants."

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ForeverYoung2010
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Mentor Information

My favorite thing about my AB Cochlear implant is
AB's ever evolving, cutting edge technology! I continue to be amazed at how my CI's perform! I hear far better with my CI's than I ever did with hearing aids! I love my CI's and being bilateral. I hear in technicolor, high-definition and surround sound!
With my AB cochlear implant, I can
hold the phone receiver or smart phone to my ear; understand the spoken directions on my GPS while driving long-distances; hear sirens miles away; hear the tap-tap of someone running on the concrete sidewalk from INSIDE my house on a quiet day; music at all frequencies; enjoy concerts; hear sounds like hard candy dropping; a pen or keys drop; smartphones ringing inside briefcases, purses.
My favorite sound is
Birdsong! I can distinguish bird calls between a cardinal, a blue jay and a robin!
I chose AB because
As someone who always wore high powered hearing aids, I knew I needed an internal cochlear implant that was the strongest available on the market. I needed computer chip technology which I would never outgrow. AB has consistently met that need.
I am a BEA Mentor because
AB always goes that extra mile. In the utter confusion of researching cochlear implants, AB reached out to me and introduced me to an AB mentor. That personal touch was HUGE to me, and greatly influenced my choice to go with AB.
I can help cochlear implant candidates by
By being there for that candidate throughout the AB hearing journey. I have provided AB candidates with practical and emotional support during surgery! While it isn't required, I chose to do so, because the candidate(s) needed that extra support. I have shared my own frustrating stories with CI "newbies," during the initial stages of their journey to better hearing. I also share my experiences, tips and tricks in using cochlear implants to hear. I once talked with an AB candidate for four hours straight long-distance, using FaceTime. I learned later that the candidate chose AB, is a delighted CI user. Those four hours were absolutely worth it, and yes, I'd do it again! The hearing experiences with AB NEVER stop!