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
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
virtue314 ✭✭
About Me
I was born with normal hearing, but developed a progressive, fluctuating hearing loss in both ears between the ages of 6-26. I grew up unsure of how my hearing would be or how long it would last – literally from one day to the next. I used the latest hearing instruments, enlisted stenographers in the classroom and at the work-place, and did my best with lip-reading, but I felt sad, 'different', lonely, and uncertain of what my aspirations could or should be. By the age of 26, I was 100% deaf in my left ear and 80% deaf in my right ear.
With the extraordinary gift of the Advanced Bionics cochlear implant, received at age 26 in my left ear, my path was re-vitalized, and I again felt free to dream...free to believe...in all the possibilities of life.
About
- Username
- virtue314
- Joined
- Visits
- 5
- Last Active
- Roles
- Members, Mentor
- Points
- 70
- Badges
- 13
Mentor Information
My favorite thing about my AB Cochlear implant is
I have STABLE hearing that I can use every day to communicate with my family, friends, and co-workers.
With my AB cochlear implant, I can
In quiet, I can enjoy conversation among family and friends. I can enjoy music again, either over-the-air or when ‘patched in’ via a Phonak ComPilot to my computer or phone.
In noisy settings, I tend to struggle much more than others, but I’m truly hopeful about hearing even better one day. Although I don't have 'normal hearing', I never look back on my decision to get a cochlear implant. I wish I had done it 10 years sooner!
My favorite sound is
My family’s voices …which I can hear & understand again. Every single day.
I chose AB because
I was really impressed by Advanced Bionic’s patient outcomes, particularly after personally interacting with several 'star' recipients. I also felt that Advanced Bionics had the best current technology and most promising upgrade potential.
I am a BEA Mentor because
I know how scary and difficult hearing loss can be. I understand the feelings of isolation and fear. I also know how daunting the cochlear implant decision can be. And, as good as it may feel to stand out among a crowd, sometimes all a person wants is just to ‘fit in’. I get that. I really do.
I can help cochlear implant candidates by
I want to give people with severe hearing loss a source of information, hope, encouragement, and friendship.