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
zakoka ✭
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Mentor Information
My favorite thing about my AB Cochlear implant is
The music! Steven loves music! You will rarely spend a few moments with him without enjoying his song. I cannot hear through his CIs, but I know he is receiving crisp, clear sound. He picks up a song after just a few times, and he can sing on pitch! I love so many things about AB, but the sound quality is our favorite.
With my AB cochlear implant, I can
do and hear anything! Steven sings, plays with others, hears the birds singing, and so many other things! Before his implants, he was very happy but missed out on other children playing, because he was unaware due to the lack of sound. Now he misses nothing! As a mom, my favorite thing is the ability to alert Steven of danger. He is a quick 3 year old! I cannot always catch him before he is in a sticky situation.
My favorite sound is
music! Steven loves all sounds. He loves music, sirens, planes, birds, and his Papa's voice. With every new sound, Steven is in awe. However, his favorite remains music. He can watch music videos and musicals all day if I let him. He loves playing his little guitar with his Papa.
I chose AB because
First, I chose AB because of the customer service. I love everyone with whom I have spoken. I never worry, because there is always someone there to help. I called every company, as suggested by our audiologist, and AB was outstanding! We were leaning towards AB prior to the calls due to the noise filtering. I have always heard hearing aids are annoying in noisy places. Kids love places with a lot of noise. We watched an AB advertisement where a person was able to hear in a convertible while driving with the top down. We thought if this is true, we need to choose this company. So far, this is true! Steven can hear me in the worst noise conditions.
I am a BEA Mentor because
AB and Steven changed my life! They opened up a new world. When we received Steven's confirmed diagnosis, we were terrified and lost. Coming from a hearing family, we had no experience with hearing loss. We decided to embrace it and make the best life for our son. We had a wonderful support system in our state, but we were lost when it came to cochlear implants and other options for his future. We read and studied, but we knew no one who could give us life experience. I want to be a source of comfort and knowledge to other families. I now have some experience and want to share with others. This can be a scary process. It is a life changing decision. There cannot be too many resources for families going through similar experiences.
I can help cochlear implant candidates by
I can share our experience. We did not speak with any CI families until after Steven was implanted. Having others who have been through the process would have been so valuable. Once implanted, the equipment and information can be overwhelming. The waiting can be discouraging. We need to hear others' experiences to stay focused and positive.