This post is sponsored by Cochlear Americas. The views expressed here are my own. Please consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.

Meeting Mike

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Mike, a cochlear implant recipient. He suffered from severe hearing loss in the past and now volunteers for Cochlear. Mike and I shared a warm conversation over coffee as we chatted about how his world has reopened since being able to hear the world around him again.

I am so appreciative that I still have my full hearing! However, that may not be the case for all of us. Darlings, many of us actually have trouble hearing. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one in three people over 65 and one in every two people over 75 experience hearing loss.

Regular physical exams and hearing exams are so important. You know that I’m a huge proponent of going to the doctor regularly. Even when these visits may seem scary, they are always worth it in the long run. They’ve saved my life multiple times!

Once you begin to notice that you have trouble hearing and a healthcare professional diagnoses you with hearing loss, the first treatment typically involves hearing aids. If your hearing loss has progressed beyond receiving benefit from a hearing aid—when it sounds like listening to a loud, badly-tuned radio and the words are not clear anymore—it is time to consider a different hearing solution like a cochlear implant.

I know many people who suffer from hearing loss. However, I have never met a person with hearing implants until I met Mike.

Education Is Everything

After chatting with Mike, I left educated and eager to pass my knowledge onto you Honey Good readers and those within the Honey Good Network. My dear readers, I hope to awaken you so you can, in turn, educate your family and friends. Cochlear provides a range of modern solutions for those with moderate to profound hearing loss.

As the saying goes, we don’t know what we don’t know. Thankfully, there’s a whole world of possibility to help those who experience moderate to profound hearing loss.

Chatting With Mike Over Coffee

It was such a lovely way to start my morning hearing Mike tell me his story. His cochlear implants have opened up the windows of his world.

A cochlear implant helps to provide clarity to sound to help you understand what is being said, especially in noisy environments like crowded restaurants. Struggling to hear and communicate can be stressful if your hearing aids no longer provide you enough benefit.

Cochlear implant technology and innovations may help you regain your ability to hear conversations and communicate with family and friends, talk on the phone, listen to music, watch and hear the TV, and so much more.

Candidates For Cochlear Technology

With his hearing aids, Mike was down to roughly a 30% level of hearing in his left ear and close to 25% in his right ear. He couldn’t live a normal, happy lifestyle at all. His whole life turned around because he could only hear a fraction of the conversations around him. In his own words, “It was terrible.” Cochlear implant candidacy is different for each person, so it is important to get your hearing checked to see if you could be a candidate.

Individual Adjustments Based on Your Unique Environment

So many other people may find themselves in Mike’s shoes. He noted that for people with hearing problems, background noise is usually the most significant issue. One good thing about the Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, the device that Mike wears behind his ear, is there are even more capabilities for users to drown out ambient background noise.

Mike mentioned he’s able to muffle background noise with the Cafe Program or Music Program if he’s in the car or at church. What’s even more incredible? He can adjust the volume and sensitivity to bring the ambient noise either closer to or farther from him, all depending on his environment using the Nucleus Smart App* on his smartphone.

Joy, Gratitude and Wellbeing

As Mike notes, he was essentially homebound before receiving his cochlear implants. There were times he became so mentally exhausted from constantly asking his wife “What?” that he essentially avoided conversations. Being isolated from life and those closest to you who love you is terrible–these are the most important people in our lives with whom we want to connect!

Cochlear implants have given Mike the opportunity to once again hear everything transpiring around him in the world. He beams with a large grin. His joy and gratitude are written all over his smiling face.

Being able to enjoy the giggles of laughter from his grandchildren and the compassionate words “I love you” from his wife have renewed Mike’s confidence and given him an extraordinary sense of wellbeing.

Now he loves being out with people. Of course, there are still occasional problems with background noise. Nevertheless, all it takes is a little curiosity and consideration from the person with whom he’s speaking.

Consideration is key, but that goes both ways. People need to look at Mike so he can see what they’re saying rather than talking in his periphery without facing him. Mike jokes that he continues to work with his wife on this, “I’m still training her to look at me after three and a half years. She’s about 95% there.”

Spreading The Word

To demonstrate his unwavering belief in Cochlear, Mike now spends his time volunteering and speaking with those interested in cochlear implants. He meets with candidates who are in the beginning stages of considering a cochlear implant.

Mike further spreads his powerful message that those with moderate to profound hearing loss can regain their lives and be unstoppable again through their restored ability to hear.

If you or someone you know is experiencing hearing loss, visit THIS LINK to learn about the resources available.

I Am Forever Grateful to Mike for His Knowledge

While Mike and I met as strangers, we certainly parted as friends, as we shared an instant understanding. While he’s a White Sox fan and I’m a Cubs fan, we both unite over the fact that being unstoppable and taking on the world fearlessly are incredible feats.

Thank you Cochlear for making this possible!

 

Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information. Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.

* If you or someone you know is experiencing hearing loss, visit Cochlear to learn about the resources available

* For information on sound processor and app compatibility, visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility