I look so I can hear....

Eyes wide shut
I look so I can hear.... I booked a third AVT session (Auditory Verbal Therapy) and Rashed came along to watch. My therapist Jacqueline took me through the Ling 6 sounds, saying each sound and repeating it, then giving me pairs, then sets of three. I was fine with AH, SH, S, but I got confused with the set of EE, [...]
Fri, Jan 27 2012

Eyes wide shut
I look so I can hear.... I booked a third AVT session (Auditory Verbal Therapy) and Rashed came along to watch. My therapist Jacqueline took me through the Ling 6 sounds, saying each sound and repeating it, then giving me pairs, then sets of three. I was fine with AH, SH, S, but I got confused with the set of EE, [...]
Thu, Jan 26 2012

Ryland uses the Advanced Bionics Neptune “swimmable”...
I look so I can hear....
Wed, Dec 14 2011

FDA approves Neptune sound processor
I look so I can hear.... Advanced Bionics is thrilled to announce that the NEPTUNE™ sound processor has received FDA approval in the United States. Today is a momentous day for us all. You have all been anxiously awaiting this moment and it has finally arrived! Now AB recipients and candidates have the choice of a Neptune or Harmony sound processor [...]
Sat, Dec 10 2011

Can you breathe more quietly?
I look so I can hear.... I had my 3 month review of my second cochlear implant today. It's looking good and they've booted me out until September next year as my maps are stable and both ears are balanced. Sounds seem more solid with my left cochlear implant compared to my right, because this is the older implant with a [...]
Sat, Dec 10 2011

FDA approves Neptune sound processor
I look so I can hear.... Advanced Bionics is thrilled to announce that the NEPTUNE™ sound processor has received FDA approval in the United States. Today is a momentous day for us all. You have all been anxiously awaiting this moment and it has finally arrived! Now AB recipients and candidates have the choice of a Neptune or Harmony sound processor [...]
Thu, Dec 01 2011

Can you breathe more quietly?
I look so I can hear.... I had my 3 month review of my second cochlear implant today. It's looking good and they've booted me out until September next year as my maps are stable and both ears are balanced. Sounds seem more solid with my left cochlear implant compared to my right, because this is the older implant with a [...]
Thu, Dec 01 2011

Birding Through Vision and Hearing Challenges
I look so I can hear.... Martha Steele This is a personal story about my journey through stages of birding defined by progressive vision loss and hearing challenges. I have Usher syndrome, an inherited disease that combines retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and hearing loss. RP is characterized by a progression of night blindness, increasing peripheral field loss (tunnel vision), and finally central ...
Wed, Nov 23 2011

Q&A: Cochlear implants and Ménière’s Disease
I look so I can hear.... Hiya Tina I wondered if you have any experience of Meniere's Disease and it's effect on a cochlear implant. I have had my implant for 3 years now but just recently it is struggling with fluctuating levels. I visited the implant centre but they could not help much and promised to contact Advanced Bionics. I have [...]
Sun, Nov 13 2011

Q&A: Cochlear implants and concussion
I look so I can hear.... Do you or any of your readers know of someone having a concussion after being implanted? My adult son was implanted 4 years ago...did great...but two years ago suffered a concussion that has left him with headaches so severe he cannot stand to use the implant...we've seen neurologists, chiropractor, acupuncture, etc...any one else with a [...]
Sun, Nov 13 2011

Sonova and Advanced Bionics …. it’s “mini-me” time!
I look so I can hear.... Advanced Bionics cochlear implant components are quietly getting smaller with improvements. I took a photo of my older implant's magnet (blue cap) alongside my newer implant's magnet (purple cap).  The magnet is smaller as you can see on the right in the photo below. It's about half the thickness of the older magnet. The internal [...]
Sat, Nov 05 2011

Bilateral cochlear implant language development
I look so I can hear.... This is a fascinating look at Lily's language development from 9 months (pre-implants) to 48 months in a series of videos. Lily received bilateral cochlear implants at 10 months. Lily at 9 months: Lily at 12 months: Lily at 15 months: Lily at 18 months: Lily at 21 months: Lily at 24 months: Lily at [...]
Sun, Oct 30 2011

Telephone relay services in UK & OFCOM
I look so I can hear.... DAART's response to OFCOM's consultation document on Relay Services is on DAART's website. The deadline for this is 5pm today. Do look at Hearing Link's website where they have submitted a response to OFCOM. Also look at TAG's website where TAG has sent in a consolidated view from the member organisations.
Thu, Oct 20 2011

1 + 1 = 3
I look so I can hear.... Imagine you were born with no legs. Years later, you are given an artificial leg. It works perfectly, but you have to learn how to walk with it. When you've never had a leg before, you'll struggle to learn how to walk. You have  spent a year learning how to walk with the first leg. [...]
Wed, Oct 12 2011

Mike’s hand built cochlear implant processor
I look so I can hear.... For the Geeks among us, it's possible to build your own speech processor and save about $7,000 on buying a Harmony. A PSP body processor headpiece and cable plug into the connector at the left edge of the gold board. Yes, there is no battery for it. It must be plugged into a wall power [...]
Mon, Oct 10 2011

Hey, thanks Steve
I look so I can hear.... I was very sad to read of Steve Job's passing. His brand of magic has made my life more accessible. I can hear clearly on my iPhone 4 which has a T4/M4 rating – great for listening clarity. I've got lots of great applications on my phone which help me in so many ways – [...]
Fri, Oct 07 2011

Dragonfly
I look so I can hear.... Check out the BBC Radio 4 play ‘Dragonfly' , which features a deaf character with a script which you can download.  There is a signed version available too. The play was written by Katie Hims, for David Bower and Sophie Woolley. (Have you seen Sophie? She's amazing!) Dragonfly : Listen & read / Signed version
Fri, Oct 07 2011

Envoy Esteem hearing implant
I look so I can hear.... Envoy's Esteem implant is not a hearing aid. It's an implant for people with a hearing loss and a working cochlea and middle ear, who wish to have an invisible device which allows them to hear quite naturally. The battery is replaced every 5 years or so. The implant has two leads which extend into [...]
Sat, Oct 01 2011

The world
I look so I can hear.... Delivering great hearing in and out of the water. Get ready for a whole new way to hear! Swim, bike, run with it. Sweat on it. No problem! The Neptune is a new waterproof and dustproof processor from Advanced Bionics with IP68 (ingress protection 6, or dust tight,
Tue, Sep 20 2011

Sequential cochlear implant activation
I look so I can hear.... My second cochlear implant was activated this week. I was calm (and excited)
Sat, Sep 17 2011

MED-EL Announces U.S. Launch of New MAESTRO™ Cochlear...
I look so I can hear.... Whoa, yet more changes in the cochlear implant community this week! System Features World’s Smallest Titanium Cochlear Implant, Up to 50% Extended Battery Life DURHAM, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The MED-EL Corporation announced today the U.S. launch of the new MAESTRO™ Cochlear Implant (CI) System, featuring the world’s smallest, lightest and thinnest titanium c...
Wed, Sep 14 2011

Advanced Bionics recall is over
I look so I can hear.... Stäfa (Switzerland), 13.09.2011 – Sonova is pleased to announce the immediate market re-entry of the Advanced Bionics HiRes 90K cochlear implant in the United States. In recent months, Advanced Bionics (AB) received approval from several other regulatory bodies, including Health Canada and the European Notified Body (TÜV), to resume distribution of the HiRes 90K cochl...
Tue, Sep 13 2011

Cochlear Americas issues a recall
I look so I can hear.... Quoted from theage.com.au; Cochlear said in its announcement that all existing recipients with a Nucleus C1500 series implant can continue to use their system as normal. Cochlear said less than 1 per cent of CI512 implants had failed since its launch in 2009, but that it had identified a recent increase in the number of [...]
Sun, Sep 11 2011

Should Cochlear Americas issue a recall?
I look so I can hear.... Cochlear Americas have identified cochlear implants with a faulty Monopolar 2 (MP2) ground electrode presenting an open circuit, in less than 0.3% of devices registered (as of June 2011). The following document makes recommendations for management of this situation with Nucleus 5: Cochlear Clinical Product Update July 2011 The CI512 cochlear implant from Cochlear Amer...
Wed, Aug 10 2011

Does a cochlear implant ‘fix’ a deaf person?
I look so I can hear.... Charlie wrote a very good article on the issue of giving a cochlear implant to a deaf person to ‘fix' their hearing loss. Reading through the comments left by the public, I am shocked at some of the bigoted views, sad to see the ignorance displayed, but pleased to read some excellent views put forward [...]
Sun, Aug 07 2011

Why 2 Advanced Bionics HiRes 90K cochlear implants failed
I look so I can hear.... Straight from the horses mouth ... Two people out of 28,000 had a problem with their HiRes 90k cochlear implant and they were both successfully re-implanted with the same brand. The recall of the HiRes 90K cochlear implant is over and recipients in the US are waiting on the FDA to complete their paperwork. You [...]
Sun, Jul 31 2011

All cochlear implants are not the same
I look so I can hear.... If anyone tells you “all cochlear implants are the same”, ask them what they mean! They are not the same, they work differently, have different technology, they are even different from day to day in how the user functions with them. They are only the same in that they all provide useful hearing. Some of [...]
Sat, Jul 30 2011

First Advanced Bionics cochlear implant in Jordan
I look so I can hear.... ameinfo.com – July 24, 2011 Advanced Bionics announces its partnership with Hearex Advanced Bionics announced its cooperation with Hearex, the biggest hearing, balance and speech center in Jordan to guarantee its cochlear patients the utmost comfort with the support of the highly experienced Hearex team. Complete article ——————...
Sun, Jul 24 2011

Open letter
I look so I can hear.... I am appalled and immensely disappointed at the responses from some people regarding my obtaining a second cochlear implant on the NHS. I have been harassed and pestered to ‘tell all’, even after asking people to desist. My personal information is exactly that – personal AND confidential. There is an issue of patient confidentiality here. [...]
Sun, Jul 24 2011

Learning to listen – the British way
I look so I can hear.... PC Werth have been working on a British version of LACE and it's now available. In British accents! This software is useful for people who want to improve their ability to listen – not to hear speech, but to listen and understand it. This can be used with hearing aids or cochlear implants, and practiced [...]
Thu, Jul 21 2011

Sequential cochlear implant surgery
I look so I can hear.... I had a second cochlear implant put into my head last week. It's been quite a different experience, which tells me this is going to be quite a different journey from the first one. I just can't imagine what it will be like to be able to hear in both ears. I walked into the [...]
Mon, Jul 18 2011

Brain stretch
I look so I can hear.... I've had my shoulders around my ears for most of the past year and so I went back to the hospital to see what they could do.  I was finding some noises were still quite loud and uncomfortable – such as rustling paper, people coughing, doors slamming, aeroplanes, people zipping up bags, crockery being put [...]
Tue, Jul 12 2011

Commonly mispronounced food words
I look so I can hear.... With a lifelong hearing loss, you'll know how tricky it is to get some words right. How will you know if you're pronouncing a word correctly, if no one bothers to tell you, explain to you, or correct you? I have a childhood memory of saying  GRAND PRIX .... just as it is written and [...]
Sun, Jul 10 2011

Advisory Panel Examines Cochlear Implant Coverage
I look so I can hear.... by Kate Romanow & Steven C. White A Medicare advisory committee has qualified a number of issues related to the effectiveness of cochlear implants for sensorineural hearing for further examination by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which will use this information as it determines cochlear implant coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. The Medic...
Wed, Jul 06 2011

Access
I look so I can hear.... Arlene Romoff speaks of her experience of hearing loss, advocacy, and her bilateral cochlear implants. The interviewer is also deaf, and is using an FM system to hear Arlene. The interview is in six parts. You can hop over to Arlene's blog and buy her book ‘Listening Closely – A Journey to Bilateral Hearing' from [...]
Fri, Jun 24 2011

Deaf diplomat denied foreign posting appeals
I look so I can hear.... I met Jane Cordell last week and we had an interesting chat. The Telegraph updates us on her story. I think it's totally unfair that she has been denied communication support on the grounds of expense when other diplomats have their children shipped off to expensive boarding schools without any argument. I  know how expensive [...]
Wed, Jun 15 2011

Mimix
I look so I can hear.... I discovered a new start-up in the Middle East, called Mimix. Mimix's aim is to translate speech to sign langage and to teach deaf and others sign language. What do you think of it? Mimix
Mon, Jun 13 2011

My Song
I look so I can hear.... This film demonstrates how I felt growing up, with no one understanding my communication needs. I was given a FM radio system for school and told to get on with it. My social needs were totally disregarded. I know too well, the farce of pretending to understand what's being said, then being told by my [...]
Sun, Jun 12 2011

Advanced Bionics HiRes 90K cochlear implant recall ended in...
I look so I can hear.... AB Receives Health Canada Approval for the HiRes 90K Implant June 3, 2011 Advanced Bionics is pleased to announce that we have received approval from the Canadian notified body, Health Canada, to resume distribution of the HiRes 90K™ implant in Canada. Please note that our ability to provide implants to cochlear implant centers will vary [...]
Tue, Jun 07 2011

Are you a lipreader?
I look so I can hear.... Test yourself on this video clip – the transcript is next to the clip. Meet Con Ingham, who speaks but says nothing ..... video after the jump. You can book an expert lipreader at O'Malley Lipreaders.
Tue, May 31 2011

NICE update on guidance for cochlear implants in UK
I look so I can hear.... NICE reviewed the guidance for cochlear implants (TA166) very recently and you can read the outcome after the jump. To paraphrase; Review of TA166; Cochlear implants for severe to profound deafness in children and adults The planned date for review of the above guidance was February 2011. This is the date at which the Institute [...]
Tue, May 24 2011

Narrowing the educational gap between deaf and hearing...
I look so I can hear.... According to the 2009 statistics from the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), 840 babies are born each year in the UK with significant deafness, and 20,000 children aged 0 to 15 years are moderately to profoundly deaf. Despite this, educational provision for these children has been identified as being limited. In light of [...]
Fri, May 20 2011

Bouncing into a hearing life
I look so I can hear.... It was time for my one year annual review of my cochlear implant.  I was so excited. I was so hungry for improvements in my hearing. I have been so delighted every time I heard a new sound, understand it, and passed another milestone. It had been 9 months since my last assessment, and I [...]
Sat, Apr 16 2011

Look after the customers and the business will look after...
I look so I can hear.... I used a text relay service called Text Direct (Typetalk) to try to call Virgin last week. As often happened, the text relay operator would dial the number, and reach a call centre. Now, as the options are read out, there is not enough time for the text relay operator to listen to the options [...]
Wed, Apr 13 2011

Appreciate what you have
I look so I can hear.... This video winged its way to me from Kuwait (thanks Fadi).
Tue, Apr 12 2011

See Hear : Cochlear implants
I look so I can hear.... On BBC2 Wednesday, April 6th, 2011   1:00pm to 1:30pm See Hear takes an in-depth look at the controversial subject of cochlear implants. For some they offer life-changing opportunities but for others the implants signify the suffocation of deaf culture. See Hear speak to people on each side of the argument and also consider the facts [...]
Tue, Apr 05 2011

Survey : motivations and satisfaction of cochlear implant...
I look so I can hear.... The Medical University of South Carolina is conducting a study assessing the motivations and satisfaction of cochlear implant device users, and they say ~ The purpose of this study is to explore how social media impacts decision making of cochlear implant users and how social media, including patient-to-patient interaction, helps with device selection. Our goal [...]
Fri, Apr 01 2011

Doggo goes to the beach
I look so I can hear.... Billy sent me this video ages ago. Now he has every right to smack me for not reading my emails! My hearing dog loves the beach too, and one day he actually lost his collar in the sea. He usually wades in up to his neck and won't come out. I don't blame him – [...]
Sat, Mar 26 2011

Sound …. with a bite!
I look so I can hear.... The SoundBite is a bone conduction hearing aid which was approved by the FDA in January and is now approved in Europe. Each aid is custom made for the patient. It transmits sound to the cochlea through the jawbone and teeth, across a frequency range of 250 to more than 12,000 Hz. The ITM (In-The-Mouth) [...]
Fri, Mar 25 2011

Free audiobook
I look so I can hear.... You can download one free audiobook from Audible with a 14 day free trial. This free trial is only available to new members of Audible. Great listening practice for cochlear implants! See Audible/Metro for terms and conditions.
Thu, Mar 24 2011