“I believe that the rehabilitation process after implantation is just as important as the implantation itself. Since my hearing loss was first diagnosed at age one, rehab has always been a constant in my life, be it through structured sessions with my auditory-verbal therapist, or impromptu moments I seek out that are seamlessly woven into my day. I was already attending Auditory Verbal Center when I received my first implant, but returned to AVC after I got my second implant, specifically to strengthen and maximize my listening skills in that ear.
Throughout my day to day life, I am continually listening to podcasts and music, concentrating on learning the lyrics of songs I love. If I am having trouble understanding something specific, I pinpoint exactly what is giving me difficulty, isolate it, and drill myself on it over and over until I master it. I am blessed to enjoy a very high level of speech discrimination with my implants, but I'm not afraid to face head on the specific areas that cause me difficulty and work to conquer them. The hours of hard work and dedication I put into my rehabilitation have definitely paid off, and I will forever be on this rehab journey to get the most out of my cochlear implants.”
I can hear music better than ever. I can differentiate the person singing and the music in the background. I can hear them singing the words but not what the words are, but with practice, I’ll hopefully get there!
@anna.blair
Advanced Bionics
01 October 2020