Emma
Dear All
When we made the decision to have our daughter Emma go bilateral it was freeing. Once surgery was complete and she had her activation day we were thrilled by our decision. She quickly adapted to her new “ear” and bonded with it almost immediately. She clearly did not want to be without both implants at all times.
I felt better about her safety. I knew that she would be safer when playing or crossing the street if she could hear from both sides. Although she was always very good at localizing, we were able to pick up on some subtle signs that she was performing even better with two. She seemed to have an easier time in noisy situations and in pre-school.
We all really enjoy the ease of battery changes with regards to bilateral implants. Whereas with one implant, it was always such a rush to change the batteries when they needed replacing, as she didn’t want to be without her hearing for those few minutes. Now, she can still hear and continue daily activities while we change out the batteries. This freedom makes us all feel better.
It only made sense, when our son Luke was also diagnosed with a profound loss, to have him bilaterally implanted as well. We had seen the success that his sister had experienced with hers and knew he would also benefit from bilateral hearing. Indeed this has been the case. He has flourished and his vocabulary grows daily. If we had to make the decision all over again, it would be a resounding yes! We wouldn’t do it any other way. We have four MED-EL implants and two children who amaze us daily with their ability to hear, speak and communicate with all those around them.
Many more user stories are available on the Hearing Companion database. Please be sure to check it out!
When we made the decision to have our daughter Emma go bilateral it was freeing. Once surgery was complete and she had her activation day we were thrilled by our decision. She quickly adapted to her new “ear” and bonded with it almost immediately. She clearly did not want to be without both implants at all times.
I felt better about her safety. I knew that she would be safer when playing or crossing the street if she could hear from both sides. Although she was always very good at localizing, we were able to pick up on some subtle signs that she was performing even better with two. She seemed to have an easier time in noisy situations and in pre-school.
We all really enjoy the ease of battery changes with regards to bilateral implants. Whereas with one implant, it was always such a rush to change the batteries when they needed replacing, as she didn’t want to be without her hearing for those few minutes. Now, she can still hear and continue daily activities while we change out the batteries. This freedom makes us all feel better.
It only made sense, when our son Luke was also diagnosed with a profound loss, to have him bilaterally implanted as well. We had seen the success that his sister had experienced with hers and knew he would also benefit from bilateral hearing. Indeed this has been the case. He has flourished and his vocabulary grows daily. If we had to make the decision all over again, it would be a resounding yes! We wouldn’t do it any other way. We have four MED-EL implants and two children who amaze us daily with their ability to hear, speak and communicate with all those around them.
Many more user stories are available on the Hearing Companion database. Please be sure to check it out!
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