Daily Life with a Cochlear Implant

In the Morning

In the morning, my implant processor stays in its storage case until I am ready to leave for work. Then, just before I leave the house, I put it on.

At Work

I would hear absolutely nothing without my cochlear implant, so I wear my speech processor all day. It allows me to use the phone, talk with co-workers, and hear in meetings.

After 13 years, I find using my cochlear implant and speech processor easy. It feels like a part of me.

In Public

Without my cochlear implant, I wouldn't have much of a social life.

When I’m in rooms with loud background noise (such as restaurants), I switch the setting to reduce the microphone sensitivity. This lets me hear conversation close around me.

For TV, I switch to the “whisper” setting, adjust the TV so I can hear but not understand speech, then switch to another setting that allows soft sounds to be more audible. This let’s me understand speech without captioning.

For music listening at home, I use patch cables or headphones

At Bedtime

At bedtime, I remove my speech processor and place it in the special electric drying system storage container. This removes moisture so it will be ready for use the next morning.

Maintenance

My batteries need to be changed about every 5 days.

I clean the outside of the processor by wiping it occasionally with a soft dry cloth.

I make sure the battery contacts are clean by occasionally rubbing the metal contacts with a special cleaning “eraser,” then use a small brush to sweep away any eraser fragments.

Repairs and Replacement

I take care of my speech processor to protect it from excessive moisture. This is important to keep it working well.

Other than changing batteries, I have found my processor needs little maintenance and is very reliable.