Daily Life with a Cochlear Implant

In the Morning

I store my speech processor in the special drying and storage container each night. In the morning, I just take it out and put it on.

At Work

I usually leave my speech processor on my main program all day.

In business meetings with several people sitting around a table, I switch to the “whisper” setting. This boosts each voice so I can better understand the conversation without lip-reading.

In Public

Before getting my cochlear implant, I avoided most social situations because I could never keep up with conversation. Now, I no longer avoid social events. The cochlear implant has given me confidence and improved my quality of life.

In noisy places, I use the "auto-sensitivity" program which drowns out the background noise. This lets me focus on the people and voices closest to me, and I can participate in the conversation.

I am able to enjoy music again and go to movies without captioning. It had been years since I was able to do that and actually enjoy it.

At Bedtime

My evening routine is easy. All I do is take off the speech processor, place it in the drying and storage container, and hit the "start" button. It only takes about 30 seconds!

Maintenance

I change the batteries in the speech processor a couple times each week. About 2 minutes before my batteries die, I hear a beep which gives me time to locate my spare batteries before the sound goes out.

I like that the batteries can be purchased almost anywhere -- grocery store, convenience store, etc. I estimate my annual battery cost is about $350, which I feel is a bargain considering what benefit I get from the cochlear implant.

I clean my battery contacts monthly.

Repairs and Replacement

I average replacing the cable/coil on the speech processor about once a year.

I also go for a re-programming or new MAP annually.