My Nonprofit Reviews

One of the most important decisions of my life was whether or not to undergo a cochlear implant. I began experiencing hearing loss in my mid 20s. By my mid 30s I was wearing a hearing aid in each ear. For a couple of decades, hearing aid technologies improved at a rate that pretty well matched my progressive hearing loss. But as I approached the age of 60, hearing aids for my right ear began to lose their effectiveness. When I reached the point of "flunking" a hearing test -- my word comprehension score for my right ear was nearly zero both with and without a hearing aid, I realized that I needed to explore getting a cochlear implant. But where to turn? One of my health care providers suggested the Hearing Loss Association of America. I attended a chapter meeting and talked to five people with cochlear implants. Prior to that day I had never met anyone with a cochlear implant. They patiently answered my questions and shared their experiences. They convinced me that I had little to lose and potentially a whole lot to gain by getting an implant. I received my implant five years ago, and it has improved my quality of life significantly. And I now share my hearing loss experiences with others as a volunteer for my local chapter of the HLAA. Members of our chapter learn from each other at our events and share what we know with others in our community who are at different stages of their hearing loss journeys. Hearing loss isolates people. What I value most about my efforts with HLAA is I help people with hearing loss understand that they're not alone.