German Carina recipient Veronika says the most important part of having the fully implantable hearing device is not being able to see it. After losing hearing in both ears from meningitis at nine years old, her only option was to wear hearing aids in both ears. “It was hard in school for me, I suffered a lot wearing normal hearing aids,” says Veronika. “It’s so important that you can’t see it.” Now, studying to be a doctor, Carina has helped Veronika with everyday work activities such as using a stethoscope. “Before I used to have to take out my hearing aids, listen, and then put them back in to talk to the patient. It was always very complicated. Now it’s no problem. I have the implant, I put in the stethoscope- it’s no problem at all.” Veronika received her implant in November 2005 and has never looked back. “You don’t have to hide something-it gives me a complete self-confidence. So I say I don’t depend on an implant-it is my ear that is hearing. You can say hearing aids are a help-but the implant is a solution…I feel free.”
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Kathy
Colorado, USA resident Kathy noticed her hearing loss occur overtime but didn’t think it was bad until her boss said she felt Kathy was missing chunks of conversations in meetings. Kathy realized she had been “smiling and nodding” a lot and finally purchased hearing aids. But hearing aids weren’t a solution for Kathy-as an active person she couldn’t/wouldn’t wear them during her outdoor activities such as gardening, running or riding a bike for fear of losing or damaging them.
After receiving Carina, Kathy says she heard her outdoor stereo system while gardening for the first time.
“My favorite thing about the implant versus hearing aids is that it consistently works. You can turn it on in the morning and wear it until 10pm at night and have the same clarity of sound that you did first thing in the morning. I don’t have to save them and worry about them not working when I really need them at work. It (the implant) works all the time-the same.”
Another benefit Kathy noticed was an increased confidence level at work.
“The implant has helped tremendously with my confidence level at work-I feel better about what I am doing. I feel the knowledge going around in the room, I don’t miss things anymore. It’s made a big difference in how I can implement and do my job.”
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Dusty
Dusty’s hearing loss happened suddenly and quickly. He tried in-the-canal hearing aids but found they didn’t work well in central Florida heat and humidity and gave him a feeling of occlusion.
After receiving Carina, Dusty was back on track doing and hearing his favorite activities again.
“I love to sing. I always sang in a choir-I have since I was a child. But singing with a hearing aid in your ear is a very disconcerting experience. You hear yourself in an odd way which really took the joy out of singing-so I just quit singing. But with Carina that’s not an issue to hear myself sing.”
With hearing aids Dusty always performed yard work and activities outside virtually deaf because his aids weren’t compatible with the heat, dust and sweat.
“With Carina, I can hear what is going on when I work in the yard, wash the car or go swimming-perspiration and dirt is not an issue.” Clip 1
Colorado, USA resident Kathy noticed her hearing loss occur overtime but didn’t think it was bad until her boss said she felt Kathy was missing chunks of conversations in meetings. Kathy realized she had been “smiling and nodding” a lot and finally purchased hearing aids. But hearing aids weren’t a solution for Kathy-as an active person she couldn’t/wouldn’t wear them during her outdoor activities such as gardening, running or riding a bike for fear of losing or damaging them.
After receiving Carina, Kathy says she heard her outdoor stereo system while gardening for the first time.
“My favorite thing about the implant versus hearing aids is that it consistently works. You can turn it on in the morning and wear it until 10pm at night and have the same clarity of sound that you did first thing in the morning. I don’t have to save them and worry about them not working when I really need them at work. It (the implant) works all the time-the same.”
Another benefit Kathy noticed was an increased confidence level at work.
“The implant has helped tremendously with my confidence level at work-I feel better about what I am doing. I feel the knowledge going around in the room, I don’t miss things anymore. It’s made a big difference in how I can implement and do my job.”
Dusty’s hearing loss happened suddenly and quickly. He tried in-the-canal hearing aids but found they didn’t work well in central Florida heat and humidity and gave him a feeling of occlusion.
After receiving Carina, Dusty was back on track doing and hearing his favorite activities again.
“I love to sing. I always sang in a choir-I have since I was a child. But singing with a hearing aid in your ear is a very disconcerting experience. You hear yourself in an odd way which really took the joy out of singing-so I just quit singing. But with Carina that’s not an issue to hear myself sing.”
With hearing aids Dusty always performed yard work and activities outside virtually deaf because his aids weren’t compatible with the heat, dust and sweat.
“With Carina, I can hear what is going on when I work in the yard, wash the car or go swimming-perspiration and dirt is not an issue.”