Two years ago—noticing that even the best hearing aids were no longer enough—I began to research the benefits of cochlear implants. A good friend of mine had been implanted a couple of years earlier, and I followed his journey closely. I began to notice people who had cochlear implants and asked them about their experiences. This led me to speak with my audiologist about exploring cochlear implants as a solution.

Initially, my audiologist encouraged me to make adjustments to my hearing aids to see if that would help, but it did not. I knew I needed to do something else, and I felt a cochlear implant was the answer.

After a lot of research, I contacted Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland for a cochlear implant evaluation. I live in Eugene, about two hours away, and wanted to make sure I got the best care I could find. In July 2023, I went to OHSU for a full day of testing, including a CT scan and MRI. I also talked with specialists about getting an Advanced Bionics cochlear implant.

I chose AB for several reasons. I already owned a Roger On and had a Roger X receiver that connected with my hearing aids and appreciated that they would be compatible with my AB cochlear implant (CI). I have a good friend whose wife uses an AB CI, and they were very supportive of the company. I also appreciated the built-in capacity in the CI, which could support future technology upgrades and the ability to stream into both ears, which AB technology seamlessly provides.

By the end of the day, I had signed off on surgery to receive a cochlear implant in my left ear. I was thrilled!