I have had my Cochlear Implant since January 2021. Before this round-the-world trip, I had done some small trips but this is the biggest trip and I want to make a few comments. 

First of all, when I chose my Sound Processor (SP), I chose a Med-El Rondo 3 because, at that time, it was the only SP that offered a built-in battery. This means that I never have to change batteries, I just sit it on its charger overnight. With the advances made, it is an easy way to recharge overnight whilst I’m sleeping. And in the morning, the SP is ready to go! This has been a real bonus when on the road!

Also, the Rondo 3 is of a style called “Off the Ear” (OTE), as opposed to “Behind the Ear”, which sits like a traditional hearing aid. This means that I don’t have the annoying battle for space behind my ear,  between my glasses or Sunglasses and SP. But it does mean that my SP sits at the level where a hat would sit. If I wear a hat then I get constant noise from rubbing across the microphone. This has been a bit of a problem with travelling in hot temperatures .

So, if I have to wear a hat then I remove my SP. I can do this because I am Single-sided Deaf (SSD) so can still hear, at a reduced level, through my other ear. 

Going through Security at Airports wearing my SP hasn’t been an issue. In one small airport in the USA, I was asked to not walk through a gate but submit to a pat-down. All I will say is that my husband was through security, with belt and shoes back on before I was even halfway through the pat-down. Do I look suspicious?

Another issue I have become aware of, is the wearing of headphones. When flying, they hand around headphones but these don’t sit easily over the SP, which affects the quality of sound you get through the headphones.  So, I tend to wear headphones like normal and just rely on using my “good” ear. In fact, for comfort on long flights, I remove my SP totally but I make sure that I explain to the Flight Attendant that I have reduced hearing and they will need to get my attention before they speak to me.

In a few cities, we have used the Hop-On, Hop-Off sightseeing buses, however, they all seem to want you to use in-ear earphones – which doesn’t work very well for me, with 99% hearing loss on one side and 55% (?) on the other side! And the earphones don’t stay in my ear!!

In all our travels so far, I have encountered one person who asked about my SP but it turned out that it was only because she too had a Cochlea Implant but didn’t wear her SP at work!

With the Med-El OTE-style of SP, they offer a silicon retention tether which can clip to the collar of your shirt, so that if your SP gets knocked off your head, you don’t lose it. However, I had 2 tethers break with the first year so I had to come up with a better solution. I bought some fake ear-cuffs and a length of jewellery chain at a jewellery store and asked the jeweller if they could make something that would work. Thankfully, I had kept the small fitting that attached the silicon tether to the Rondo 3, so they were able to make an attachment chain and these days, people see the ear-cuff and tend to ignore the SP. I’m thinking that, at the age of 66, I’ve finally become cool!!

When we were in Austria, we were invited to visit the Med-El Headquarters in Innsbruck. There, they explained the development of Cochlear Implants and the process behind making the implant and then took us on a tour and showed us some of the different areas where some amazing work is done. Then we got to meet some of the people who had made the implant that I have in my head – a really big Thank you to Stefan and Oliver! We spent about an hour and a half talking about the impact my implant has had on my life and how I do things.  I love the fact that Med-El facilitate this sort of opportunity, not just for the recipient of the implants, but also the employees. They got a real buzz out of meeting and talking to someone who had received an implant that they had made.

After spending a few hours at Med-El, we were offered to opportunity to visit a Museum in Innsbruck called Audioversum. This is a Science Museum (yes, I went to a Science Museum!) that is full of amazing interactive displays that are all about sound. There were a lot of interesting and fun things to do, but there is also a very good activity where you have to try and insert the tail of the implant into a model of a human cochlea. All I can say is that it’s a good thing that I don’t have to do that in real life – my hands were too shaky!!

I am grateful for my Cochlear Implant and the fact that it has allowed me to continue to live my life in the same way, and I am lucky that I have had amazing support in this hearing journey from my Surgeon, my Audiologist, the people at Med-El (both in Australia and Innsbruck) and my family. And, all being well, I will continue to travel and share my adventures.

Though I had hoped that choosing an Austrian-made Implant would help to improve my understanding of the German language! 😆