Life is Bliss - Lily's Cochlear Implant Journey

Skinit for Advanced Bionics BTE

Advanced Bionics has started a very cool partnership with Skinit, maker of "skins" you can put over your Advanced Bionic BTE Cochlear Implant or computer or IPhone or whatever.    Lily can be a Hawkeye one weekend and a Husker the next.  Or maybe have butterflies one week and then Minnie Mouse the next.  Right now we are sticking to basic tan.  In fact, because her hair is finally filling in, we get far fewer stares and questions these days.  The headpieces and cords often seem to just disappear into her hair.  I am sure in a year or two, Lily will be ready for sparkles and rainbows. 

Internet Capability in Cochlear Implants

When we spoke at the Advanced Bionics headquarters, we envisioned the future for people with CIs. We thought they'd be the lucky ones with "CIA style" hearing.  Maybe listening to someone whisper across a huge field?

Here's a new take by Google.  "Vint Cerf, vice-president and "chief internet evangelist" of tech giant Google, foresees the introduction of internet capability to existing neural interface technology such as cochlear implants, allowing, as an example, web radio played direct from computer to brain." So cool.  More

Our Trip to Advanced Bionics - Part 1

We have always wanted to visit Advanced Bionics since the moment we chose the company's Cochlear Implant for Lily.  In fact if we knew it was so easy to visit, we might have journeyed to California much earlier to take a tour, meet the people and  see where the magic happens.

We were in the area for Lily's Dad's work, so added a few days on to trek to Advanced Bionics which is located just North of Los Angeles.  AB has two locations, a factory and a headquarters building, which is soon to become one in a beautiful new facility down the street from their current headquarters. 

While we only requested a tour, we were invited to speak to the entire company about Lily's hearing journey.  AB feels it is important for every member of their company from factory workers to the CEO to hear the CI stories of their customers, both good and those who have had challenges.  With this aim, AB invites about 30 customers a year to speak and requires their staff to attend.

We were one of those customers to speak to the entire  staff in both locations.   It was truly an honor, and yet quite intimidating to talk to those inventing, improving and producing products that have allowed or will allow Lily to hear better. 

We saw it as a rare opportunity to directly impact those who will shape Lily's hearing journey through improved hardware and software.  We saw it as a opportunity to directly thank those who made Lily's implants.  (They pulled a half dozen people off the floor to meet with us, who in part made Lily's implants.)  We also saw it as a time to motivate and inspire the company by demonstrating Lily's success with acquiring listening and spoken language. 

I'd say we left our visit as "believers."  While we definitely identified things we thought they could do better, we drank the Kool-Aid and are so happy we chose AB for our partner in this hearing journey. They even told us and showed us some of the secret stuff they are working on and boy are we excited.

There is so much to report about our visit and vacation, we'll have to break it up in a number of blog posts.  As they say on TV.....Stay Tuned.   

Coming To A Cochlear Implant Center Near You

We're always on the lookout for up and coming technologies that will make Lily's life easier with her cochlear implants. This often times means looking to Europe or Canada for the latest offerings from the cochlear implant manufacturers. Because of FDA regulations in the US, it often takes longer for these new offerings to make there way through the approval process and to the market. This can sometimes be frustrating - especially for some of these accessory offerings like new battery options or harness options that don't really impact the actual cochlear implant device or the sound processor. However, its nice to know they are looking out for our kids. 

One of the new devices we'll be interested in taking a look at is Advanced Bionics new off-the-ear battery options that will allow Lily to use a behind-the-ear Harmony processor, but not have the bulk of a big battery on each ear (see picture below). We've heard that the behind-the-ear Harmony offers a lot of advantages (like t-mic options, better positioning to take advantage of one's ear anatomy, and digital sound processing). For now, the body worn processor with the single magnet and microphone combo is really ideal for an active toddler, but we'll keep looking for better.

BWP Tank

This little tank from Target was re-engineered by the Grandmas to be Lily's Advanced Bionics Body Worn Processor holder. It keeps everything in place and is super comfortable under her clothes on hot summer days.  As you can see there are pockets on the sides for the processors, a pocket in the back with Velcro to keep the cords in place and a little flap at the top to run the cords up the center.  Works like a charm.  Email for exact dimensions.