Cochlear Implant Experience – Leah's Story and Review of Ci Wear

Leah, who’s a bilateral cochlear implant recipient shares about her 20th Wedding Anniversary Trip to Australia and how Ci Wear helped enhance her experience.

Hello Rock Stars of the Ci Wear Team,

I must admit that these few experiences I am sharing here - would have been very different deaf.  For the two separate days that we did these excursions, I wore my Bilateral CI Advanced Bionics Neptune processors all day. The CI Wear shirt is so comfortable.

1. Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef - the view was indeed inspiring - the colors were awesome, almost unfathomable the diverse landscape - but the sounds!  The water, the biologists guided talks, the snorkeling-helpers! I was really glad I could hear the helpers...  When I first sat on the edge of the platform and peeked into the water, it was so clear it looked like I was on the top of a skyscraper, I thought I was going to fall right down to the bottom! I heard all of the snorkeling helpers' reassuring words and direction when they were putting on my lifejacket and directing me on the placement of how to hold my swim noodle.  They even gave me a snorkel tube with red-tape, in case my head pieces fell off and I was in distress.  - But guess what?  THE CI HEAD PIECES STAYED IN PLACE!  And it is funny now, thinking out it… I was soooo nervous about ME falling, but was never in fear that my CIs would end up at the bottom of the ocean - as they were tucked in your fabulous shirt!

2. THE BEST EXPERIENCE WITH CI WEAR. We did the bridge climb in Sydney! It turns out the bridge form you fill out asks if you wear Hearing aids.  You can not wear hearing aids on the climb as they will blow off your head.  I explained that I wear CIs and that I would be okay on the climb with my CI Wear shirt.  They called over the head of security and the manager of the climb-office.  I demonstrated showing them the CI Wear pockets, the Neptune clips secured to the white bands, the pockets, the wire-feed section and from the processor to the magnetic head pieces.  And then without missing a beat - I said, “And if there IS a big-huge wind that does blow the magnets off my head... - (without stopping my words, I swept both my hands against my scalp - you should’ve seen their eyes!) … they are safe and secure, as they are tethered to me, and I can simple click the magnets together and toss them in my shirt. (and there they were, my CIs safe and sound).  The manager and security chief were SOOOO impressed!  They had never seen anything like it!  They commented how very well prepared I was to do the bridge climb!  We were in the front of the group and I heard the guide, the cars on the bridge, the commuter trains, and my husband’s romantic words at the top of the bridge, and my son’s woo-hoos when we completed this incredible activity! 

3. When we got home the garden was very overgrown and a part of the fencing needed repair - the shirt was great. I could work up a sweat digging around, and I could dance around to my Spotify music playing on my phone, and all the while my CIs were safe and sound!

Once again, thank you and many blessings to your company!

Get out there and hear!!!!

- Leah P

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Ci Wear is a patented shirt designed to secure and help protect cochlear implant (CI) processors and other mobile listening devices. Use as a rash guard, swim shirt or an exercise apparel.    Ideal aqua accessory for waterproof cochlear implant sound processors.