I finished rehab at the end of April and decided to take the summer off. I recently returned from the AG Bell convention in Milwaukee. I was very much looking forward to one of the first sessions: Aural Rehabilitation for Adults with Cochlear Implants. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing. The presenter mostly talked about her program and went through her forms in detail. There was a panel of two family members, where one had a CI. They demonstrated how they do CI rehab with each other. The only thing I learned is that the game of Outburst might be a good tool.
The other session I wanted to attend was, of course, the last one: Plug and Play iPod and Pod Casting in Auditory Therapy. Even though we have an iPod, I've never used it, but now I'm eager to use it as a rehab tool. I'll even upload my cousin Sam's new single!
I did discover that Advanced Bionics will soon have a free, interactive web site called The Listening Room, with an area devoted to teens and adults. Just what I've been looking for! I managed to complain to the company at its booth about the poor design of its processor dry store case. I no longer put my processor in it at night, which means it's not being protected against heat and humidity. The reason? The case is designed for implants worn on the right side of the head; mine is on the left. Therefore, when I put it in, the cord gets all twisted and doesn't sit on my head properly. Hopefully they'll look into this and make a different version for us lefties!
The big thing these days is bilateral implants - not just in kids, but adults too. At this point, I have no interest in getting another CI. I get enough benefit and balance from my hearing aid. I also like keeping one ear's residual hearing, just in case. If I were to lose that, however, I would probably look into it more.