Are you sensing a Med-El 2023 theme?

[Mary Beth]

2022 was definitely Med-El & MUSIC

 

It seems like 2023 may be Med-El & SPORTS

Have you noticed a theme in Med-El social media posts?  And the Med-El US HearPeers event in a few weeks?

Lots of active CI users in various sports.

The biggest obstacle tends to be helmets.  From finding a comfortable way for children with CIs to wear bike helmets with their processors on to adult CI users struggling to find motorcycle helmets they can wear with their processors.

Do you have any helmet recommendations for others?

[Tim]

I had a sports incident with my bone conduction implant that makes me feel more secure about using the  CI. 

I play a lot of tennis.  I had a bone conduction abutment at the time since CI was not FDA approved for SSD.  The abutment has two Titanium parts, one that is screwed into the bone and is flush to the bone.  The second screws into this and sits about 8mm above the skin for the processor to snap onto. 

About 4 years ago, I went back for a lob like I had thousands of times before.  I was wearing a new pair of tennis shoes with a little more "grip"  and I fell backwards.  My head hit hard and I sensed it bounce off the hard court surface (similar to asphalt, fortunately not concrete!).  I had a concussion and a giant welt about an inch from the Titanium abutment.  I wasn't wearing the processor but if I had landed on the abutment first, there is risk of a cracked skull.  In some ways it would have been like taking a hammer to a screw or nail that is already half way through the skull bone. 

Everything is fine now.  A week of recovery and I was okay after the concussion.  Before the cochlear implant surgery, they removed the outer, protruding part of my bone conduction implant. 

Now I may or may not wear a CI processor while playing tennis.  Landing on a processor or the implant would be a bad idea of course  but much less likely to have a cracked skull.  I like that the CI companies are all stating Joules of force that implants can handle - may be a competition area similar to MRI compatibility. 

I do need to eventually work on getting or modifying a bike helmet. 

I took advantage of the break for CI surgery and recovery to try to get over a nagging muscle pull but I don't think I'll wear a helmet for tennis when I start playing again but will be interested in hearing what others have to say.

 

[Wayne P.]

I am trying to find a solution for my Sonnet 2. I am looking at the Sports Headband by Med-el but it seems that may not be a fit for Sonnet 2? I like that it mentions that it can soke up moisture. I hate that my CI cuts out and is not usable after 20 min or so of activity because of sweat. 

For now, I ride my motorcycle (well, when the snow melts!) without my CI and HA and ride deaf. I prefer it that way but for bike to bike intercom that obviously does not work!

So, does anyone know if the Sports Band works for the Sonnet 2?