After contracting COVID-19 for a third time, Erik, a police officer and family man, woke up one morning deaf in one ear. Diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss he was impacted both personally and professionally. While he adapted using lip reading and context clues, he still struggled, but the introduction of a cochlear implant changed everything for him and his livelihood. Read Erik’s story:
“In September 2022, I was going through Covid for the third time. Covid had just become a part of my family’s normal process. I worked as a nightshift police supervisor for a medium sized town in Washington State. When the rest of the world was sheltering in place we went into people’s homes to settle disputes, went to car crashes and even spent a few hours talking to a man that had just tested positive for Covid and was convinced he was going to die.
Sudden hearing loss
The first two bouts with Covid were rough, the third was pretty minor. I went to bed with what felt like a slight cold and ringing in my ears but woke up to go to work…deaf. It took about seven hours for the illness to kill my ear’s ability to process sound. I went to the doctor, expecting to get some antibiotics for an ear infection and then head to work. There was no infection. Subsequent tests revealed there was no other explanation than sudden sensorineural hearing loss and that recovery was not possible.
More than a year passed as I endured the loss of being able to hear my children and my wife. I became pretty adept at reading lips and also could tell what they were trying to say to me just from experience; but only when they were right in front of me and only with my family.
My audiologist suggested a cochlear implant after yet another failed hearing test. I was given the contact information for two companies and reached out to both. Nicole from Cochlear was the first to respond and was immediately invested in my well-being. I felt like I had an advocate and someone who was willing to answer all my questions and give me information I didn’t know I needed.
A hearing solution helps me personally and professionally
In December 2023 I had my surgery. While healing there were random beeps, blips and noises as my ears adjusted. It was amazing to actually hear something again even if it was an indecipherable morse-code.
Two weeks later was activation day when I got to hear again, for the first time. To help me re-learn how to hear, my kids took turns reading lists of words and books to me then forcing me to take tests to gauge my accuracy. I moved on to listening to many hours of stand-up comedy. The Cochlear™ Nucleus® Kanso® 2 Sound Processor pairs with my phone1 and I was able to stream the comedy straight into my brain. I’m sure it was a little odd to see dad doing dishes and laughing at random times, but I was learning.
My speech comprehension is really good which has led to other successes. In my personal life, I haven’t missed an ‘I love you’ or an ‘I am glad you’re home’ in months. Music to my ears. In my professional life, the Kanso 2 Sound Processor has helped me more than I can explain. One of my main duties is to give lectures and presentations every month. I cover topics like Protecting Against Elder Fraud, Drug 101 for Parents and Protecting Your Kids From Child Molesters. Delivering the presentations was easy, but trying to have a meaningful question and answer session with attendees after was impossible.
Sometimes as a police officer I would be put in to situations where I would have conversations with sensitive topics with parents, and it was my job to explain what the legal process looked like. I used to struggle to give them meaningful answers. Reading lips when someone is looking at the ground and crying is out of the question. But now I can hear their questions, understand their concerns and help guide them through the worst moments of their lives. Without my Kanso 2 Sound Processor I feel like these people would suffer in silence; the world I used to live in.
I never thought that hearing my wife say, ‘You’re not doing that right’ would be a good thing. But now I get to hear it, and that is all that matters.”
If you or someone you love has experienced sudden hearing loss, a cochlear implant could help, just like it did with Erik. To learn more about these solutions, visit our website.
- For information regarding the compatibility of Cochlear’s Sound Processors with True Wireless, Apple or Android devices, visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility
