Linda experienced over 20 years of progressive hearing loss, which led to her feeling isolated, exhausted and stressed, especially with a demanding career in the film-industry. After an Emmy win and the realization that she needed to put her health and livelihood before her career, she decided to pursue a cochlear implant. While she still works in film some of the times, she is focusing on health coaching and inspiring others to put their health first. Read her story:
“My hearing loss journey started 20 years ago after my divorce. Followed by endless doctor appointments, MRI tests, medicines and injections with no solid diagnosis or treatment that led to the ability to regaining my hearing.
Year after year of added life stressors and a very demanding career, my hearing continually decreased little by little…until I could no longer understand what people were saying to me, or the sound of my own voice. It became a socially isolating time; I shied away from social situations. I tried hearing aids for a while, but those can only take you so far with severe hearing loss like mine.
Working and living with the effects of hearing loss
I have been a part of the hearing world my whole life, and wanted to continue hearing, understandably. I am not part of Deaf culture per se, although I would very much like to find more Hard of Hearing (HOH)/Deaf people in my life! I plan to find a HOH community; I want to learn sign language.
A pivotal moment for me was when I attended the Emmys® in Los Angeles as a nominee for Costume Supervising. It was somewhat hard to hear the ceremony but guess what… we WON! I had worked so hard for that award, sacrificed so much… ‘was I finally able to slow down on my career? Haven’t I achieved enough? Can I relax now?’ I did give myself the gift of time after celebrating, to get my cochlear implant. Between my mom being sick, the Emmys and my shear exhaustion, I was ready. Passing up work opportunities to prioritize my health was hard and risky, but crucial to the well-being of my future.
My belief is that stress took my hearing, and a few too many rock concerts as a teenager! I decided to put myself in a timeout from my 25+ year career, pause…be still, and listen to what my body needed to move forward in my life. That’s when I began my cochlear implant research. I spent at least two years reading and digging into what life with a cochlear implant could mean for me. One thing that was huge for me, was when my mom had Dementia, and I had a hard time understanding her words, this pushed me to proceed with a cochlear implant.
A Cochlear hearing solution
Ultimately, I chose Cochlear for the off-the-ear Nucleus® Kanso® Sound Processor, the seamless Apple® compatibility and the customer service I received when researching.
Living with the implant feels like a hearing on/off switch. The first thing I do when I wake up is put my sound processor on…’hello world!’ And taking it off is the last thing I do before bed…’goodbye New York City street noise!’ My favorite thing to do is listen to podcasts about health, travel (especially relating to moving to Italy) and mental health content. Certain types of music are OK for me to listen to, but not all.
I love Cochlear’s Mini Microphone accessory for Zoom® calls, noisy restaurants and streaming1 on an airplane. I like the Aqua+ kit2 too for water moments, swimming or a spa. The major benefits for me are being able to communicate with people more easily, it’s as simple as that, and as big as that! I do still read lips, but I was already used to that.
A positive change in my life in every aspect
My film career has been quite full and successful, I have no regrets there, except to say as an industry as a whole, it needs better working conditions. I’m very passionate about this. We work very long hours, under a lot of pressure.
Because of the lasting effect work fatigue can have on your system, I became certified as a health coach (my account can be found on Instagram: @zelalchemy) to help others balance all aspects of their life too. I have learned the hard way, and I am super aware of the seriousness of not listening to your body’s cues of needing rest and care. I’ve taught myself so many ways to stay healthy now in a high-pressure world.
I also became certified as a clinical aromatherapist and make personal formulations. It’s so fun, and a creative outlet for me. Without my cochlear implant, working in film or meeting with clients online the way I do would not be possible. Do I still have challenges? Yes, but you learn how strong you are and how to be inspiring to others going through the same thing.
I frequent many West African dance classes in NYC, and am able to wear my Kanso Sound Processor while dancing, amazingly… it does not fall off! Travel is my big decadence, especially to Italy, Hawaii and Africa. As a matter of fact, learning Italian was another major life goal for me that motivated my cochlear implant journey!”
If hearing loss is having an impact on your life, discover how cochlear implants may be a helpful solution toward better hearing.
- Cochlear Limited. D2105671. CP1170/CP1175 IEC60529 Ingress Protection Test Report.
- For information regarding the compatibility of Cochlear’s Sound Processors with True Wireless, Apple or Android devices, visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility.
- The Kanso 3 Nexa and Kanso 3 Sound Processor meet the IP68 rating of the International Standard IEC60529 of freshwater waterproof. These processor configurations were tested by continuous submersion in freshwater for 60 minutes at a depth of 1 meter and functioned as intended. Cochlear offers the Aqua+ accessory for additional protection during extended water use, in salty or rushing water environments. For additional information, please refer to the appropriate user guide.1
- © The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. All rights reserved. Emmy® and the Emmy® statuette are trademarks of ATAS/NATAS.
- Apple, the Apple logo, FaceTime, Made for iPad logo, Made for iPhone logo, Made for iPod logo, iPhone, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
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