Tag Archives: family

Superhero Praise for the Ponto 3 SuperPower

davin

We first met Shannon and her son Davin after she posted a video of him wearing his Ponto Pluses on abutments for the first time.

It was so loud and I loved it! – Davin

 

 

 

At the Oticon Medical Patient Advocacy Workshop Davin was able to try our upcoming product, the Ponto 3 SuperPower. His mom said, “He didn’t want to give it back,” and in the video below, Davin shares his experience with his dad:

 

Shannon also shared the experience she and Davin had attending the Oticon Medical Patient Advocacy Workshop:

Over 8 1/2 years ago Davin was born, a day that was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life…wasn’t, it was the scariest….as some of you know, we had such a traumatic delivery and as a result, he was born unconscious. After he finally started to cry they brought him to us. We were told he didn’t have ears or ear canals, he was deaf and would NEVER hear, he would be a “deaf mute” and NEVER talk, he had a cleft palate….oh then a few hours after he was born we were told “I’m sorry but Davin’s skull was fractured during delivery and he needs surgery to lift his skull off of his brain because it is pressing on his brain and hemorrhaging”. Who would’ve thought that the scariest day of my life would bring me such joy over the years.

Because of Davin, over the last 8 1/2 years I have met some of the most amazing people that I never would have ever had the privilege of meeting. This past weekend was one of those times. We were invited to the Oticon Medical Patient Advocacy Workshop. What an experience. I learned a whole lot, was finally able to meet some of my friends and part of my support system in person, along with making new friends who get it. Davin had the opportunity to try out the newest device that’s not even available yet. He was able to meet and hang out with other people, of all ages, who wear the same hearing devices as him, making new friends. The smile on his face and joy he expressed was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was such an amazing experience for him…and me. I cried many tears, laughed a lot and had such a great time.

All of this was possible because of the company the makes Davin’s hearing aids. Oticon Medical truly cares!! They are top notch in customer service and are like family. So thankful to have met so many from Oticon and to put faces to names. I am truly blessed and so thankful for this opportunity. Thank you Oticon Medical! You have fans, friends, and family for life here! Love my Ponto Family! 

-Shannon Gordon

Looking to try a Ponto for the first time? Sign up to get more information about the SuperPower here.

Do you already have a Ponto and are interested in upgrading? Here’s where you can learn about our special offer here.

FM Systems in the Classroom

Happy back to school season! This time of year, we see many questions about FM systems in the classroom. Recently, a Ponto user and advocate sent this question our way. So, we wanted to take the opportunity to share an answer from one of our top audiologists.

Here’s the question: 

“Does anyone have any experience with FM systems? My son is in the first grade, and he has bilateral BAHAs. The school ordered the Amigo for him over the summer, at that time he had the slightly older model Ponto (the Pro I believe). He had surgery to place abutments over the summer and to our surprise we received two new hearing aids with the surgery. I also got a Streamer. The Amigo isn’t wireless and doesn’t seem to be as compatible with the Ponto Plus as the Streamer.

Does anyone have experience with the different FM systems especially in the classroom setting? I have been told in the past that when FM is on, the hearing aid only picks up sound transmitted to microphone and blocks all other surrounding sound and I have been told that isn’t true. Neither of these people used the FM themselves. Can anyone who has a BAHA share?”

Enter one of Oticon Medical’s top Audiologists, Laura Phelps. Here’s Laura’s answer:

Ponto Plus and Ponto Streamer banner 1The Amigo is an FM system and is wireless. It’s likely that the Amigo FM receiver that would be used with the Ponto Pro (the older device) is the Amigo R2BA, which has 3 pins of same length, and plugs into the DAI port on the Ponto processor. This is probably what was ordered by the school over the summer.  With the new Ponto Plus processor and the Ponto Streamer, the receiver used would be the Amigo R2, which has a longer Europin-middle pin. It plugs into the Ponto Streamer, not the processor.

So there are two options: 

A. They can use the Amigo R2BA receiver, which is likely what was ordered over the summer, with the older Ponto Pro processors at school and use the new Ponto Plus processor and Ponto Streamer at home.

B. The school can purchase one Amigo R2 receiver which would plug into the Ponto Streamer and just one receiver would transmit to both Ponto Plus processors.

Regarding the question about what the Ponto is picking up, surrounding noise versus what is being transmitted from the teacher’s microphone: 

For scenario A (above), the audiologist typically programs “Program 2″ as FM+M, meaning that the R2BA receiver on the Ponto receives the signal from the teacher’s mic and the Ponto microphones pick up the surrounding sounds.

For scenario B above, the Ponto Streamer settings default to receiving both the FM and M.

For either scenario A or B, the relative inputs from the FM Signal and the Mic signal can be adjusted if you want to change the “mix”. This is helpful if student reports that he or she is getting too much surrounding noise relative to the teacher’s voice, or vice versa.

I would recommend that the school Audiologists contact one of the Clinical Specialists through customer service for guidance, and the child’s Clinical Audiologist might need to get involved as well.  It is often the case that the school Audiologist defers to the Clinical Audiologist to make programming changes since they are the ones that fit the instrument.

So, there it is! We hope this answer helps as your student heads back to school. Do you have other questions regarding FM systems? Please let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter. We’re always here to help!

 

A Summer Full of Amazing Ear Community Picnics and People

It’s been another summer full of amazing picnics hosted by our friends over at Ear Community—with a few more still to come! Each year Ear Community hosts picnics all over the world, where families come together to learn from each other, discuss the latest hearing technology, have fun in the sun, and meet other members of the community!

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2015 Ear Community Microtia and Atresia Summer Family Picnics

In the middle of winter, it’s always fun to look ahead to the summer. Summer time also means it’s time for Ear Community’s Microtia and Atresia Summer Family Picnics. The picnics provide an incredible opportunity for Microtia and Atresia families to come together, share experiences and make new friends. Medical professionals also join in the fun and are available to answer questions and help to educate families on options for hearing loss. Families will even be able to test out the newest state-of-the-art hearing products.

We’re thrilled to once again be a sponsor and an active participant in the picnics. We’ve met so many of you through these amazing events. Here’s where you can learn about some Ear Community connections ahead of the events.

Here are some pictures from last year. 

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When Pretending to Hear Is No Longer Acceptable

Robb Boss believed he was doing “just fine” coping with his conductive hearing loss. A successful oncology sales representative with a leading pharmaceutical company, Robb’s personable and intelligent communication with colleagues and clients has led to much success and satisfaction for the 41-year-old. But, a brief conversation with a co-worker helped Robb see the downside of his untreated unilateral conductive hearing loss and take action.

After “pretending” to hear nearly his whole life, Robb decided that improving his hearing would improve relationships at work and with the people who matter the most– his family. “I was living my life pretending I could hear, Robb says. “It started hindering communication within the family and professionally. We have five girls and they all have tones of voices that I just couldn’t hear at all.”

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Finding Ear Community After Enter a World of Uncertainty

In honor of the amazing connections that happen at Ear Community’s Microtia and Atresia Summer Picnics, we’ve asked attendees to share their experiences with you here on our blog. This week, you’ll hear from Shannon Katuszonek, a mom who is forever grateful for finding her strength through Ear Community.

Here’s Shannon to tell her story.

We had no idea my daughter, Ava, had a condition. When she was born it was quite the shock. As if learning to understand what her little ear meant wasn’t enough, she was our first child, so we had little frame of reference for newborns in general.

So, we took in whatever information the doctors gave us. We knew she failed the newborn hearing screening test. Then, our Microtia Pediatrician started telling us about the other things that could be wrong with her.  “She could have Goldenhar Syndrome, a heart condition and more. But, we’ll just wait and see how she develops.”

There we were…

You’re looking at this beautiful little baby that you’ve been waiting for, and now you’re so overwhelmed. You can’t enjoy the moment, because you’re so worried about all of the things that might happen.

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Kristy Smith Meets Her Ear Community in California

In honor of the amazing connections that happen at Ear Community’s Microtia and Atresia Summer Picnics, we’ve asked attendees to share their experiences with you here on our blog. First up we have Kristy Smith.

Enter Kristy

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My 14 month old daughter Olivia was born with Microtia and Atresia of her left ear. I came across Ear Community shortly after she was born. The hospital knew absolutely nothing about her condition.  No references or literature. It was a very emotional and confusing time. 

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Ear Community Microtia and Atresia Summer Picnics Connect Families & Friends

As we’ve mentioned many times, one of our favorite things about summer is that it’s time for Ear Community’s Microtia and Atresia Summer Picnics. This year, in honor of the amazing connections that happen at these picnics, we’ll be sharing the experiences of attendees. We’ll start with an overview from the Founder of Ear Community, Melissa Tumblin.

“We had 220 people RSVP for our California picnic that took place in Pleasanton, California on June 21, 2014. We had Cochlear, Oticon Medical, and Stryker CMF as sponsors who attended to help families learn about their options. We had an anaplastologist there helping families not just learn about prosthetic ears, but to also physically see and touch them. Many people tune out the option for a prosthetic ear until they see how real they look and how well they can be matched to skin. Many times, in a line up, people can not pick out who is wearing a prosthetic ear because they look that real and blended,” Melissa explained. “We also had Dr. Joseph Roberson who joined us from the California Ear Institute as one of the world’s leading Otologists/Neurotologists for atresia repair and also Dr. Grant Fairbanks who helped families learn more about the rib graft option for external ear reconstruction.”

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2014 Ear Community Microtia and Atresia Summer Family Picnics

Each summer the Ear Community hosts picnics around the world that help bring Microtia and Atresia families together. The picnics offer a platform for the community to come together and share experiences. Medical professionals– Microtia and Atresia repair surgeons, ENTs, audiologists and therapists– also join to share information on the options for living with hearing loss. Families are even able to test the latest hearing products at the event.

As a sponsor and active participant in the picnics, we can’t think of a better way to spend a summer day.

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Here’s when and where this summer’s picnics will take place:

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Kris Siwek Picked the Ponto System for Bone Anchored Hearing, Here’s Why

Kris Siwek suddenly lost her hearing after being diagnosed with a tumor at age 29. Here’s how she decided on the Oticon Medical Ponto system, and the results after becoming a long-term user.

“It’s a part of me, and it’s an extension of me. I put it on in the morning and don’t think about it again until I take it off at night, ” Kris explains in the video below.

Want to learn more about Kris’s story? You can read more here and watch our Google+ Hangout On Air with Kris here. Have a question? Let us know in the comments section below.