Posted by I’m always on the lookout for hearing devices in the wild. In the small Spanish village where I live, my sightings are typically limited to standard hearing aids, often small and discreet, but visible to a keen hearing device spotter like myself.
On a couple of occasions, in our nearest town, I’ve spotted the occasional bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHAs). I imagine the thrill I get from spotting hearing devices is similar to the buzz a bird watcher feels when they spot a rare species. Bird watchers are known as twitchers… I wonder, is there a word to describe hearing device spotters?!
The best place to spot a hearing device is on Floor 3 of the hospital, where I got my own cochlear implant, which is where I was yesterday. As soon as I walked out of the lift, I spotted a BAHA attached neatly to the side of a man’s head.
Then later, some magic happened.
I was waiting for an appointment in a small waiting area in an echoey corridor. While I waited, a woman in a white coat began making an announcement, gesturing with her hands as she spoke in rapid-fire Spanish. When she finished, she walked down the corridor to the next waiting area. The guy to my left turned to me and shrugged. I shrugged back, saying, “I heard nothing!” He smiled and said, “I have no idea!”
It was then I noticed it, sitting proudly on the left side of his head was a Med-El Rondo cochlear implant processor, just like mine! I’d never seen another one in the wild before, and a spark of joy jolted through me.
“You have a Rondo!” I exclaimed. “You’re the first person I’ve ever met with a Rondo processor!”
“Yes, you’re the first person I’ve met too,” he replied.
He told me he’d noticed me and my processor earlier. We chatted briefly; he also lives in a small village and had seen the occasional, more traditional, behind-the-ear processors, but not the off-ear kind like ours.
“But, these are the best!” I said, tapping my processor.
“I know!” he laughed.
I was called to my appointment and quickly snapped a photo to remember this wonderful moment of connection.
My Hearing Loss Story 
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