This annual, one-day conference is FREE for anyone interested in learning more about the ear, prevention of hearing loss, coping with hearing loss, genetics of hearing loss, hearing aids (traditional and implanted), meniere's disease, and more. The conference will be on Saturday, March 11, 2000 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The doors will open at 8:30. No registration is necessary.

Ears, Hearing & Beyond is funded in part by donations from Lions District 19B Hearing Conservation Foundation, Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation, exhibitors, and attendee donation.

SHHH, AARP, the Pacific Northwest Cochlear Implant Association, and A.G. Bell Association endorse the conference and give valuable advice and assistance on all aspects of the conference.

An FM system will be provided by Williams Sound. This system enables participants to hear the speakers voice directly rather than having to deal with background voice at the same time. More than 100 receivers were loaned out last year. Real-time captioning will also be provided to accompany the speakers and their slides.

In addition, each attendee receives a hard-copy summary of all talks. Each talk is 30 minutes in length with question and answer periods held twice during the day. There are two breaks in addition to an extra-long lunch break so that people have plenty of time to chat amongst themselves and to visit the exhibits located in a separate room near the auditorium. Exhibitors include hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers and various support and information organizations.

The conference takes place at the HUB Auditorium on the University of Washington campus. Signs will be posted to help with parking and locating the auditorium. Conference brochures that include a map will go out in February.

[Editor’s note: Everyone receiving this newsletter by mail will receive a brochure shortly afterward directly from the U of W. If you received this newsletter other than by mail, you will not receive the brochure with the map unless you request it. Call 206-616-4105 or e-mail; bloedel@u.washington.edu requesting the brochure and they will send it to you.

Are you concerned that you will not understand? The meeting will have assistive devices available for attendees as well as Real-time captioning. What this means is that every word spoken at the meeting will be printed on a large overhead screen. If you have problems understanding in large groups and have never used an assistive device, we urge you to give one a try.. Tell the person issuing them that you have never used one before and he/she will show you. Since the patch cords vary, we are asking you to bring along your own patch cord. If you have any questions stop by the implant booth and we will try to get you an answer.

It was 15 years ago that I found out I was hearing impaired. What a shock that was. Over the years I obtained new and different hearing aides with each decline in my hearing ability. Last January, I was at the cross roads, of "Will new hearing aides help? Or do I
consider an cochlear implant?".

I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people who already had implants which helped in making my decision. My husband was and still is very supportive through all this. A person feels so many different emotions during the decision process and pre-op such as, anxiety, fear, excitement, apprehension, uncertainty and hopefulness that it is a good idea to have a good support network established for yourself during this time and also for after the surgery.

I elected to go with the New Clarion with the Hi-Focus & Positioner features. Surgery was on October 21, 1999 at the Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane. The surgery went well. Due to the pain and swelling, I ended up spending the night in the hospital rather then going home on the same day. The incision was longer then I anticipated, but it was done nicely. (Only shaved part was where Dr. Giddings actually made the incision.) My side effects from surgery were slight numbness on my left side, lack of taste, swelling, tiredness, and of course pain. I did not loose my sense of balance or feel nauseous as some people do. When I went outside in the cold, my head and ears would hurt due to the extra sensitivity of having gone through surgery. This is something no one had mentioned to me, so I recommend to anyone who may have surgery when it's cold out be sure

to cover your head and ears! I went back to work half days the following Monday after surgery.

On November 24, 1999, the day before Thanksgiving, (just 4 weeks after surgery) I was hooked up to my processor. Boy! Was it a different sound from hearing aides. Kami, the audiologist at the Spokane Ear, Nose and Throat Center, programmed the processor with 3 different strategies.

During the session Kami and my husband, asked me to describe what I heard. At first it sounded like just beeps and different tones that kind of sounded like horns. Then I said I hear a plane or a helicopter. My husband and Kami looked at each other and said they couldn't hear it and I said look its over there. Sure enough the helicopter was just coming into view. During this session, I was unable to decide which strategy I liked best or sounded most like people's voices/words, so I left with all 3 strategies programmed
to try out for 2 weeks. It was also determined during this session that my head was still swollen quite a bit and that I should have waited until 6 or 8 weeks to be hooked up, but it is hard to be patient. So for those of you who just had surgery, try to wait out the 6 to 8 week time period if you can.

The next day was Thanksgiving, a true test day for me as we were having a few people over for dinner. By the end of the day I was able to recognize my husband's voice and also my mother's. The voices sounded robotic, like R2 from star wars, but I could understand with lip-reading. By late evening I heard my husband say the word " yesterday" with his back to me standing several feet away. What
joy that was since I was able to understand without lip-reading.

On December 8th, I met with Kami again and informed her that I chose strategy #3. She then did the first mapping. I had 3 different programs to try out before my next appointment with Dr. Olds. Each day more sounds sounded natural. The first two programs the voices sounded natural with an echoing whistle to it. The third program wasn't good at all since it sounded like a high pitched horn or beeping sound. The 3rd program was reset and was the one used for the word discrimination test on December 28th. The results of my word discrimination test is very good for just a month after being hooked up. Prior to the implant, wearing both of my hearing aides, I scored 13.5% correct. Now with the implant I scored 43% correct. I am still testing out the 3 different programs to see which is working best in which particular situation. There are times that there is an echoing whistle to what I hear and we are trying to figure out what the contributing factor is.

My swelling was finally gone by the December 28th appointment, however, I must have extraordinary thick skin, because I still need the extra magnet and it still falls off from time to time. To remedy the situation, I shave the spot where the magnet is to stick. I also wear an ear cuff where I put the cable through to hold it in place. I then use the little cable clip and clip it to the top of my shirt or sweater. Taking these steps help greatly.

I can listen to music and know when someone is singing. I have a special CD that I play in my car all the time. I am now able to detect which songs are being sung and understand a few of the words again. TV sounds normal for me now. I still use the captioning but I can get by without it on certain shows. I tried the phone a couple days ago. I could understand a few words, but more mappings and more practice will be required before I stop
using the TTY.

I no longer wear my hearing aide in the ear without the implant. I tried it once shortly after my processor was programmed to wear the hearing aide with the cochlear implant (I was nervous about not being able to hear during my meeting with a business associate). Boy! What a shock to the brain that was! I thought I was short circuiting my brain there for a few minutes. I manage just fine without it. I am glad I had the implant. Each day brings new sounds. I feel more relaxed with the cochlear implant then I ever did with hearing aides. I no longer get headaches from concentrating so hard of trying to hear or as tired from
lip-reading. I am not sorry I chose the implant. For me there has been a vast improvement .I know each day will bring a greater understanding of sound.

I give my thanks to Gordon Nystedt, Karen Utter, Blake & Betty Smith, Dr. Giddings, Kami Fehlig, Barbara Gale, and most importantly my husband Mike and my 2 sons, Jacob & Landen, for their unending support through this. Many blessings to all of you.

I know we have never met...I've mentioned you to others for a number of months...I'm Sandy Lambrecht and had my first stimulation with Clarion High Focus yesterday with Dr. Backous at Virginia Mason. My audiologist is Laura Comer. Believe me, as you might expect based on your experience with thousand other CI implantees, I was dismayed...the sounds are high pitch and piano key-like sounds...this is my second day now...tomorrow will go back for more mappings. I'm having a difficult time right now. Could use some of your assurances knowing that it's temporary. Any news from other frustrated CI implantees lately?

[Editor’s note: I asked Sandy for authorization to print the above e-mail. Notice. She had just been mapped one day. What she is experiencing is what many people experience on their first day or even a week or more. This is the reason your implant center sets up a series of maps. Sometimes it takes a while to find the correct mapping strategy for you. I think far too often, no matter how much we prepare ourselves, that we all think we will be the one and only that will have normal hearing restored when our processor is turned on for the first time. It just does not happen. It is true some do understand some speech almost immediately. But the fact is that many do not and we have to learn to rehear again. Sandy has better understanding now than she did that first day. Hopefully she will provide us with a report for our next newsletter

This is the reason I ask all new implantees to “tell it like it is.” We are not a commercial for any brand. We are here to help people understand what it was really like when we were hooked up. For many new implantees, the most frustrating time is with their first few maps. I always tell them to wait for six months. Usually, by then, there only regret is that they had not been implanted sooner.

After nearly 10 years of twisting and turning I finally decided to proceed
with the CI. My doctor of 30 years, Dr. James Donaldson of the Seattle Ear
Clinic, had long been after me to proceed. He was joined by Chris Borders,
audiologist at the Seattle Hearing and Deafness Center in prodding me along.
Joanna, my wife, had made up her mind 5 years ago that the CI was the avenue to follow. I mention this to encourage those of you out there with reluctant spouses or friends to keep prodding as there maybe a pay back on the horizon. I elected to proceed with Dr. Charles Mangham as my surgeon due to his reputation with the CI and his association with Dr. Donaldson. It was determined that the Nucleus 24 was the best match for my needs. I wanted to have the BTE and N24 is the only current provider.

My surgery was on October 13, yes my lucky day even though not a Friday. Mangham's team at Swedish Hospital was superb! I came out of the surgery without any real negatives, no vertigo which was my strongest concern. My turban was less than beautiful and trying to wear my specs proved a
challenge. The removal of the turban produced another surprise, my right ear took a 90 degree angle from my head. Not to worry, said ear has returned to it's normal position. My specs still do not fit as well due to the surgery removing bone behind the ear, the specs hike up on the right side.

Now we wait. As a patient with absolutely no hearing I had a real quiet time. Thanks to Joanna at home and Gordon Nystedt, Jim Brown and Dolores Gahler on line, I was able to do e-mail with folks that had been down the same trail. Dolores was particularly helpful as she had had the CI in July and also lives in Anacortes. The most interesting thing to those around me was my calm demeanor in my silent world. These folks had much greater anxiety than I. Once the decision was made to proceed I never doubted a successful outcome. I strongly believe in a positive approach to this undertaking.

On November 17, 18 and 19th I spent my three hour days with Janell LaRosa, audiologist at Seattle Ear Clinic and my mapping "companion." At the initial hook up, Joanna joined us. In short her voice was awful, only mine was worse! This proved to be short lived as I experienced improvements through that initial session. For our return trip that evening I had Joanna drive. Without suppression the 18 wheelers are a head full of noise. As we proceeded in this first mapping series my tolerances to the sounds increased considerably. On day three Janell did verbal testing and we were both pleased with the success
I had in both words and sentences. At that series of mapping sessions both of
my processors were "loaded" with SPEAK.

During the next month I alternated between the body processor and the BTE, wearing them for two consecutive days. Initially, there was some discomfort using the body processor as the cable would pull the ear piece against the surgery area. The body processor provided a more complete hearing experience, but I did well with each. All the noise generated in our kitchen was a totally new experience, everything seems to have it's own beeper. Environmental noises are something new and I have to ask Joanna just what I am hearing.  At this point I am better able to identify the sound sources.

My first real social test came at the Anacortes SHHH pot luck in mid December. It was a big success! I was very pleased with my ability to pick up the majority of the conversations, both in the living and dining room atmosphere. At that luncheon there were three of us with the CIs.

On December 15th I returned to Seattle Ear Clinic for my new mapping. This sessions focal point was loading the ACE strategy into the body processor. Two speeds were loaded. My instructions from that mapping was to use ACE exclusively for two weeks. My initial reaction to ACE was not real good. While the dishwasher was running, water running the sink or the vacuum on, I simply headed out the door. Now I understood why our dog attacked the vacuum.

I have settled in with ACE much better now. I had some mild vertigo when I switched from the slow to higher speed ACE. So I start my day with one and stay there without further vertigo. I prefer the faster version.

A highlight has been receiving my first CD. We have found that I can enjoy string music. Choirs have a horrible sound, "screaming brats" in my head. Patching into the TV the Celine Dion show was very enjoyable and I picked up a lot of her vocal and dialog. Christmas string music was running on the CD much of the time and I was able to enjoy it. I do not pick up the sounds as a normal hearing person, but that which is within my new CI range.

Tomorrow, December 30th I will be at Seattle Ear for a loading of yet a
faster version of ACE into my processor. During this exclusive ACE trial I
have bumped the processor button and moved into the old SPEAK mapping. It
sounds pretty bad which is a bit scary as I need to wear the BTE while boating in the summer. We will see how the body adjust to this situation. A problem area for both processors is wind noise. It totally screws up the other sounds, this seems to be a weakness of the design as that issue had
been solved when I was wearing a HA.

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with our families were a great success! No one had to take notes for me and I was an active participant in the table talk and elsewhere. And yes, that meant we all had much to be thankful for THE GIFT OF HEARING

We found out our daughter, Frances was profoundly deaf when she was seven months old. I have a 40-year-old deaf brother who was raised orally (successfully) and my two older hearing children had been attending the mainstream preschool on Tucker-Maxon’s campus, which is very near where we live. For these and other reasons, oral education seemed the best for Frances. However, I did oodles of research and read book after book trying to keep an open mind about methods of communication for deaf children, since I was aware that much has changed in the world of deaf education in the 40 years since my brother was diagnosed. We kept coming back to the fact that my brother had achieved so much being a profoundly deaf person, even lacking the technology that’s available now (he graduated college, became an engineer, married a hearing woman, mainstreamed in high school, etc.) and decided the possibilities for Francie might even be greater. Knowing the huge hurdles my brother had to jump to achieve what he did, I felt that life would be better for Francie if she had an implant. In my mind, if you choose the oral path for your profoundly deaf child, then an implant is mandatory.

Francie was aided at 8 months at which time we started parent-infant sessions at Tucker. We were delighted to discover that hearing aids actually helped Francie in the interim before she was old enough for an implant, and watched delightedly as she acquired her first word, “hot,” at 11 months. By the time she was implanted, at 17 months, she had a vocabulary of 25 words and was babbling almost constantly. We knew, however, that the aids were not giving her enough sound discrimination, as her words consisted of only vowel sounds. Except for m’s, consonants were almost non-existent in her babble.

Once we knew we were getting an implant, the waiting was hard. I was anxious to get started working with her with the implant turned on as soon as possible. I thought the surgery itself would be easy to go through. I had talked to so many parents at Tucker and read so much I felt I had a good idea what to expect. However, once the night before the operation arrived, I was a wreck. I didn’t sleep all night worrying about the residual hearing I was taking away from my child, and what if the operation failed. All the deaf culture opinions about implants that I had found counter-arguments for and dismissed long ago, suddenly came flooding back. My husband was able to bring me back to reality.

The surgery, at Doernbecher by Dr. Schleuning, went fine and the doctors and nurses calmed us well. She was implanted with the Nucleus 24. She recovered quickly and we were home before half a day had passed. That night she pulled off her head bandage and I saw the scar that went all the way up the side of her head and her bald spot. I was sickened by the sight of it and the thought that I had voluntarily done this to her. Luckily, there are many at Tucker-Maxon who have walked in my shoes and I didn’t need to look far to see example after example of success stories for children with implants. I kept this in mind, while I waited for what seemed like years for her scar to heal and the doctor to say it was okay for her to be “turned on.” I watched in dismay for the four weeks after the surgery when she only wore one hearing aid, as her vocalizations dwindled down to almost nothing and many of her words disappeared. It’s hard to keep the faith in those intervening weeks.

Finally the day came. She was turned on by NRT (neuro-response telemetry) while she played happily in her high chair. It took only an hour. The crying they had prepared me for when the sound hit her for the first time really never happened. We were pleasantly surprised at how easy the whole process was on everyone. Within 24 hours her voice had quieted (because it sounded louder to her) to a more appropriate level. Her babblings of m’s has increased weekly and her vocalizations have picked up to their pre-implant level. She’s hearing things. I see her eyes blink and her head turn in search of something she just heard. We read books together and she turns to me expectantly when I don’t start reading right away after turning a page. She turns consistently to her name. A handful of her old words have come back. She’s playing with noise-making toys she never had an interest in before. She turns her head when I shake or rattle things behind her that she never turned to before. She vocalizes and points when the phone rings. She stands by the stereo speaker and points to her ear. Francie can hear and we’re excited.

This is only the beginning, we know, but we’re gratified to know that Francie will not be one of those children who becomes silent for the first six months or a year before coming forth with vocalizations. Its been one month since she was turned on and we’re already seeing that she hears, so right now we’re feeling relief, excitement, hope, and optimism.

I just wanted to send a note and express interest in subscribing to your newsletter, Pacific Northwest Cochlear Implant Newsletter.

Most of the newer brands allow for many different mapping strategies. If, after a period of time, you are not adjusting, you might ask your audiologist if it might be better for you to use another method.

I have been Hearing-Impaired for 35 years or since the age of 5 years old. In my quest to receive an implant I visited two implant centers in the Puget Sound area. I choose Virginia Mason along with Dr Douglas Backous, and Audiologist Laura Comer for its variety of implant offerings. At this time they have 3 implants that you can choose from. Nucleus 24, Med-El, and Advanced Bionics Clarion implant. All of the implants were presented to me on my device selection appointment and each had its pluses and
minuses. I choose the Clarion and was offered to be a one of 2 people to receive the first new experimental HiFocus electrode design, in the Northwest region. I agreed and took this chance as I thought from my initial research the new design had hope.

It took and additional 3 months to get all the Insurance and Red tape approvals for me to finally get my Surgery done OCT 6th. Nov 9th was my Turn on Date or Activation date.

The Turning on of the imbedded computer in my skull took 3 hours, very boring, its like they pinged my
head with a submarine sonar for 3 hours. From the imbedded computer there is a wire that runs half way
through my head into the inner ear where the electrodes are placed they stimulate the hearing nerve that goes to the brain.

So far my turn on has gone just like I thought it would. I hear my keyboard as I type. I pick up some conversations without lip-reading but it sure is a lot easier lip-reading. I was able to hear a few things from the back seat of the car from my daughter. My wife asked me if I want coffee from the hall
way and I was able to hear that. My daughter is reminding me of all the stuff I heard today. Rustle of my coat, Velcro, water running, cat meowing, fingernail tapping, pager beeping, footsteps, squeaking chair, clinging keys, heard a little on the telephone, Listened to a Cello being played on the Ferry beautiful tones. Microwave beeps, toilet flushing, plastic
crumbling.

At the Ferry toll booth the lady asked my wife "What destination?" She did not hear as she is also hard of hearing. Well some how I heard her and blurted out "Bainbridge", my kids started to roll and laugh in the back seat. We had lunch in the cafeteria at the hospital and I noticed it was real noisy but I was looking at some surgeons about 15 feet away and if I concentrate on them I'm able to narrow in on their voices and pick em out with the incredible noise, Something I was never able to do with the hearing aid.

This morning I got up real early before anyone else was up dark out, I wanted to hear the refrigerator hum so I went in the kitchen I heard it but then I heard a bip bip bip!, The lights were out and I thought ah huh. I know that sound water drops in the sink!, so I switched on the lights and looked in the sink and nothing. 15 feet away I could hear the kitchen clock second hand going "tick" "tick" "tick", got that memorized.
I was able to use the SAS strategy I call it "SASSY" That is and was the goal of the experimental electrode so we have succeeded there. SASSY sounds really good, almost normal and its only the first day. I also have another strategy called PPS its second best it sounds really funny High
pitched everyone at this point on PPS sounds like DAFFY DUCK both male and female. There is another strategy called CIS they did not bother to put that in for me. I will try it out next time. I think is fun to put
it on the PPS and I make fun of my son. Tell him he's now a girl, he has a low voice. When I'm on SAS I
call him a frog. At this point in time I just sort of want to have fun with this new toy. I have always had some hearing with aids most of my life, but this is really clear. I have a lot of training and learning to do.

Day 2.

Just tonight I was talking on the phone with wife, daughter and neighbor lady. Just short and simple things. My wife my son and I talked for about a half hour without lip-reading and that is cool. But yes it takes time and comes in small steps but this is only day two and 30 years not being able to do this. I have a boom box I been listening to all day with a CD in it, just the music part without the voices. I want a portable CD.

Today A Month plus later, I recently had my first monthly testing and according to them it went very well, They tell me I scored six months compared to what most people would expect to get at one month. How ever that's just a test score in a quiet noise free room and with noise my scores went way down, My testing was done using SAS.

Few days later went back in for re-map on PPS they wanted to try again. At first on my first day turn-on PPS was the worst sounding thing ever put into my head. Sounded Hi pitched and like daffy duck. A month later they say my Dynamic Range has changed and or my brain has done lots of adjusting and
PPS sounds wonderful to me. Male voices have lows, female voices are higher pitched. Most of the background noises that SAS had are gone, and it does real well in noise situations and the world is really full of noise where ever we go. PPS seems to be very focused on picking up speech sounds and right in the midst of lots of noise helps allot. PPS seems to work out well on the phone I still go pretty slow  n the phone and ask for repeats a lot. I also like SAS still as it has a good sound quality for music then again PPS works good for music also. I like both programs most of the time lately I'm on PPS.

At work last week I attended a training session for hours, I used to have an interpreter sign for me, and I just recently let her go. Well I got my first panic when the lights went out and the speaker was talking in the Dark and pointing at a projector on the wall with a laser light. I need to lip-read there were 6 or so speakers rotating. At first because of the panic I was not getting anything eventually and slowing I felt I was getting at least 75-80 percent of everything in the dark. This is a scary experience.

By Lora Lee Berryman, Tacoma, WA

By Ed Donnelly, Portland, OR

[Editor’s note: William was born deaf and uses sign language. The e-mail he sent me is written in ASL format. I hope I am presenting his thoughts clearly. If not, he can let me know and I will make a correction in the next issue.]

He was implanted September 22 at Virginia Mason by Dr. Douglas Backous. He received the N24 and his Audiologist is Carol Pierce.

His latest report states that paper is noisy. [I think most of us agree with that.] He can hear the microwave beep and now hears people when they are talking in the hallway.

By Harry Calbom, Bellevue, WA

Melody Davolt, Seattle, WA. Melody was implanted January 4 at the University of Washington by Dr. George Gates. She will received the Nucleus 24.

By Emily Mandelbaum, Port Townsend, WA

Before the details of my experience, it's important to mention that there are two kinds of wireless transmission - analog and digital. Hard-of-hearing people usually understand speech better via analog
transmission. Some phone models accept both so the user can choose the best signal. If the wireless companies ever decide to stop using analog signals, we may be in trouble. On the other hand digital phones may get better.

In fall 1998 I sought information from an Audex catalogue and recommendations from people on the internet's Cochlear Implant Forum. The catalog description of the Audiovox MVX-440 (current model is the MVX 480) promised "excellent reception" and "in many parts of the country the special phone is free with service activation". If Port Townsend was one of those "many parts" , I was ready to order. It was and I did.

A couple people on the CI Forum liked Motorola Startac and Nokia models which you can purchase from any cell phone retailer. A Seattle area implantee (N-22 like me) uses a Motorola model by simply holding the phone next to her microphone. The Audex catalogue offered a cell phone adapter for any brand.

Before sending the phone, Audex sent me an AT&T one-year service contract to sign and return. That qualified me for the free phone. Upon receipt of the phone I called Audex again to activate service, and my cell phone education commenced.

I connected the phone to my processor using the Audex cable which is best described as a Y-connector. The trunk of the "Y" jacks into the phone.  One branch jacks into your speech processor, the other has a clip-on microphone for your clothing. Thus, except for pressing the phone's buttons, I can operate it hands free. The hands-free feature makes use much safer in my car, although I do try to avoid using the phone while driving, especially in cities.

My one gripe about the Audex cable connector is it's fragility. I've already had one replacement because a wire broke at the unprotected junction between lapel mike and connector wires. Next I learned a few things about operating the phone itself. Charge the battery before use. Pull out the antenna. Turn the power on. Check the battery charge indicator. Check the signal reception indicator. Key in a phone number with the area code. Press "Send" and the phone rings like a normal phone. When finished, press "End" . Turn off the power unless I want to make another call. It took me awhile to realize that my phone would not ring unless I left the power on. That realization prompted me to purchase a cigarette lighter charger in case I needed to charge the battery during a trip. That charger is one of the many, many accessories one can purchase for a cell phone.

Then I discovered that I could not pick up a signal from my home in Port Townsend. Because it is a tourist destination featuring turn-of-the century buildings, the town is very concerned about visual blemishes like
wireless transmission towers. No matter. I didn't get it for home use and everywhere else the little screen on the phone showed good reception.

I made my first call on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. A painfully loud, horribly distorted voice on the other end made me jump. "Wait" I said to my husband, the source of this wretched voice. I turned my processor
sensitivity to the lowest setting (near 1 on the N-22), adjusted the volume control on the cell phone and suddenly I heard a very clear voice - the clearest voice of any of my phones - wow!

Service rates come in several plans and are complicated. I purchased a 45-minute-a-month plan, the least expensive choice. The one-time activation fee was $40. Monthly charges for the plan are $29.99 per month (plus $4.07 in taxes, surcharges and regulatory fees). There are additional charges if I exceed 45 minutes or make calls outside my home service area in the Northwest Network Roaming Area or, more distant and even more expensive, in the North American Cellular Network. There can also be "long distance" charges for certain calls within my home service area (I am still not sure what triggers a "long distance" call).

To receive a catalogue or find out about Audex products, call 1-800-237-0716, or check their website (http://www.audex.com). I recently called the Audex representative to ask about digital phones. She told me Audex is working to modify one and hopes to have it available in late
winter, 2000.

[Editor’s note: If you are using a cell phone regularly we want to hear from you. Be certain to inform us if it is digital or analog, what type patch cord you use as well as the type of implant you have.]

By Wendy Russell, M.A. CCC-A

[Editor’s note: Following is a quote from a letter I received from Bev Fish, President of the CICI board]

“As this holiday season approaches, we want to extend our best wishes and say “thank you” for your Support of Cochlear Implant Association, Inc., formerly known as CICI. It has been a busy and productive year for our organization and we are beginning a new millennium with much enthusiasm. As part of our development, we are proud to introduce our new name. In the next few months, our letterhead, brochures, and other materials will introduce the recently adopted name. The Board of Directors deemed the change necessary in order to more accurately present who we are and, in particular, to position ourselves better for additional outside funding. For example, we were advised by fundraisers that the use of the word “club” is being interpreted as “private and wealthy” and actually discourages consideration for grant awards.

“Another change is the restructuring of the membership dues. Effective January 1, 2000, there will be only two types of membership; individual and professional/organization. The dues for individual will be $25 and for professional/organization will be $60. Also, we no longer offer multiple-year options. Those members who have a previously joined or renewed for multiple years will not be billed until their current membership is due for renewal.

“A number of successful activities took place in 1999. In July, our Association conducted a very successful biennial convention in Manhattan Beach, California. The Los Angeles Funshine and Orange County Chapters hosted the event and extended southern Californian hospitality to over 800 attendees. We are in the process of preparing for the next convention to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 13-16, 2001, at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel. Plan now to be there!

“We became more visible and recognized this year because of articles appearing in numerous national newspapers and magazines. All listed CICI

as an informational source on cochlear implants causing the calls to pour in. Among those that brought the greatest response were the articles in TV Guide, Star magazine, and Good Housekeeping. Many of the calls indicated that there are still an awful lot of people out there who do not know about the availability and benefits of the cochlear implant.

“Our fledging website attracted a great deal of interest this year with as many as 78,748 people visiting our site over a six-month period. Unfortunately, we have neither the personnel nor money to keep the site as updated and informative as needed. In spite of our limited resources, our site appears to help many people learn about cochlear implants and find additional information. We believe the site has a great deal of potential in the future if we can continue to develop and expand it.

“Our popular publication, CONTACT, continues to receive many compliments. It serves as a necessary, yet enjoyable education offering of our association. Since we are unable to afford office editorial staff, it is still developed by unpaid volunteers form their homes. However the volunteers often feel the pressure off deadlines, all the while juggling their own workload and family lives. We are very grateful to them for their generous contribution to the work of our organization.”

[Editor's comments: If you are not member of the National Cochlear Implant Association, you can join by sending them a check for $25. Send it to: Cochlear Implant Association, 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440. Washington, DC 20015-2034. You will receive their Journal CONTACT four times a year. You do not need to belong to Cochlear Implant Association to receive this newsletter. Cochlear Implant Association and the Pacific Northwest Cochlear Implant Association are two separate functions and being a member in one does not automatically give you membership in the other. Note we have also dropped “Club” and are now “Association.”