Running With Bilateral Cochlear Implants: Tanja’s Hearing Journey

Hi, I’m Tanja, and I live in Austria with my husband and two children. I work in the medical field. My hobbies include everything related to nature, especially running, hiking, and climbing. I have bilateral cochlear implants and use two RONDO 3s which greatly enrich my life.

Unknown Cause of Hearing Loss

Ten years ago, shortly after my daughter was born, I suddenly lost my hearing temporarily. This happened several more times throughout the following half a year, and shortly after that, I received the diagnosis of “profound bilateral near deafness.” My hearing loss is likely congenital, but the doctors haven’t been able to find any definitive cause for it.

Support in Difficult Times

Not being able to hear was extremely difficult and challenging for me. It took nine months for me to receive the correct diagnosis and the proper treatment. During this time, my husband, mom, and brother supported me greatly. I spent a lot of time in the hospital, and I dealt with dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and tinnitus daily. I withdrew socially and avoided conversations as much as possible since I could hear almost nothing and couldn’t understand anything. I didn’t process my situation until much later—I was basically just getting by.

MED-EL’s Hearing Solutions

In 2014, I received my implant for my right ear, and one year later, I got my second implant for my left ear. The fact that the implants are made in Austria gave me a sense of security. At first, I had SONNET audio processors on both sides. Since my upgrade, I’ve been wearing RONDO 3 audio processors on both sides. I like the feeling of having nothing on my ears. RONDO 3 is also very simple to use. With my audio processors, everything sounds very natural. I especially enjoy the chirping of crickets and the sound of water.

Support From Streaming Devices

I like using streaming devices to make hearing with my CIs easier. In the beginning, I used the Neckloop, so nothing got in the way of me listening to music while I was running. I would also recommend AudioLink. This universal connectivity device is very handy for making phone calls since you don’t have to constantly hold your phone up to your ear—speech and music are streamed directly to your audio processors.

Speedy Rehabilitation With Cochlear Implants

For me, rehabilitation went quite fast. After four fittings, I could hear like I had before I’d lost my hearing—actually, a lot better than before. I was lucky that the time between losing my hearing and being implanted was very short. As soon as my CIs were activated, I started going to my speech therapist regularly to train my hearing. At home, my husband read words aloud to me—without me reading his lips. And on top of that, daily life with two young children was the best hearing training.

Running and Keeping My Audio Processors Protected

I’ve always loved running, but I wasn’t able to do so anymore when I lost my hearing. After my second CI surgery, I got back my directional hearing, and that provided me with the safety I needed to start running again. Since then, I even participated in the Vienna City Marathon.

Life-Changing Cochlear Implants

My quality of life has increased so much since I got my cochlear implants. I can be around people again, follow conversations, enjoy music, go to events, and even hear sounds that I’d never heard before in my life. Thanks to my CIs, I can do my job without any issues. And one thing that’s very important to me is directional hearing, which provides me with a lot of security in my daily life.

My Advice for Others

My advice for other people with hearing loss is to inform yourself about the type of hearing loss you have and the available hearing solutions. Accepting help, especially from ENTs and speech therapists, is also very important. And you should also always get a second opinion. Thanks, Tanja!