I have had a tough couple of weeks with my first pregnancy, miscarriage and D & C. I'm better and hopeful that the next pregnancy, whenever we're blessed again, will be a successful one. But, in the middle of it all, I have fallen in love... with my new Phonak iCom and TVLink. $300 and a little gizmo later and I am full of energy I hardly remember having since my hearing loss took a nosedive.
The iCom and I had a short rendezvous with a FM transmitter in grad school. I wasn't a massive fan of the FM transmitter in those brief few weeks. It really only helped in the classroom but any dynamic situations led to some serious sensory overload. I think my good hearing for in low frequencies in both ears and mids in the left made it just too loud. I did love the iCom, however, when I linked it with my loaned Exelias and my smartphone for hands-free phone calls in the car.
Every time I was without great hearing aids before grad school and using the speakerphone behind the wheel, I struggled to hear and was always fearful of getting pulled over by the cops for breaking the hands-free law. I returned to that frustration when I returned my loaner aids and went back to my own obsolete aids. As soon as I got my Exelias with the bluetooth capability from Voc Rehab, I dreamily hoped to return to easy hands-free calls but worried about the expense. Thankfully, my hubby, whose continued support and patience warms my heart and boggles my mind, recognized how important an iCom would be to my sanity and safety. My audiologist gave me a great deal on the iCom and the TVLink combo and I placed my order.
Now, I think I've fallen more in love with the TVLink than the iCom phone option. The little charging station for the iCom doubles as a wireless link for easy TV viewership when I plug it into either TV in my home. I can now miraculously hear every word on the TV through a signal sent directly to my aids. I can even have the TV on mute and hear the TV through my aids... perfect for late night or early morning viewing!
I am a different person with even more boosted energy than I had once I got properly aided. This little device was the missing link between me and effortless hearing. I feel like I have been released from the loose grips of my hearing loss... I am hardly if ever limited by what I can't hear. Of course, I still occasionally miss something my hearing friends and family might hear but it's not nearly as frustrating to communicate. I don't feel like I am being held back or holding back others in almost all day-to-day situations. The future looks bright!
Here's info on the Phonak iCom and TVLink I am gushing about:
http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/products/accessories/communication/icom/overview.html
