Duncan91裸聊视频檚 Alan Holt holds the distinction of being one of the first patients ever to participate in the first remote cochlear implant (CI) mapping program for adults in British Columbia.
The project, a partnership between Providence Health Care and others, including Island Health, is being offered to patients so they don91裸聊视频檛 have to travel for their appointments.
Cochlear implant patients from Vancouver Island normally have to go to St. Paul91裸聊视频檚 Hospital in Vancouver since it is the BC/Yukon centre for CI surgery and follow-up services such as annual mapping.
The remote clinic allows them to stay closer to home.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a new thing they were trying out. Normally I would go to Vancouver and you know what that entails,91裸聊视频� Holt said. 91裸聊视频淭hey phoned me up because I postponed my mapping for my cochlear and the reason I did it was COVID-19. So they phoned me and said they have this experimental clinic in Victoria. I was all for it.91裸聊视频�
Instead of what could be a 12-hour day to get to the hospital in Vancouver, Holt had a quick trip to Victoria91裸聊视频檚 Royal Jubilee Hospital.
The project was clearly still in its infancy, and was pushed to begin early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
91裸聊视频淭hey emailed me where to go. There was no reception. I was just to follow the instructions they gave me. They even gave me a shot of the door I was supposed to go in,91裸聊视频� Holt noted. 91裸聊视频淚t was pretty good. I went in and as soon as the door closed, the computer came on, and my technician, the audiologist that does the work, she greeted me and so we did a conference that way and then she directed me how to put the cable into my cochlear and I put that on and we did the testing.91裸聊视频�
The process at the hospital in Victoria took about an hour and a half 91裸聊视频� about the same as if he were at the Vancouver hospital in person.
91裸聊视频淓verything went easy peasy,91裸聊视频� Holt said. 91裸聊视频淚t was really good. It91裸聊视频檚 really good for the people on the Island. We have, I think it91裸聊视频檚 in the region of 170 to 180 who live on the Island, with cochlears and it91裸聊视频檚 a real hassle going to Vancouver compared to just going down to Victoria.
91裸聊视频淚n years to come, if this goes through well and good, then it will expand and they91裸聊视频檒l do it maybe to Nanaimo General or something like that, or Duncan. Really you don91裸聊视频檛 need an audiologist over here. It was really good. I was very pleased with it.91裸聊视频�
Admittedly not one for technology, Holt loves his implant.
91裸聊视频淗aving seen this, and the benefits for the people that have cochlears, I think it91裸聊视频檚 going to be very good in the future,91裸聊视频� he said, noting he will have to return to Vancouver every three years for a hardware check.
91裸聊视频淭hat was the stipulation they stated,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭he audiologist will have to do a check on the cochlear.91裸聊视频�
For Holt, his cochlear implant enhances his feeling of safety.
91裸聊视频淢y hearing deteriorated quite rapidly,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淏ut with a cochlear I can be in a conversation. I was always hesitant to ride my bike because I couldn91裸聊视频檛 hear vehicles coming up behind me. Same thing with where I lived, there were no sidewalks, and I couldn91裸聊视频檛 hear anybody coming up to me in a vehicle.91裸聊视频�
Another bonus of the cochlear implant?
91裸聊视频淚 get to hear my grandkids now,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 get to hear birds. It gives a sense of well-being. It really lifts your spirits when you can hear again.91裸聊视频�
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