#invisible cochlear implant

[roybrsblog]

✨Cochlear Implant Surgery ☎️ +1863(784)5002 Appointment

A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin (see figure). An implant has the following parts Contact Us +1(863) 784 5002

A microphone, which picks up sound from the environment , A speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone , A transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses , An electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve , An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech Cochlear implant surgery is fairly routine and typically performed under general anesthesia. The surgeon will make a small incision behind the ear and sometimes a small area of hair may be shaved away from the incision site Message us  +1(863) 784 5002

The implant is then placed under the skin and the electrode is inserted into the inner ear. The surgical team will perform tests to measure your response to the implant. The incision will be closed, often with disposable stitches, so there may be no stitches to remove later.

Generally after surgery, you or your loved one will be taken to the recovery area until the anesthesia has worn off. This may take a few hours. As it wears off, there may be a little pressure or discomfort around the implant area. Once your medical team is happy with the progress, you will be able to go home.

A bandage will likely be wrapped around the head to protect the incision site. Instructions will be given on how to care for the bandage and when to remove it. It is possible to get back to normal activities a few days after the surgery, but you will need to take extra care of the implant area.

Your doctor will let you know when the implant can be activated and paired with a typically three to four weeks after surgery.

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted prosthetic device that can improve your hearing. These devices are best suited for people with significant hearing loss in one or both ears who find it difficult to communicate, even with hearing aids. Almost all cochlear implant recipients enjoy significant long-term improvements in both their hearing and their ability to communicate, with minimal -- if any – complications , Contact  us  +1(863) 784 5002

[mineonmain]

as @lurkingshan said earlier today, "Get bent, Maya"

I haven't been this pressed about a fictional character (antagonist???? she is one to me now!!) in a hot minute. Before I get into her in this ep, I wanna preface by saying that I do have the actual manga, but I wanted to finish watching the show before I went and read the manga for comparison, so that i'm going into this with basically an open mind. So I have no idea how this compares to the manga version of her.

Also if it wasn't clear, Spoilers for I Hear The Sunspot ep 7. Okay.

So it's the start of a new academic year, and we're introduced to freshman Maya, who is a Science major, is also Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and is Kohei's new tutee in the university as a result of having a mutual friend. That is the extent of what we know about her. Other than Kohei being her tutor and maybe a pseudo mentor/companion who can understand and appreciate her disability, they have absolutely no connection. They are not childhood friends or family.

Which begs the question, why on gods green earth is she so invested in what Kohei does or doesn't do, and who he is or isn't with???

Lady, he doesn't know you. He doesn't owe you anything, because you objectively mean nothing to him. So you've grown up with a really severe and isolating disability, I get it. But that's not a good enough reason to become so bitter that you decide to become judge jury executioner on every (visibly) abled person's morals. (Which is so incredibly telling, judging people on how visibly disabled they look or act, when you have a disability that is fairly invisible, unless you can see hearing aids or a cochlear implant or something like that. Interesting how that works, huh.) (Having a disability doesn't give you a free pass to be an asshole.)

Maybe, just maybe, you're allowed to act like that based on how people act towards you. But what gives you the right to walk up to the friend of a friend (??) that you absolutely know nothing about, and mete out judgement? To decide how that person is allowed to interact with someone else, a someone else that you have no claim or authority over?

Oh, but god forbid that Kohei have a friend who doesn't treat him like a social leper, who doesn't have every interaction of theirs revolve around Kohei's deafness, who for once makes him feel included and normal.

Kohei is a grown ass man, who can make his own decisions, including his own mistakes. Who are you to suddenly come into his life and make decisions for him without his involvement, consent, or approval? And who says that any person who is friends with someone with a disability has to be physically and morally perfect?

How dare you?

If I were to sum up my biggest issues with Maya, it is in the way she talks. It's entirely indicative and reflective of how she views and interacts with society. One of the first things that Kohei tells Taichi is that he is able to understand what someone else is saying if they speak slowly, partially by listening and partially by lip reading. it's a small accommodation that we even see Taichi's friends making for Kohei. That means that when anyone talks they should talk clearly, and slowly, and try to enunciate their words properly. If we look at the way Maya talks, she barely opens her mouth at all. If I didn't know any better i'd have thought it was ADR. Given she is someone who has lived with the same sort of disability that Kohei has, she would require similar accessibility needs. And yet, while she expects the world around her to accommodate her needs, she doesn't accommodate for the world. She expects people to speak in a way that she can understand, but she won't do the same.

I'm assuming that the narrative point of Maya criticising Taichi right now is so that we get to see him go on a growth journey, where he'll become more passionate and dedicated about learning note-taking and even maybe signing (and advocating for the deaf community as an ally), and not just be a passive friend who seemingly 'takes advantage' of Kohei, and in the process become the person that Kohei truly needs, and not the person Taichi thinks is good enough.

But here's the thing. I don't care if Taichi has any growth or not. I don't care if he changes or doesn't change to maintain his friendship and relationship with Kohei. I don't care if he tries to become someone that Maya (and Kohei) can approve of.

Because Kohei already likes him the way he is.

And it's none of Maya's goddamn business. Get bent

[fictionwriterthingss]

So you want to write a deaf/HoH character

Photo © Durgesh Kumar, all rights reserved

Admittedly, this isn’t something I’ve done myself. I’ve never written a deaf or hard of hearing character, but I’ve had people ask in a Discord server I’m in “hey, does anyone have any resources on how to write a character that is deaf or hard of hearing?” and I took the chance to find some resources for them – ones that turned out to be pretty valuable, and that I want to share here. 

I love when people include disabilities in their writing, whether visible or invisible. To me, it makes the characters feel more alive and adds another layer of depth to who they are as a person, even though they’re… not real. Adding that aspect to characters gives something for a group of readers to relate to, and can help them feel seen where they might not be seen otherwise. 

It can be difficult to write about a disability that you yourself have never experienced, and with the fact that you haven’t experienced said disability is something that can lead to stigmas and stereotypes that aren’t necessarily accurate, especially if you’ve only viewed what outside media has shown you, or what you’ve observed in public settings. Research is so important for topics like this, especially to find resources from people who do experience it on a daily basis, whether it’s something that has developed over time, or something that they were born with.

Without further ado, the resources I’ve discovered.

https://www.tfrohock.com/blog/2016/9/12/writing-deaf-characters - this blog by T. Frohock is very to the point. She begins by saying she doesn’t normally write “how-to’s”, but this one is an exception, and works to provide her own experiences, open about the fact she uses a cochlear implant to hear those around her – or not hear, if she chooses to “turn you off” in her “about” on her blog. She gives a short overview of types of hearing loss, and communication, and also recommends reaching out to an audiologist to learn more about the types of hearing loss. She also gives two links to .org websites if you’re looking for sources. She’s also written two companion pieces to this initial post. The first one is for hearing authors, and the second is about sensitivity readers. I’ve linked both of these in this section, so check them out as well if you’d like a more in-depth look at T. Frohock’s advice.

https://www.sfwa.org/2021/03/23/how-to-write-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing-characters/ - this post by Melanie Ashford on the sfwa website gives a good guide on how to approach deaf/hoh characters. Melanie herself is a hard of hearing author, so her advice is profound and solid, as she is a primary source on how to approach writing these characters. She makes a point in her introduction to say she’s been using hearing aids for 4 years (at the time of posting the article in 2021) and reminds the reader that everyone experiences hearing loss differently, and has different feelings about auditory assistance devices, such as the cochlear implants and how many people in the Deaf community believe them to be controversial and unwanted. She references the social stigma surrounding the Deaf community, and also reminds the reader that deaf characters should be just as well rounded as hearing ones. Though her article isn’t in depth, it’s a great guideline to follow.

https://www.tumblr.com/concerningwolves/168567651639/writing-deaf-characters-speech-is-speech - tumblr user concerningwolves posted this in 2017, and with more than 19,000 likes and nearly 14,000 reblogs, it’s a valuable resource for those who want to write HoH characters. Though a tad aggressive, concerningwolves makes it a point to be, well, to the point and separates their post into two separate posts. I’ve yet to find the second one, and honestly, digging through 7 years of blog posts to find the second one is a little overwhelming, but even this one post is a goldmine of do’s and don’t’s for this particular community.

https://deafaq.tumblr.com/post/190549529559/comprehensive-guide-to-writing-deaf-characters - deafaq on tumblr has a comprehensive guide to writing deaf/HoH characters. This blog in itself is not meant to be for writing help, but they had gotten enough questions about it to make this post back in 2020. Compared to concerningwolves’s tumblr post, this one has less than 2,000 likes but is still full of good and valuable information for the reader.

[leebrontide]

Secondhand Origin Stories, Chapter 1

I'm posting a chapter a week till we're done, as I prepare book 2 in the series for release!

For details about the book, an index of chapters, and content warnings check out the information post!

Chapter 1

Opal shifted in the hard plastic chair in the humid, cinderblock room, leaning to peer past the scratched riot glass to the door beyond. Two half-cubicles down, a woman was arguing with her husband through the g1lass, tears on her face. Opal was pretty sure she’d passed the woman here a few times before. Most of the inmates at this facility were in for the long haul. A lot of them were altereds from the same line as her dad. You got to recognize the people that actually kept up their visits, for as far as the prison was from the city.

The door opened, and Opal leaned a little further forward, forehead to the glass. She grinned. Maybe it was a little forced, but she always had to show him she was at least OK enough to fake it. This visit more than ever. She let her dark skin light up with the flitting little pink bioluminescent lights he’d recognize as a good mood, but waited until he was close enough that she wouldn’t have to yell before she actually used words. The guards didn’t like it when they used ASL, but his cochlear implant was ancient by now, and fritzed out a lot. “Hi, daddy.” 

She was 18. Too old to call him ‘daddy,’ really, and she would’ve looked weird to anyone watching. Opal was dense and well-muscled. She looked like some kind of hardcore weightlifter. Not someone who called her father ‘daddy,’ collected pretty stationary, and liked reading romances from the 1700s. But as long as they kept their voices low and conversational, and avoided gestures, nobody cared what they were saying. Everyone here was used to Nick Flynn, his bio-lights like the briefest flares of stars against the almost midnight black of his skin. Most of the Detroit line altereds had bioluminescence, which meant a lot of the inmates had it. Opal, with her wide-set black eyes, squared jaw, and high cheekbones, could not have been any more obviously his daughter.

He offered her a bright smile, not quite as forced as hers. “There’s my graduate! How’s it feel?” The smile dimmed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t--”

“Quit it,” she interrupted. She didn’t like to disrespect him by interrupting, but it turned her stomach every time he apologized for not being at home where he wanted to be. She didn’t want to be the reason he regretted what he’d done to end up here. She tried to lighten the mood. “Anyways, I’m bringing the experience to you.”

He raised his eyebrows. She wasn’t allowed to bring her phone or any electronics in with her, so she couldn’t show him the low-res video of her particular dot among the 2,000 other dots in a line getting their pieces of paper. But she was allowed to bring in a clear plastic backpack, sold especially for prison visits. She unzipped it, pulling out the slightly dented mortarboard hat she’d retrieved off the grass after she returned her own graduation hat to the rental place. His grin lit back up as she put it on her head and paused to pose, showing it off. “I have brought you your very own recent-history reenactment.”

He slow-clapped, leaning back in his chair, a faint hint of pink flitting across his features. 

“First, we sat through two hours of speeches.” She leaned back suddenly in her chair, staring up at the ceiling as if boredom could actually kill her. The hat almost fell off. She sat back up. “Then they started calling names.” She pretended to be excited for a second, then drooped back again, slower this time. “Then, the big highlight of the day--” She schooled her expression into polite, attentive interest, turning to the side as if there was actually someone there. She mimed taking the diploma before recreating the fast, sweaty handshake she’d gotten. She nodded a thanks at the invisible principal, then looked back at her dad, sitting back in her chair again. “And that was the big, exciting day.”

“You forgot throwing your hat,” he pointed out. 

She shook her head, taking the rumpled thing off. “Hat-throwing was punishable by fines and being ejected from the ceremony. Can’t have anyone losing an eye to this terrifying weapon.”

He looked dismayed. “You serious?”

She smiled ruefully, nodding. 2,154 students graduating. Apparently that was too much hat chaos for the school’s higher-ups. He sighed in aggravation. “That’s bullshit.”

She laughed.  “Well, you can write them a nasty letter.”

“Think I’ll wait ’till after your sister graduates to piss them off.”

“She and Aunt Tessa will be out next weekend.”

“Why didn’t you just wait and come out with them?”

Her gut did a little flip, and she licked her lips. She didn’t let the nervous violet lights flare up around her temple like they wanted to. But he knew the tell, and sat up straighter. “I got a bunch of money from Grandma and everybody at my graduation party. I priced it out. With what I already saved, I’ve got enough for a bus to Chicago, plus living expenses for two months, and a bus home, if I need it.”

His eyes snapped shut, and he stopped breathing for a second. She held her breath with him. They’d both known this was coming. She’d just expected it to take longer. Dim purples and yellows, almost invisible under his skin, shimmered anxiously, but disappeared as he exhaled. He didn’t have the kind of deliberate control over the lights that Opal and her sister did. When he opened his eyes, he nodded. “OK. Bigger day than I thought, then.”

She didn’t know what to say. “Yep.”

He nodded again, eyes slipping off to the side. He wouldn’t look down in front of her. He looked back at her. “You remember, baby. If they don’t take you, that’s on them. Not you. Don’t go taking any stupid risks to impress them. They aren’t worth that.”

“You are.”

This time his smile was tight. “Forget that. I’m a man. I can make do on my own.”

It was an old argument, but she was sucked into it, the same as ever. “You shouldn’t have to.” She didn’t raise her voice. She’d learned that lesson a long time ago.

He scowled, shifting uncomfortably. “Don’t start. You do this for you if you’re gonna do it. Nobody else.”

“Tch. Pretty bad superhero if I do it for myself.”

“Well, don’t do it for me.”

“I’ll do it because I can,” she said. She’d dreamed of being a superhero her whole life. It’d just taken on a different urgency after her daddy was arrested. 

“Gonna be a while before I see you, then.”

“I included the phone charges in my budget. You can call me whenever.” It was harder to fake being cheerful now. She didn’t really want to. “If it goes good, I’ll have money to visit before too long.”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything. For all either of them knew, it’d be years before she saw him again. And email wasn’t allowed at this facility anymore. Phone calls were an inconsistent “privilege.” She changed the subject. “Gonna miss you.”

“Miss you too. But I’m proud of you. Do your best, baby.”

She bit her lip, and made herself smile, even if she knew he could see tears in her eyes. 

She’d save lives, use the abilities she’d inherited from him for good, and use the fame and respect from her position to do something about the conditions for people like her daddy. There were too many of them.

Opal was going to be a superhero.

* * *

Issac woke up with a crick in his neck and corduroy stripes imprinted onto his face, as the saxophone wail he’d trained himself to wake up to blared from his phone. He didn’t answer it-- didn’t need to. Martin was listening. He rubbed his face, squinting in the daylight he could have sworn wasn’t there a second ago. “Wh-- shit. What time is it?”

Martin didn’t need sleep. Which made him even more of an obnoxiously chipper morning person than Yael. “Almost breakfast time.”

“You let me sleep for two hours?”

“Why not? Your essays and applications were already sent. The work on the nanites can wait.”

The trashier gossip blogs called Issac a “super-genius.” Which was inaccurate. As the kid of an altered, his genes had been scanned before birth. Just like his biological sister, his genes were totally unaffected by the procedure that turned his dad into LodeStar: Leader of the Sentinels. 

Those gossipy blogs almost never even mentioned that his mom had a doctorate in biomedicine and an MBA. Issac knew who he took after. Dad might be the leader of the Sentinels, but Mom and Aunt Jenna had built the super-powered cybernetic limbs that had brought LodeStar to the next level. Had given him flight, and kept him in the field longer than any other superhero.

And now Issac was going to follow in their footsteps. The nanites he was making would be the game-changer for brain injury treatment. The ability to repair damaged neurons according to pre-made programs. They weren’t quite ready yet-- his micro-fabricator sat silent on Jenna’s dining room table-- but they were well on their way.

Issac did deserve to get some sleep. It’d be good for his brain.

He rolled over, trusting the amped-up microphone on his phone to pick up his voice, even half-smothered against the back of the couch. That was the only way Martin could hear him in here-- Jenna’s old apartment was a dead zone for the speakers and microphones Martin used for communication everywhere else in the family home. “Tell Mom I’m not coming to breakfast.”

“I’m sure that’ll go over well,” Martin answered from Issac’s phone. Why had Issac taught him sarcasm?

“She’s the one who told me to get my college application essay done ASAP!” he argued, flinging one arm out in a gesture exhaustion turned into a limp flail. His knuckle brushed crinkled paper shoved under the couch. He ignored it. He was used to ignoring all the little leftover reminders of why Jenna’s apartment was empty.

“About that--”

Issac opened his eyes, glaring into deep blue corduroy. “Don’t even start. You already sent them out. Spare me the lecture about ‘inappropriate subject matter.’ It’s too late.” 

As a synthetic intelligence with zero biological components, Martin didn’t have lungs. But that didn’t keep him from sighing. Issac interrupted Martin’s lecture before he even got going. They’d been over this the night before. And the day before that. Issac sat up, rubbing feeling back into an arm that seemed even less happy about being awake than he was. “We’re about to revolutionize like five fields of medicine and micro-robotics, Martin. If you think I’m going to just not mention that to colleges--”

Martin interrupted right back. “I was going to tell you there’s been a miscommunication. Your father’s voiced plans to join you this morning for breakfast, to help you with the essay. It seems your mother didn’t intend for you to stay up all night finishing them, and then send them off without either of your parents looking them over.”

Issac blinked, then lay back down, and moaned his objection into a throw pillow. It wasn’t like Issac hated his dad. He wouldn’t keep his little display case of LodeStar action figures in his room if he hated the guy. It was just that Issac was stubborn and brilliant, and his dad was pigheaded and bossy. Pigheaded and bossy were fine traits for the leader of the oldest and most respected superhero team in the US, but it made for a lot of lecturing for anyone caught in a subordinate role like “son.”

“Four more months,” Issac reminded himself. He took a deep breath. “Just four months, then I’m getting the hell out of Dodge.” He gave in. Swung his legs off the couch with resignation. Mom had given up on banning him from all-nighters, but he was expected to show up at breakfast, come hell or high water. And he couldn’t be caught leaving his aunt’s supposedly empty old apartment. He could only get away with using this place at all because Martin was the building’s security system, and Issac had talked him into it.

Issac ran his fingers through his sleep-tangled mass of brown curls. He’d better get home before Mom asked where he was. Martin couldn’t lie. He could obfuscate with the best of them, but he couldn’t lie.

Issac didn’t know what would happen to Martin when Issac left for college. Issac was the only one who realized what Martin was-- not just an advanced, learning security system, but a genuine synthetic intelligence, the most sentient and complete in the world. Kept secret only because Issac could lie, and because Martin had pleaded with him not to tell anyone what he really was-- a person. Jenna had been gone by the time Issac had figured it out. And Martin hadn’t really been... this... before then.

Issac got up to wash the coffee mug he kept in here, unplugging the flash drive that held his data and shoving it in his pocket. He used Jenna’s old apartment as a refuge, but he touched as little as possible, and never left a mess. 

“Aren’t you going to be lonely when I leave?” Issac knew Martin’s code better than anyone but Martin himself, at this point. Martin was programed to be interested in, and invested in, people. In the eight years since his first activation, that imperative had grown into real social impulses. He sent Issac interesting articles and funny memes throughout the day, dropping them into his email when Issac was occupied or accompanied.

Since Martin’s substantial electronic “brain” lived in the central column of the Sentinel Plaza, and what passed for his “body” was 24 stories tall, Issac was pretty sure Martin would find it hard to attend classes or keggers. Issac’s research partner wasn’t coming with him.

“I can acquire phone lines. I’ll call you.”

Issac tried to lighten the mood. “What, are you afraid my dad will try to adopt you, and you’ll be stuck with his little speeches forever? You’re only eight, Martin,” he chided, wagging a finger. “You should have proper parental supervision.”

The joke fell flat, as he reminded them both that Jenna, who’d originally made Martin, wasn’t here to take care of him like she should have been. Issac set the mug down and headed back to the couch, but Martin’s tone was musing, not hurt. “You know, I’ve been thinking about that. If we conceptualize Jenna as my mother…Then really, as the other person who ‘raised’ me--” Issac stopped dead, not liking where this was going. “You could be reasonably be described as my father.”

No. Nope. There was so much wrong with that. Like how he considered Jenna a mentor, nearly a parent, and did not have a kid with her. Like how Issac was all of 10 when Martin was activated. Like how Issac didn’t want to be described as a teen father, even if the “kid” was a 24-story supercomputer with a smart mouth and an impressively nuanced understanding of neuroplasticity. 

Like how Issac was leaving, and if Martin was his son, what did that make Issac for going?

Damn it, he was operating on two hours of sleep and hadn’t had his morning coffee yet. He was not up to dealing with this. He tried to settle his breathing, glad that from here, Martin couldn’t detect Issac’s suddenly soaring blood pressure. “Don’t get mushy on me, twerp. You’ll fry your circuits with that sap.”

He grabbed his phone and headed out the door, back into the central courtyard, where Martin couldn’t answer him without being overheard. Issac wasn’t ready for that conversation.

* * *

Jamie poked her cereal unenthusiastically. Mom always poured her way, way too much. As if enough healthy cereal could make Jamie grow the way 16-year-olds were supposed to. Maybe make up for the growing her 15-year-old self had neglected. It was a hope Jamie theoretically shared, but she suspected any growing she had left to do was likely to disappoint.

Light streamed in through the bank of picture windows, glinting off a 24th story Chicago skyline, ricocheting off various gleaming marble and glass surfaces in her home, and poking her right in the eye. She squinted, tilting her head the other way, only to get a different ray bouncing off her dad’s bionic arm and into her other eye. Would it kill him to get some sleeves? She decided looking down at her cereal was her only safe option. 

He was 54 years old, fully old enough to have given up on tank tops. But, being age-stable, he looked like he was in his mid-20s, barely older than Issac. His curling brown hair hadn’t shown a single strand of gray that Jamie could see. He had proportions that bordered on ridiculous, with the top half of him forming a shape like a generous pizza slice with a head and arms. Granted, part of that build was due to the way his cybernetic arms mimicked body-builder arms, but that didn’t make Neil Voss look any less like a bizarrely stylized old-school comic book character.

Mom poured herself another coffee. Mom was elegant, if not exactly pretty-- tall and still slim at 56, with high cheekbones and perfectly manicured eyebrows. Jamie guessed she was considered reasonably good-looking for her age, but good-looking like a person, not like a cartoon. Mom had on a dove gray suit, heels that put her at or above the eye level of most men, and the graying version of Jamie’s fine strawberry blonde hair pulled up into a sleek ponytail. Her manicure and makeup were flawless, and carefully curated to be the classic versions of current trends.

Jamie had managed one of her brother’s old flannels over a baggy t-shirt, cargo pants, and ballet flats. She owned plenty of makeup, but she only wore it for special occasions, since she still couldn’t get close to applying it as well as her mom did, and there really wasn’t anyone here to notice or care. Her little kit was mostly an array of concealers in shades between paper-white and manila, and looked more like a filing cabinet than anything. She kept her hair short enough that she didn’t have to fuss with it much, but had at least tried to pick a cool-ish cut.  

Jamie eyed the coffee pot enviously as her dad poured himself another cup. Jamie was the only resident of the whole building whose place setting was never graced with a coffee mug. Just a couple caffeine-induced palpitations and everybody had to panic about it. “I bet I could work up to being able to drink coffee. I could start with mostly milk and a little coffee, and build up a tolerance.”

Mom raised an eyebrow. “You don’t even like coffee. You make faces every time I give you a sip of mine.”

Well, that was hardly the point. “Issac didn’t used to like coffee. Now he drinks like six cups a day,” Jamie pointed out.

Dad’s tone was so gentle, it felt brittle. “Issac doesn’t have the same sensitivities as you.” Jamie couldn’t get over the way he seemed to think he was breaking bad news to her every single time he brought up her health issues. As if, wow, gee, she hadn’t noticed any of them before now. 

Now that she thought about it, maybe Dad had been the main person fussing over her pulse the last time she’d tried coffee. He was probably at the heart of the conspiracy to deny her the caffeine the rest of the country ran on. 

She could almost swear he didn’t used to be like this. He didn’t used to treat her like a bundle of liabilities. He even used to say that Jamie was just like him. But it seemed like the older she got, the younger she looked to him.

Jamie went back to poking her cereal. Family breakfast was as close to a sacred ritual as her gentile mom got. Picking fights was absolutely not allowed. 

Mom handled the subject change for her. “Speaking of sensitivities, how are Talon’s girls doing? I heard Anna was in for chemo again.”

Jamie was content to switch topics. Altereds from every line-- every type of alteration-- were prone to strange, obscure health problems, since they had bodily systems normal people didn’t. Talon was on the Santa Fe superhero team. Like Dad, he had super-healing. Unlike Dad, he’d passed his superpowers on to his kids. 

Most of the other kids of superheroes had superpowers. And most of them were younger than Jamie-- young enough to think Jamie was cool just because she was a little older, even though she dressed bad, never went anywhere, and never did anything. Jamie moderated a little closed book-club forum for them, since a lot of them were as bored and isolated as Jamie was. None of them were allowed on social media. Most of them went to online schools. And a lot of them weren’t lucky enough to have siblings in their families’ bases. Jamie didn’t usually care about books for 12-year-olds, but it was a small, easy thing she could do for them. “I don’t think she even minds anymore. Last time she only stayed for about two weeks. She just saved up a few shows to marathon and finished the book club book early.” Jamie sincerely tried not to be envious of a sick 12-year-old. But Anna bounced back from cancer and chemotherapy faster than Jamie could shake a stomach flu. 

Mom and dad both shook their heads, frowning. Mom tapped her plum-colored nails on the white marble of the kitchen peninsula while dad tried to reorganize the universe by frowning, with superhuman strength, at his fork. “Thank G-d you and Issac are healthy.” 

Jamie heard that a lot. The assumption was that she herself would pick her current body over an altered version. She didn’t think anyone had ever actually asked her if she’d trade in generalized frailty for super strength, speed, endurance and healing, even if it came with greater risk of serious complications. She was pretty sure she’d get a lengthy lecture on thankfulness if she ever did answer a question like that out loud. She was expected to be grateful for her dubious good health. And since her wish to grow up to be a superhero had gone from cute to sad years ago, she’d learned to keep it to herself.

She’d tallied it all up, once. She’d put mom down as the responsible party for Jamie’s anemia, shellfish allergy, hellish periods, low blood pressure, absurd proneness to sunburn and freckling, overbite (now corrected), acne (sort-of now corrected) and nearsightedness (also now corrected). She’d placed the blame for the asthma, wussy stomach, mild scoliosis, low bone density, and susceptibility to gingivitis on Dad’s pre-alteration genes. Dad didn’t actually have to deal with any of those things anymore, though. Which was why Mom was now Jamie’s favorite. Whether that was fair or not.

Her brother Issac had gotten acne and a cross-bite. Science had saved him from the acne better than it had saved her, and could have saved him from the cross-bite if he wasn’t a baby about going to the freaking dentist.

Dad patted Jamie’s shoulder, light enough to be an insult to Jamie’s ability to sit upright on a stool. He didn’t look at her, though. These days, he always seemed to be looking over her head, instead of directly at her. As if it pained him to have to look so far down to see her. He addressed Mom. “So, Tillman, where are you hiding my other offspring? If he doesn’t show soon, he’s going to have to wait for me to get up before I help him with that essay.”

Mom made a face. They’d been divorced since Jamie was less than two years old, but they were a lot closer than most divorced couples. They sort of had to be, as neighbors living in the same high-security building. “Were you up all night again?” 

“Justice never sleeps,” Dad quipped back halfheartedly. He did look a little rumpled, and his eyes were bloodshot. A little strained, now that she looked closer. Which was odd enough to be interesting. They hadn’t had anything more than a two-day mission in months. Why should he be worn out enough for it to show? He’d seemed OK on TV yesterday, during that interview.

MARTIN interrupted. “Mr. Voss, Dr. Tillman. I have just received a direct communication from Secretary Bridgewater asking me to inform you that he intends to come to the residential floors of the Plaza shortly to speak with you and the other Sentinels.”

Jamie choked on her cereal. The head of the Altered Persons Bureau did not make house calls. Jamie didn’t think he’d ever even been to Sentinel Plaza, even though 20 of its 24 floors were APB offices. He worked out of the DC branch. Yael hadn’t ever even met him, and he was xyr uncle. He was like the Wizard of Oz-- invoked and referenced, but never seen. She managed not to drown in her breakfast and cleared her voice for action “Why?”

“He declined to provide that information,” MARTIN intoned.

“He wanted me to be there?” Mom clarified, glass halfway to her mouth.

“You were specifically requested, yes.” 

It was rudely last-minute, and Mom had a medical technologies conglomerate to run, so Jamie expected concern or irritation. She didn’t expect the amount of alarm on both her parents’ faces, or Dad’s furiously muttered “Shit,” as he started to get up. “MARTIN, tell Drew and Solomon to come over--”

This was the sort of chance Jamie had been waiting for. An opportunity to take a stand.

“I’ll get Issac!” Jamie volunteered, jumping off her bar stool. She knew what happened next. Something was happening, so she, Yael, and Issac would be shunted off to some obscure corner of the residential parts of the tower and told to stay put.

She bolted down the hallway, trusting that her parents’ interest in discussing this without her there would keep them from wondering why she was in such a hurry to get Issac. She’d get Yael, next. If she was going to turn this into an opportunity, she’d need backup, and fast. 

She banged her knuckles on Issac’s door hard enough that they stung. No answer, but the shower was off. “Issac!” she called through the door, banging it again. 

The door swung open on an damp and irritated older brother. His usual trendy outfit was marred by the way his ubiquitous headphones-- placed just behind his ears, but blaring jazz music-- made his wet hair stick up like the scruff on a poorly-manicured purse dog. He looked exhausted, which meant he looked cranky. “You look like crap,” Jamie commented.

Issac raised an eyebrow. “Thanks. Hi. What do you want? I’ll be at breakfast in a second.”

“Secretary Bridgewater is gonna be here ‘shortly.’ Here in the house levels.”

Issac frowned. “Yael’s uncle?” 

Jamie nodded. She could just about see the gears turning in Issac's head. “And he wanted to talk to Mom and the whole team, so you know it’s something important. He wouldn’t come all this way to talk about finances.”

Issac frowned. “He didn’t say why?” 

She shook her head. “But Mom. Which means finances, huge policy change, a threat to the tower, or--”

“Or one of us,” Issac finished. Jamie nodded. That was why they had to act fast. “Shit,” he muttered. “OK. Go…tell Yael or something.”

He moved to shut the door. She shoved her foot into the doorway-- and winced, as reclaimed wood connected with thin canvas shoe-- but it kept him from closing the door. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Issac! This just makes it even more important that we stick together. If this might be about us, we deserve to know what’s going on. And you know they’re going to try to shut us up in Dad’s apartment or something--”

He paused, curious but hesitant. “Yeah. They do that.”

Jamie warmed to the subject immediately. She hadn’t been sure Issac would hear her out, but she knew he hated information being kept away from him. And there was a lot of information being kept away from them. Like where, exactly, Jenna had gone. Like where their own dad was, when he’d sometimes disappear for a day or two without the team and without appearing on tv. Like how nobody would talk about Yael’s parentage, even though they all already knew! That last one was especially insulting. “So we should do something about it! Take a stand. Right?”

For a moment, she thought she’d lost him. She prepared herself for another hurried pitch, but there was an extra spark in his eyes that stopped her. She remembered it from the Great Hanukkah/Christmas Gift Investigation of 2026 and the Puppy-Smuggling Attempt of 2025, plus a few other illicit escapades the three of them had pulled off or attempted over the years. They were mostly too old for that kind of thing now. She didn’t need to know what her presents were ahead of time.

But this-- this was worth breaking rules for. Especially if it really was about them. He grinned at her. “All right, Jamie. Way to grow some balls.” Jamie gave him the expected eye roll at his grossness. He punched her arm, and graciously ignored her minor stagger. This time, his suggestion was part of their conspiracy, rather than a dismissal. “Go get Yael.”

Perfect. If Jamie and Issac were in on it, there was no way Yael would sit on the sidelines. Jamie grinned back at Issac, then ran off to complete their team.

* * *

Yael's fist connected with Papa’s face. Xe darted backwards, out of his range.  At near seven feet tall, xe had far superior reach compared to his six feet, five inches. But he was faster. Yael noticed too late that xe’d been focusing too much on his fists, and he’d snuck one of his legs behind xyr. A sweep and a shove, and Yael was flying backwards across the room.

Xe hit the ground in a controlled roll that only stung for a second, and was back up, fists ready, in one racing heartbeat. Dust motes swirled frantically in the morning light between them. Yael was relieved to see a grin on his face. Xe laughed at1717 xyr own mistake to distract him from the few spots of glossy gunmetal gray xe’d felt seep out of xyr skin the moment xe’d hit the ground. 

Sparring with the Sentinels was critical for xyr training. But sparring with Papa was sometimes more like a super-powered game of tag. It would stay fun, as long as he didn’t see those silvered spots. He’d learned to not freak out at xyr shape shifting, but any sign of xyr exoskeleton would grind the match to a halt, and he’d bolt.

But he hadn’t seen. For once, xe was thankful for the straight sheet of nearly black hair that xe usually resented for the way it looked nothing like Papa’s dark gold waves. Xe’d had it cut over and over again trying to make it fall even a little like his, but it wasn’t happening.

At least Yael's hair could cover for xyr occasional silver slip-up.

He laughed, because xe laughed. The booming sound echoed in the huge, empty training room. The others would just be getting up and having their breakfasts, but Yael and xyr papa had been awake for hours. Xe’d have to find Drew later and try to talk him into a match. At least with Drew, Yael had some chance of winning. It helped to balance the productive ass-kickings xe got from Papa.

Yael hurtled forward, but ran right into a solid, but not especially painful, punch to xyr kidney. That was a point in Papa’s favor, but he’d had to move in closer to do it, and xe threw a well-formed side kick at his stomach as he tried to get out of range. He was still too fast. But xyr foot at least grazed his shirt! It was close enough to a victory for Yael to crow a triumphant “Ha!”, bouncing on the balls of xyr feet.

Papa chuckled, shaking his head. His guard dropped to signal Teaching Mode. “That’s not a strategy, dove. When you’re fighting real enemies, I don’t want you getting hit just so they’ll get close enough for you to hit them. With reach like yours, there’s no excuse.”

Yael stayed in stance, but waved a padded hand airily, pretending that it was a plan and not a side effect of distraction. “No one heals faster or better than I do.” As far as superpowers went, xyr pedigree was unmatched in the US, and difficult to rival even on a global scale. Xe was the sole second-generation member of the Heavenly Rule line. And aside from xyr, there were only two first-generation members left alive. 

He rolled his eyes, but his smile didn’t falter. “Oh, what I’d give to be seventeen and convinced of my own immortality again. Try not to take too much after me, princess.”

Yael hated that xe still looked for ways xe took after him. Still looked for any similarity in their features, even though xe knew they wouldn’t be there. Xe understood why they were missing. He called xyr birthparents his siblings as a mark of love, not genetic relation. They were from the same alteration line and had grown up together, but weren’t any more biologically related than Yael was related to Drew, or Neil. Xe could mimic Papa’s features, if not his colors, and had, privately. But he knew xyr face. There was no point in pretending they looked more alike than they did. 

It was obvious that everyone living in Sentinel Plaza knew exactly who Yael got xyr genes from. Not that any of the adults would talk to xyr about it. They always told xyr to talk to Papa, and he avoided the subject with the kind of urgency he usually reserved for avoiding machine gun fire. 

Xe’d given up trying to force the issue. Was trying to be patient. But xyr taboo exoskeleton and its ability to manipulate temperature and make ice out of thin air was way too useful to ignore in a real fight. And xe was 17-- adulthood was right around the corner.

Of course, the marketing team would want to riff off those powers for xyr superhero name and costume. Yael had come up with several superhero brands for xyrself already. “Mercury” was xyr favorite this week, since it was associated with temperatures and a highly malleable form. Xe’d even sketched some costume designs. But Mercury was more of a light silver color, whereas the exoskeleton membrane was closer to hematite. And there was already a Hematite out west. 

MARTIN interrupted from overhead, and they both dropped their stances. “Excuse me. Secretary Nodiah Bridgewater is en route to the building and is expected to arrive ‘shortly’ to converse with the Sentinels and Dr. Tillman.”

Yael gaped at the ceiling. 

“What?” Papa croaked in a tone that ripped xyr attention from the ceiling to him. His expression was filled with an intense, intimate fear. His eyes flicked to xyr, giving him away. He only lingered on xyr for a moment, but Yael felt exposed to the spine as xe saw him catalog the gap where their family resemblance should be.

His voice snagged between apology and command. “Stay here.”

That hurt way more than any punch xe’d ever buckled under. In one instant, xe’d been assessed, and come up short. “I want to meet him!”

Nodiah Bridgewater was the only other surviving member of the Heavenly Rule line, Papa’s only remaining sibling, and one of the only living people who’d known Yael’s birthparents well.

He clearly expected the objection, but was pulling off his protective gear without looking at xyr. “Now’s not the time.”

“Not the--?! This is the first time in my life we’ve been in the same building together!”

“That should tell you this is serious, and I need to talk to him.”

“Then talk to him.That doesn’t mean that I can’t--”

“No, Yael.”

Xe reached xyr hands out entreatingly. “I won’t get in the way, I swear--” 

He gave xyr a stern glance, with some unknown fear bubbling under the surface. “Stay. Here.” 

He turned. His broad back made a psychological barrier as solid as if he’d bricked xyr in. As he reached the gym’s door back into the central corridor, he nearly ran over a panting, flush-faced Jamie. “Oh. Jamie. Good.” He looked back down the hallway. “Where’s your brother?” 

“He’s coming.”

Papa nodded, sidestepping Jamie’s tiny body as she slipped sideways into the room.  Yael’s hands clenched to fists, and xe headed after him, but Jamie was moving as purposefully as Papa was, and xe only got a few steps before bird-boned fingers stopped xyr in xyr tracks. Jamie looked up at xyr meaningfully. She didn’t say anything until they heard the elevator ding its closed-door signal.

Xe growled and turned on xyr heel, heading semi-obediently to a bench and stripping off xyr training gear. “Why’d you stop me? Do you know who’s coming?”

“I only stopped you for a second. Issac and I think we need to show a sort of…united front. The three of us.”

“To do what?” Nodiah. Right here in the building. One floor up, with Yael stuck down here. Xe forced xyrself to slow down, or xe’d shred the glove xe was trying to get off.

“To tell them we’re tired of them excluding us from everything! We think Bridgewater is here because of one of us-- I mean, probably you, but--”

Xe stopped. “Me?”

“And they’re still trying to keep you from knowing what’s going on.”

“You think he’s here to see me?”

“Well, it makes sense. You’ll be eighteen in October, and everybody knows you’re going to be a Sentinel. He is the head of the Bureau that handles that.” That did make sense. And Nodiah might see every adult in the tower as some kind of parent to Yael-- that was how he and Papa had been raised, after all. Yael’s mind jumped over everything xe’d done in the last year-- or, no-- in the last few years, that could impact xyr uncle’s impression of xyr. There were too many-- and xe had no idea which of them he knew about. Did he know about the childhood wall-wrecking tantrums? Did he know xe had defended Issac when they were kidnapped three years ago? Did he know how? 

Issac appeared, damp, disheveled, and with one shoe. “And that’s my eviction,” he proclaimed. He waved a slice of toast. “Cold toast. One slice. This is what she gave me.” He took a bite of it, continuing with his mouth full. “What kind of parent gives their teenager a single slice of cold toast for breakfast?”

Yael sighed, spiking a padded glove against the ground spitefully. “One who wants said teenager out from underfoot right away.”

“Pretty much,” Issac agreed. “So are we doing this, or what?”

Jamie piped up. “I think we should figure out quick what exactly we want to tell them--”

Issac interrupted dryly. “How about ‘this is bullshit’?”

Yael bounced xyr leg impatiently. “We don’t have time for a deep discussion. Who knows when he’s going to get here?” 

“MARTIN?” Issac prompted.

“He has pulled into the parking garage,” the system answered.

Yael's breath caught. If xe didn’t get permission now, xe’d end up looking like a kid throwing a tantrum when Papa told xyr ‘no’ again in front of Nodiah. No good. “Then we need to get moving.”

So Yael got moving. Issac followed with long strides, and Jamie scrambled. Xe took the small staircase that linked the three residential floors, taking the stairs four at a time. Xe wouldn’t usually make Jamie scramble, but the window here was so small--

They came out to the top floor through the unobtrusive door between Drew’s apartment and xyr own. The top floor’s central courtyard was large, well-lit, and filled with plants. Doors to each apartment made a pentagon around the courtyard, which had a column of elevators in the middle. Yael only saw Neil, walking across. He stopped, squaring his shoulders, raising his chin, and adopting the look of someone ready to have an argument he didn’t want to have. So Papa had warned him, already.

Xe reorganized xyr body. Slimmed xyr hips, squared xyr jaw, flattened xyr chest out, and even gave xyrself a little more length to xyr legs and spine. Twinges of pain flared all over xyr body at the sudden stretch, but it was worth it to meet Neil looking every bit as strong and immovable as he himself was.

Neil’s voice was even, trying stiffly to smooth things over. “Yael, we can talk about this later, right now--”

Issac cut in. “Right now, you want us out of the way.”

Neil tried again. “Until we know--”

Yael interrupted this time. “Until we know what? Whether or not he’s my uncle?”

Drew came around the elevators in the center of the room. He was the only one left on the team who could show his age. And right now, every year showed. “Yael, fuck’s sake. Now’s not the time for infighting.”

Drew was the most reasonable person on the whole team. He was the only one left who wasn’t actually and directly a parent. Yael always thought that made him a little easier to talk to. Xe turned to him. “I don’t want to fight. But he’s probably coming to talk about me. And I want to be there for that. He’s never even met me-- why can’t I be there?”

Jamie spoke up unexpectedly, her voice thin but a little too loud. “We all want to be there, if it’s going to be about one of us.”

Issac’s voice wasn’t thin at all. Yael could have wished xyr strongest supporter sounded less muleish. “We’re staying.”

Melissa and Papa appeared from the Tillman apartment, completing the assembly. She spoke first, no anger or fear in her voice, only well-worn certainty. “No, you are not.” She focused on her daughter. “I thought you were helping out, not staging a riot in the courtyard.” 

Xe appealed to xyr papa again. Xe was running out of time and options. “It’s not a riot. We just want to be involved when important people are talking about us.”

“No. Now do what you should have done the first time.”

The words ripped out of xyr before xe could grab the strength to hold them in. “Why are you trying to hide me?”

Papa flinched. Even Melissa flinched. He knew xe’d seen it, and tried to cover it with bluster. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“Yes, you do!” Jamie argued.

Melissa's voice layered on top. “Jamie, keep your voice down!”

Once Melissa raised her voice, it was all over. Neil and Melissa were arguing with Jamie and Issac. Papa wasn’t paying attention to anyone but himself. Drew was, for reasons Yael didn’t catch, arguing with Papa. No one would hear xyr words. Xe locked them down. Xyr questions were too hard for xyr to waste when nobody would notice. Xe looked down at xyr feet, squirming restlessly in xyr yellow boots. What else could xe do that’d be fast enough to matter?

Xe focused on not being silver.

A fast twitch of movement grabbed xyr attention. Jamie’d stopped mid-sentence, head whipping around to look towards the elevators and freezing in place like a rabbit who’d been spotted.

The elevator door opened to Secretary Nodiah Bridgewater.

* * *

Read the next chapter here!

[moltes-musings]

Happy national sign language day in Norway!

Sign languages are fully fledged languages that deserve to be celebrated. They have yet to be recognised as such in several countries, and many people in Deaf communities face structural barriers that make it difficult to access vibrant language communities.

Notice how I wrote "Deaf communities"? That's because deafness is more than a condition. It is also communities with their own rich history, culture, and language. Access to language and culture is very important for all people, but in this case is often hindered by audism. Audism is discrimination of deafness or Deaf culture, for example through overt discrimination and/or treating it as inferior to hearing language and culture.

Examples of audism include structural barriers to learn signed languages, like underfunding education or deciding deaf children should focus on learning oral languages. Another example is trying to "fix" deafness through medicine or speech training, undermining Deaf culture. This also doesn't take into account that technology like cochlear implants (CI) doesn't work for everyone, and leaves Deaf people doing invisible labor to conform to hearing norms.

Sign languages, Deaf communities, and specific political issues are not universal. I recommend reading up on what the situation is like in your country! Read accounts from Deaf people and be open to new perspectives on hearing bias, disability, language learning, and language rights.

[nyoggets]

The amount of times I've had to explain this to adults, usually older than me (professors and such) is kind of baffling. Like I'm always happy to explain how stuff works but!!! Yes dude I actually am deaf I know I'm talking to you right now That's What My Cochlear Implant is for.

Or, yes, I'm happy to meet up for a Christmas market in the evening but I'll need to bring my cane, No you don't need to take me by the arm Right Now, In Daylight so I don't run straight onto the nearest street by accident.

Having worked at a school for deaf kids with about 30% hearing children, kids are honestly better at understanding this than adults a lot of times. And that's not even getting into how a lot of people WILL treat you differently than before as soon as they find out you've got an "invisible" disability.

I really think they need to start teaching kids in schools that most blind people can see a little bit, most deaf people can hear a little bit, and most wheelchair users can walk a little bit. And they are still disabled.

[techninja]

Rising geriatric population and increasing hearing impairment cases projected to boost the growth of Hearing Aids Market

The global Hearing Aids Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 10,107.8 Mn in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Market Overview: Hearing aids are small electronic devices that are designed to help people hear better by amplifying sound. They help improve communication and quality of life. Hearing aids can be fitted externally or implanted surgically and help those who suffer from mild to severe hearing loss. They come in different sizes and styles including behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and completely-in-canal models. Hearing aids make use of modern technologies like Bluetooth connectivity to help users stream audio from TVs, phones and other devices directly to their hearing aids. Market key trends: One of the key trends in the hearing aids market is the growing preference for invisible or nearly invisible hearing aids. Manufacturers are focusing on developing extremely small and comfortable devices that are barely noticeable when worn. For instance, Eargo has launched nearly invisible rechargeable hearing aids that are placed deep in the ear canal. Another trend is the rise of wireless and connectivity features in hearing aids. Major players are launching devices compatible with smart assistants like Siri and compatible accessories to stream audio directly to hearing aids from external audio sources. This improves functionality for users. Connected hearing aids are gaining traction due to enhanced user experience offered. Porter’s Analysis Threat of new entrants: The threat of new entrants is low in the hearing aids market as it requires high R&D investments and established distribution channels. Bargaining power of buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is moderate as there are many global players operating in the market providing a variety of product options at different price points. Bargaining power of suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers is low due to the presence of many component suppliers and established supply chain in the market. Threat of new substitutes: The threat of new substitutes is moderate as cochlear implants can be used for severe hearing loss but are not substitutes for conventional hearing aids used for mild to moderate hearing loss. Competitive rivalry: The competitive rivalry is high among the leading players to gain higher market share. Key Takeaways The global hearing aids market size was valued at US$ 10,107.8 Mn in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 15,936.4 Mn by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period. Rise in the geriatric population suffering from hearing loss is a major driver fueling the market growth. Regional analysis: North America dominated the global market in 2023 and is expected to maintain its lead over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness the fastest growth rate, growing at a CAGR of over 7.5% during 2023 - 2030. Rising awareness regarding hearing aids and growing disposable income in countries like China and India is boosting the APAC market. Key players: Key players operating in the hearing aids market are Sonova, Starkey Laboratories, Inc., GN Hearing, Oticon, Demant A/S, Cochlear Ltd., Eargo Inc., WS Audiology A/S, RION Co., Ltd., MED-EL (Medical Electronics), Amplifon S.p.A, Audina Hearing Instruments, Inc., Sonic Innovations, Inc., and Zounds Hearing. Sonova is the global market leader with over 18% revenue share.

[themaclink]

What is better than hearing aids?

Cochlear implants require surgery and are best suited for people

For More-  invisible heaing aids

with more severe hearing loss in one or both ears and poor speech understanding.

[roybrsblog]

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cochlear implant price Dial +1(863) 784~5002 Increased pain, swelling, drainage or fever should be reported to the doctor after the procedure. When the inner ear has healed enough, you will return to the audiologist, who will program the cochlear implant and show you how to use the external processor on the ear. +1863–784~5002 The goal is to get the nerves and brain used to hearing again. A series of programming appointments takes place during a four-week to six-week period. During the early programming appointments, most people do not understand the sounds coming through the implant. 

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Seeking For cochlear implant Surgery ? cochlear ear, A series of programming appointments takes place during a four-week to six-week period. During the early programming appointments, hearing aid implants Contact us +1863_784~5002 most people do not understand the sounds coming through the implant. You will work with your audiologist and auditory rehabilitation therapist to develop a plan to train the brain to interpret sounds in a way that fits with your lifestyle.

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[hearinglosstreatmentguide]

A Guide to Hearing Loss Treatment

There are many options available for people with hearing loss. The type and severity of hearing loss will determine the Hearing Loss Treatment. After the condition is diagnosed, the patient will be referred to an ENT specialist. He will evaluate the patient and give them the options available.

Reversible hearing loss can be treated depending on the cause. Ototoxic medications can cause hearing loss. Patients who have had their condition treated with them will be well if they stop taking them. Ear infections can be treated with different antibiotics. However, most cases will heal themselves. The condition may be caused by an injury to the head or ear. In these cases, the patient might need surgery or healing on their own. Otosclerosis, Meniere’s disease, or acoustic neuritis may require medication or surgery. While medication is required for autoimmune conditions, ear wax can be treated by safely and correctly removing it.

Different treatment options are available for people with permanent conditions. One of the most well-known options is hearing aids. They do not restore hearing but they can amplify the sound, making it easier to hear and communicate. There are many options available for hearing aids. There are three types: Behind the ear or in the ear (ITE), in the inner ear (ITE), and on the ear. Also known as the mini BTE, the in-the-canal (ITE) and fully in the canal(CIC), these hearing aids can be used by users. The user's preference and condition will determine which device is best. They are very comfortable to wear. Some are too difficult to use for children. It is important that the user be trained in how to use them and how to maintain them.

The alerting device is another device that can be used to aid in this condition. It works by calling attention to a specific sound using various approaches, such as loud sounds or lights and vibrations. For specific situations, patients may also receive assistive listening devices. Cochlear implants may be an option for those with severe hearing loss. This treatment for hearing loss involves the placement of an electronic device that functions as the missing or damaged nerves. Also want more knowledge check on this website

Patients with this condition should make lifestyle changes such as wearing hearing aids or protectors in noisy areas. They will also require the understanding and support of their families and friends.

A bigger problem is hearing loss due to damage to the inner ears. This type of hearing loss is permanent and can occur suddenly or gradually. The patient may lose their ability to hear certain sounds, or even become totally deaf if the tiny hairs of the cochlea become damaged. The loss of hearing is gradual if it is the hearing nerve. Patients might feel ringing in their ears.

Antibiotics are not typically effective for hearing loss in the inner ear and the hearing nerve. Some patients have regained at least some of their hearing with the help of cochlear implant technology. Audiologists can recommend hearing aids for patients with hearing loss that are not severe. In many cases, they can restore the patient's hearing almost completely. The hearing aids are almost invisible and can fit in the ear canal. The majority of insurances will cover a portion of the cost of hearing aids. There are many styles to choose from, so the patient is sure to find the right one.

[earfit]

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Find the best Audiology and Hearing Clinic in Bangalore. We deal with top brands. Book an appointment. Call us today and consult with a qualified. Best Hearing Clinic in Bangalore.

[animeengineer]

Sometimes it’s tough, though. I have my cochlear implant gear behind my ears and under my hair. It’s practically invisible. I don’t do this out of vanity; putting the magnet-based headpiece on the outside of my hair makes it more likely to fall off, and keeping it under everything protects the wire from getting caught on things.

As far as how I act (or anyone else with hearing problems), it’s generally no different from “guy who isn’t really paying attention.” If people took turns speaking like in the movies, instead of talking over each other all the time, it would be a lot easier to deal with. When one or two are speaking, I can understand them. Three or more, I understand none; I just have a list of who is talking.

I am once again begging creators to show their disabled characters actively using aids whether it’s mobility/hearing devices, pain management tools, or even just noise canceling headphones. It literally means nothing if you write a character with a disability but only show them being disabled/dealing with their disability 10% of the time when actual disabled people deal with it 24/7/365.

Show your disabled characters being creative with their aids and pain management. Show them navigating an able-bodied, neurotypical world. Show them on a bad pain day. Show them on a good pain day. Show their friends being accommodating. Show them being loved and cherished. Show them having difficult conversations about their disability and for the love of god

SHOW YOUR DISABLED CHARACTERS BEING DISABLED

[aanchalhearingaids]

Hearing Aid for Children Kerala Aanchal Hearing Care provides newborn/children hearing screening measures to those who have hearing loss. Early detection will help improve their hearing functionality through proper treatment.

[bindusujith]

Hearing Aid Centre in Kerala, India

Aanchal Hearing Care provides high-quality personalized services to persons who suffer from hearing loss and speech difficulties. We provide the world’s best class hearing technologies and excellent service that makes you happy and leads to a lifelong relationship.

Our super quality personalized services to people with hearing impairment and speech problems. We strive to make the best Hearing Aids in Kerala that is as effortless and worry-free as possible. Choose a variety of hearing aid styles for a better experience. We truly care about helping people with hearing loss lead more fulfilling lives and connect better with the world around them.

Aanchal speech and hearing centre is a chain of hearing clinics that ensure standards in diagnostics, professional services, quality of products and patient care. Our focus is on what's best for you, and we take the time to listen and get to know you as an individual. We give you one convenient location for all your hearing healthcare needs, from hearing testing to the treatment of hearing loss.

Our Services

Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA): This is the basic hearing evaluation procedure to measure hearing loss and to quantify the degree of hearing loss.

Tympanometry: This is done to understand the middle ear condition.

OAE (Otoacoustic Emission): This test is done to evaluate the outer hair cell (OHC) functioning in the cochlea.

BERA (Brain Stem Evoked Response Audiometry): This evaluation is done to assess the functioning of the auditory pathway. 

Hearing Aid Trial And Fitting: Based on the detailed hearing evaluation, the audiologist decides whether the client is a suitable candidate for a hearing aid. 

Cochlear Implants: Cochlear implant is an implant-surgical solution for hearing loss. 

Speech And Language Therapy: We have a team of qualified speech therapists who assess all speech and language disorders in children and adults.

We can help with just about everything to do with hearing aids, whether you need to buy new hearing aids or are looking for somebody to assist with your old ones. Our office is a stress-free environment where you never have to worry about being pressured to buy. Choose a variety of hearing aid styles and a speech specialist from us for fast recovery.

What Instruments Are Available to Manage Hearing Loss?

It is crucial to keep in mind that the consequences of noise exposure can compound over time. You can dramatically lower your risk of experiencing hearing loss due to noise by using hearing protection devices. Depending on the circumstance and intensity of noise exposure, different technologies can be employed to protect your hearing.

Hearing Aid (ITE) for the Ear

If you have mild to moderate hearing loss, an in-the-ear hearing aid is a fantastic alternative. Instead of using a speaker behind your ear like other varieties, these devices are custom-fit and use an open dome or tube technology that lets sound enter the natural entrance of your ear canal.

Hearing Aid for Behind the Ears (BTE)

The most popular kind of hearing aid, known as BTE, resides behind the ear. They employ an earmold that fits your ear canal in conjunction with a little plastic case that stores the battery and electronic parts. There are both bespoke and non-custom models of the BTE style.

Hearing Aid In-the-Canal (ITC)

The most discrete type of hearing aid is an in-the-canal hearing aid, which is made to fit securely in the ear canal. These hearing aids can amplify sound more effectively than other types of hearing aids because they fit so closely to the eardrum. Additionally, in-the-canal hearing aids include a number of capabilities, including directional microphones that help direct sound toward the speaker and noise-cancelling technology that lessens background noise.

If you have any inquiries about ear protection and potential safety measures, Contact Aanchal Hearing Care at https://aanchalhearingcare.com/ , (7025322216).

[nyx3927]

I see a lot of deaf Bakugō or deaf Present Mic headcanons floating around and I figured that y’all could use some more technical information on it instead of just “can’t hear” and “learns sign language”.

This is going under a cut since it is a lot but it is all information that would help with writing/developing a good Deaf character and not just focusing on what inconveniences/fascinates hearing people.

It covers assistive devices and fittings, audiograms, medical stuff, and the Deaf community.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive covering of all the technical aspects and is based mainly off of what I’ve experienced/have seen happen/have asked professionals about. I might come back and add more as more comes to me.

1) Types of assistive devices that can be used to help reach the needed level of hearing

The devices depend on the severity of the hearing loss. That is determined by an audiogram which tests the quietest noise at a frequency you can hear which is discussed later.

If you have a mild hearing loss, the chances of you needing an assistive device is low, almost nonexistent. That is because you can still hear the speech of most people which is what an assistive device helps with.

The two assistive devices used are a hearing aid and a cochlear implant.

A cochlear is only for profound or total deafness. You can only hear really loud things, and sometimes not even that. The basics of how it works is you have a sound processor that converts noises to electrical impulses which go to the physical cochlear. It requires surgery to install and you can get that at 12 months at the youngest.

A hearing aid has 6 different appearances which depend on what your needs are and what you want.

a)iitc-invisible in the canal. People can’t see it but it’s better for less severe hearing losses because it’s smaller and can’t process as much

b)cic-completely in the canal. Pretty much the same as an iitc just a bit bigger and more visible.

c)itc-in the canal. Again, same as above, but it does have more ability to help with more severe hearing loss.

d)ite-in the ear. Visible, and can help with moderate hearing loss.

Most in the canal designs are made for less severe hearing loss and better. They’re small and discreet, especially if you get skin-colored ones. They also can have smaller batteries which can be an issue for dexterity.

e)ric- reciever in canal. The power bank is behind the ear while the reciever that makes the noise is in the canal

f)bte-behind the ear. Most visible

The ones that go behind the ear are best for connecting with additional assistive devices because you can fit Bluetooth in or connect a receiver to it. These are also good for children who lose things and are a bit sturdier.

2) What an audiogram is and how you get one

[Image ID: A graph with the left axis labeled “Loudness-measured in decibels(dB)” going from 0-120, the right axis labeled “degree of hearing loss”, normal in 0-25 decibels, mild in 25-40 decibels, moderate in 40-70 decibels, severe in 70-90 decibels, and profound in 90-120 decibels. The top is labeled “pitch (or frequency)-measured in cycles per second(Hz)” and goes from 125-5000. Pictures of different things that make noise are over the graph with a yellow banana-shape in the middle of the graph. End ID]

This is an audiogram with the “speech banana”(the yellow banana shape) which is where you have to be to hear and understand speech without any devices and it is how you find out if you have a hearing loss.

To get one, you have to go to an audiologist and take quite a few tests that take forever and suck. Keep in mind, these tests can go in any order but as kids are a handful they tend to go in this order from experience.

Test one: You go into a little sound dampening booth so you can’t hear outside of it and the doctor puts what is basically wired earbuds in your ear. They leave and sit at a table full of controls and start pressing buttons. You’re told to repeat whatever words you hear through the earbuds and you do it. It goes on for a while, lots of boring words and struggling to make one out, it is done in a single ear and both ears. It can be done by the doctor saying words but that’s not as common in professional settings.

Test two: You stay in the little booth with the earbuds. Now you have to listen to sounds and confirm that you heard the sounds. This can be done verbally, by raising your hand, or by pressing a clicker that tells the doc you heard it. The sounds are piped in through one ear at a time, this is to determine if one ear has a more severe hearing loss

Test three: The doc comes back in and removes the earbuds. Next, they put a special band on your head that looks like a headband but has a cold hard bit on the end that goes right on the bone behind your ear. It hurts and is very uncomfortable. Then repeat the same stuff as test two with the doc coming in to put the headband on the other side of the head so both sides hurt from the bit on the end.

3) Hearing aid fitting

First step, you go and get any big lumps of earwax in your ears cleaned out. Too much earwax means they can’t make a mold of your ear. Second, the doc shoves mini sponges with a string attached into your ear to make sure that you don’t get anything down the canal and it doesn’t get lost. Third, they open up a package with a syringe and some sort of molding stuff, I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s often blue or pink or a mixture. The molding stuff gets put in the syringe which is then used to fill up your ear. The stuff is cold and feels weird while it’s drying which takes ~5 mins, and while it is in there you cannot hear a single thing from that ear. Then the doc pulls the dried thing out of your ear using the string and you have an ear mold for the hearing aid. Repeat for other ear if needed.

Couple weeks later, you go back and the doctor has your completed hearing aid with everything preset to compensate for your level of hearing loss and a perfect fit in your ears. Then you fiddle with the settings a bit so that you’re comfy and trim the wire if it’s a bte to make it sit better. It’ll feel weird for a bit as you adjust to it, but it’ll feel comfy after a week or two.

4) Deaf community and sign language

First, sign is a real language which has its own dialect, slang, jokes, and grammar. Go away if you disagree.

Second, one sign language isn’t the same as another. ASL is not the same as BSL which is different from JSL which has little in common with SSL. There are similarities but they are very different from each other. I can’t interpret for a deaf British person because I don’t know BSL

Third, yes staring at someone who is signing is rude and annoying. If you know it, it’s like you’re eavesdropping on them. If you don’t know it, it’s like staring at someone speaking a language you don’t know just because you don’t understand them.

Fourth, sign names are given by a Deaf person. If you’re hearing and learning sign, you can’t give yourself a sign name, that’s disrespectful.

Fifth, most Deaf adults don’t support getting cochlears when a kid is still a toddler or younger because it implies that deafness is something that needs to be fixed and the kid has no real say in the matter.

Sixth, Deaf person and deaf person are two different things. It’s similar to identity first vs person first language, but not the exact same.

Seventh, the Deaf community is fairly welcoming to everyone. Someone who’s just going deaf is just as welcome as someone who’s been deaf all their life. A hearing person learning sign is welcomed in as long as they’re polite and don’t expect the community to shift to make them more comfortable. A parent of a deaf kid is welcomed and given information that the kid needs.

5) Medical Stuff

Technically, speaking if you have any sort of hearing loss, you should wear a medical alert bracelet. It’d have your name, a phone number, if you wear a hearing aid, cochlear, and/or use ASL, and says that you might not respond to vocal prompts. Most of us don’t wear them, it’s just kinda a hassle to do.

Since both cochlears and hearing aids do have metal, you have to be careful about MRIs because if they are removed, they can get ripped out and injure you further. That mainly a concern for cochlears since they’re surgically installed under the skin and not visible unless the outer piece is on

Using hearing aids does cause earwax buildup, so you need to get that cleaned out regularly or it’s make your hearing worse.

Audiograms are typically redone every 5-ish years to update the cochlear/hearing aid ability and to make sure you’re getting what you need.

Anyone can get hearing loss, and it’s almost impossible to not get it as you age. The severity of the hearing loss is dependent on what you do and where you live. The chances of a single accident wiping out all of your hearing and rendering you completely deaf is fairly low, but not impossible.

[harleyhua]

✿ ☀ ✿ ☀ ✿

Seeing the storm damage and the injured patients in the hospital was so surreal. There was the obvious reason - Aurora Bay had never looked like this in Harley's almost 24 years of life. But for Harley, the storm had been this invisible thing he barely experienced. He'd been lucky enough to get to safety when rain was the worst of the storm. For the rest of the night, he'd been away from windows and spent much of it in complete silence. He couldn't see, hear, feel, or smell the storm from the inside of the college. And then he emerged, and everything looked like a scene from a disaster film. It didn't feel real.

Nor did his parents deadnaming him. Both his current name and the one he often found himself dodging looked the same on his parents' mouths. And that was just when he knew they were saying his name. There were likely many other times where his name was mentioned in a sentence that he couldn't understand. Reading lips wasn't as easy or accurate as TV always made it out to be. He'd certainly never been any good at it, and he was impressed by deaf people who used it with any degree of success.

He had such mixed feelings about the name he was born with. In most contexts he didn't think of it as a deadname. He'd spent nineteen years pretending to be this other person. When he saw or heard the name, he imagined a broken teenage girl who didn't even know why she felt that way. She had to be strong for so long, and not just because of the dysphoria. She was the one that navigated every degree between hearing and profoundly deaf, and then learned to hear again with two cochlear implants. She was the one who learned about racism and antisemitism and how the world wasn't always kind to either of his parents' backgrounds. And, most importantly, she was the one that survived all of that so he could become Harley. The main reason he shied away from that name was that it just didn't fit anymore. In many ways, it never had. But he never wanted to hide his origin story. On the other hand, it sucked when his parents used her name, because it meant that they looked at their happy child and preferred the version of him that was miserable.

Honestly, he felt a lot more invalidated by them as a Deaf person than as a trans person. He'd come out to them three years ago, so he was used to them messing up his name. They were stubborn and slow to accept change. He was less used to interacting with them when he didn't have his cochlear implants. His parents saw it as a cure. As long as he had his implants on, he was 'fixed'. And in a rare moment when he couldn't rely on that....they had no idea what to do except to keep talking.

He watched Collins sign, and he was grateful to have people like her and his brother that accepted him. Trans, Deaf....it didn't matter, he was just Harley. He watched her respond to his lion zombie comment, and laughed. But then she asked how he was and he looked down for a second, then nodded and looked up. The hesitancy was because he had to think about it. Since the storm, he hadn't really slowed down to take any time to think of himself. "I'm fine, I think. I'm not the one in the hospital."

Meanwhile the nurse was watching them sign. She could only pick up on a few of the signs. The only real concept she understood was that someone was changing into a lion. "Becoming lion?" She signed and said, then continued with only her voice. "Who's turning into a lion?" While Harley didn't understand what she asked, she still caught his attention with her signing and he was suddenly aware they had an audience. "Thanks for helping me find my friend." He signed slowly to her. "Do you mind giving us some privacy?" She looked confused, clearly not knowing enough sign to understand him. He figured out how to say it with more beginner friendly vocabulary ("go", "leave"), but he was worried he'd come off as rude. The Deaf community in general was a lot more blunt and straight-to-the-point than hearing people were. But since Harley wasn't born deaf he often thought more like a hearing person and he couldn't bring himself to be as candid as many Deaf friends would be in this situation. However, the nurse didn't know he could speak clearly and he didn't really want to take the time to explain why he'd chosen not to up until now. So instead he looked at Collins, silently asking her to talk to the nurse.

It was strange how strongly Collins felt about the storm because she’d only been in town a matter of months, but it had started feeling like home. This kind of thing was never seen in New York, not on this scale anyway, sure they got storms but nothing got…devastated in the same way it had been in Aurora. And if she was being entirely honest (Which the blonde always tried to be!) she was relieved when she heard Harley was coming to the hospital, because he was a little ray of sunshine in her life at all times. No doubt he would help her ignore the throbbing pain in her leg for a little while as they nattered about god knows what. 

Hearing his mom and dad had been dead naming him when he’d been home was concerning to her though, because as much as he liked to say it was no big deal, she knew how keenly those kinds of things could take their toll over time. Rooting into the back of your mind festering there until they reared their ugly heads at the worst possible moments. It was key to her that she made sure Harley feel validated for who he was when he got here, regardless of what kind of state she was in, her friends would always come first. 

Looking down at her phone the blonde was scrolling through various news reports and instagrams as she waited for her friend to arrive, eyes wide at the effect the storm seemed to have had on everyone. She knew first had how vicious it had been obviously thanks to the evidence it had left on her leg, but that didn’t stop the video footage being chilling. Places she’d recognised only twenty four hours before as fun sunny hotspots were instead replaced by dilapidated remnants of what had been. Like the west coasts (slightly less dramatic…and devastating…okay it was a terrible comparison) answer to Pompeii. 

The smile stretched across her face at the sound of Harley’s voice before she even looked up, always finding it adorable how he’d start by speaking to make sure she was looking at him before switching to signing. Something they were both getting better at, him faster than her but she really was trying her best. “No way! Well? Because it sounds like you might have misunderstood some of things she was saying to you, they did have to cut my leg off, but it was because the zombie lion genetics were actually turning me into a lion. Not a zombie one, just a normal one.” She signed back as fluidly as possible, only pausing a second to try and work out how to do the word ‘genetics’ which wasn’t one she used often. “You’re unhurt? Right?”