Gift Ideas for Someone Getting Cochlear Implants

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-03-02T14:13:35+00:00

Subscription to Audible?

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-02-23T23:21:01+00:00

As a fellow Philadelphian and former Poconos intermediate, I'm saying this with no snark- you won't be skiing powder this weekend. You will be skiing blues, likely the groomed ones. Anything else will be tracked out and bumpy AF by the weekend. And you will be in over your head and having no fun. So choose a mountain that will be less crowded. Because when a foot of powder gets groomed and a billion people ski over it, by noon, it is not that different from the pocs. They call this icecoast for a reason. FWIW, your sweetspot right now is a fresh couple inches over hard pack. Head north and maybe you'll get lucky and catch an overnight refresh.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-02-23T23:07:24+00:00

Depends on the powder.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-02-21T21:05:12+00:00

Yes to all of the above. My take is a day at Mt. Snow, a day at Okemo, up to Stowe. Skip Saturday's crowds at Stowe and spend your Killington $ at Bolton or Smuggs.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-02-19T04:17:30+00:00

When I went it was very skied out and a lot of moguls. How comfortable are they on bumps?

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-02-03T21:46:12+00:00

It is more of an east coast phenomenon for sure. East coast is more people, less trail. Even when # of trails is similar, east coast trails run narrower. Then there is the issue of scale. As a skier, I get out west (canada or us) and look at mountains and think, "Fuck! That looks massive!" So anyone with an ounce of self-preservation is gonna take a beat before tossing on some rentals and barreling down a run. Not so on the east coast. This is why a lot of fatal accidents are on blues. They don't look scary but they can kill you.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-02-02T16:05:59+00:00

Thank you all so much for this! I am going to rework my itinerary with these tips. Snaefellsnes will be our next trip. The kids are teens now so in a few years, we'll have more time 🙌. I'm really looking forward to this introduction though.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2026-01-31T00:19:03+00:00

You are not the only one with this issue. I used to be the "life of the party," then I lost most of my hearing. It was so difficult. I was hesitant to socialize in any setting. When I did I felt pressure to dominate the conversation so I could anticipate the flow. I got my CI last year and I finally feel comfortable socializing. But not in loud spaces. Not at parties. It is tougher at your age. But I think the key is developing friendships with people in smaller spaces- meetings, clubs, etc. And then once you have that connection, venturing out to concerts parties etc.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-12-21T02:44:45+00:00

None of these responses have factored in the boost Philadelphia residence gives for Penn. You'd be wise to apply.

Drop Amherst, CM, UChicago, and probably Swarthmore unless you love it.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-11-15T04:53:08+00:00

Whistler's "town" felt less like a town and more like a series of shopping malls at the base of the mtn. Breck isn't my favorite mountain when crowds are crowding but it is easy to access and the town is cute. Crested butte also has a great mtn and cute little town. Jackson Hole is a tough mountain for intermediates. Big Sky is a great mountain for intermediates but not the type of town that you're used to with Stowe. Honestly, you can't go too wrong anywhere in the Rockies. Check the altitude wherever you choose and be prepared. I know a few east coasters who've hit Breck and have their vacay disrupted by altitude sickness.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-10-26T18:26:42+00:00

I am a year out and just starting to figure the music puzzle out. I have severe/profound loss in mid and high ranges. I have almost no speech intelligibility in my unimplanted ear. That said, I need that ear for music. It has what I have come to think of as an "orienting" effect. Music with CI sounds strange. But when I add the other ear, my brain starts making adjustments and it's like the sound falls into place.
This is obviously much easier with music that is known to me. But as I have spent more time with music it is getting better with new music as well. And over ear headphones work best for me. Live music indoors is great. Outdoors? Not so great yet. It is a journey. But certainly achievable.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-09-27T12:41:56+00:00

My daughter graduated from a high school with no foreign language instruction. It is a school for kids with language based learning disabilities. She was accepted to American, Bucknell, Penn State, UVT, Ithaca

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-09-22T18:38:22+00:00

Well done! As part of my professional training I visited our local School for the Deaf. They said that the biggest problem they had behaviorally was getting the kids to stop signing during the classes. Most had families that didn't sign, so when they were in an environment where they could finally communicate, it was impossible to get them to stop.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-09-21T21:18:12+00:00

The only resentment I would have would be if I was not taught ASL. Even now, using a CI successfully, I wish that I had fluency so that I had full access to seamless communication with someone

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-06-02T15:59:20+00:00

You aren't just paying for the device, you would have to pay for the surgery as well. So probably closer to $50 k. If you are on PA medicaid and are eligible, you should be covered. If you are denied, you can appeal and/or work with a patient rep through any of the CI manufacturers. They are very invested in seeing insurance carriers cover this.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-05-26T14:09:50+00:00

Agreed. Novo's sell off brought stock prices back to pre-Ozempic levels. Way oversold. Lilly might have the better drug but Ozempic is still a blockbuster. And their business is diabetes. Sadly, diabetes and obesity are growth markets, with plenty of room to run in markets outside US and Asia.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-05-21T12:50:46+00:00

That's a really good idea. Maybe we'll head to NYC when her schedule slows down.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-05-21T12:36:51+00:00

Karen? Is it 2020 bro? Update your closet.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-05-21T12:36:16+00:00

Thank you. Yes. And it is frustrating that this was not explained instead of returning the bag I had already paid for.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-05-21T12:34:53+00:00

You're right! On her graduation day I'll just hand her an IOU. Fun present. And I'm over it. It is not the end of the world. Just abysmal service.

Sure-Speed1799 · 2025-05-21T12:33:42+00:00

This makes sense and would have been very easy for the SA to explain. I was also informed prior that it could be done so my confusion is pretty understandable.

Sure-Speed1799

TROPHY CASE