LIVING WITH PONTO PATIENT E-BOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 4Testimonials George Tattersfield 6 Justin Bay 8 Laurie Dameron 12 Michael Cowell 15 Robb Boss 17

What’s Next/Resources 19

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INTRODUCTION

This collection of stories was created with one common goal in mind: to help you make the decision that suits you best.

Instead of us telling you why our products are great, we want to answer your questions by connecting you with our advocates-- the people who have been in the exact same position you are today.

Before reading these Ponto user stories, here are a few words you should know.

Atresia: Artesia is a condition in which a body orifice or passage in the body is abnormally closed or absent.

Acoustic Neuroma: An acoustic neuroma is a slow-growing tumor of the nerve that connects the ear to the brain. This nerve is called the vestibular cochlear nerve. It is behind the ear right under the brain. [source: Acoustic Neuroma Association]

Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (baha): A bone-anchored hearing aid is a type of hearing aid based on bone conduction. It is primarily suited to people who have conductive hearing losses, unilateral hearing loss and people with mixed hearing losses who cannot otherwise wear ‘in the ear’ or ‘behind the ear’ hearing aids. The name Baha is a trademark of Cochlear.

[source: Wikipedia]

INTRODUCTION

Single Sided Deafness (SSD): Single sided deafness is the term given to significant or total hearing loss in one ear. SSD is usually a permanent condition. There are a number of causes of SSD including sudden deafness, measles, mumps, trauma, acoustic neuroma tumours and hereditary disorders. Every year there are approximately 200 new cases of SSD per million inhabitants in the world. [source: SingleSidedDeafness.com]

Ponto: The Ponto system is a bone conduction hearing system designed to improved speech understanding, sound quality and listening comfort. How it works: The Ponto implant and abutment are placed behind the ear to anchor the sound processor, which captures sound waves and converts them into vibrations. These signals are then transmitted through the bone via the abutment and implant, and carried directly to the inner ear, thus bypassing any problems in the outer or middle ear.

Abutment: Bone-anchored hearing aids use a surgically implanted abutment to transmit sound by direct conduction through bone to the inner ear, bypassing the external auditory canal and middle ear.

Microtia: Microtia is a congenital deformity where the pinna (external ear) is underdeveloped. Microtia can be unilateral (one side only) or bilateral (affecting both sides). Microtia occurs in 1 out of about 8,000–10,000 births. In unilateral microtia, the right ear is most commonly affected. [source: Wikipedia]

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73 years old, self-employed at Tattersfield Co. George has three children and four grandchildren.

A Long Road Three years ago, around Thanksgiving, George came down with the H1N1 Flu. “It really rocked me,” George said. His symptoms were as serious as having problems with his breathing and lungs. In fact, it rocked him so much that he was sick until the beginning of the new year. As if overcoming the illness wasn’t enough, when George finally got better, he found that his hearing had deteriorated even further in his right ear.

A Trusted Recommendation George had a friend at church who had implants in both ears. She mentioned a doctor in Chicago who George calls Dr. Sam. Dr. Sam examined George for just a few minutes before suggesting that the audiologist speak to him about Baha. George had an appropriate response for someone who had never of heard the term. “Baha...are we going to Mexico?”

During this appointment, the doctors determined that George had completely lost his hearing in his right ear. They put the first device on him, and, as George explains his experience, “it didn’t work well.” Then, when they put on the Ponto Pro, George found that it worked great. As George recalled, “It worked liked a charm.”

GEORGE TATTERSFIELD

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Why Not? His first reaction was “Why wouldn’t I take this one?”

There were two potential barriers that the doctors explained to George. The first obstacle was insurance. The doctors mentioned that while not impossible, George could be facing a battle. Next, George would need to comes to terms with and to agree to the implant operation. When it came to the surgery, George’s research showed that his surgeon had performed the procedure over 200 times. George said, “It took less than 30 seconds after thinking about it. It was going to improve my well being, so it didn’t take me long to decide.”

A Lesson to Take Away When George first mentioned Ponto to his insurance company, they assumed that the device was just a hearing aid, which would not be covered. It took time and effort on George’s part to ensure that his insurance company had the correct information and that the Ponto was in fact a hearing implant and not a hearing aid.

After fighting for what he deserved, George was able to receive his device when his surgical site healed.

A World of Difference“It’s remarkable. Under ideal circumstances, I hear as much as I would with my ear.”

To submit aquestion to George

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TESTIMONIAL

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Justin was born deaf with no ear on his right side and a half of an ear on the left. His parents, shocked and confused, didn’t quite know what the next step should be. In 1982, the year Justin was born, the right medical path was uncertain. As a growing toddler, Justin began to talk-- a sign his parents took as a step in the right direction.

When he began speaking, his parents took him to get a hearing test, assuming the results would be positive. To his parents and the doctor’s surprise, Justin did not respond. “After the test, the lady who had administered it came back into the room with a really confused look. She ran the test again, and the second time she was even more confused. They were perplexed,” Justin explained. No one could understand-- they assumed Justin was deaf, but he was learning to speak.

Limited Options At the time, Justin was fitted with a bone conduction aid that was attached with a large headband. He and his family had three bone conduction aids and used each for interchangeable parts-- as one broke, they rotated in another, and so on. These interchangeable parts kept them going-- that system went on for 22 years. It was all Justin knew, and he and his family considered it their only option.

JUSTIN BAYS

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Justin recalls, “At the time, I just wasn’t presented with any information.” So, Justin learned to deal with the large headband. He wore his hair long to cover it up. He felt self-conscious, as any young person would with such a noticeable device.

Moving Forward “Although it was difficult, my parents were wonderful. They kept things as ‘normal’ as possible. I attended all normal classes. And, I played tons of sports: tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer, and I was a gymnast.”

Approaching college, Justin felt his confidence grow. He used his newfound self-assurance and as an opportunity to discuss and create awareness of his condition, bilateral Microtia/Atresia and Anotia and bilateral hearing impairment. “People would ask, and I’d be more than happy to tell them about it. It was a great time to be able to share my story, the faith the Lord gave to me and that I was born this way because this is how God intended me to be.”

After Justin graduated from high school, his parents and he moved a few hours away. Because of the move, they found a new doctor at the University of Michigan, Dr. Alexander Arts MS, FACS. Although Justin was an avid Ohio State Buckeye fan, he loved the care he received at the University of

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Michigan and Dr. Arts.

Dr. Arts was the person who first told the Justin about a new product called Baha. When Justin first heard about the new solution, he felt nervous about the surgery. He prayed about it and after deep consideration, he went for it. “The recovery time was not a difficult one for me. The hardest part was the wait to attach the device.” Justin was fitted with his new bone conduction device six weeks later.

Fate Steps InOne day, while Justin was teaching lessons as a tennis pro, an excited child swung their racket and connected, not with a tennis ball, but with his Baha. He had to piece it back to together. A little over a year later at church one morning, he was playing with a child after the service and his device got knocked off and shattered. This time, there was no piecing it back together. A group of people at his church decided to make donations to help him buy a new device. So, Justin started the process of purchasing an upgraded device from Cochlear as, again, this was the only company he had been made aware of that provided this type of device and procedure.Justin put in the order for the device and he was told it would be processed and be available for purchase on a Friday. Friday came around, and he did not receive a phone call. Over the weekend, while still waiting for his call to process the order, Justin received another phone call. A friend from

JUSTIN BAYS

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his church, who happened to also be an ENT surgeon, asked if he had purchased the new Cochlear device yet. When Justin explained he was still waiting, his friend, and ENT surgeon, advised him not to buy it. Instead, he introduced Justin to Oticon Medical and the Ponto Pro. “The Ponto Pro allowed me to use the previous surgical abutment designed for my older Baha with no additional procedures.” From that point on, Justin helped to test the Ponto system at The Ohio State University and is an advocate for Microtia and Atresia. “I love the Ponto Pro and Oticon Medical, and am blessed to have it. It’s been better than I could have ever imagined.”

TESTIMONIAL

To submit aquestion to Justin

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Nurse of 13 years

High Stakes of Hearing Laurie has been a nurse for 13 years. When she first started, she found it very difficult to hear, especially when doctors were speaking to her through a mask. She was constantly asking people to repeat themselves. “In the medical field, it’s so important to know exactly what people are saying,” Laurie explained.

Although this was an issue for Laurie, it was not something that was new for her. In school, before her nursing days, she had to situate herself accordingly. She had to do the same in social situations, like visiting restaurants. “If I sat on the wrong end of the table, I couldn’t hear anyone. It can feel very lonely when people are talking and laughing and you can’t hear what they’re saying. A joke simply isn’t the same when someone has to repeat it.”

When first looking at what she could do to improve her hearing, Laurie was only given the option of a hearing aid. But, because she had to have a hat on at work, it just wasn’t going to suit her. She found out about Cochlear’s Baha and soon after, the Ponto came out.

LAURIE DAMERON

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After trying the soft band and hearing people talk with it, she thought, “Wow, if this is how it is, I must have it.” It took Laurie almost two and half years to win what she calls the insurance battle. The thought of how well she could hear with the soft band kept her strong throughout the frustrating fight. Her doctor also worked hard for her.

Now, Laurie has her Ponto. And with it, she finds that she has more confidence in herself, and she notices that the doctors at work have more confidence in her ability.

“When I got the Ponto, I never had to ask people to repeat anything. I cried when I heard with it the first time.”

Laurie works to spread the word to other people who work in the medical field about how important it is to hear. After all, it can even be a matter of life or death.

TESTIMONIAL

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Don’t Let Surgery Hold You BackLaurie had the procedure done with local anesthesia. “I was nervous about the surgery, but I had a personal relationship with the person performing the surgery. It was 30 minutes or less.” She was surprised at how easy it was. “I had very little pain afterward. You tend to think the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. Don’t let the surgery hold you back,” Laurie said. “I can attest that it was much, much easier than I ever thought it would be.”

Rest Assured Through ExperienceLaurie suggests to test out all of the options before making a decision. “Make sure demo all of the devices, and you’ll be reassured. If the demo is done right, you can tell the difference. The surgery is not complicated.” “In less than three months, you’ll have a device that will change your life forever.” “I’ve never seen or experienced a company that cares about their patients as much as Oticon Medical does. Oticon Medical is so hands on, approachable and accom-modating. Especially when I wanted the upgrade, they let me try and test it before committing to it.”

TESTIMONIAL

To submit aquestion to Laurie CLICK HERE

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When Michael lost his hearing, it literally happened overnight. He went from hearing completely normal to fully losing his hearing on one side. A tumor removal resulted in his hearing loss. Michael asked that his doctors do everything possible for him to keep his hearing. Without being able to converse and hear others, he knew he wouldn’t be able to continue on his career path.

Michael started with hearing aids, with which he felt limited success. “I was so frustrated with hearing aids that I would have tried anything,” Michael said. He went through the surgery to receive his first device. He admitted that it made him nervous. “An anchor in my skill, I had a vision of Frankenstein-- I was thinking all kinds of crazy things.” After conducting extensive internet research, Michael found a video of the surgery taking place. After seeing the video, he decided to connect with someone who had the surgery done to learn more through their first-hand experience. After his research was complete, Michael felt more confident in moving forward.

An Easy Transition Michael was originally fitted with an analog Baha. While he was in having his Baha repaired, he received a Ponto Pro. Michael immediately noticed that the switch from analog to digital helped a great deal. As a product development specialist, he spends most of his days in meetings that take place in noise-filled rooms. He found that the Ponto Pro was a much better

MICHAEL COWELL

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tool to work with than what he had before. It’s now been two years, and Michael still has the same device that he made the switch with. “It’s a much better device than anything else I’ve had. I can run meetings and go on with a normal business life,” he said.

Advice from an AdvocateMichael touts that the surgery involved with getting a Ponto is not a big deal. “I had the surgery done on Friday. On Saturday, I was basically back to doing normal things.” His other piece of advice is to talk to people who have had the device before. “Talk to your Audiologist, conduct research online and make an informed decision. Remember, you have to balance it out. How important is hearing to you? What will your quality of life be like?”

Michael also suggests to remember that having a device can be a bit of learning curve-- “you have to learn to clean the implant site, snap it on and take it off, and not to walk into a shower with it on. One of the greatest things that could have happened to me is when I switched to bone anchored hearing.”

TESTIMONIAL

To submit aquestion to Michael

CLICK HERE

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As teenager, Robb had a cyst above his ear drum. The cyst was growing inward, not outward, crushing the bones in his middle ear. This resulted in Robb losing about 40% of his hearing. Being young lent itself well to him adapting, and he learned how to deal with his condition. “I sat on certain sides of people and picked distinct positions conducive to hearing in meetings.” Over 6 or 7 years, Robb’s hearing had decreased. Because his hearing quality slowly decreased, he didn’t realize it right away-- until it started to affect his personal and professional life.

Undesirable Consequences, Assumptions Lead to TroubleOver the years his hearing issues created miscommunications. Robb assumed he had heard what was being said, and those assumptions created a lot of unnecessary problems.

Robb’s ear doctor needed to go into the ear cavity. While he performed a necessary procedure, he also tried to improve his hearing. Because Robb was prideful in not wanting an outside device showing, he was hopeful that the surgery would fix his problem.

One day, at a professional conference, Robb was having a one-on-one conversation. The woman he was speaking to made a comment that hit him hard. First she asked, “Are you in sales?” When Robb replied yes, she said, “You need to take listening 101.” That’s when he decided to move forward with a bone anchored system.

Robb Boss

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The doctor’s office that Robb visited happen to be adding Oticon Medical Pontos to their offering. He was the first person to have the choice of multiple providers. He researched and reached out to people he could find who had devices. His audiologist was also an advocate of the Ponto. She said she had absolutely no doubt that she would pick the Ponto if in his shoes. She allowed him to test the Ponto. With the headband test, Robb declared, “Wow, I need to do this.”

From that point, he set up the surgery and had the procedure done. Robb explains that the day that he got his processor was one of his most unique days of his life. “As I was driving home it was raining. I could hear the raindrops on the car, on the windshield. It was surreal.” Robb had never heard the sound of falling rain so dramatically before.

Ever since then, Robb has been part of the Oticon Medical advocate group. He is willing and happy to talk to anyone who has questions.

TESTIMONIAL

To submit aquestion to Robb

CLICK HERE

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WHAT’S NEXT?

We’re inspired by our patients’ stories, and we hope one day soon we’ll be sharing your story too.

If you would like to get in touch with any of the people in this ebook or have any questions for us here at Oticon Medical, please email pontousers@oticonmedicalusa.com or call 1-888-277-8014. You can also let us know on Twitter, @OticonMedical, or send us a message on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/OticonMedical.

ResourcesU.S. Insurance SupportFind a clinic near you

User Organizations The benefits of bone anchored hearing systems vary greatly from person to person due to differences in hearing loss as well as listening preferences and lifestyle. A good way to gain insight into what life might be like with Ponto or another type of system is to talk to other users. Below are some useful links for getting connected to user organizations.

Oticon Medical on Facebook Oticon Medical on Twitter The Oticon Medical blog

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RESOURCES

Bone anchored hearing systems:BAHA Users Support Forum The Ear Foundation - BAHA User Support forum (formerly BUSK) Direct link to online forum for users of bone anchored hearing systems.

The Ear Foundation UK organization for people with hearing implants.Facebook - Various BAHA User Groups:

• BAHA Users• BAHA – Bone Anchored Hearing Aids• BAHA users Welcome!• BAHA-Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid• BAHA Support Group (Southern Africa)

Acoustic neuroma & single-sided deafness (SSD):Acoustic Neuroma Association US organization for people with acoustic neuroma and other benign tumors of the cranial nerves

British Acoustic Neuroma Association (Bana UK) A support charity for those with Acoustic Neuroma.

Oticon Links

Resource Links

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Acoustic Neuroma Association of Canada (ANAC) The Acoustic Neuroma Association of Canada is a patient-headed, peer support group.

Facebook - Various SSD User Groups:• SSD – Single Sided Deafness peoples of Facebook • Deaf in One Ear? Yes.

Atresia, Microtia, Treacher Collins and Goldenhar Syndrome:Ear Community The Ear Community is a warm and supportive community for those who have any or all of the following: varying degrees of hearing loss, Microtia, Atresia, Treacher Collins or Goldenhar Syndrome.

Facebook - Various Microtia & Atresia User Groups:• Microtia & Atresia Support Group • Microtia Mingle UK• Microtia• Teens/adults with microtia

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Ponto stands for Freedom of Choice

For surgeons and audiologists, Ponto offers long-awaited freedom to recommend alternatives of the highest caliber. For users, it offers opportunities to experience new dimensions in sound quality as technology develops.

In bone anchored hearing care, freedom of choice is a principle worth fighting for – both now and in the future!