Pardon New technology helps hear<strong>in</strong>g impaired turn up the volume 28 WAVE
By Kenton Smith Illustration by Krista Lawson me?Colleagues who tried to engage her <strong>in</strong> small talk often failed. People who hailed her <strong>in</strong> the hallway would f<strong>in</strong>d themselves ignored, almost as though they were not even there. Aloof, quiet, snobbish – all these words were used to describe Slykerman. And yet, contrary to appearances, none of these labels were accurate. That’s because Slykerman’s apparent social peccadilloes had noth<strong>in</strong>g to do with a quirk of personality or an <strong>in</strong>explicable disda<strong>in</strong> for all those around her. Rather, they had everyth<strong>in</strong>g to do with the fact that the 42-year-old home-care co-ord<strong>in</strong>ator suffers from impaired hear<strong>in</strong>g, a condition that affects as many as 10 per cent of all Canadians. Because her colleagues were unaware, Slykerman was often misunderstood. “Colleagues and co-workers would attribute strange behaviour on my part, stemm<strong>in</strong>g from my hear<strong>in</strong>g loss, to other reasons,” Slykerman says. “People would th<strong>in</strong>k I was a snob, for <strong>in</strong>stance, for not acknowledg<strong>in</strong>g them when they greeted me sometimes. The truth, of course, was that I simply couldn’t hear them.” Fortunately for Slykerman, that changed last year when she became the first person <strong>in</strong> Manitoba, and one of the first <strong>in</strong> Canada, to benefit from a new type of hear<strong>in</strong>g device that is implanted <strong>in</strong> the ear. The device, called the Vibrant Soundbridge, is one of several new products on the market today that are help<strong>in</strong>g people like Slykerman rega<strong>in</strong> their hear<strong>in</strong>g, and a better quality of life. The implant was done by Dr. Brian Blakley, an otolaryngologist (a specialist <strong>in</strong> ear, eyes, nose and throat diseases) with the <strong>W<strong>in</strong>nipeg</strong> Health Region, and one of a small number of doctors who are us<strong>in</strong>g new technology to help the hear<strong>in</strong>g impaired. He says while these devices are not for everyone, they can be extremely beneficial for certa<strong>in</strong> patients, Slykerman be<strong>in</strong>g a prime example. “She is a very good example of what could be done,” says Blakley. “For her, she has a lot better function, a lot better understand<strong>in</strong>g, and she is able to do her job more effectively and communicate with people,” he says. “It’s a good th<strong>in</strong>g.” The hear<strong>in</strong>g process is an <strong>in</strong>tricate one. Here is how it works: Sound travels down our ear canal and hits the eardrum. The vibration from the ear drum is then passed down to the cochlea, or the <strong>in</strong>ner ear, and causes fluid <strong>in</strong> the cochlea to move, which, <strong>in</strong> turn, causes hair cells to move. The hair cells Starra Slykerman had a reputation around the office for be<strong>in</strong>g a bit distant. <strong>March</strong>/<strong>April</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 29
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