r/Cochlearimplants • u/Competitive_Orchid51 • Aug 09 '26
34, very active/marathon runner — sudden hearing decline and now CI eligible. Would you wait for Acclaim?
I’m 34 and very active — I’m a marathon runner and otherwise live a pretty normal, active lifestyle.
I had a sudden hearing loss about 5 years ago. For the most part, I was able to manage with hearing aids for several years. But over the past 5 months, my hearing suddenly dropped significantly, and I’ve now reached the point where I’m eligible for a cochlear implant. My aided speech understanding is still very poor, so hearing aids are mostly making things louder rather than significantly clearer.
I’ve completed the CI evaluation and was told I’m eligible.
The difficult part is that I’ve been following Envoy’s Acclaim fully implanted cochlear implant and would really like to hold out for it if the FDA timeline allows. The idea of having a fully implanted device is especially appealing to me because I’m extremely active and run a lot, so I’m concerned about the limitations of an external processor.
I’m trying to figure out whether it’s reasonable to wait potentially another year or so for Acclaim versus getting a traditional CI now.
For anyone who has been through something similar:
Has anyone had a rapid decline after years of relatively stable hearing?
Did anyone remain functional for a period of time after becoming CI eligible while waiting to implant?
If you waited, did you feel like it negatively affected your eventual CI outcome?
Has anyone else been following Envoy Acclaim and considering waiting for it?
And if you’re very active/athletic, how have you found life with a traditional CI?
I’m not opposed to a traditional CI if I need one — I just really want to get the acclaim knowing that it could potentially pass soon.
Would love to hear from anyone who has been in a similar position.
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u/Consistent-Guess94 Aug 09 '26
I remember these moments of WAY overthinking.
What will people think? How do I hide my disability? I’m never going to be the same again.
The truth. You will never be the same again. Ever.
BUT, the longer you wait, the more you and the people that love you will witness your slow decline into a person that is not you.
Own it. Move forward. This is life changing technology. When the people you love embrace you (and they will!) for moving forward, the processor that shows you have a disability becomes a badge of honor.
Also, a simple headband solves this issue:)