The HLAA conference in Crystal City was a BLAST!!!!  This was my first time attending the event but I wasn't going there as a attendee.. I volunteered my time with Advanced Bionics booth to show the consumers how great AB's implant is!  Even though we are not 'back' on the market. We were able to show off our SKIN-ITs which are like really durable and thick stickers for our CI.  Mine lasted for almost a year!

I got to see my AB gang such as Sam, Evelyn, Jen, Dot, Becky and the list goes on and on and on!!!!

If you have never gone, promise yourself to save up the money and go one year!  You will have the best time of your life!  And the highlight is seeing WICKED in captioned!! My first play ever in caption.... I even sat in the very front row with my best friend Meredith who is a dwarf and needed to be seated closer to the stage so she can see the captions and the performance as well!

Enjoy the photos!! (They are compiled by all of my friends and me!) (and in no particular order!)

Sam pointing at Evelyn on the screen!  Here she is in person!!!!

My fiancee Tom doing a side handstand on the light pole!  Perfect timing with taking the photo!

Tina and Tina (from Chicago)

Tina and Sam

BethAnne and Tina

Evelyn and her pal, Shrimpy

Me (using a fisheye lens)

Me and Meredith

Barbara, Evelyn, Me and Jen

Wicked Play!

Meredith and Jen - look at the height difference!!!!

Sam giving Meredith some help on the bus! 

Jen and Me

Crabtree & Evelyn

Tina signing Crab, Jen signing Tree and Evelyn pointing at herself!

Showing off the AB's booth!

Tina and Anna from UK

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4 more months til my wedding day!  I'm all prepared and getting my last map soon before the big day! Had make up trials and hair trials too!

I did get an interpreter for my wedding.. I figured with everything going on that I am going to hear that day is going to completely exhaust me out. I thought having an interpreter for someone does the speeches will help me not to concentrate so hard.  I want to enjoy my big day and have so much fun!

Here is our engagement photo taken by our photographer who happens to work for the Hearing Loss Magazine for HLAA!

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You heard it right - we went out of our way to hold an event at the DC Zoo... the best part, there is no admission prices... but there is a parking fee if you want to park down there.

We had a great group of people showing up today!  We thought it was going to rain all day... the weather held off til the closing time of the zoo! And boy, we got tons of pictures to show!  If you couldn't make it, you missed a great gathering and we had so much fun meeting new people and becoming friends with them :) We sported some cute new stickers to show off our CI status. :)

Enjoy the photos!!!

Brochures, Bags, Monkeys, and much more!

Sign-In Sheets, more brochures!

Me and my BEA Manager, Katie

Some of the AB's recipients.

Scott's Family eating lunch before the big trek around the zoo!

Tina and Carrie talking while walking

Really Cute Panda.

Scott, Tina and Carrie

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We used a new location for the Winter BEA support group.  This library is spanking brand new and CLEAN!

We had BethAnne from AB come and talk about the changes with AB.  There are so many new changes... if you don't know... Sonova has acquired AB and they are also patterned with Phonak (the top digital hearing aid company on the market) which will mean that in the future, our CI's will get small!!!!

The two recalls were discussed.. the patients are explanted and re-implanted and doing very well! The root of the source of the recall was a shortage in the electrode.

Since they found the root problem, they are going to change the ways they manufacture the product and the steps towards it and work on getting it back to the market.

Also discussed about AB's new CEO, Gerhard Roehrlein. He has 25 years with Siemens and also a global pioneer in electronics and electrical engineering.  I think this is going to bring some great stuff to AB! Cant wait to see what the future brings us!!!!

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Unfortunately, AB is on a voluntary recall due to TWO failures. One here in the US and one in UK. The two patients are experiencing severe pain, loud sounds and shocking sensations within 8-10 days after being activated.

At least that AB is being honest and pulling it off the shelf before anyone else gets hurt like the other two people. Not naming any companies, other brands tend to sweep their recall under the rug and hide it from others that its not easily found online.

AB's number one priority is the recipient. Which shows me that they do CARE about their recipients!!!

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It was a great turn out... but we had some visitors there that we had to kick out since I had a permit to have the space for the entire day. They weren't too happy. Sorry!

We had Meredith - who has a rare kind of dwarfism called Morquio Syndrome that is thinking of getting an CI. Her only challenge is that she had a spinal fusion which means if you have surgery and get intubated, they can't tilt her neck at all.  We were told that Dr. Niparko from JHH has some surgeries as a local... eek!  I can't imagine that!

Of course, Carrie showed up just one day post-op. My BEA manager, Beth Anne called her a brave soul. She didn't come alone :) Her mom drove her and brought her down. I think she was in good spirits and well medicated for her pain management.

I was happy with today's outcome. Let's hope that the next one will be even bigger!!! Here are some photos!

Tom with AB's Directional Signs

Me with AB Balloons!!!

Carrie (blue shirt) with Me and Meredith (purple shirt)

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It's early in the AM!  Got so much prep work to do for the BEA's Picnic Gathering!  I got balloons to fill up, directional signs to put up too!

My fiancee is helping me a lot to do this!  We got people coming from Delaware and New Jersey!  And we have a gal that just had surgery yesterday that is coming to the picnic!  I know - already? She said that she really wants to go but I told her to take it easy.  I was able to go to her surgery yesterday since I had a mapping that morning.

Wish me luck! Hopefully it doesn't rain or get too hot.  We have a gazebo, so we should be in the shade all day!!!

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