An “Aha!” moment is one of those times in your life when all the pieces fall into place.

For Bertha Gilson who has a severe hearing loss that aha! moment occurred when she was finally able to understand the soft voices of her young granddaughters chatting happily on the phone.

Before she was fitted with her new Epoq RITE Power hearing devices, Bertha used to miss those precious conversations with Sophia and Isabella who live several states away. “Little kids talk really fast and I could never make out what they were saying,” says Bertha. “Now I can talk on the phone with them for an hour at a time and understand every word they say.”

With her previous power hearing devices Bertha was performing so poorly from an auditory standpoint – relying heavily on lip reading – that her audiologist began researching cochlear implants for her. When Oticon introduced Epoq RITE Power, her audiologist suggested that Bertha give them a try. Bertha, who was used to heavier, more traditional power hearing aids, was impressed by the sleek, good looks of the new devices. For her, however, the main focus was being able to hear conversations clearly – with friends, family and of course, her darling granddaughters.

“When people ask me what is the most important thing I’ve gained with my new hearing devices, I say it is just being able to carry on a conversation with confidence,” explains Bertha. “Before, I wouldn’t know what someone was saying or I’d guess and end up answering something really off the wall. And you can only say ‘oh yes’ and ‘uh huh’ so many times before people begin to look at you funny. I would feel stupid and embarrassed.”

Bertha reports that a recent round of family celebrations were “the best I ever had.” “I couldn’t believe how well I could hear. Everyone noticed the difference,” she notes.

Social activities and dining out are now something Bertha looks forward to. “I am very active in my church and community groups. But at the meetings or going out to eat, I could never really be part of the group. Now I find I’m more in the conversation and enjoying myself more. Before I was so unsure of what was being said I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. Now I join right in.”

She also enjoys the everyday sounds she missed for so many years. “I can sit in my living room with the door and windows shut and hear the wind chimes outside.”

Bertha relates that before she wore Epoq RITE Power, she would never turn on the radio when driving and relied heavily on the mirrors to check for vehicles coming up behind her. “I can hear sirens well before I can see them. I feel a lot safer.”

At home, Bertha, who needed to have her daughter or husband right in front of her to hear what they were saying, now carries on a conversation with her husband when he’s in another room. “My husband jokes that he’s not as hoarse as he used to be,” she says.

“I didn’t realize how much I was missing until I got my Epoq Powers,” explains Bertha. “I wear them all day, putting them in as soon as I get up in the morning and don’t take them off until I am ready for bed. They are quite a bit smaller and there is a very fine wire – not the thick tube I used to have. Before my hearing aids were a lot bigger and much more noticeable. My niece recently asked me if I was still wearing hearing aids. She couldn’t tell I had them on!”

Bertha decided to try the optional Streamer with her new hearing instruments. With the Streamer’s wireless connectivity, she is able to talk hands free on her home phone and her cell phone. Phone conversations used to be impossible for her —even with a loop and the t-coil. Now she can talk on the phone with her family, grandchildren and friends, even when she is in a noisy setting. “What the Streamer allows me to do is amazing. You just push a button and the sound comes right into your hearing devices. I can talk on the phone – hearing every word – and cook or do whatever I like.”

Bertha is so pleased with the clarity of conversations and her ability to distinguish natural sounds in her environment that she is on a crusade to convince her brother, who also has a congenital hearing loss, to try Epoq RITE Power. “I tell him how much better I am hearing and how comfortable they are. If you don’t want people to notice them, they are so small you can wear them with confidence.” And as to her ability to talk easily with her two granddaughters, Bertha says, “That’s the best part. It’s very emotional for me because they are my life!”