With a little help from her friends...

When Linda Bagent's friends began to feel she was ignoring them, they knew something wasn't right. This was certainly not like the kind-hearted and outgoing Linda, a registered nurse who for the past 37 years had always gone over and above to care for patients at Aultman Hospital in Akron. Linda had recently completed chemotherapy and radiation treatment and was looking forward to enjoying time with family over the upcoming holiday season.

"I had been through so much with my recent illness that I suppose I wasn't ready to think about taking care of my hearing yet," said Linda. "I knew I was having trouble in restaurants and large spaces like church. I couldn't comprehend what people were saying even when we were face to face. It was especially difficult on the phone. I had many calls from well-wishers and I was really touched by the concern. The truth was I usually knew who was calling me but couldn't understand a word they said."
 
When it became clear that hearing loss was the issue, Linda's friends decided to take action. Working with audiologist Dr. Richard Reikowski, who had earlier diagnosed Linda's radiation-related hearing loss, the friends secured a donation of advanced technology Oticon Dual hearing instruments from Oticon Inc. in time for the holidays.

"The songs at church on Christmas never sounded sweeter," remembers Linda. "Before I had my new hearing instruments, the music at church sounded like pots and pans bouncing around." Now able to join in conversations with friends and family, Linda is back to her old self. She especially enjoys chatting with friends on her cell phone, using her new Streamer accessory. Enjoying

TV with the family is fun again with the ConnectLine system that allows her to stream audio wirelessly directly to her hearing devices. "I wear my Duals from morning until I go to bed," reports Linda. "And I certainly have more energy than I did a year ago."

"It is wonderful to see Linda with such a good outlook," observes Dr. Reikowski. "The quality of her communication with her family is significantly better and I believe that has helped her feel optimistic and ready to participate in life again."

"I think there is a lesson for everyone in Linda's story," he added. "Now is the best time to seek help for hearing loss, whatever the cause. Don't postpone the opportunity to live life to the fullest."