When you get an implant (at least the brand we chose), you choose two controllers (the battery compartment with the on/off switch, controls for which program, volume, etc... This is different from, and attaches to, the processor, which contains the microphone and the digital sound processing components). There are 3 different kinds. The regular over the ear piece that looks like a longer, bigger version of a hearing aid. This one takes three little round batteries and can have things like ipods plugged directly into it.
There is the "mini" which is a little shorter, and takes two batteries. It does not have the capacity to have devices like ipods plugged into it.
Then there is the body unit which has the littlest over the ear piece because the batteries are in a pack that clips onto your pants or in a pocket etc. A wire runs down from the ear piece to the battery pack. If the implant should come off for whatever reason, it is still attached by a wire to the battery pack. That was an appealing feature to us when we first got the implants. (It is often a desirable choice for toddlers with implants).
Between the two ears and their four controllers, we have at least one of each kind. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. The regular sized one is the same size for children and adults and tends to be big on little kids. Chance's ears are closer to his head and have actually stretched out since he has been wearing implants. At first the bigger implant was always slipping and sliding there on his ear. Chance's ears have stretched out though and have a little pointy part where the ear curves to attach to the head due to the implants. This slight point convinced Chance's brother and friends that Chance was one of Santa's elf last Christmas.
The mini fit better and we figured that at 6, Chance could live without an ipod plugged into his implant. He would be able to plug things into his other ear if the need arose.
The body unit we got mostly for sports and amusement parks etc. when the wire attached to the battery pack would help to keep the implant from falling all the way off.
Usually Chance wears the regular sized implant on one ear and the mini on the other. But every once in a while, he decides that the body-worn implant is the coolest thing since sliced bread. He is having such a moment now. He wants to wear a belt on his shorts each day for school so that he can hook the battery pack onto it.
He told me the battery pack implant looks like a cell phone that hooks onto your pants like the one his dad has. So it is cool.
You know as long as Chance feels his implant is cool, I don't care how he wears it as long as he can hear with it. Chance thinking his implant is cool is a nice touch.
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