Bob Turk's Story - Baltomore TV Weatherman's CI Story - See the Video Including Dr. Niparko of s Hopkins Hospital !

November 8, 2005

From WJZ TV13, Baltimore, November 7, 2005

For pictures and the video:

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Bob Turk's Story

Koch

Reporting

(WJZ) Baltimore, MD More than 28 million Americans suffer from some degree

of hearing loss, including WJZ's Bob Turk. But a small device has made it

possible for Bob to hear again, and now he's talking about his battle and

the life-changing surgery that he went through.

We first told you last May about Bob's struggled with hearing loss. He had a

damaged cochlea and used two hearing aids. He was almost considered

clinically deaf.

His problem didn't just affect him, but all those who work with him, live

with him, and love him--especially his family.

But even his hearing aids weren't strong enough to bring his hearing back to

normal. For Bob, there was one hope: a cochlear implant.

With a cochlear implant, an implant is inserted deep under the skin behind

the ear. Outside the ear, a speech processor with a microphone picks up

sounds, turns them into signals, and sends them to the implant which

converts the signals into electrical energy stimulating the nerves in the

cochlea and then onto the brain.

" This was our hope, our big hope, and we were so worried that it wasn't

going to work, " says Tina, Bob's wife.

In June, Bob privately entered s Hopkins Hospital and Dr. Niparko

performed the surgery, which was extremely successful.

" He woke up about 45 minutes after the procedure with an excellent sense of

humor, " says Dr. Niparko.

Six weeks later, the implant was finally tested. If it didn't work, with

what little hearing he has left in his right ear, he would be deaf. But the

operation went perfectly as planned, and hoped.

Bob's family was thrilled.

" Very glad. I was just so scared this was our only answer and it wasn't

going to work, but it worked, " admits Tina.

And Bob himself couldn't be happier. His emotional battle was finally over.

" It's amazing. I love this thing, I really mean it, " says an elated Bob.

" I'm getting choked up, but it's great. It's really been great. "

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