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Lou Ferrigno is hearing things he’s never heard before after undergoing cochlear surgery.
After ear infections during childhood left him with major hearing loss, the 69-year-old bodybuilding champ now has a cochlear implant.
“Well, hearing aids increased the volume,” the “Incredible Hulk” star told “Inside Edition”. “But now, because of the implant, I’m able to distinguish the different consonants, the different S sound. Everything you could… I never heard before. And that is a life-changing experience.”
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According to Ferrigno, it’s taken some time to get used to the cochlear implant. “Well, it’s incredible because everybody that gets activated, it sounds different,” he states. “For me, I heard a lot of bells and chimes. So eventually, the brain adjusts to it, [and] understands the formulation of the word. The overtime just kept getting better and better.”
Ferrigno shared footage of when his implant was initially activated, and was brought to tears by what he was experiencing. “Wow… I’m just emotional because I can hear again,” he said in the video.
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Ferrigno is encouraging anyone considering getting a cochlear implant to do it.
“So a lot of people are nervous,” he said. “But I think because I’ve done it, it gives them a lot of hope and confidence that they will have a better life-changing experience in themselves. It’s okay because the technology today with cochlear is phenomenal.”
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