Your buddy sounds like an unsung hero! The difference between medical person treating you as a patient and caring for you is huge. Learning the technology and procedures that make all this work, truly a marvel of medical and engineering.

Tell him thank you for the work he does.

Thank you for the response. Living is US so healthcare is always expensive. That is a big concern is being on a limited budget now having been told for at least the first year there are therapy and learning sessions involved. That means for my decision it needs to be worth the money, time, and energy. So far I’m leaning to no and just living with what hearing I do have left.