Nashlea Brogan AuD

02/26/2026

Happy International Cochlear Implant Day ❤️

Cochlear implants changed my life.

In 2012, after 20 years of progressive hearing loss, I received cochlear implants and everything changed. I still remember coming home after activation and hearing my three year old daughter’s voice for the first time. Even the clinking of dishes in the dishwasher felt loud and excitingly new!

Before my implants, the world became slowly quiet and isolating. By my early thirties I would avoid movies, conferences, and social gatherings because communicating was just too hard and I was often embarrassed. Working as an audiologist helping others hear was my safe place but outside the clinic I struggled.

Then sound came back, along with old habits and new discoveries. After activation, I could hear my beloved parakeets again. AC/DC had me dancing around the living room like a teenager in the 80’s, and I spent hours gabbing on the phone. My life rebooted, and my forties have been even better. I found a new passion for speaking on stages and connecting with professionals and communities I never dreamed possible. All of this was made possible by cochlear implant technology.

Today I also want to say thank you to everyone who made this possible. To the researchers and engineers behind the technology, the surgeon and medical team, and the audiology and rehab teams who guided me through it. And a special thank you to MED-EL whose technology gave me back the sounds of my life.

This year’s theme is “Hear Life with CI,” and to me that means getting your world back. Not perfect hearing, but real life again. Voices, music, conversations, and connection even on a windy boat ride 🚤

Today we celebrate this remarkable technology and keep pushing so everyone, everywhere in the world can access cochlear implants and the care that comes with them.

02/18/2026

A little physiotherapy for the brain 🧠👂

LACE AI Pro helps train your listening system for real life — noisy restaurants, busy gatherings, and fast talkers. Just 15 minutes a day can help you feel more confident and connected.

Want to see if it’s a fit for you? Message me to find a provider near you! If you are in Ontario call my practice at 519-344-8887 to schedule a complimentary chat. 💙

02/13/2026

This Valentine’s Day choose listening ❤️

01/31/2026

Ski day + hearing tech check! 🎿🎧❄️

Hi everyone—it’s me, Nashlea, from Bluewater Hearing & Balance. We support you in real life—including all the activities you love.

One thing I’ve learned from wearing hearing technology myself: helmets, toques, headbands, and goggles can sometimes press on hearing aids or cochlear implants. If something feels “off,” you often won’t know until you’ve worn it for a few hours. The good news? Most comfort and fit issues can be improved with small tweaks and the right setup.

If you’re active and wear hearing aids or cochlear implants, please know you don’t have to choose between hearing well and doing what you love. At Bluewater Hearing, we support our patients in all their activities with hearing technology—so you can stay confident, comfortable, and connected.

Call 519-344-8887 to book an appointment and discuss your needs ❤️

01/28/2026

Living with hearing loss taught me something I didn’t expect at Disney.

Last week I rode the new ride TRON and the classic Space Mountain at Walt Disney World.

I was prepared for the speed, the chance of motion sickness, and keeping my devices secure. A Lululemon headband is my go-to for holding the implants on perfectly. Mouse ears were a no.

What I wasn’t prepared for is how much of these rides are in complete darkness.
Yikes. 😬

It’s a strange sensory mismatch: moving that fast, not being able to see, and hearing imperfectly. I was so focused on not losing my devices that I didn’t mentally prep for the darkness.

If someone you love or support has hearing loss or cochlear implants, pass this on: some rides include long stretches of total darkness. Knowing that ahead of time makes it less scary.

And when it’s less scary, people can fully participate. ❤️

Drop your best tips below so other families and professionals can learn from what actually works in real life.

01/22/2026

A weekend can change your life…

These photos are all audiology practice owners.

And what most people don’t know is this: they all once signed up for an event about “neuroscience” and their entire practices were changed forever.

They didn’t leave with “inspiration.” They left with tools they used immediately:

1) How to explain the science so patients actually understand it

2) How to shift the conversation from “hearing aids” to treatment and outcomes

3) How to lead a team with a clear framework and consistent messaging

A weekend where they decided to change how they provided care. They learned new tools. They learned a different way to grow and lead their teams. They gained a supportive and powerful audiology community whose practices are successful and always innovating.

For many of them, it was the moment they stopped feeling like they were “selling hearing aids” and started practicing more like healthcare professionals focused on treatment, outcomes, and the science behind why this matters.

That’s why they come back. And that’s why they bring their teams and now want to give back to the profession.

If you want to meet these practice owners, hear their stories, and learn what changed everything for them, come join us in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale • March 20–21, 2026

Register: www.5simplesystems.com
Use code “NASHLEA”

If you have any questions please message me 😊

01/21/2026

Have you ever smiled and nodded… and hoped you guessed right?

My friend Gael Kennedy Hannan just gave an awesome TEDx on “the dirty little secret of hearing loss”… and how we can overcome it.

Please watch, share it, and then send it to one person you love.

Ever smiled and nodded even though you missed what was said? This candid exploration reveals why this survival tactic sabotages relationships and how honest ...

01/16/2026

I used to think identity shifts were slow and unidirectional.

Then I lived one that happened twice.

Once when I was losing my hearing in my twenties. The slow, progressive loss changed me. Quietly. Permanently.

And again, 20 years later, when I re-entered the world of sound with cochlear implants.

That second identity shift felt like a reawakening. Harder than the first because it made me question my past and look closely at how my life was shaped. It’s the one I still wrestle with today.

I’ve been trying to write about what it was like to lose my hearing, but some days it’s hard to go back. It’s like I put those years in a vault and threw away the key.

Then today, on a dark winter morning when I was supposed to write, I rushed to the kitchen without my cochlear implants ( that never happens) and made coffee.

And within minutes, I was back to that version of me super aware I couldn’t hear anything except my heartbeat.

So for the first time ever I left my cochlear implants in another room, sat down, and started writing.

And suddenly the memories came. Easily.

And it reminded me:

Sometimes you don’t access the past identity by remembering it. You access it by briefly returning to the conditions that shaped it.

01/12/2026

If you’re getting hearing aids (new or updated) and you’re wondering what questions to ask to make sure your receive a customized treatment:

✅ Ask:

• Will you test my hearing with real sentences in background noise not single words — and explain what my results mean, how I hear in noise?

• Will I have the option to try more than one hearing aid brand and style — and can you explain your policy?

• If they don’t feel secure on or in my ear, do you offer custom tips or a custom earpiece so they fit comfortably and securely? Everyone should try a custom ear piece, it’s a game changer for sound quality and security.

You deserve to understand what’s being done and what your options are. Your hearing care is for life! You deserve the best care.

Save this for your appointment — or share it with someone who needs it. 💛

01/10/2026

20 years of skiing… and I couldn’t hear the snow. 🤍⛷️

Today, with cochlear implants under a helmet, I can hear the swish of my skis as I turn and the woots of my kids playing in fresh pow. 🥹❄️

It’s hard to explain what it feels like to get “small sounds” back… until you realize they were never small.

Grateful for cochlear implant technology. Grateful for this moment.

If you’re in your hearing journey right now: you’re not alone. 💛

01/09/2026

If you’re looking for a hearing professional, don’t get distracted by the brand.

Ask this instead 👇

✅ Do they do a real assessment?
60+ minutes. Questions about your health and your real life. Testing how you hear ear-to-brain 🧠 and in background noise!

not just “can you hear the beeps? and single words”

✅ Do they do real follow-up care?
6-month check-ins.
Annual hearing tests and programming updates every year.

Ongoing updates as your hearing and health changes.

That’s where real outcomes come from.

Save this for later or share it with someone choosing hearing care.