Kate's Story -
I want to encourage anyone who hasn't had a cochlear implant to go for it. I can't be much more of a better example. I was in the situation in April where I was totally blind, was going to be totally deaf, because I have a progressive disease, by if not the end of this year, certainly by the end of next year, which meant that I was going to live the next 50 years, I am exactly 50 now, being totally deaf and totally blind. I am a very outgoing lady and would be very frustrated, so the situation was, do we go for it and hope for the best? The biggest worry they had was my balance going and me being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Luckily that didn't happen, my balance isn't 100% but it is improving all the time, so we will keep our fingers crossed. I have benefited very much. I may well be the first person in the country who has had a double implant in the same operation. I needed 24-hour support from the moment I went into hospital and for about three months after I came home because, if you can imagine it, I was completely cut off.
The ward was wonderful but obviously I was apprehensive, basically I think I spent the night before the operation knitting! I couldn't sleep, part excited, part terrified. The next morning I knew there would be no breakfast but I wasn't expecting to have the time to have a leisurely shower! After the shower I put my gown on and, I didn't like this, I had to have those nasty stockings on. I was supposed to have them on for six weeks but they didn't realise I was naughty in the middle of the night and took them off! I was prepared for theatre, then surprise number two I walked into theatre! or as good as, to the door, jumped on the trolley, said goodbye to everyone and handed my hearing aids over. I liked it in Birmingham, they don't do the pre - med simply put you out, which is a lot better. I hope they do that everywhere now. I said God, I am in Your hands and hoped for the best. I didn't see the ward again until 6.00 pm. One surgeon did the left side, one surgeon did the right. When you come round, don't let this put you off, you have a lovely neck ache and headache, it doesn't go on too long, you get painkillers.
I was actually in hospital for about 10 days, but it was different for me because of my disability, everyone else is in for 2, 3, 4 days. When you come home, you have about four weeks with no hearing of any description, from that particular ear, which in my case was quite frustrating as I had no hearing in either ear and was completely cut off. The main thing I would say to anyone going in for the operation, I would like other peoples' views on this, is that they should be prepared for an emotional upheaval. I went through a terrible six weeks of depression. I was told it's part of it, it's a bereavement thing, you go from hearing to artificial hearing, so in a way you are grieving for the loss of your natural hearing. My advice is to go with it, keep your chin up, keep yourself busy and just go for it.
Then you come to switch on day, you probably don't hear a lot the first day and you think oh why did I have it done? You go through all that, you go back to the clinic and you eventually think, oh great, you begin to benefit. I have only been switched on now for about 14 or 15 weeks, the improvements every day are quite exciting. Hearing people see it more than we realise ourselves, so I am saying to anyone who is nervous, go for it, it's not as bad as you think!
The ward was wonderful but obviously I was apprehensive, basically I think I spent the night before the operation knitting! I couldn't sleep, part excited, part terrified. The next morning I knew there would be no breakfast but I wasn't expecting to have the time to have a leisurely shower! After the shower I put my gown on and, I didn't like this, I had to have those nasty stockings on. I was supposed to have them on for six weeks but they didn't realise I was naughty in the middle of the night and took them off! I was prepared for theatre, then surprise number two I walked into theatre! or as good as, to the door, jumped on the trolley, said goodbye to everyone and handed my hearing aids over. I liked it in Birmingham, they don't do the pre - med simply put you out, which is a lot better. I hope they do that everywhere now. I said God, I am in Your hands and hoped for the best. I didn't see the ward again until 6.00 pm. One surgeon did the left side, one surgeon did the right. When you come round, don't let this put you off, you have a lovely neck ache and headache, it doesn't go on too long, you get painkillers.
I was actually in hospital for about 10 days, but it was different for me because of my disability, everyone else is in for 2, 3, 4 days. When you come home, you have about four weeks with no hearing of any description, from that particular ear, which in my case was quite frustrating as I had no hearing in either ear and was completely cut off. The main thing I would say to anyone going in for the operation, I would like other peoples' views on this, is that they should be prepared for an emotional upheaval. I went through a terrible six weeks of depression. I was told it's part of it, it's a bereavement thing, you go from hearing to artificial hearing, so in a way you are grieving for the loss of your natural hearing. My advice is to go with it, keep your chin up, keep yourself busy and just go for it.
Then you come to switch on day, you probably don't hear a lot the first day and you think oh why did I have it done? You go through all that, you go back to the clinic and you eventually think, oh great, you begin to benefit. I have only been switched on now for about 14 or 15 weeks, the improvements every day are quite exciting. Hearing people see it more than we realise ourselves, so I am saying to anyone who is nervous, go for it, it's not as bad as you think!
May 2006