My name is Katie-Louise. I was born deaf due to genetics from my family.
I was taught in a mainstream school being able to lip-read, use my speech and sign language. I started to wear hearing aids when I was 18 months old, although they benefited me ok until I was 7 my hearing went completely in my left ear. I then had to manage with only one hearing aid in the right ear.
When I moved up to college I started to struggle not being able to keep up with lip-reading as I was getting tired quickly and also I wasn’t able to hear much which when I was at school it didn’t used bother me. I also refused to talk and used sign language most of the time because I couldn’t hear my own voice also I wouldn’t go anywhere without an interpreter. So, after talking to my teacher of the deaf about the situation unable to hear as much as I like to. He then talked about a Cochlear Implant. At the time he told me about the Cochlear Implant, I knew what it was because some of my friends had them.
So, I decided to get accessed to see if I was suitable for one. The whole assessment process involved in lots of tests. I had to do them all and attended lot of an appointments. The implant team made it easier by having two appointments in one day, which was good for me as I didn’t have to miss too much college. The assessment gave me a chance to see what the implant is, how it worked. They gave me more time to think about and I got a chance to ask loads of question to the other implant users at the ear foundation.
The main reason why I wanted to have the implant was to help me with the lip-reading and to give me more confidence in using my voice. I needed that for my future job as a P.E teacher.
After being accepted to go ahead with the operation, I decided to go for my left ear as I had nothing to lose and it was worth a try and I could keep the other hearing aid in the other ear.
So, here comes the operation date. I was so nervous because I didn’t like the idea of having a needle. After the surgeon came over to the ward and talked to me about the risk etc. They said I could have gas to sleep so I wouldn’t see the needle go in me. That made me felt a lot better by doing it that way.
I remember waking up in the recovery room seeing Disney picture up on the wall. I did obviously think I was in Disney land. I didn’t wake up with too much pain. I was just a little bit dizzy and after sleeping off the anaesthetic for a while I felt a lot better. I only had a small bandage which was taken of the next morning. I didn’t know why I was so nervous about it as it was just a small thing. I was happy that the operation went well and of course there were no hair shaved and the scar was so neat and tiny.
Waiting for the switch on date felt like the longest weeks of my life. I was so nervous and excited at the same time, even though I knew not to expect too much on the activation day.
Finally the switch on date arrived and as I sit in the room where I was to be wired up to this nice colourful Advance Bionic [speech processor]. The audiologist placed the coil onto my head; now that did felt weird at first. It was like placing a magnet to a fridge. As I was all connected the audiologist had to tune in the implant which was done by software on the computer. I had to listen out for the beeps and had point out on this card which was a scale to 1 to 10 (too soft, comfortable or to loud) after tuning the implant it was ready to be switched on.
When she switched it on, she started talking and tapping around on the table with some keys to see what I could hear. The first thing I heard was beeping to every sound she makes. It comfortable for me but it was weird as the sound wasn’t normal but I was glad that the implant worked. After going home making as much noise I want. It was fun as I heard different tones of beeping. After a while I did get starting to hate the beeping as it was the similar sounds all the time and felt like giving up
With some encouragement from family and friends I manage to keep it on without taking it off. When I went back for my one week mapping the sounds got better and that when I could hear a bit more. I could start to hear the audiologist voice without beeping but in very high cartoon character voice. When I went home that day I sit down in the living room and was shocked on how noisy room could. I mean, I could hear the family all talking to each other with loads of background sounds. It was good to start off in a small room which wasn’t too uncomfortable but when I went to college it was so loud and at some point I hated the canteen at break or lunch time as there was students pulling the chairs to sit on and it did make a horrible noise. I ended up taking the implant off as I didn’t like it. With hearing aid I didn’t hear anything like that though I could feel it more.
When there so much noise it was hard at some point as I wasn’t used to it. So, I keep trying to keep it on and turn it down a bit and build the volume up gradually. It took a lot of practicing to identify the sound and I learnt a lot quicker by asking what the sound was. It was good to have someone around to help with all these sounds as there are so many.
A month later my implant was turn up and I heard more. I started to hear birds which were so amazing as I never heard them before. Lip-reading got easier and there were some words that I can hear without lip-reading. I also tried out my sister's iPod which had loads of music and I liked it. I could hear different beats but couldn’t follow voices which I could hear in some songs and it sounded good. So, on my birthday I received an iPod from my parents.
I didn’t end up wearing the hearing aid on the other ear in the end. I only just wear the implant as it sounded better.
The Cochlear implant has changed my life a lot it was best thing I ever had and I wouldn’t now like to be without it.
My confidence got better and I was so glad to hear more. I started to use my voice more and it’s getting better by attending speech therapy and work on some weakness that I needed to work on. It made life easier and I’ve started to be more independent.
After having the implant for 4 months with a lot of practice I could do more and now I can avoid sounds what I don’t want to hear and the sounds just gets better and better when you wear it more.