My Cochlear Implant, by Alison Patuck PART THREE – switch on!
Alison, 26, talks about her cochlear implant experience, in the third of a four-part diary series on the DeafBlog. Read part one here and part two here.
Until the 9th October, which was my switch on day, I spent time recovering from the surgery and had to manage without hearing aids for the first time. I actually tried using them a couple weeks post op – but it was no good. However I did have a lot of tinnitus – which I found annoying as it lasted for some months. I was told not to wash my hair for two weeks, which was horrible, as with the usual grime of unwashed hair, I also had iodine, surgical solutions and dried blood to deal with. My balance was also affected and I felt very tired.
Although I was apprehensive about the switch on, I was also excited and couldn’t wait. I was looking forward to hearing some sounds, as since I’d had the operation, I’d been managing with no hearing, and was surprised that it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I hadn’t realised how heavily I’d relied on lip-reading and visual clues. Also, as I didn’t feel that great, I didn’t worry too much. As for watching TV, I relied a lot on subtitles.
I came back to Southmead again for 10am to be switched on. I can remember Dawn, one of the audiologists, showing me the speech processor and all the parts. It looked complicated and alien-like, unlike a hearing aid which seemed simpler. I was also given a briefcase, which held my CI parts and a handbook.
When I first wore my processor, it felt a little heavy, and having the coil stuck to my head felt strange. When the big moment came; I tried really hard not to get my expectations high. Dawn said ‘can you hear me?’ I said ‘what?’ At first I thought she was still fiddling with the computer; but no, she waited patiently for my response.
I heard nothing at first, then it started coming in – only loud unmeaningful noises – it sounded unreal and I thought ‘it this it?’ I tried hard not to get upset and to stay positive but it was easier said than done, but I can tell you that at this point I was let down and disappointed. I really wanted my hearing aids back – as I could hear more with them. Nothing made sense, my Dad tried to talk to me, but he didn’t sound right. Dawn also tried making some noises – but sounds were echoed loud and sounded scratchy. No one’s voices were right. I wanted my old life back, but I had no choice – this or total deafness.
I had no idea what to expect, only told that it would be very different and not pleasant to start with. No-one can really tell you what it’s like, you need to experience it for yourself. I was told that as I’d lost my hearing at five months old, I’d not had any memory of normal hearing so I’d had to start from scratch. It’s like being a baby again, everything would be completely new for me.
For the first time in my life I could hear the high frequency sounds, which I didn’t know existed, i.e. birds singing, doors creaking, stirring with a metal spoon and tapping of keys on a keyboard. It was about a year before I started to appreciate the new sounds coming through. I was picking up a lot of new sounds each day, but I could not tolerate the high-pitched noises. There are a lot of sounds that probably everyone takes for granted.
To be continued…
Readers can find Alison's Cochlear Implant Users Group here
