How is the new ear going?

Well ............ I've had so many conflicting thoughts on how it's going that I've not been able to articulate my progress until now. The second implant is a TOTALLY different experience than the first. This is to be expected I suppose as I was only deaf in my first cochlear ear for three months before the implant. This implant on the other hand is 37 years after going deaf.

So what do I hear? It's very difficult to describe, it's almost like a gong sound, you know, a gong, a big gold metal thing that you hit and it makes that unique sound. So every time I hear a sound in the right ear I get a "gong". Not just the sound either, the vibrations that come with my auditory nerves being stimulated.

So, that's why I don't wear it all the time, it takes a toll on the brain having a gong go off every second so the most I can wear it is a few hours a day. But here is the interesting part, it gets a bit better every day which is really exciting.

I'm also starting to understand what stereo hearing is like - whoa people - it's like sound coming at you from all directions and loud!!! How can you live like that? It's sensory overload!!

This is another reason I can only handle a few hours per day of wearing it, my poor brain is overwhelmed (my brain and I have a unique relationship after going through two cochlear implants together, it's rather miffed at me for putting it through all the stress but always puts in a good effort regardless).

I'm really starting to understand the experience of people who have cochlear implants after many years of being deaf and can understand why some would give up. As my mother (and Uncle Greg as it turns out) says "patience my child".

Scoop Magazine Feature

Check out the magazine feature on the Ear Science Institute Australia in Scoop (a Perth publication).

Ear Science Institute article on single-sided deafness

The Ear Science Institute Australia has written an interesting article on single sided deafness. Worth a read if this is either you, or a friend or family member. This was me years ago.

http://www.esiaimplants.com.au/implantcentre/Hearing-Loss/Single-Sided-Deafness.aspx

You Tube link to switch-on video

For those who can't view my switch on video in the last post, here is the link to You Tube:

Click here to view Jane's video on You Tube.

If that doesn't work, go to You Tube and type in "Jane's Cochlear Implant" and it will take you through to my video.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with me :)

Pictured with Ronel and Carl, my amazing audiologists from the Ear Science Institute Australia .

Switch On!!!!!

Today I had my second implant activated. I couldn't believe that after 37 years of not hearing a single sound I could make out speech within seconds of activation. Watch the video below and I'm sure you'll be able to identify when I hear for the first time in my right ear.

11 Days After My Cochlear Operation

Eleven days after the operation and I'm just starting to feel normal again. Most of the dizziness has gone, the light-headedness has nearly gone, and the pain isn't bad enough to require any medication. I'm still a little tired but it's not too bad. I think I might be on the mend! In three days I will have the external processor attached and switched-on. I'm very nervous about this - nobody, even the experts, really knows what's going to happen. To hear or not to hear, that is the question!!!!

Recovery, recovery, recovery

This is a very slow recovery from the implant surgery for me. My head is finally starting to clear but I've still got sharp pains in the ear and I feel soooooooo tired. I regret going into the surgery stressed and tired (I was so tired I was looking forward to the actual surgery so I could sleep for three hours while they operated!). I've also found it difficult resting at home with the two kids and all the demands that come with them, especially at Christmas time.

Yesterday I had a dentist appointment followed by a Christmas lunch with work. I got home at 3.00pm in the afternoon, went to bed, and couldn't get up until later that evening. I just couldn't move. So for the next few days I'm going to have to stay home and rest as much as possible (as much as possible over a weekend with sport for the kids and a birthday party for my husband!!!).

My staples are out though which is good (see photo below), and the swelling has gone down a bit. I'm healing, just slowly.

DON'T SNEEZE!

I just sneezed. It was followed by the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced and I've had two babies. Don't sneeze if you have just had surgery on your cochlear. Trust me on this.

Is deafness a disability?

Today is International Day of People with Disability!

International Day of People with Disability Website

Is deafness a disability? Depends who you ask. In a room full of deaf signers, does a hearing person have the disbility? I suppose technically, and by definition, deafness is a disability but I'm sure if you asked a group of deaf people what they thought they would each have a different view depending on their own experience and level of deafness.

I met a girl the other day who called herself hard of hearing. She had experienced many negative responses from people over the years and this made her deafness a disability for her. My own experience has been different. I'm able to work so I don't need any financial support like a pension, I speak and listen so I don't need any special compensation like captions, I don't need any special care or any special consideration really, so essentially, I'm not really disabled am I? I do however, wear a device so I can be enabled. Does wearing a cochlear implant make me less disabled then? When I take the cochlear implant off am I more disabled?

 If deafness is a disability then, it's a complicated one! What other disability has it's own language?!

Five Days Post Op

Five days after my operation and I'm only just starting to feel normal again. Here is my medical update:

• I have mild pain, like an ear-ache but it's not too bad today and easy to manage with a few over-the-counter pain killers. Sometimes I get a stabbing pain in the ear.
• I'm tired but not in a sleepy kind of way, more like my body is tired and for that matter so is my brain. 
• I'm not driving because I still feel a bit dizzy and light headed. Really light headed actually.
• My ear is still swollen and provides my kids with endless amusement because the swelling causes my ear to stick out. My other ear is close to my head so the contrast is obvious and no, I'm not providing photos.
• Sleeping at night is a bit of a pain, literally, as I can't roll onto my right side so it's either my left side or on my back. OK, this isn't that bad, just mildly annoying, but in the interests of putting it all out there, my sleep is slightly disturbed.
• I keep forgetting I can't blow my nose until I try and do it and then have to jump around with the pain. I've got wadding stuffed down my ear canal and as you can imagine it is not pleasant sneezing or blowing my nose!
• I got to wash my hair today! Yay! And wash the dried blood off the back of my ear! Yay! 

That's the medical stuff but here's the psychological stuff:

• People keep saying that the second cochlear operation is easier because I know what to expect but I haven't found that to be the case for me. The first time I was totally deaf and didn't hear or notice alot of what was going on around me. This time, I have a cochlear on the other side so I can hear. For some reason this has been more stressful. I think maybe people expect more of me because I can hear already. They forget how much effort is needed to "hear" with a cochlear and this has made the operation and recovery more difficult. Of course it could also be because I'm getting old .........