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The following story is one person's experience with a cochlear implant. Your experience may be very different. Success with a cochlear implant is influenced by many factors including how long a person has had hearing loss, the age a person receives an implant, medical and anatomical factors and more. Please consult your cochlear implant professional and/or the Bionic Ear Association with questions.
"Hello. Hello!! Rick, is that you, I can't hear you there must be something wrong with the phone. All I am getting is static."
And so began my sudden journey into a profound hearing loss in November, 2002. The morning after this late night call from my son, I woke to find out I could not hear anything! I already had some hearing loss, but now I couldn't hear anything at all.
I was frightened, frustrated and immediately thought I must have a brain tumor. Fortunately I was able to get an appointment with my audiologist, who confirmed this sudden drop, and the process began to determine why I had this sudden hearing loss. Was it a leak in the cochlea, an attack of Meniere's Disease (which previously caused me to lose all my hearing in my left ear), or autoimmune disease. None of the treatment regimes helped. So I decided to get evaluated for a cochlear implant and, thankfully, I was found to be a candidate. The doctor and audiology team recommended the Clarion CII Bionic Ear by Advanced Bionics and as I learned more from people I met at the local SHHH (Self Help for Hard of Hearing People) and cochlear implant support group, I was convinced this was the best device for me.
My history of hearing loss began about sixteen years ago, with the onset of Meniere's Disease. I experienced a very gradual hearing loss in my left ear, but was able to function normally , which included being able to continue teaching in Upstate New York, as well as enjoying theater, music, and a very active lifestyle. When we moved to Florida in 1996, I underwent a procedure in the left ear that resulted in total loss of hearing in that ear. After that, I started to experience hearing loss in my right ear too and got a hearing aid about six years ago. Once again, I was functioning fine, and was able to continue my private tutoring business and a part time job in a local Disney store, as well as enjoy many cultural activities, including the symphony and theater. The inconvenience was minimal, and any struggles I experienced were remedied through adjustments to my hearing aid.
AND THEN SUDDENLY I WAS DEAF! My world was tossed upside down. At the same time I lost my hearing, my brother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. While my surgery was scheduled for February 2003, I postponed the hook up until May 2003 so that I could go help take care of him. He passed away while I was there, and I missed everything that was said at his memorial service. The loss of my brother along with the loss of my hearing were probably the two greatest losses of my entire life.
The affect of my hearing loss greatly impacted my personal and professional life. I was forced to give up my tutoring practice as a learning disabilities and reading specialist. I had to give up theater and symphony tickets. As an avid tennis player, I had difficulty hearing my teammates and was worried no one would want to play with me any more. In social situations, I felt I wanted to withdraw from dinner engagements with friends because it was just too hard to communicate. Obviously, these struggles affected my friends, my family, and most of all, my wonderful and supportive husband, Norm. Being an upbeat person, I tried to be positive, trying to help others feel comfortable with me. But this was very hard work, and very tiring emotionally and physically.
Then May rolled around, and it was hook-up time. I received a Clarion CII BTE. I had been warned that things would sound weird, robotic, and unnatural. I recall at first my audiologist sounded like Minnie Mouse. We started out with loud and soft and gradually added more dimensions to my sound repertoire. I did not hesitate to request frequent mappings at first, as I was anxious to get on with hearing as best was possible. Perhaps because I was a late-deafened adult, with a short period (six months) of total deafness, I was fortunate not to have lost my auditory memory. While sounds may have been distorted, I was able to recognize emergency sounds like sirens, and the phone ringing. My audiologist suggested I take Aural Rehabilitation therapy which I did for six months and plan to continue. Through the therapy sessions, I focused on speech reading, communication strategies, auditory discrimination and opportunities and awareness of what the resources that are available to me as a hearing impaired individual. I was able to take the results of my sessions back to my audiologist, who then used the information in my implant mappings. Over all, it was the best support I could have gotten, as the therapy facilitated my adjustment to having a cochlear implant.
In January 2004, I received the new, fashionable Auria BTE, and most recently have added a variety of stylish, techno accessories to enhance my hearing gear. Sometimes, I even put little stickers on the magnet. Needless to say I am proud of my Bionic Ear, and have advised several hairdressers that no, I do not want to hide it! I have also received the direct connect so I can facilitate listening to CD's, and a t-coil for use with assistive listening systems.
When I take off my CI and my hearing aid at night, my world becomes totally silent. I have to sleep with a vibrating alarm clock hooked to my pajamas. I still struggle with the phone, music, TV and movies, but hope that with time, these activities will become easier to use and enjoy. I use a text phone that allows me to hear the person talking and watch the text being typed to me at the same time. I find this to be a lifesaver! Using even this phone system is still difficult, as the transcription does not always match the voice, but it is better than not being able to converse on the phone at all.
Since getting a Bionic Ear, my attitude and outlook have probably rotated 180 degrees. They say God closes a window and opens a door. Hearing loss is an invisible disability, but by no means a handicap. Having been blessed with hearing for over 50 years of my life, and then suddenly becoming deaf, I now appreciate just about everything so much more. I especially appreciate the wonder of sound; all those decibels and frequencies the normal hearing people take for granted. I feel I am my own best advocate and I enjoy educating others about not only cochlear implants and the miracle that they are, but in helping others gain further insight into the world of the hearing impaired.