The News is Good

I can hear!! Yes - today was the day my Cochlear Implant was turned on. I am able to hear

• The Audiologist [Thanx Monica]
  
• partner providing sooth
• parents talking
• traffic as noise
• aeroplanes

It was quite an emotional moment as you may well expect. There will be a movie of the moment of Switch-on. Pics too [coming!]

The audiologist took me, and my entourage, thru the set-up process, direct-connected me up and away we went.
Through the big hearing test, with the "Hear this? - yes" sequence. Then after what seemed like 15-20 minutes she said "OK, ready?" We set up the un-connected Speech Processor and I could hear sound, well noise at first. Monica did a bit more twiddling of settings [that's a technical term], then I could make out what she said. Lip-reading made it a lot easier. And I didn't think I was THAT good at it.

So then we went off for the celebratory lunch at Sydney Rowers' club at Abbotsford - average age was 75, the noise [to me] so loud I contemplated turning off the appliance. But I thought I'd better get used to it - but put it into noise-reduction mode. After an hour of the noise I felt it was making me a bit dizzy but I endured...
After lunch needed some quiet time so headed to the Leichhardt retreat for a quick hibernation.

What happens next

Now comes a season of fine-tuning the devices which make up Cochlear Implant System. Dates in the Calendar. This may mean that the hearing I have now will get better, more usable. It's not as good as natural hearing but it IS better than no hearing.

Further into the future
Is a second implant on the horizon? There behind that swaying palm tree [or is that a volcano?] A second implant depends on the ability to gain hearing, is the existing ear structure capable? The external parts may be once-and-for-all disabled to stop infection and once that settles down a second implant will probably be considered. It may be that I'm just deaf on that side.
We shall see.

PS Dont forget
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Say "I was here" closes this Friday AEST