Cochlear Implant - update after day three

Still hearing high squeaky voices which are impossible to understand. But managed to hear new sounds never before:

• Grandfather clock ticking
• Alex crunching an apple
• Pen writing on paper
• Pressing keyboard on blackberry
• Cat licking milk in bowl
• Two bird sounds - one was obviously a pigeon but the other was unrecognisable. Very high tweeting but a lovely sound. Will try and listen bird sounds on iPlayer to practice listening - a good tip from mother-in-law (thanks!).

I went to the London Olympic Stadium last night for the Anniversary Games, so caught a train there. I could hear passengers coughing and sneezing on other side of platform. I could also hear the humming sounds from air conditioning and a very noisy newspaper on the train. I am an avid newspaper reader and have been commuting to London for over 15 years. I just realised that I must have been a very noisy passenger and would like to profusely apologise to all other regular passengers who had to put up with me! I will try and be more quiet and subtle from now on, or even read the newspaper from an iPad.

Overall, sounds are much sharper and crisper and I can hear them much further away.I’m going back to the Cochlear Implant Centre in Southampton on Monday to crank up the cochlear implant. Hopefully, I will hear more new sounds and will send another update next week.

Stay tuned!

Cochlear Implant - first sounds

Five weeks after the cochlear implant operation, it was finally switched on this morning. First sounds heard were my voice and the audiologist’s and we both had high pitched and squeaky voices. Yuk! The audiologist tried to re-assure me it was normal but I wasn’t convinced. Not happy but went to a nearby café for an hour to wait for the next appointment. I couldn’t hear my footsteps but could hear myself blowing and whistling. The traffic was muffled. Bought coffee and a flapjack and found a table. 5 metres away, 2 gents were talking I could actually hear their conversations although I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Good progress. It was graduation day at Southampton University, so the café filled up and all I could hear was high squeaky voices but the noise wasn’t unbearable.

I went back to see the audiologist and asked her if the volume could be increased. She agreed and I was able to hear more sounds including the letter ‘s’ and ‘sssshhhh’. Went through series of simple tests and could recognise every sound and passed 100%. Very pleased.

Popped in Waitrose on way home and could hear squeaky trolleys and shoes! Arrived home and walked around the garden with Alex. I could hear my feet scuttling across the grass and a dog barking in the distance. No birds though. I will try to listen them tomorrow morning.

The kitchen is noisy and I could even hear myself munching my lunch. Will try be quieter with my eating habits!

A positive start and I will post any new sounds I hear over the coming weeks. I made one mistake today though and that is I reacted when Sian called my name. I can’t ignore her anymore!