Disappointment

My updates are less frequent now, sorry everyone, but that’s because I’ve been busy and also because my appointments at the cochlear implant centre are decreasing so I haven’t had much to report. I get check ups at eg 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and my latest one was 6 months. My next one is at 9 months, then after a year, it is just once a year.

I asked for the volume to be increased at my latest appointment. I felt it was too quiet. It is loud now and taking some getting used to but I’m hearing new things again which is good. I heard an angry car horn for the first time and also when I went to adventure golf with my family, the animations around the place were so loud!

Music is also sounding strange again. I can hear the words but the music doesn’t sound quite right. I know from experience I will get used to it, its simply the new volume I’ve been given.

I was also told to put my hearing aid back in! The volume on this was turned up to the max and it is better but its not as good as I’d like nor can it ever be. I was advised that it is better to have some hearing in that ear than to go without. Also if I were ever to get a second implant, the transition would be easier if I have spent some time being bimodal (which means using a cochlear implant and hearing aid together).

Speaking of a second implant, I spoke with the head of centre at my appointment. I explained I really wanted a second implant and asked if there was any way of making this possible. However the centre said I do not meet their guidelines – that I would be a candidate if I were registered blind or had gone deaf through meningitis. The guidelines may change in the future, but until then, the best I can do is be bimodal.

Its very disappointing but my centre have also offered to look into better hearing aids for me as my current hearing aid is at maximum volume and it’s still not good enough for me. So I’m waiting to see how that will go.

Still no word from Hearing Dogs for Deaf people. I’ve been informed I should be matched this spring although I’m still waiting to hear. Others who have been waiting less time than me have been matched which is disappointing. I have been waiting 4 and a half years, and although I keep being told it’s worth the wait, its extremely frustrating!

I hope to be able to share my experiences here once I’m matched, so that my blog will be an interesting mix of cochlear implants and hearing dogs!
So overall quite a disappointing time of it at the moment!