Monday 3rd March 2008 - The BIG day - My Switch On!! The Journey Begins!!

What an interesting experience and such a weird experience – detail to follow!

Anyway I got home from work to my house and as I turned the corner to drive into my car park, I realised that I came behind another car that had also entered the same car park. I recognised that car and it turned out to be my sister! I had absolutely no idea that she was going to be there as last night when I spoke to her, she was still in Switzerland skiing and I got the impression that she wasn’t coming back to the UK until much later today!! What a lovely surprise!! Apparently they had been keeping this as a surprise for me.

We then all headed to the CI centre.

The Cochlear Implant Team saw us quite promptly and then we were led to the switch on room. They then put my implant on me and it looks really cool… I didn’t feel the magnet, although its quite heavy, you can’t really tell you are wearing it. It’s quite snazzy being silver and blue – it’s really cool and it stuck to my head no problem!

They then connected it up to a machine with me wearing the processor so then we could start the mapping process and needed to work out what is my threshold. I sat there waiting for a sound, I was expecting to hear a beep, but nothing then I realised I was feeling a series of beeps sensations in my right ear as silent pulses repeating then I mentioned it to the audiologist and that was what he was waiting for. It was like something was poking my hearing nerves silently. He then sorted out my programme and then switched me on! I leapt right out of my skin! It was really loud – not in terms of sound / noise, but in terms of vibes!! So many vibes!! They had to turn it down!!! When did I ever need to turn down a volume? We sorted out my programme for the week and then I went to see the speech and language therapist. Apparently, I am picking up / responding to all 22 electrodes of my implant which is unusual (most people only get between 12 and 18 on this implant).

I got loads of accessories with the implant, including leads to plug in my ipod. Anyway, later on we then went to a nice cafe as a family before my Sister drove back to her flat and had some food and drink. I couldn’t hear the background noise of the café still but I could feel meaningless sensation of sound which I think was the clanging of the knife on the plate. I couldn’t pick up the music in there yet – nothing – it was silent.

Then we drove back to my parents house and I continued to wear the implant whilst driving there. I still can’t pick up the sound of my car engine, but I got a silent sensation when I had the indicators on and when the indicator stick went back to its usual position having turned the indicated corner!! The magnet falls off really easily and every time I reconnect it, it makes me jump before it settles down again! As I am typing on my keyboard on my lap top I am aware of some vibes happening in my ear so I wonder if it is the keys – again no noise – just silent vibes. Apparently the noise of the sounds I am sensing silently will come. It takes time. It is NOTHING like a hearing aid – it is such a weird sensation.

We have been given some listening exercises – I had to work out which word was being said from the list according to the number of syllables – it was sooooo hard!! My Dad was there at the switch on process and the listening session with the Speech and Language therapist and he kept on falling asleep!! But still I thought it was good that he was there though cos he has never been to audiology before and it was good that he saw what things goes on.

I wore the processor for 8 hours today.