A Letter
This is Dick's story.
A Letter from Dick Sutcliffe
Dear friends,
I'd have written sooner if our computer had been 'up' rather than 'down!'
As you know I had my second cochlear implant, this time in my right ear, on December 13, 2007. The operation went successfully although I did suffer some tinnitus. However, the day the dramatic bandage was removed and replaced with a humble band aid some of the tinnitus went away and has not returned since.
Before my operation my right ear had a tiny bit of hearing (about 2%). That's not much and I knew that having the implant was likely to destroy even that small amount. So it is rather daunting to sit in total silence when I have both processors off.
When I had my left implant 6 years ago I could at first faintly "hear" a flick of my ear and water passing it when I'm swimming. I am experiencing the same with my new implanted ear, but I expect it will fade just as these sounds did in my left ear.
I am pleasantly surprised and relieved not to have hearing aids stuck in either ear. Hearing aids are hot and uncomfortable and always gave me a plugged up feeling.
I am undergoing the usual programming/mapping and can hear voices clearly on my right side although at the moment everyone sounds like Jerry Lewis. My family tell me I no longer speak as loudly as I did and since I get so much more feedback, if I do raise my voice I can notice it and don't need to be prompted to stop shouting.
I hadn't realized how much I had learned to favour my left ear and it has been a learning experience and conscious choice to use my right ear instead of turning my left ear towards a speaker. For the moment my right processor brings in a lot of background noise, which I am sensitive to, but we are working on and adjusting this.
Overall, at this stage of my new hearing I am thrilled with my progress. My next step is to upgrade my left processor to a new Freedom to match my right ear.
Cheers Dick Sutcliffe.