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Transcript - Can You Hear Me
Published in the Platypus Press Aug-2008
Can you Hear me?
The Cochlear Awareness Network is a group of Volunteers each of whom have lived deaf but have had their hearing returned through technology. We have been chosen to be members of the Network to tell our stories and to raise awareness of the wonderful changes in our lives.
Our role is that of an ambassador, talking about our experience in the hope of bringing hearing to more people than ever before. We offer support, but not advice. We share our knowledge, but we are not medical professionals.
Goals of the Cochlear Awareness network are:
- To raise community awareness of Cochlear Implants and Baha
- To ensure that candidates receive correct information about Cochlear products
- To advise candidates on the next steps for receiving a Cochlear Implant or Cochlear Baha
- To delight audiences with our personal stories
Currently there are approximately 40 Cochlear Awareness Network Ambassadors throughout Australian and New Zealand. In Queensland there are 4 down in the south-east corner of the state and myself for the North Queensland region.
Throughout Australia form the 24th - 30th August we are celebrating "Hearing Awareness Week" to raise awareness and acceptance in the general public of those with hearing disorders. It is also designed to alert those with a hearing disorder that they are not alone and there is support and help available.
Glenda is available as a GUEST SPEAKER for any organization, service or professional, that would like to know how a Cochlear Implant can improve the life style of the severe/profoundly hearing impaired.
For further information Glenda can be contacted on:
Ph: 07 4954 3254
Mob: 0448 593 254
Email: iwfroy@mackay.net.au
Or contact Cochlear Ltd on 1800 620 929
Glenda's Story
Firstly, a little bit about myself. I am 50 years young and qualify as a 'local' living in Mackay district all my life. My husband Ian and myself farm at Marian and I am a teacher aide at Mirani State High School assisting in the classrooms and also administration. We have three beautiful adult (children) - David and Wendy are both chiropractors, David in Mackay and Wendy in Sydney, and Sandara is an Occupational Therapist in Towsnville.
My journey from the world of hearing, into the world of not understanding the spoken word, and back again, thoroughly enjoying life where the spoken word is the accepted form of communication, has been long and frustrating - but to be able to hear again is truly wonderful.
The cause of my deafness was from Menieres Disease.
In the early stages of the disease my hearing was affected but when the attach passed it returned to normal. However, as the attacks became more frequent my hearing worsened and permanent hearing loss was evident. Initially only my right side was affected, but later this became bilateral.
About 1992 I became a patient of Queensland Hearing (now called Attune) and subsequently was fitted with my first hearing aid. Because I was already profoundly deaf in my right ear it was only viable to wear one in my left ear. Over the next 10 years or so I referred to my hearing aid as one of my most loyal friends. I was so dependent on it and it rarely let me down. Sadly, this companionship was not to last, faltering as my hearing deteriorated and it became evident it was no longer giving me any benefit.
As my hearing in my left ear slowly degenerated over many years it allowed me to adjust ot hearing loss without realizing it. In January 2006 at my regular check-up in Brisbane I had only, in layman's terms, 20% hearing left. I was really struggling in the hearing world by this stage and was advised it was time for me to change specialists. My audiologist recommended I go to someone else who dealt with Cochlear implants so I could be monitored for suitability. By March 2006, only two months later, it was obvious I needed to make this appointment urgently as my residual hearing was deteriorating rapidly.
By now I was desperate. There were many things I could no longer enjoy or do. Although I could hear when someone spoke it was merely an amplified, garbled sound. I was struggling to recognise a word here or parts of a word there; continually lip-reading, and watching body language to try to understand speech.
I could no longer communicate on the phone or talk to anyone in the dark as I could not understand the spoken word without using my visual aids.
In May 2006 my hearing was once again tested prior to an appointment with my new ENT surgeon, one who specializes in Cochlear Implants. The results showed that since January my hearing had dropped a further 30dB. My speech discrimination had dropped from 82% to only 37% and my hearing had dropped to less than 10%. I could no longer hear consonants but could hear vowels and distinguish between short and long vowel sounds. I could also tell how many syllables there were in a given word. I was getting by with this little bit of hearing coupled with watching body language and gestures and my very competent lip-reading.
I underwent the other necessary assessments for the Cochlear Implant throughout June and July 2006 and it was confirmed I was a successful candidate. Despite the fact a Cochlear Implant would destroy any residual hearing, we decided my better left ear should be implanted because my right ear had been profoundly deaf for over 20 years and this could affect the outcome of a Cochlear Implant.
I had the operation 17th August 2006. 31st August 2006 was switch-on day.
Switch-on proved SO exciting. I will always remember. It was absolutely amazing to hear voices again and to be able to understand speech. I could understand my audiologist speaking to me straight away and it wounded quite normal. But then I spoke myself. Surely I didn't sound that bad was all I could think.
Many changes were happening with my lifestyle and day to day living.
- I clearly remember the first time I went to the toilet in Brisbane after 'switch-on' and I came out to tell Ian "You know when a woman pees it makes a PSSSSS sound!"
- I could now understand someone talking to me, even from behind sometimes
- I was constantly asking people around me: 'What is that noise?'
- After a few weeks I commenced rehabilitation with the phone and started to use it with ease.
- Birds! I thought I was hearing ALL birds before the implant but I soon realised that I was only hearing certain pitched birds.
- When using the computer I now realised that the keyboard went tap, tap, tap when typing, and
- I also started enjoying some TV shows which was really wonderful.
As my work environment at school is very noisy, and speech comes from all directions around me, my audiologist explained all the pros and cons of being a bi-lateral Cochlear implant recipient. I explored and discussed the benefits of what a bilateral implant could do for me. Given that research had already demonstrated significant improvement for hearing and communicating with a bilateral implant I felt I had nothing to lose and everything to gain BUT this was still personally a difficult decision and I have to admit I had reservations. Since my right ear had been profoundly deaf for over 20 years I knew that rehabilitation would probably be a long, windy road. But I also hoped that eventually I would always have hearing if one processor malfunctioned and needed repairing. The prospect of having 'stereo' sound once again was amazing - having binaural hearing is something I hadn't had for so many years
I also knew that by having my second ear implanted would discount me from taking advantage of a medical breakthrough in the regeneration of cochlear hair cells. But, also understood that a routine approved regeneration treatment was some time away and given that I was nearly 50 this probably would not be an option for me anyway.
After consideration, and the required tests, I was approved for a bi-lateral implant.
At this point people were saying to me, you have one working well, why not leave it at that. With these comments being thrown at me I must admit I also questioned whether we were making the correct decision. "Was I being greedy wanting a second implant when I now had hearing again which I was very happy with?" was a though that was constantly going through my head.
Decision final! I came to the conclusion I had the strength and support to handle this so on the 24th May 2007 I had my right ear implanted. With my head once again bandaged up I headed home.
June 7th 2007 was 'switch-on' day.
To my amazement, and that of the CI team, I was able to understand speech immediately and I could converse easily straight away and chatted. This is truly unbelievable taking into account, as I have said, I was profoundly deaf in this ear for over 20 years. This ear was no longer just a place to put earrings on. Voices initially sounded very girlish and at a higher pitch than my first implant. Men loved it when I told them this! To rehabilitate my new right implant I did not wear my left processor for a few weeks. During the first few weeks after switch on, I was quite tired from having to concentrate to understand the spoken word as the sound was not as 'full'. Because I only had hearing on my left side for so many years I learned to favour my left side and always turned my head to the right side to try and help me pick up the spoken word better - it was now a whole new experience for me now with sound only coming from my right side so I had to make a conscious choice to turn my right ear towards the speaker.
At the completion of my 3 months mapping my hearing stabilized. I had hearing tests to ascertain the success, firstly the new right implant by itself, and then bi-lateral. Within a VERY noisy testing environment I heard approximately 305 better by being bi-lateral.
I have a couple of different programs which allows me to get the best out of the speech processors. WE attended a family wedding in November 2007 and it was one of the most enjoyable weekends I could remember in a long time. With the band playing in the background at the reception I put my processors on the auto sensitivity program. I could hear with far more ease than most of the 'normal' hearing people as I spoke to the people either side of me, and across from me at the large table.
Some noisy environments can still be difficult to hear in but my ability is far superior compared to only one implant. When I find that I am having difficulty now, other people around me are also having difficult so I don't feel out of it. In noisy environments there is a significant improvement in quality over just one implant. I have better discrimination when I am in background noise therefore find social settings easier and I can communicate with less effort in stressful, difficult situations.
To this day my second implant still sounds different to my first left implant but when I have them both turned on together the quality of sound is balanced and exceptional. Both implants are mapped at different stimulation rates but this does not affect the quality of sound.
Having my two Freedoms give me much better hearing ability.
- With two ears I am more aware of specific sounds at softer levels.
- Speech in particular is 'fuller' or more rounded out, clearer and more real - an improvement that is very noticeable.
- I am able to identify the location of speech and other sounds. It is amazing to hear from all directions to know where the sound is coming from. This is particularly important for one's safety. I can now identify the direction of sirens and cars approaching etc.
- I hear people call me from quite a distance even if they are behind me or outside,
- I can listen with greater ease without having to try and position my 'good ear' to the source.
- I am able to 'tune in' better on a single speaker where there is background noise surrounding me.
- I have a sense of balance - I no longer have to contend with feeling of having a dead side or the deaf shadow.
- I am starting to appreciate music once again although this is only songs and tunes I was familiar with before losing my hearing. Country and Western type music is the most enjoyable whereas some instruments sound well and truly off. I have accepted that I now enjoy a 'new' form of music although I am still persisting with music rehabilitation
- I no longer come home fatigued after a day out at work or socially.
When my batteries run out on one processor, I never go 'off the air' as I have a 'back up' with my second processor. This in itself gives me more confidence to venture out of myself as I know I should always be able to hear and communicate. This is also an issue for me as I live so far from Brisbane for a quick back up.
I talk on the telephone and mobile with ease from either ear. This is particularly beneficial when one of my rechargeable batteries runs out at night and I am talking on the phone.
I can now enjoy most television shows.
In noisy environments I now have a choice to turn one processor off whilst talking on the phone so that I am only concentrating on the phone conversation.
Since my second implant, I never by choice, wear only one processor. I find it very frustrating when only one is turned on as the sound is very dull and very different. Hearing from one side now is unsatisfactory for me and I have no desire to go back to monaural hearing again. In my case, bilateral cochlear implants have proved essential to manage in the hearing world. I definitely agree with the old saying, "Two ears are better than one."
Life in general is wonderful at work, home and socially. I am an independent person once again, actively participating in life with very few challenges. I feel equal to other people I meet and I now love meeting new people.
Ian says I am a new woman. He thoroughly enjoys being able to converse with me in all environments once again, particularly when we go out at night and driving in the car. For so many years we went places in silence as it is very difficult to lip-read in the dark. Even when I was first implanted it was not on the side closest to him so direction of sound was still not ideal. By nature I have an extrovert personality and love going out more so than Ian so he loves me having my sense o independence back again so that I no longer rely heavily on him for 'hearing' assistance. Ian also enjoys not having to sit on my 'deaf' side when we go out socially anymore - something he did for many, many years.
When I go to bed at night, I find it an advantage to take my processors off and then I cannot hear anything. No matter how big a thunder storm or how much our dog barks at the dingoes, I always get a good nights sleep. Selective hearing at its best!!
It is so wonderful to have my independence back and acquiring 'the gift of hearing again'. This has truly been one great emotional experience and worth the whole trip.
There are so many people that I must give thanks to - my GP Dr John Mackintosh (Ambrose Medical Group); my surgeon Dr David Bell-Allen; my audiologist Karen Pedley and CI team with Attune; my family, friends and work colleagues just to name a few. Above all, I give thanks everyday to God who is in control of all things and last but least my husband Ian. He has been the most patient, supportive and caring husband I could have wished for. For a few years I was so dependent on him. He got to really understand my polite, deaf smile - in other words my face was saying :I have not got a clue what you are saying but I hope this smile is fitting for the situation."
It's been said that when people lose their sight, their other sense become sharper, adapting to the loss of the one sense by expanding others. That's what has happened in my life. My hearing loss has helped me develop in ways I'm sure I wouldn't have and has forced me to stretch and strengthen 'muscles' I wouldn't necessary have exercised. My lip-reading skills were very well developed (already this skill is declining now that I don't rely on it as much). I understand I still have certain limitations when I am not wearing the processor although I am determined not to allow this to dictate to me what I can and can't do.
I am a deaf persona and I will always be a deaf person…
"I am what I am … And I consider myself a very blessed person!"
Glenda Froyland