"The best of both worlds"
Marion, when she went deaf, sought out the Deaf Community to end her isolation. She learned sign language and made many friends along the way. Then she had a Cochlear Implant and now has the best of both worlds. This is her story.
Marion Kilby 2010 Photo by Catherine DanielHello!! My name is Marion. My hearing journey started in the 1970's. Some of you may remember back then, a bunch of ladies would turn up at your school and the hearing tests would begin. That was where my hearing loss was detected. I was six and my loss was very mild. From then on, I had many audiograms and visits to various ENT specialists as my hearing slowly deteriorated.
I was 18 when I got my first set of government hearing aids, big ugly flesh coloured things. I didn't wear them!! It was when I was studying at CIT (back then it was TAFE), doing my final year, my hearing loss started to become really problematic. I got another set of hearing aids, this time 'in ear' aids. They were dreadful as well - they increased the volume of everything but not the clarity - arghhhh! I was to repeat that phrase many times to many different audiologists! This scenario went on over the years and I developed quite a collection of hearing aids in my drawer.
By the time I was about 27, my hearing loss was severe to profound. I had lost all hearing in my right ear and had only a little in my left ear. I started AUSLAN classes and merging into the Deaf community. It was the right thing to do for me as my confidence had taken a nose dive, I was unable to communicate with most people and as a result felt very isolated. With AUSLAN, my world opened up again. My wonderful work mates learnt to sign as well as some of my family, plus I met lots of wonderful Deaf people and was able to start socializing again.
I received my first cochlear implant in 2000 after being talked into it by another CI recipient (my horse riding instructor at the time). This was the start of an incredible journey that only another recipient can truly understand! By the time I was implanted I had more or less no hearing to speak of. My right ear was implanted; it hadn't heard anything for about 10 years. At switch on I heard bizarre sounds, beeps, pops and squeaks. By the 2nd day, I could detect speech and hear the radio. My hearing went from zero to, at a guess about 80% within a relatively short time. I was able to enjoy music, talk on the phone and integrate again into hearing society. I love it when you go into a shop and finishing your purchase the shop assistant says 'have a lovely rest of the day' and I can say, 'thank you and you too!' I adore the sound of birds, even those noisy galahs and cockatoo's. I love being able to hear!!!!!!!!
At this moment I am teaching my left ear to hear again with my 2nd cochlear implant - we (my CI and I) are listening to my favourite songs. It still sounds a bit warbled, but I know it will improve! My left ear was my slightly better ear, I had been planning to save it for more advanced technology but hey, it's better to hear now than later. I could understand speech minutes after being switched on, it didn't sound particularly good but I could hear! Within a few days I could understand the news on the radio and shortly after that I could listen to music quite well (just with my left ear).
Yeah, this technology is good!!!!! Silly to waste precious time not hearing when the technology is so good right now!! Thank you to all those people who came together to make this wonderful device and who keep looking after us!!!!!!!!! Doctors, Audiologist, Scientists and everyone else - thank you!!