Switch On Day

OK. We now come to the main event. There will of course be other blogs after this one and every blog before this one has been leading up to this. The day I hoped hearing would return in some way....SWITCH ON!

As you can imagine, I was very excited that morning. 11.30 was the appointment time so we made our way across on the Overground and Victoria lines to Kings Cross.

Just about to walk into the hospital entrance when we see a smartly dressed gentleman who I recognise as the man who made it all possible....my surgeon Professor Khalil. Now I don't normally stop people in the street but I felt this was more than coincidence. Shook his hand, told him that today was switch on. He recognised me which was nice.

Down we went to the Cochlear Implant Department and into the waiting area. Soon we were called and went into the room where the new chapter in my life and my family's life would begin....

I lip read the lady saying that she was going to put the processor on and the headpiece then play some beeps to get a comfortable volume. The first panic for me came though when she couldnt get the head piece which is the disc type thing to stick to my head. I should explain that this works by a magnet inside it which attracts to the processor thingie thats been implanted under the skin. When it wouldn't go on, I did fleetingly wonder whether it was because they'd done the operation but forgotten to put the implant in.......but then I remembered I had photographic proof in the form of the x-ray (as you would have seen in the last post.)!

All it needed was a stronger magnet because as the audiologist said: "Some people have thicker skin than others...". Was she speaking literally or metaphorically I wonder!! I also think it was my long curly surfer like hair that was in the way. So the magnet was replaced and the head piece fitted.

She played some different pitched beeps to get the comfortable volume, then we were ready........

Now I had been warned that activation might not be amazing in that some people only hear noise or metallic, computerised voices or people sounding like ducks or as one person described: "Mickey Mouse and R2D2 having a conversation in the bath room." So I didn't know what to expect....

SWITCH ON. Tinny sound......like cutlery in a drawer for a second or two then I clearly heard a voice. The audiologist was speaking and I noticed at first how high her voice sounded ....like she had done that party trick inhaling helium from a balloon! But then I also noticed that I was recognising every word she was saying! Incredible. I CAN HEAR! I even detected that she had an accent that I recognised as South African to which she sounded amazed.

It was an incredibly emotional moment for both Christina and myself. She was overwhelmed by seeing me going from understanding nothing to understanding every word. I wasn't just sitting there with a blank look on my face pretending I could hear. I had life and light and understanding written all over my face. I understand that when you have watched someone lose their hearing and with it much of their confidence, to suddenly see this is incredible. Her first words to me through a haze of tears were: "Are you OK love?"

We had lunch at kings Cross station where I was able to hear the railway announcements: " The next train at platform 5 is for Newcastle."

Back for speech and language session where I was put through a number of tests. Remember that when I was tested for word recognition before the implant I scored just 5%. From behind a small screen she was reading sentences out for me to repeat and asking questions for me to answer. To my amazement I was able to sail through all these with few mistakes. My rehab is well under way and I have been told ahead of schedule.

So all in all an incredibly successful day. Like I said, I didn't know what to expect but I certainly didn't expect to hear all the words being spoken (even if people sound like they are on helium!).

Just one more little thing which is a massive thing for me. Driving the car I was not able to look at Christina as she spoke to me from the passenger seat but heard every word. My son Joshua was telling me about his day in school from the back seat! I'm not sure he could quite believe it.

I have many aims for this journey. I know I must learn to walk before I can run but I'd love to:
1) Use the phone
2) Listen to music
3) Play music and sing
4) Watch TV and movies without the need for subtitles

I might try one or two of these things this week! But for now I'll be content to praise God for the incredible start to this brand new chapter. He has healed and given back my hearing in the most incredible way. So to finish here's a great saying:

"To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask, think or imagine. To Him be the glory." Ephesians.