On Saturday 17th December, my fiancee David and I bought an ipod from currys. I bought ipod nano, the same Katie-Louise's. Mine is silver and is 16GB. After that we went to my uncles and he downloaded the songs I like. I'm a big ABBA fan. So on Sunday night, (which I didn't know about) I decided to try it......Oh dear...I connected the ipod wire onto my implant and turned on the ipod and put Dancing Queen on.....I walked in the living room and fell on my knees and sobbed. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN 7 MONTHS I HEARD ABBA AGAIN. It felt wonderful.
I thought I would never ever have the opportunity to use or have an ipod!!!

ACTIVATION

On Friday 12th December, my mum and I went to Ropewalk in Nottingham. I was VERY VERY nervous and scared. I actually thought I was going to hear beeps and would reject my implant straight away. Carina my audiologist came and took us to a room. She had a look at scar and liked it and said it healed nicely. She then took the implant out of the box and then connected it to the computer and clipped the wire on my jumper and put the implant on my ear and head. I didn't hear nothing at first. Carina put a piece of paper in front of me. On the piece of paper, it has a scale of 'NO SOUND - VERY LOUD'. What she wanted me to do was put my finger on which I heard. She altered the electrodes on the computer bit by bit. After that she said she's going put all the electrodes on all together and that it maybe very loud.....So she turned it on. When she put it on, I felt like I was gasping for air as I was tense, and I was clutching my head and moving and wiggling about in the chair! She said that reaction was normal. So after that she asked me and my mum to have a half hour break and hear sounds like cars passing and other sounds that's in the outside world. Near the end she, shown me the bits n bobs, such as colours, charger and ipod wire. Carina very kindly setted up the wire. THANKS CARINA. And then shown me how to work the implant and volume controls etc. The sounds was amazing.

Operation

On 17th November, I was a massive bag of nerves. BUT, I was very excited. I went to sleep at 10pm and woke up at 2am. I couldn't get back to sleep. So instead I watched TV. Then 4am I had a bath,then had a couple slices of toasts. At 6:30am, my mum, dad and I went to pick up my fiancee David up from his house. We then left to go to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham for the operation. ALL morning, I was roaming around and inside, I felt hyperactive. The feeling was powerful. Then at 2pm the BIG MOMENT arrived.......I only cried a little. My mum came to the theatre with me and then...I was being cut open and drilled on....3 hours later, it was over. Then about another hour later (I think), I woke up in the recovery room. They then took me onto the ward and then I had visitors. My Nan and Jack came to see me and then my 2 best friends arrived aswell...Katie-Louise and Richard. They gave me a card and a balloon. I never realised they bought me a balloon until I was on my way home the next day! And also my dad bought me a balloon aswell. David bought me a little present aswell. Then Katie-Louise and Richard and I had our photo taken. We talked a bit and they want to take me out again (and I can't wait for that!), when I'm activated. My Nan and Jack left, then mum, dad and David left aswell.

I slept well at the hospital. But the nurses kept waking me up sometimes to inject some drugs in me.

The scar was PAINFUL, but it was worth it!!!

I was discharged the next day at noon and they gave me painkillers.

David was a big help. He supported my head on the way home and heated my dinner.

Now I'm ok and refuse to take the plaster off my scar! And the scar is itchy now!

Also..the tinnitus is worse!!! I'm hoping it will settle when I'm activated...

I will continue to keep you updated...

OPERATION DATE AND HOW I FELT

On Wednesday 5th November 2008, Nottingham Cochlear Implant Programme texted my mum and they wanted mum to contact them straight away. So mum did that and I was upstairs watching TV (The Jeremy Kyle Show) as usual. And all of a sudden, my Nan, brother Jack and my mum BARGED in my room jumping and I thought 'What the hell is going on', then mum came up to me and gave me this piece of paper and I read it and it says 'OPERATION DATE 18TH NOVEMBER', from them on I sobbed. I texted my mates and the rest of the family and most of all the 1st person I told was my best friend Katie-Louise. She said to me 'Told you didn't I,that you would hear for xmas.' So I backed down and admitted that she was right.
My drinking is limited and I only have 6 cans max (when I feel like it). I only have 3 or 4 cans with my dad. So now I'm scared on having a scar coz I NEVER EVER in my life had 1 before and also I'm scared on being activated.
I will keep you updated

My War

I was born deaf and had only 15% hearing. I could only used to hear in my left ear with a hearing aid until in April 2008 I lost my hearing forever. I'm stone deaf in right ear. I can hear nothing.When I lost my hearing I felt degraded and depressed. Over the next 5 months, I was very emotional and crying all the time and even to my self to sleep. I had Tinnitus since I was 15 and these days it keeps me awake all night just listening to the irritating buzzing-ringing sound in my left hear. Then on 15th September 2008, I went to see Mr Andrew Marshall to talk about the possible cochlear implant operation. We talked about the risks, the cochlear implant and my scans. I cried all the way through the meeting. When he said 'I would like to offer you a cochlear implant', I broke down and sobbed. I then looked at him and shook his hand and said 'I accept'. I had to fill in forms and choose which colour hearing aid for my implant I want. I chose the beige colour and my mum helped my choose it. The cochlear implant I chose is Harmony. To me it sounds easier to hear and use.