Deaf Awareness Week and Why I Love My Little Robot Ear
The theme for Deaf Awareness Week this year is “Right to Understand – Together, We Break Barriers,” which fits well with my hearing loss story.
Single-sided deafness (SSD) can create significant barriers, even though it may not always be visible to others. With this in mind, I want to speak today about my cochlear implant (CI), which I received just over 8 years following my sudden hearing loss, meaning I lived for those years without any type of aid on my left side.
I was lucky to get my CI on the public healthcare system here in Spain, though it took a lot of asking and waiting before this was an available option to me. Still, I am grateful.
A cochlear implant is often not an option for people with SSD, and when it is, access can come with significant costs or, particularly in the United States, challenges in obtaining insurance coverage.
In writing this, I completely acknowledge that a CI is not for everyone. It is absolutely possible to live well with SSD. I did for 8 years. A CI involves a surgery, months to years of commitment to auditory rehabilitation, and emotional ups and downs. And, everyone's experience is different. A successful outcome is not guaranteed.
But I believe the “right to understand” - the option of a CI for SSD - should not depend on where you live, what you know, or how hard you have to fight for support. I believe a CI should be offered as a standard treatment option for SSD.
My own experience illustrates why…
Why I Love My Little Robot Ear
After 8 years of having no sound in my deaf ear, now being able to not only hear in this ear, but also feel the sense of sound is very special to me.
Carly showing off her Rondo 3 processor. It has a blue-purple floral design and is attached to her ear with a safety ring and chain from Deafmetal.
I feel like I've taken control of my hearing health. This is important to me. Sudden hearing loss was out of my control, and the possibility of losing hearing in my right ear (my hearing ear) due to Meniere's is also largely out of my control, but getting the implant and ensuring I will have access to sound in my deaf ear, whatever happens to my right ear, makes me feel more in control of the situation. Like ear insurance!
My gran, who had Alzheimer’s, passed away early this year. The changes that my gran went through due to this cruel condition weigh so sadly and heavily on my mind. With a family history of dementia, I'm conscious that hearing health and cognitive health are connected, and so I feel that getting a cochlear implant I've also taken a step to help myself in this respect.
When I take off my processor, I realise just how much my CI brings me. I take it off, and I feel a sense of pressure on the deaf side, like a vacuum. I put it on, and my voice sounds fuller, and I feel calmer.
I can hear birds in stereo now.
I feel I am generally more aware of the sounds around me. I am more likely to realise when someone addresses me from my deaf side and be able to respond. I feel safer when out and about, crossing the road and particularly when walking in busy places on my own.
I'm also starting to be able to enjoy louder environments (I previously couldn't enjoy due to sound sensitivity - firstly after my sudden hearing loss and more recently, since activation day). I went to see my partner play guitar with his band for his first paid gig a few weeks ago!
It's difficult to explain the overall psychological impact of having sound on both sides again. The left side of my head no longer feels like it's trapped in a bell jar. It's like my brain feels happier, and my audio world sounds more whole and vibrant.
It has taken time, energy, work (rehabilitation exercises), and believing in the ability of the brain to adapt and that things will get better, to get to this point.
My CI gives me more than just a sense of hearing. It has brought me more confidence, a happier brain, and some control over the future of my hearing health.
Want to talk about cochlear implants?
If you’re living with single-sided deafness and considering a cochlear implant, feel free to get in touch. I offer CI mentoring, starting with a 15-minute Zoom discovery call to see if it might be helpful.
