Lindsey's cochlear implant

My name is Lindsey, and I'm 35 years old.

I first began wearing bilateral hearing aids when I was diagosed around 6 years old. Over the years my hearing has gradually deteriorated and with support and guidance from my local audiology team, they suggested a referral to the Crosshouse Cocheal Implant service.

I wore two hearing aids and over time realised I was finding personal and work life challenging. I knew I was missing out on conversations, not understanding sounds around me and this in turn had an impact on my confidence. I also work full time with young people that have additional needs, and work life can be a noisy busy environment. 

I felt that 2025 was the right time for me, as I had support from family and friends while recovering from surgery and through the first few months adapting to life with a cochlear implant.

During the assessment period, I visited Crosshouse a number of times where I had throughout hearing tests, I had conversations with the audiologists to gain more insight about how life with a CI might look for me. Each team member I spoke to treated me with compassion and were understanding and happy to listen my questions. 

Once I had been accepted for surgery, I read up on all the helpful information given and made the decision that this was the next step for me to take in my hearing journey. 

I was switched on 4 weeks after surgery. For the first 7-14 days each sound my brain interpreted as mechanical beeps and buzzes. I felt deflated after switch on and disappointed, after reading other's positive and exciting experiences of being activated. The CI team reassured me, that each person's experience was unique to them and this was common. As I had been a hearing aid user for the majority of my life, it would take time for the implant to make sense of the new noises I was hearing, and hadn't heard in a long time. 

By day 7 I was beginning to just make out voices of those close to me and managing to recognise familiar sounds, what I was hearing now was somewhat robotic at this point.

I spent lots of time listening to audio books, podcasts with subtitles, speaking regularly with close family and friends, and listening to music that I knew well. 

After 2 mapping sessions, I realised I could hear the birds singing loudly, something I had never heard this clearly before and the rain falling outside. I was seeing positive results of my implant and my ability to perceive sound confidently was increasing every day.

After 3 months of continuous wear of my CI, and attending mapping sessions I feel my level of speech understanding and awareness of environmental noises has been life changing. 

I am delighted after a slow but steady start with my progress, and am so thankful for the opportunity to have a CI fitted by NHS Crosshouse. 

My advice for anyone thinking about cochlear implant surgery would be to understand that in the beginning it can take time, lots of patience and perseverance. It is not a magic cure to deafness, but I'm positive that it will beneift me in so many ways for the future.