1^st July 2004 I spoke to my local Audiologist and was advised to ask my GP to refer me to ENT Consultant at local hospital 

August 2004 - I asked my GP to referred me to local ENT Consultant

22^nd November - Appointment with Hospital ENT Consultant – Only saw his deputy who said I was too old (just 63) and it was too expensive, he told me the same about Digital Hearing Aids 2 years previous, but the consultant referred me to Yorkshire C I Centre, Bradford RI . This involve a 200 mile round trip for each appointment.

16^th March 2005 - 1^st Assessment with Catherine Totten – Principal Audiological Scientist and Jane Martin – Teacher of Deaf – Service Co-ordinator – I was told that age was not a factor of decision to implant. – Medical suitability of organ, health of patient for operation and availability of funding from own Health Authority, are main factors. This included questions and answers about what was expected and what I expected from the implant. In my case I had lived a “hearing” life for most of the time so had excellent speech  

6^th April 2005 – 2^nd Assessments with Catherine, Jane and Salim Khan – Audiologist – This time it included complete hearing tests with speech and sounds - assessed as having 42% hearing

9^th June 2005 – interview with Mr D R Strachan Consultant ENT Surgeon who explained that because there had never been any hearing in my right ear there would probably be very little or no stimulation to send signals up the auditory nerve to the brain. They would implant the left ear that had always had some hearing even if very little now. This was the point at which I had to decide if I was prepared to take the “gamble” knowing that if I went ahead it would mean that what hearing I had left would be completely destroyed. I was advised that they may be able to get my hearing up from 42% to 60%, but it could go down to 20%.

24^th June 2005 – Social Meeting at Bradford RI with other Implantees for “exchange of experiences” chat.

13^th July 2005 – CT Scan to establish whether I had any internal damage or malformations that could obstruct the path of the Implantation.

26^th July 2005 – Letter from ENT Consultant Surgeon confirming continuation, as the scan was ok.

17^th August 2005 – Letter advising of pre op. assessment appointment on 8^th Sept

1^st September 2005 – MDA Vaccination (found to have already had this – pneumonia vaccine in 2002, but nurse at my local doctor’s surgery was unsure about this and nearly repeated the injection)

8^th September 2005 – Pre op. assessment – Device choice – Clinic appointment with Consultant

All taken together to avoid several more 200-mile journeys

8^th September 2005 – Pre-op. assessment OK, decided on Cochlear Nucleus Freedom BTE which has fitted reliable loop access and best reliability record, compared with Med-El. Did too well on tests 49% on one, Threshold at Yorkshire Centre was 40%, and I had to sweat until Tuesday 13^th September before they confirmed the go ahead, despite pointing out that the threshold elsewhere was 50%

18^th September to 4^th October 2005 - Holiday abroad (Saluo – Spain )

12^th October 2005 – Travelled to Bradford for 5pm admission to ward. My wife offered accommodation during my stay due to travel distance involved.

13^th October 2005 - CI Operation – collected from ward about 9-30am and remember nothing after talking to anaesthetists until I woke up back on ward about 12-30pm. Had some pain round operation area but soon went with antibiotics on drip and another sleep. Oxygen mask removed at about 6pm and needle removed about 8pm. Surgeon and then Registrar called to declare all went smoothly to plan.

14^thOctober 2005 Registrar and group of trainees arrived about 8am , removed bandages and declared that I would be collected “later” to go for X-ray. Early afternoon I was collected and when I returned, so did the Registrar with a big grin across his face, waving the X-ray and showed me on the light-box that the implant had opened out into what he described as a “perfect Cochlear curl”. He advised that I could go home. Consultant came later to say everything had gone well.

I then endured a very long 34 days of complete silence

16^thNovember 2005 Outer C/I fitted and switched on and tuned in. Yes, the sounds were very “tinny” and speech sounded like Darlics - Pinkie and Perky, but remembering all that had been said by others who had gone through the same experience, I was happy to be hearing anything and would be patient.

18^th November 2005 Back to Bradford for further mapping – yes, my brain was getting round the new sounds.

23^rd November 2005 Back again for more of the same, but came away with a second programme – Programme 1. normal speech and background. Programme 2. normal speech but reduced background. Both can be switched to include loop at the same time.

December appointment had to be changed as it clashed with my wife’s hospital appointment but then it snowed and was off completely.

26^th January 2006 had 3^rd Programme added which included normal speech and background but separate loop.

This separate loop setting is very useful when there is loud background noise and to test if the loop equipment is working in the building etc. I had full assessment which showed that my prior to implant level of 42% had jumped up to 98% on general hearing with and without lip-reading of short sentences. Single words without lip-reading, from just a few words to 60%, which was apparently very high. This is supported by my general experience of hearing and recognising things. Only problem at the moment is occasional burst of Tinnitus “buzz” and continuous “buzz” interference when close to TV and computer when CI set to loop.

Mid – February noticed the case surrounding CI battery holder was cracked. Whole unit replaced by post overnight. Later explained as faulty batch and not had further problems with them

13^th April 2006 3-month assessment – Previous Audio before CI, but without HA showed 95dB to 115dB loss across frequencies. Now with CI shows mainly 25dB and a 30dB with one dip to 40dB.

Sentences test with voice only (no vision - lip-reading) 99% - Drat!!!!! Missed first word of one sentence, previously at 1 month 98% 

Same test but with background noise 93% - not tested before

Single word test 63% - previously after one month 60%

28^th June2006 Further 3 month check-up. I am now able to separate some of noises that had seemed the same – kettle boiling, washer, dryer and microwave. The dawn chorus was something I had not heard for many years but the seagulls can cancel it out and tempt me to switch off. Some noises tend to cut off speech sounds – A plastic bag, a tap running or toilet flushing, the kettle boiling. Although music is gradually going back to normal as is speech on radio and TV, in church the organ is fine on its own, but singing is very hit/miss – high notes keep causing sound to fading and the tune on the organ to fade.

October 2006 Joined NCIUA 

23^rd November Attended NCIUA November Forum at Saltaire, Shipley, West Yorkshire  

7^th December 2006 Annual check with Consultant who reported that all was fine. I also had further checks with the Audiologist and Speech/Language Therapist. I don’t miss much now but still make use of lip-reading and even the loop if it is available but this is just to add the icing to the cake and not as a necessity

16^th May 2007 18 month assessment was a complete success, every letter, word, sentence and noise, I surprised myself. The staff, which including Elaine Burke (New recruit from St. Thomas 's), were thrilled. I am now experimenting with new sounds on 4th programme on Nucleus Freedom. So, 18 months on and still improving which is what we try to explain to everyone, you don't get it all together over-night. All those niggling little things that tendered to distraught my sounds, like running water and "Tesco carriers" are much less noticeable now. Loud noise in a group is still a problem but slightly reduced from Hearing Aid days. Lowering sensitivity or using loop helps. I realise that it is as good as it gets when sound is only going in one ear and direction is still a problem

13^th December 2007 - 2 year Assessment  I attended my 2 year assessment at Bradford today, with the following results; but please, when you compare with your own results, bear in mind my hearing history. I had above average hearing in my implanted ear but nothing in the other, up to my mid 30's with excellent speech, and some things are still improving slightly after 2 years with the implant. 

With Speech Therapist – All results compare with normal hearing.