The MRI scan

p.s - this not my brain as my mate seems to think...

MRI

I have been waiting for my MRI letter to come through the post for ages. I was really hoping that the appointment wasn't going to be during exam season. Luckily it arrived for the week before they started.

Before the day of my MRI, I had different opinions of the MRI from people thrown at me left, right and centre. One person kind of freaked me out, saying that they got stuck in a machine. Luckily I ignored that comment. Otherwise it would have made me nervous to be in the machine. Others have told me its loud and noisy - well I can't hear, so I don't have anything to worry about. Whereas my mam has told me that she fell asleep through it. So I was pretty sure that I would be similar, since I already sleep through my vibrating alarm clock.

I already knew what a MRI scan was, therefore I didn't need to do much research on it like everything else I have been doing. I had covered it multiple times in science at school. Although the images that I saw was of the outside scanner, I had been told be some people that they have to wear a helmet. My first thought was a medieval knight style. With someone going 'arise sir knight'.
Okay that was a little too much... 

Anyways, very early in the morning, arriving at Queen's Medical Centre was a nightmare. Mazes of roads going all over the place meant it was hell to park the car but it didn't stop there. In the hospital became labyrinths maze. I think me and me mam ended up looping round one corridor more than once. Until a lady pointed us in the right direction.

Arriving the department, and the first thing the receptionist said to me was remove your jewellery. 15 minutes later, after battling to remove all of it. I was told to come through to another room. The guy who collected me was not deaf aware at all. Talking away and walking in front of me whilst at that. I couldn't lip read him. Its a deaf person kind of personal hell.
In the end I said to him ' I am deaf'
His reply was 'I know, that's why your here!' It was rather arrogance, despite stating the obvious. Also the handlebar moustache, dude, not a good look! I can't read your lips, as its covering your lip pattern. 
He eventually went away after what it seemed like a lifetime of asking questions to ensure my safety in the machine.
My mam was signing away to me to keep conversation going during another waiting period.

Then it was my time to go in the scanner, a woman came to collect me and hallelujah she was signing. Not a facial hair hanging over the lips in sight.  Explaining the process again, whilst being walked up to the room. I was then told to lay down on this trolley which goes into the machine. Whilst she placed the helmet over my head, along with some ear muffs. I gave her a funny look to say, 'I am deaf! Doubt the sound would bother me'. Apparently it's all procedure though. Mirrors where inside the helmet so I could see her, to reassure me apparently. She told me it would take around 30 - 45 minutes. In I went.
Instantly I feel asleep.

20 minutes later, it was all over. Apparently the image of my Cochlear is really clear so it didn't take as long. I actually thought it was the full time because I feel asleep. Ooops!

So now I just have to wait for another appointment! Just hope its after my exams...

Info, info, info... how much do I really need to know?

The Ear Foundation...

I have been researching Cochlear Implants in the last few months so much, that I finally thought that my brain would explode! I know that taking in too much information at once can become overwhelming.
Fortunately there was some new things that I was yet to still learn!

I found out a few months ago that there was to be a Cochlear Information day at the Ear Foundation in Nottingham. This I wanted to go to straight away, as there were to be talks from real people. Not people in books, DVD's or YouTube videos which seem to be all singing, dancing and bright lights at the end of the tunnel. I wanted to talk to people who have actually gone through the operation themselves and explain their experiences, the crazy roller coaster of a journey of the up's and down's.

The day came...

The day finally came two weeks ago on Saturday, I thought it was going to be pretty useless, as I felt that I'd made my opinion up and gathered all the information.
Arriving at the Ear Foundation the volunteers were so cheery, I could tell that it was going to be a fab day. Meeting other people in my situation some younger than me and others similar was interesting. Exchanging stories with other teenagers made me feel a bit better. As most of my deaf friends had their CI's when they were young so essentially they don't know what I am going through.

Several talks were given through out the day starting with talks from the three companies (Advance Bionics, Cochlear, MEdel) who provide CI's. Then a surgeon who actually operates with Cochlear Implants went through the procedure and showed small images of the op, slightly gross and aaaawwweeessssommmeee (as my brother would say it) at the same time. To be honest I am glad to know what they could be doing to my head!

Then came dinner, was getting rather hungry since we set off from home early. During dinner it was another chance to talk to families. Once I had my dinner and had another chat with the companies for CI's will gaining lots of freebies which I have since given out to friends and families since I got too much.  

Then the afternoon came, the party was to be spilt. People with young children went one way and me with other teens along with our parents went another.
In a separate room, us teens were discussing the problems with CI's whilst still being in education. The chairperson so to speak was a teacher for the deaf from Nottingham, who shared her pupils experiences having the CI operation whilst in education. It was a time to vent out feelings about the situation I was going through, what I thought about CI's and what our own families thought of the CI's. By the end of the afternoon I felt better towards having a Cochlear Implant and swapped numbers with fellow teenagers to keep in contact and advise one another what we have done in the journey and our experiences. 

Before leaving a teenager who was my age who had already had two CI's advised me to have it done but with two. This was a constant debate between me and my mam, I only wanted one as I had a small amount of hearing in my right ear left, whereas others and my mam said to have two done as that hearing could soon disappear. The teenager explained her reasoning behind it and slowly by the time I got home I changed my mind!

"I WANT TWO COCHLEAR IMPLANTS" I announced to my mam! A big smile splashed across her face! She was thrilled!

http://www.earfoundation.org.uk/