The SWITCH ON!!!!

Friday 9th August...

My first switch on appointment, I was mega excited! I think anyone who was in my position would be. I knew not to expect much from this out come but from what I have heard so far after being switched on, I would say it is the best decision I have made this year and maybe the best so far in my life!

Setting off from home with my parents we were all going into the unknown, I have been told by many people, professionals and Cochlear Implant wearer, what to expect from the first switch on. Beeps and buzzes are all I will hear. That was ok, but deep down I knew I wasn't going to be satisfied with this. Oh well. My parents have told me that they just wanted me to hear something, anything is better than nothing, which I agreed on. On the way to Nottingham many people were texting me wishing me good luck with the switch on, but as we crept closer to Nottingham my nerves were playing up a little.
My dad was a little bewildered by the building of Ropewalk itself. He commented on it saying it looked like a swimming pool. This is what both me and me mam said on the first time we went.

Heading to the waiting room, there was a poster on the wall by a company which offered Teenagers to tell their story of their hearing loss/journey etc. My mam encouraged me to have ago at it, considering I am already do so, in this blog.
Whilst I was thinking whether to have ago, the audiologist entered the room, a big bubbly attitude and smile on her face. 'Hiding are you... Behind the wall?' Was the first thing out of her. I had to laugh, the waiting room is not exactly the best shape for deaf people to be in, as you cannot see if someone has called your name out as this wall is slap bang in the middle. My excuse was 'All the little kids were round that end of the wall, I wanted to hide.' The last time I went the kids were throwing balls at me, they were cute so I forgave them. Ha-ha!

The audiologist then lead me and my parents through a maze of corridors to the room, where I was to be wired up to the computer and be switched on! My right ear was first to be switched on, this was a really weird experience. (If your not a CI person then its going to sound even more strange when I explain.) The audiologist first had to find out the right magnet for my head as number 1 was useless! Eventually she put me on 5/6 magnets for both ears as my hair was so thick. My dad advised me by saying get a Mohawk. 
'HELL TO THE NO!' was my response which made all the adults in the room laugh.
Then the right ear was switched on, the audiologist said I may not hear it at first but after 7 or so clicks with the mouse. It wasn't a beep I heard, it was a crackle. The audiologist kept doing this until all my high frequencies on my right side was turned on. Then my left side was done in the same way with me saying I can hear it etc. Beep, buzz and crackle every time.

Shortly after this I had to see what was the maximum I could listen to in one go, sound-wise. I was handed a scale to point at if the sound was soft, soft but comfortable, comfortable, loud but comfortable, too loud.
After this I was told that one implant at a time was going to be switched on with all the sounds joined together. The left ear was just continuous beeps and buzzes. Then it was turned off, the right go. I could actually hear the audiologist voice. It was high pitch and very squeaky. Like Minnie Mouse or Donald Duck talking, depending on the distance away from me.
Both CI's were turned on together after this. A big shock to my system but awesome. I was told to allow the crackling to settle down for a second. Then I could hear the audiologist speak clearly but very high pitch and squeaky. Then was turn to hear my parents. I haven't hear them for nearly 8 months. I could hear them!
Very high pitch even my Dad was squeaky! I told my mam that I could hear, she laughed. It sounded like bells ringing. I told her that and she laughed even more. 'Bells, bells, bells...'

Afterwards I was told that I had 4 programmes to work through before I was to go back on the 23rd of August. 'Keep brain training' my audiologist told me just as I was to leave.

So me and my parents left to go out for dinner, they kept banging the cutlery about soon as we sat down. It was loud. Testing me on different sounds. I don't like the hand dryer as that gave me a shock, when it went on. Also I didn't realise that my feet had a noise every time I walked. Something new to experience.
As the day went by I experimented with sound, banging on the table, slamming doors. Sticking my head in the fridge to hear the fan noise which my sister says is there. Hmmm haven't heard it yet.

By the time I got to the evening, after showing my mates what my implants look like on and describing what they sounded like. Which gained some laughs along side the comments of EXTERMINATE (as I described one of my friends like a Dalek from Doctor Who) I decided to plug in my IPod as an experiment to see if I could hear anything.
I could *cue the smile plastering across my face*.
Hallelujah!