Author: Cherry Cullen

Yes, implant is due Thursday. I go up to London with youngest daughter tomorrow night after I have tidied up at work and put out of office on email etc. Admission to RNTNE at 7.30am. I have some wet wipes and instructions for wiping around behind my ears etc. Continue reading “Two days to go”

Very exciting to receive a letter, at long last, arranging my admission and operation. I have to be at the RNTNE hospital, Greys Inn Road, London,  at 7.30am on the 24^th March, fasted. I have to confirm that I will be there “by telephoning the number above…….”  Don’t they know I am deaf? Continue reading “So at last we are in business”

The stereo implant has one processor and array into that ear (cochlear) and an extension over to the other ear and an array into that cochlear. So binaural hearing from one implant. I was chatting online with someone with a cochlear implant and when I said which implant they were planning she was very negative. She said no way would she have the stereo and that the device was quite an old-fashioned one. Continue reading “Stereo implant – do I or don’t I?”

I don’t think the RNTNE hospital is any more deaf aware than anyone else!  I went back to the receptionist up at the pre-op assessment office and explained that I had problems lip reading as she smiles. I had guessed that she wanted me to take a seat from her gesture but she could have been  speaking Mandarin for all I could make out. I was going to do what we usually do and just get on with it, but then I thought about it and decided she could learn!! Continue reading “Deaf awareness”

Arrived at RNTNE hospital with minutes to spare for the appointment at 10.30am with the consultant “and Panel” (I had two letters telling me the appointment was at 10.30am). Checked in with the cochlear implant office and the lady looked bewildered. Said the consultant is not there on Monday morning and I must have it wrong. I produced a letter and she apologised profusely and said appointment was for 1.30pm. What a good thing I didn’t plan to do a clinic in the afternoon but booked the whole day off. Continue reading “Getting the go-ahead”

I have just returned from London and my appointments with the hearing therapist, and an audiologist for the final assessments. The hearing therapist re-did the comprehending speech without lip reading test – the one I hated last time Continue reading “Questionnaires, tests, concerns and expectations”

I have been wondering if I would die of old age before I got my implant done….

I have two appointments at the RNTNE Hospital 6th (audiologist and hearing therapist) and 13th December (consultant and panel). Hopefully will know when op likely to be after that.

Today I went to Great Ormond Street Hospital to see the geneticist as two of my five children have inherited high-frequency deafness. Continue reading “Genetics at GOSH”

Copy of a letter from the consultant at the RNTNE to local consultant arrived Saturday. I saw the address on the envelope and thought whoopee, news of when I might have the op. But no, just information including: Continue reading “Oh no! We’ve only just begun?”

Tuesday was the next step and I had an appointment at 1pm for an MRI at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead. Continue reading “MRI scan”