George’s cochlear implant journey: Part 3
We were exuberant, nervous, and anxious, all the emotions that you can think of. However, we also kept in mind not to be too optimistic about this particular appointment. It’s not as exciting as flicking a switch on, and then boom, George can hear. We knew that there was a long journey ahead in terms of Speech therapy as well as teaching George to listen.
During the visit, the audiologist explained the cochlear implant he had placed in his ears. George was among the first people in our region to be fitted with this cochlear Nucleus 8. (N8) processor. We picked the brown color because, at our hospital, you are able to upgrade every five years. So, these processors could allow him to start kindergarten and then school. We thought that around this time, he would begin to be aware of the cochlear implants, which is why brown might blend in with the hair more easily. There is also the possibility of making them more attractive with cool stickers if he wishes to display his awesome ears! We’ll be there for him if he chooses to do so.
The audiologist worked on one ear at a. At first, she connected the implant to the computer and then activated the electrodes inside his cochlear. She advised us that George might feel a sensation when he is wearing it. However, he did experience a slight annoyance with the first. After the second ear was completed, it was a crying baby at first for the initial couple of electrodes, but I believe he grew used to the procedure and sat down.
The audiologist then hooked up his cochlear implant onto his scalp and played a tune – the patient immediately looked at her as the sound played. She confirmed that this was an emotional reaction to the sound that was played. We were in awe at our baby’s ten-month-old hearing in the very first place.
Following a couple of more tests on the computer and an overview of how to use the Cochlear Nucleus application on my phone to use the programs we were given to work through, we headed home.
In the first few days, George, getting cochlear implants was a grueling task. I would say that the implants were more off his head than they were in. We had to constantly place the coils back on his head as he rolled across the floor or rubbed his head inside the pram. We were using the Snugfits and wig tape to hold the processing units in place; however, we realized this was not working for us and decided to experiment with the headband. George disliked the headbands, but they did help him improve his speed in speaking. We decided to go with the longer coils and then use the Koala Clip for Cochlear to attach it to his clothing, which has worked wonders. It’s an endless process of trial and trial.
We hadn’t expected to see George respond to sounds for at least six weeks. But in the next few days, while strolling in the pram, George was looking around at cars approaching but were not in his view. We were shocked! Small events like this assured us that we had been doing the right thing for our George.
