CMOJ's Hearing Life: June 2012

Thursday 7 June 2012

Tied up...

Sorry for keeping you so long... I've been tied up with GCSE's and I have five exams left which is in next week, so that means I won't be back till after then. I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to the holidays, meaning I can find my energy back and try to get some more sleep that I owe over last two years. And of course, have fun for two months! But I can't wait until I start college, as obviously this means a new start, which is what I am looking forward to the most. With my implants, it is still the same, so I guess it's actually taking me longer than I thought. The high pitch is still occurring when I turn the new implant on, but that is because the magnet is trying to start its process when you turn it on, so it can be unpleasant at the start but you get used to it. Wish me luck with the exams, and I'll get back to you soon :) Take care

BIOGRAPHY

Cathy, also known as Catherine, was born on the 11th of March in London. She was born hearing until the doctors were unable to diagnose that Cathy had Meningitis at 9 months old which left her with sensori-neural deafness. She was given a pair of hearing aids and still they did not work. At 3 and a half years old, she was under the knife in Great Ormond's Street Hospital and activated her cochlear implant at 4. Since then, she had been coping very well and moved out of London to East Midlands which she was transferred to Nottingham Cochlear Implant Programme.

In December of 2011, Cathy was operated for her second implant and activated at the end of the month. Because of the Meningitis, her surgeon was unable to fit the rest of electrodes, she will might find it more difficult to adjust to the new hearing experience. Currently, she is coping well and have started to learn British Sign Language again.
She has graduated from Nottingham Trent University and is now working as a Customer Service Assistant, which encourages her to improve her communication skills.