Stereo

In 2023, 19 years after the first one, I got my second ear implanted.

The goals we set with the medical staff were to identify where the sound is coming from; and hear better in noisy environments. Asking my 3 kids 'where are you?' sometimes felt pointless. They'd always answer 'I'm here, dad!' which didn't help me locate them in the house.

We didn’t have any idea about the results we could get. The left ear was left about 20 years in complete silence.

Medical and technical evolution

The first thing we noticed is the surgery had improved quite impressively. From spending 3 days in the hospital to sleeping in my bed the same day. A much smaller scar, less pain, and a faster healing process.

2004 2023
Medical 15 cm scar with staples,
2-days surgery recovery,
1-month activation time		 6 cm scar with stitches,
4-hours surgery recovery,
2-weeks activation time
Design Cochlear Esprit 3G Cochlear Nucleus 7
Technical 1 microphone,
Manual volume, induction loop
Lithium air single-use batteries		 2 microphones,
Adaptable volume, noise reduction, Bluetooth, mobile app
Rechargeable batteries

Rewiring the brain a second time

I didn’t know what to expect. The first activation scared me. The sound was meaningless, almost impossible to grasp. However, the medical staff gave me confidence, celebrating small wins. One at a time. Until I got the results we were looking for. In the time we did initally set ourselves.

Time after surgery 10 days
Activation 		24 days
2nd tuning 		2.5 months 3.5 months 11 months
Sound perception Xylophone-like mushy sound* Higher definition, increase of amplitude Sounds are distinctive ‘entities’ Increase in granularity, sharpness, more natural Each ear has a different ‘tonality’ or ‘colour’
Ability Can distinguish the 7 days of the week Names recognition (<50% accuracy) Familiar sound recognition, non-speech sounds Daughter shouting ‘bye’ from another room, words in music Can choose between 2 conversations, spatialisation of sound
Feeling It’s very hard to ‘hook’ the sound Confidence in the process increases Music becomes enjoyable, left ear sends ‘information’ Period of exhaution - brain in full rewire mode Conversations require much less effort

*Note of caution: Each individual has a different perception at activation

Getting results

80% speech recognition @ 30dB, 100% @ 40dB

Now I can understand any conversation at 30 dB, I hear better than the 2-year-old me. I keep hearing better, with new technologies. The sound is sharper, the music is crisper, with more details. I’m every day more confident in big groups, parties and restaurants.

Hearing test results in 2024
I have now only a 20dB loss, and it keeps improving

Do you remember the fishermen’s picture?

orginal view of fishermen on a boat floating on a lake the same view of fishermen, slighly blurred and darker overlay sharpening the details for the boat and the fishermen

If you ask me today how I’m hearing today, I would say it’s close to this: the details are pixelated but the core information is clear and easy to grasp.

Not quite the end

Thank you for reading this far.

Deafness has undoubtedly shaped who I am, not just personally but also professionally. It fueled my ability to think outside the box, seeking innovative solutions to the challenges I faced. This experience gave me perseverance and an eye for those who truly care.

I hope you found the story engaging and helpful. I'm always looking for feedback and questions, please feel free to connect on my LinkedIn page.

Finally, I'd like to thank the people without which my life would have not been the same:

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