Watch Susan's Activation:

• Susan's first sounds
• How does your Cochlear implant sound?
• What are you most looking forward to doing now?
• How did your hearing loss occur?
• How did you find out about Cochlear implants?
• How do you feel now you're hearing?
• What message do you have for others?

I’ve been living with some kind of hearing loss for most of my life.  I was functioning pretty well until my mid-30s when I started having problems with my right ear, my hearing loss became more profound. As time went on the hearing loss become progressively worse and was finally advised to get a hearing aid.

I continued along for several years I was able to communicate as I had always done, by speaking using a hearing aid.

I love to volunteer and my hearing loss was becoming very noticeable in large meetings, and I found it particularly frustrating when I was no longer able to use a telephone; a simple call became a struggle.  This was extremely upsetting to me and I kept wondering “How can a person feel with something like this?” 

After functioning well for several years with a hearing aid, the hearing loss began to affect my life in unexpected ways. Finally last year all my hearing was gone and I began to look for other options that would help me hear again.

I spoke with a hearing specialist who told me that my best hope for hearing was applied stem cell research, with a 10-20 year wait.  This information was hard to take, but I continued living my life.  Then one day while reading the New York Times I found hope, and this time without the 20 year wait. I learned that hearing could be restored to individuals through the use of cochlear implants, and I began to search for information about candidacy and the process of getting implanted.