Cochlear Implants

Will's hearing loss is moderate to severe. Moderate in his right ear and severe in his left. They take the best ear they say. So they say he has moderate loss.

Harriet's got nothing. She is profoundly deaf in her right ear and severe to profoundly deaf in her left. That means at best she has a severe hearing loss.

She is having hearing aids fitted next week but they aren't expected to make much of a difference. She has been referred to the cochlear implant team. I can't say that out loud. It's huge. And it makes this experience very, very different to the one we have so far been on with Will.

When she first failed all her tests I thought I would be OK because, despite it not hurting any less, I was more prepared. I had done it before with Will. But I haven't done this before.

She will have to have surgery. 3 hours if they do just the one side, more if they do both. General anaesthetic. An overnight stay. Scars. Pain. Risks.

The implant is made up of two parts - the one that is implanted in the cochlear, in her skull, and the one that attaches to the outside of her head with a magnet. The outside bit reacts to things. One of these things is static. This means that with it on she can't go down slides, can't play in a soft play area.

So if she can hear, she can't play. And to play, she can't hear.

Cochlear implants are a medical marvel. They can take my deaf daughter and let her hear. But she can't go down slides.

It's a cruel, cruel world sometimes.