Big day for me tomorrow and in lots of ways I am quite excited. 

For those not aware I am heading into hospital for a cochlear implant in my right ear to hopefully help me to hear much better than I have been for many years.

All going well I shall be in hospital overnight only.  There will be two weeks for the insert wound to heal and settle and then back to the audiologist for the external processor to be fitted and for it to be turned on.

After that I go through a process to train my brain to the new sounds.


Unfortunately for me though the hearing in my left ear is in steady decline and they expect I may need an implant for that one also in around two years time.



For the first week I am told I may be a little bit wonky and unstable due to the implant possibly upsetting my balance system so you may not hear much from me but will try my best to keep an eye on the forum.

One good thing is that they are working out a schedule of ongoing appointments for around the next 12 months.  Many of these I can do as zoom meetings and with the new model cochlear I am getting I can have adjustments made via wifi through my phone so just need internet for the appointments. 

Hopefully when we get all of that we can start planning some trips away in the motorhome.

Hi Derek
All the very best with it mate
regards Kev

Best of luck mate cheers Bear

Back in my room. Doc said a text book operation. Took 3 hours. Feeling pretty good.

Hi Derek
That is great news mate.  Take care Have a comfort night
regards Kev.

Good to hear  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Edit , didnt mean to say that , it just kinda happened.

Up and about. Bandages are off. Eaten breakfast. Expecting visit from surgeon any time. 

Will have a scan after that and hopefully home by lunch.

Am feeling good.

I am home.

According to all the experts everything went to plan.

Now for a quiet week of healing.

Thursday week we attend the Specialist Audiologist who will fit the external processor and turn it on.

At present and basically forever I will have no hearing in my right ear unless I am wearing the processor.  Was quite odd sitting in the passenger side of the car and hardly being able to hear Maggie talking at all. 

I am feeling well with very little pain.  Haven’t had to take any yet but they gave me some quite nice exciting drugs if I need them.  :o

All quite exciting actually

Great to hear mate, tryed to reply earlier but my answer would not post. Cheers Robert

Thanks everyone.

It is so nice when they tell you what could go wrong and none of it does.  I am feeling pretty good still.

Bear wrote on Aug 25^th, 2026 at 1:58pm:

Great to hear mate, tryed to reply earlier but my answer would not post. Cheers Robert

Robert, did you get a page come up saying “could Not Reach Server”

Hi Derek
It is good to see you home look after yourself
regards Kev

May have been happening on a regular basis.

Just to let everyone know where it is all at.

If you have never seen a cochlear implant the X-ray below was taken before I left hospital yesterday.  It is bigger than I thought it would be.

Today I have been in some pain so currently on the heavy drugs.  This was to be expected for a few days.  I think yesterday I was still on a high and not noticing it.

Our puppies Penny and Daisy are happily keeping me company when I lay on the bed. 😊

Overall though I am feeling pretty good and soldiering on.

---

Take it easy mate and use the pain relief when needed. Cheers

Good morning Derek
I hope you are feeling better
Have a great day
Kev

Been a few days mate how you going now. Robert

Hey guys.

I was warned that from a pain perspective day 3 and maybe 4 would be the worst and it sure was.  Nothing excruciating that I couldn’t handle but i knew it was there.

It is weird, because now there is no hearing that I can detect in the right ear I sometimes have a feeling that half my head is missing.   ;D

Today has been a good day so far.

Face that side to Maggie and you will be right. I shall takr Exit stage left.  Cheers

Good on you Bear, don't know about the rest on here but I was certainly thinking in the same boat my wife would be on my right. Ha Ha. Good to hear ( unintentional word use) that it is going OK Derek. I am fortunate that I only need hearing aids. Got some new ones in the pipeline through Costco. Haven't worn any for a few years so overdue. Interesting following your journey. I'm sure the bloke that started the cochlear story was an apprentice at GMH Elizabeth. right or wrong weather our car makers all shut up shop, the bigger question is where will the next clever Aussie get his training from and develop the next break through in inventory/ development

Cochlear is certainly an Australian invention by now Professor Graeme Clark.  He first implanted a patient in 1987.

He is an Australian Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne and works in ENT surgery.

He is now 91 years old.

I cannot find anything online though to suggest he had an apprenticeship at GMH though.

Very surprised actually to see Made in Australia on all the components and boxes I have seen so far although I have seen rechargeable batteries from China on eBay.

I think Maggie is well and truly used to me saying, “Could you say that again please?”   :D

I know she gets frustrated I cannot hear her but I keep saying, “You should be in my head!”  🤣

The wound must have been irritating me in my sleep last night and not sure if I rubbed or scratched it but woke up screaming.  Was quite scary but all settled down this morning.  Nurse Maggie tells me it looks good.  :)

Hi Derek
Sounds like everything is OK. and on track.
Regards Kev
I

Have Marggie make you some soft gloves mate.

Well it has been a week now since I had my cochlear implant surgery.

So far everything is going well.  I still get some discomfort from the operation site however the pain from it has subsided significantly to very little at all.

Today I get to wash my hair for the first time which in itself is exciting.   ::)

Wednesday I am off back to the surgeon for a check up and then on Thursday the outside processor gets connected and then I start to hear sounds again.

Keep you fingers crossed for me.   8-)

Had my first hair shampoo tonight since the implant.  Parts of my hair were quite stiff from whatever it is they use and with my long hair was pretty grim.  I think it’s a Betadine they use.  Like a thick brown syrup gone hard.  Was all in my ear as well. 

Really weird because apart from seeing it on an X-ray I still cannot feel where the implant itself actually is.  I guess I’ll know Thursday when they clip the out processor on.

In some ways still feels a little like someone hit me in the side of the head with a baseball bat but getting better every day.

I am only taking the odd Panadol now.

Should have shaved the head and started again mate. Glad you are feeling better any how cheers Robert

If it wasn’t for my cochlear implant, which I might add is keeping me awake with pain for the first time tonight, we would have been on our way across to Tasmania right now on our trip. 

We were due to leave from Geelong at 6.45 pm last night.

Going to have to plan it all over again for next year now.

---

Something to look forward to mate, cheers

Hi Derek
sorry you now getting pain. All the very best to you
regards Kev

Well the pain hit me with a vengeance around midnight last night.  Tried a couple of different heavy duty meds and didn’t end up back in bed until 7.00 am.

Managed a couple of hours sleep and woke pain free.  Sat up for a while and then went back to bed and woke mid afternoon with more splitting pain.

I was told to expect something like this.  I am not happy.   >:(

May be another long night.  I am back to see the surgeon tomorrow.

Appointment with the ENT surgeon went well this morning.  Everything healing as it should and cleared for the bionic ear turn on tomorrow.

Hi Derek
Great news mate. All the very best
regards Kev

Here it is, my bionic ear.  The black piece in the centre, which is the magnet, will be replaced with a grey one next week.

When they turned it on it showed as a 100% successful implant.  I am able to hear sounds but at this stage they all sound like a Latin American tin drum band. 

Going to  take months to teach it to decipher voice sounds.

I have lots of homework.

---

Hi Derek
I was thinking I would see you with a short hair cut
All the best
regards Kev

Kevvie wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2026 at 3:26pm:

Hi Derek I was thinking I would see you with a short hair cut All the best regards Kev

Nah, no need.  A lot of women with long hair have a cochlear.  Most tuck it in underneath. :)

I am forever the gadgets man and this afternoon was thinking the best way to charge the batteries when off grid in the motorhome.

Found this USB Charger on the Cochlear Website.

Seems they have thought of everything.   ;D

---

We have had a clock here in our TV room for about ten years.  I knew it was a ticking clock but until the last few days had never heard the tick. 

Now with my Cochlear Implant I can hear it quite loudly.

Must admit, I do love a ticking clock   :)

hi Derek
Glad the implant has changed your life with what we take for granted.
Take care mate
Kev..

I think it is going to Kev but still a long way to go.   :)

Had an appointment with my audiology specialist this morning.

At one week my progress is above average.

I have appointments with her every week for 4 weeks and they then taper off to monthly and then 6 monthly.

I am told that I should start hearing words clearly at the 4 week mark.

All is going well.

Hi Derek
Great that it is going in the right direction and is improving
regards Kev

Good to hear Derek cheers

One thing that came out of today is that I have too much quiet time.  ::)

I need more noise to get this thing up to speed so now got the TV on in the background.  Can’t be music, got to be voice.

It is usually very quiet here but no more.  Have got the TV on ABC 24 News Channel and even listened to Parliament Question Time.   >:(

hi Derek
Now listening to question time would be very painful  ;D ;D ;D
regards Kev

I've had my Cochlear for eight years now, I think one of the best things I 've ever done. Only a very small percentage of the operations are unsuccessful so I'm told, I've never had any problems with mine and am going in next week for an upgrade to the latest model a Nucleus 8.

For me Rob, all looking up from here.  Yes, I have the latest Nuclear 8.  Also my implant is the new one that can receive updates via the phone App.

I am now starting to hear but a little way to go yet before full strength.

Because we spend quite a bit of time away from power when we travel in the motorhome I needed a 12 volt charger for the cochlear batteries to charge off the house battery.

Found out that Cochlear themselves make the proper USB charger just for them so I ordered one last week.

Decided to see how it went and it is just right.  Those are 12 volt USB Chargers built into that powerpoint.   :)

---