Before I had my 2nd cochlear implant I read all the brochures and asked other bi-lateral recipients to explain what the differences were between hearing with one ear and hearing with two ears. Most couldn’t easily articulate the differences but all said it was ‘better’. What did ‘better’ mean?

I already knew what it was like to go through the Cochlear Implant switch on process and to learn to re-hear, but I still found it was just as hard as the first time

Having the surgery for a Cochlear Implant is only the first step in my new hearing process. There are many other things to be done. One of the first is the Telemetry Test to determine which electrodes are working.

No one likes having an operation, but my recovery from a recent second Cochlear Implant Operation has been excellent. My experience may help someone else understand what it is like.

In February 2010 I had my second cochlear implant. This time I was more interested than fearful in the operation process. Perhaps my experience will help someone else make this hard decision.

When I examined why it takes someone so long to make the decision to have a cochlear implant I expected fear or surgery, fear of failure and so on was the main reason. I was therefore surprised to realise there are far deeper reasons, often ones we don't recognise which makes this decision so hard.

Do deaf people have a harder time getting and staying in work? If they get their hearing back (through say, a cochlear implant) does this improve their position?

If you lose your hearing in later life, do you think to go to a Deaf Society for help? Do you know that help even exists?

What sounds would you miss the most if you went deaf? Or what sounds do you miss the most now that you are deaf?

Hearing loss prevelance in the UK is about 390 children per year. This research found that many parents were opting for a cochlear implant.