My name is Doose (pronounced Doe-say).
I am a Christian and I have a Cochlear Implant.
I lost my hearing at the age of 9yrs after contracting typhoid fever whilst in Nigeria. The antibiotics which I was given at that time completely and irreparably damaged the hair cells in my ears. I became profoundly deaf in both ears.
After about 5/6years using a hearing aid from the point I lost my hearing, I was offered a Cochlear Implant as it was felt that I would benefit more from it than a hearing aid. Quite simply, hearing aids were not working for me. I was implanted in the right ear alone (bilateral implants are a more recent occurrence).
The implant has two parts – internal and external. The internal parts are the electrodes and a receiver. This sits under my scalp in a ‘bed’ made in the bone behind my ear. Electrodes from this receiver go into my inner ear and are inserted into the cochlea. The electrodes essentially bypass the damaged hair cells, mimicking what they do. The external parts are the speech processor and microphone. The microphone picks up sounds and passes this to the speech processor which then processes these into electrical signals that are passed to the transmitter coil that magnetically connects the internal parts with the external parts. This signal is sent through the skin to the implanted receiver. The receiver passes the signal down the wire to the electrodes in the cochlea. When the electrodes receive the signal, a small electric current is generated which stimulates the auditory nerves finally to provide a sensation of hearing.
The implant has made a massive difference to my hearing. I have had the implant for 24 years now. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without it. Receiving the implant was an answered prayer. Through it, God restored my hearing. I am now living my life (or trying to) according to the purpose and design He set out for me.