Janice's Story

My name is Janice… I was diagnosed with a hearing impairment at a young age however this was barely noticeable by friends and family until I reached my mid 30s. Then it seemed to degenerate quite rapidly forcing me to have to wear hearing aids 100% of the time. Over the next 20 years the aids needed replacement frequently because the model I was wearing at the time no longer was able to do the job required.

In my 50s, I researched “Cochlear Implants” and I was determined this is what I needed. I still have a number of working years in front of me and did not want to struggle with understanding in meetings, conferences, with people, etc. It also was evident – my hearing was only going to go in one direction and that was down-hill.

Fortunately, after my evaluation with Central Speech & Hearing, I was approved for an implant on my right side. YEH! I was on the waiting list and as luck would have it, the surgical implant program at the Health Science Centre in Winnipeg, MB began, allowing implants to be performed locally for me.

Dr. Hochman performed my surgery in June 2012 and for me, this has brought more quality to my hearing and my life.  Firstly, I hated wearing the hearing aid mold in my right ear. I never found it comfortable and I always felt a plugged up sensation in my ear. My left ear hearing aid mold is still tolerable because it is smaller. With the implant, sometimes I need to touch my right ear/head area to ensure I still have the device on – so wearing this is not uncomfortable. I really shouldn’t have had to check to ensure it is still there because hearing in the ear guarantees me it is still there. Without it, I have no hearing on the right side.

Today, I’m hearing sounds I never heard before. I was hearing beeps going off all over the house and I had to figure out where they were coming from…” the coffee pot has finished brewing”, “the oven has reached its required temperature”, “the laundry machine has finished its cycle”, “the freezer door is open” – so many of these sounds that I never heard before. I didn’t know these appliances were sending messages to me before my cochlear implant. Now I hear this.

Most precious of all is the chirping of the many birds in our beautiful yard… and also hearing the different sounds my three dogs can make. I always heard barking however dogs can make more than just barking sounds. I now hear them all. 

While nothing will ever replace perfect hearing, the cochlear implant provides pretty close to perfect hearing for me. I can engage in intelligent conversations, I can understand words in noisy environments, I can appreciate music and I can enjoy after work communication with my husband sitting around the kitchen table.

Thank you Central Speech and Hearing for everything you do for the hearing impaired community in Manitoba.

Daniela, Jennifer, Jacob, Rebecca, and Kelly – you have all touched my life and made the clinic spectacular. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and my experience with the clinic has been exceptional. You are all wonderful and the most caring group of people I’ve met!

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