Rachel's bold new world thanks to implant

Rachel Fishwick, who can now hear birds for the first time.

RUSTLING crisp packets, the clacking of high heels and dripping taps are sounds most of us take for granted.

But for Rachel Fishwick hearing these noises clearly for the first time marks the start of a new era. The 40-year-old is beginning to adjust to life with a cochlear implant.

When Rachel was two her mother, Ann Heptonstall, realised there was a problem with her daughter's development.

Ann had a friend with a child of a similar age. He was starting to talk, but Rachel was not. A test with a cup and spoon at a local clinic highlighted her hearing problems.

Ann, who lives in Wyke, said: "They were clanging the spoon on the cup and Rachel of course couldn't hear it. She was just looking around everywhere, totally oblivious."

Rachel was born deaf. The nerve endings which pick up sound are missing from her ears and throughout her life she has worn a variety of hearing aids from heavy body models to much lighter digital ones.

But last year, after she was diagnosed with tinnitus, the hearing aids stopped working properly.

She said: "It was terrible. I couldn't hear at all."

At the time Rachel was living in Belgium as her husband Howard, 43, who is in the RAF, was based there.

Her doctor said the only option left was a cochlear implant.

Rachel said: "I wasn't nervous about it whatsoever. I was looking forward to it. I was very calm because I wanted it so much. It's going to make a bigger difference than my hearing aids did."

Rachel had the internal part of the implant fitted on October 18. Last Wednesday she returned to Bradford Royal Infirmary for the 'switch-on' - the connection of an external sound processing unit.

She said: "One of the first things I heard was tapping on the keyboard when I was typing.

"At first everyone's voices sounded like robots, but I've started to hear the difference between male and female voices now.

"I'm just beginning to hear the television now and can follow what's happening."

Rachel has also noticed high heels clacking on the pavement, crisp packets rustling and clocks ticking.

She is on a 10 year programme to help her adapt to the implant and uses a BBC website to get used to different voices.

She will visit her specialist less and less often over the decade, but regular check-ups mean the processor can be adjusted as required.

Rachel, of Millstone Rise, Norristhorpe, said she is looking forward to talking to her friends on the telephone, hearing her children - Conor, 11, and James, seven - shouting and getting a job in administration.

But she has never let her hearing problems hold her back. She is a keen canoeist and diver and has travelled the world, including a solo visit to Australia.

She is also a leader at 10th Mirfield Guides and in 1987 met the Queen to receive the Queen Scout Award.

The mother-of-two said: "The main problem I have is with group conversations. If there are more than four people I don't know where to look. It can be quite difficult."

The biggest concern Rachel had after her operation was about the implant setting off security scanners in shops and airports, but she carries a card which explains her situation.

She said: "I'm not allowed on rollercoasters either. This summer we went to two theme parks and I told the boys to make the most of it because I won't be able to ride them next year. "

"I'm also not allowed to play rugby - which I didn't anyway!" She added: "The implant is working, I know that. It's great, I am starting to hear without having to lip read and I'm really confident with it. It's still early days, but it's opening up things for me."

Next year Rachel and her guides will be raising money towards extending the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Centre at BRI.

Extracted from Spenborough Guardian, Friday 23rd November 2007

Rachel's joy at the sound of her family

Rachel Fishwick with her sons James, left, seven, and Conor, 11

The rustle of a packet of crisps, the laughter of children in a playground and the tip-tap of high heels on a pavement are all sounds most people take for granted.

But for Rachel Fishwick they are sounds she is hearing for the first time thanks to a cochlear implant fitted at the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Earlier this month the Telegraph & Argus revealed how the 40-year-old mother-of-two, who was born profoundly deaf, was fitted with the internal part of the implant in October and waiting for it to be switched on.

That switch-on has now taken place with Rachel accompanied to the appointment by her husband Howard, with whom she has two sons, Conor, 11, and James, seven.

"At first it was weird because everything sounded robotic and both Howard and the audiologist Elaine Burke sounded the same," said Rachel, of Liversedge. "On our way out of the hospital, walking to the car, I suddenly started to look around to investigate these different sounds - people in their high heels - I could hear every tip tap of the heels!

"My husband was rustling through the leaves and I heard them too. The worst noise I ever heard was a crisp packet as they were rather loud!

"When I was typing to let people know about my switch-on, I could hear myself typing at the keyboard."

And as Rachel progresses she expects her hearing to get better and better.

"I went back for more programming to increase the volume as I had noticed it was getting quiet and I couldn't hear the television but time will tell and I have to be patient," she said.

"I am beginning to recognise the difference between women's voices and men's voices and the children, especially their laughter and squealing in the school playgrounds. Parents at James's school said Wow - it's amazing' as technology has moved on and they were pleased I could hear some sounds I have not heard before.

"I haven't heard the birds yet as it's the wrong time of year."

James and Conor are also thrilled with the technology which is enabling their mum to hear.
Conor said: "I think it's much better and I hope not to shout at my mum."

James said: "She is amazing because she can hear me better than she could."

Rachel added: "I'm really pleased with it and my thanks go to the staff at the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service for this. I could not have asked for better hearing and hopefully I will discover more new sounds that I have not heard before."

Extracted from Telegraph & Argus, Friday 23rd November 2007

Follow Up Since Switch On

Returned to YCIS today for my 3rd programming (I went last Friday and just had a little increase on the frequencies and outdone the speech therapist' work on "sh"!). Have been adjusted with frequencies to a little bit higher and it was less squeaky so that's a good sign as the squeak bleeps were too loud for me(!)

Saw the speech therapist again and we had worked on the sound "f" comparing those with "v" - you will notice the difference - "f" has a bit of vibrating where as "v" is smooth sound - you try it! Again outdone her work and my mum did some tests on me too and it was superb, everyone was please and so amazed how I've got to so far... okay I admit that I have heard some sounds before but I had to lipread it at the same time whereas today all my tests were done on my implant side without having to turn round to lip-read!!

This is my new Cochlear Implant with speech processor - the magnet is the size of a £2 coin, it may look that big but it is not! I have so many colours to go on the back of my ear - it could be red, blue, black, silver etc... not bad to match any tops of mine!

I have had more newspapers reporters coming in to see me since the switch on so I'll update it when I receive the papers this week! James says I'm famous!!!

Life Set To Sound Great For Rachel

Life set to sound great for Rachel

Being profoundly deaf has never held Rachel Fishwick back in life. In fact she doesn't call herself deaf - she just can't hear very well. But that could all be about to change as she becomes the latest patient to benefit from the team at the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Centre in Bradford.

After undergoing an operation to bury the internal part of the implant under the skin she is now looking forward to the big switch-on' next Wednesday. "I am hoping to get normal hearing," she said. "I have missed out on telephone calls and my friends can't wait to talk to me on the phone.
"I am afraid of group conversations - if it is more than four people I do not know where to look. With the cochlear implant I will hear much more and also hear my children shouting at me!
advertisement.

"I am also looking forward to employment. I want an administration job. "All the mums at my son's school say it is amazing and they cannot wait for me to be switched on. I feel confident that it is going to work and I am looking forward to next week." Rachel, who is now 40 and living in Liversedge with her two boys Conor, 11, James, seven, and husband Howard, was born deaf, a fact which was revealed at the age of two following an assessment at BRI with a spoon and cup.
"They wanted to see if she would react," said Rachel's mum Ann Heptonstall, 67, of Wyke. "Of course she could not care less."

The family concentrated on getting the best education possible for Rachel, who has relied on various hearing aids, many of which she hated, and lip reading. "As parents we did push her but it worked," said Mrs Heptonstall. "She learned how to speak and read books but without the hearing aids she could hear nothing."

In 1994 Rachel married Howard who is in the RAF and she moved all over the country, with a stay in Brussels from 2004 until last year. Her many interests include guiding and she has been a Guide leader for 20 years, most recently at the 10th Mirfield Guides. She met the Queen in 1987 to receive the Queen's Scout Award and also travelled to Malaysia with Raleigh International.
But in November last year she suffered from tinnitus.

"After having the tinnitus I was struggling with the hearing aids," she said. "I got digital hearing aids but I couldn't hear anything - it was terrible." It was suggested to Rachel a cochlear implant might be suitable. It wasn't the first time such a solution had been suggested although she had always held back as she could speak and was coping and it was difficult with the family moving around a lot. But with the family settled back in Liversedge Rachel began a journey which she hopes will lead to a life full of sound.

Her consultant referred her to the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service in Bradford and a first assessment was carried out in May this year. She carried on going to the unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary once a month and in August this year got a letter to say the operation could be carried out on October 18. This was a success and the next big date is next Wednesday when she is switched-on' and a hearing world could open up to her.

Rachel has been accompanied to many of the appointments by her mother as her husband has been on duty in Afghanistan but it is Howard who will be at her side on Wednesday.
To prepare, Rachel has been visiting a website where cochlear implant users can log on and share experiences.

Her children and husband have also been able to visit a cochlear implant user to understand the impact it will have on Rachel's life.

Rachel is also full of praise for the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service and she hopes to help the fundraising efforts by taking part in a sponsored 10km run in Manchester next year. "They are all fantastic and the unit they have is not big enough," she said.

This was taken from the local newspaper on 8th November.

The Big Switch On

Returned to YCIS this morning for my big switch on! We got to the hospital early and found ourselves waiting and waiting as there was someone in before me and caused a delay. Anyway, had the magnet replaced as the magnet was thin and my hair was thick! Heard the bleeps and then it was switched on... oh everything went robotic sound and echo/squeaky! I heard my husband and the audiologist voice but they were the same!

After a few more tuning - it may need to be increased on Friday as I have been told that it takes a while for my brain to adjust the hearing of the new sounds... I can hear the keys being punched on my keyboard!!

Later, as I was putting some boxes into my handbag and heard the crackling sound in it - the mars bars!! ooh that really was weird!

After a while, we went onto the speech therapist who has given me some homework on new sounds - I'm learning the "s" at the moment as this is one of the high frequency sounds, it was not too bad. I am also trying to learn any words that are said behind my back (meaning without looking at the face/lipreading etc).

Well, when we emerged out of the hospital this afternoon, I discovered some sounds - people in their high heels were clipping away on the pavements!! My silly husband rustling his feet through the leaves - really annoying me!

It has been a weird day but I'm glad it's been done and over with and have to face more appointments in the next couple of weeks - I am going again this Friday and next Wednesday.

Will be back on Friday.

Two Weeks On

Hi, can't believe that it was two weeks ago since I had that operation to have the implant in my left ear! Where has the time gone?

I have been tired out lately trying to get back to normal as Howie returned to work earlier on this week and the boys returned to school after their half term. Last week was a great week, the boys were spoilt by their nan or grandma and dad of course! They went to see the new Disney film called Rataouille, went to Fleetwood and Blackpool and visited Harewood House where they had been making scarecrows!

While they went to Fleetwood/Blackpool, I spent a day at my mum's to chill out and went to see sister-in-law and nephew before they went to London.

This week was a shock as last week I was able to have some lie-ins but this week I had to get up early to get into routine so it has been a tiring week. I am taking a month off Guides as I felt that I wasn't ready to see them with one hearing on my right ear and when I get switched on as I wanted to try the new gadget out first before I meet any noisy crowds!

The scar is healing much quicker and I've been able to wash my hair normal now as for the first time it was like dried blood pouring down from my hair - in fact it was the iodine!! Oh the water was so filthy! The hair where it was shaved off is growing too so it's looking good.

Well, I have to wait for 13 days now and go back to YCIS for the switch on. I have chosen the model - MEDEL which is manufactured from Austria, I could only choose MEDEL or NUCLEUS FREEDOM (from Australia). There was no disadvantage or advantages between them and it was like 50-50 to choose so it was hard to decide!

News - the Bradford Lord Mayor has chosen "the Ear Listening Life Trust" as one of his charities this year/next year and they are hoping to raise £1.5m for this new centre. Here's the link:

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/display.var.1803831.0.lets_hear_it_for_all_those_wholl_help.php

if that doesn't work then use this:

http://urlx.org/thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/d3493

Thank you for reading this... I'll be back soon.