More News

On Saturday 25th October, I received a telephone call from my County Commissioner, Kath for West Yorkshire South County. Kath had just got back from her Executive Meeting at North East England Region (York) and said that I had been nominated and got elected to represent the Region on the CHQ Council (GirlguidingUK) as from May 2009.

I was stunned to hear that as I was thinking oh there'll be loads of people who will be nominated from the Region as our Region covers Northumberland, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Cleveland etc and was amazed that the Exec chose me!

So I'll be a great ambassador for the County and the Region when I start my new role next August 2009.

It has been an amazing year since I had the cochlear implant and have worked so hard on the Girlguiding side.... I obviously don't know what "no" means at the moment!!! As I'm always saying "yes, I'll do it"!!

Got Chosen!

What a week! As you may know that I do Guides and and my Assistant County Commissioner recommended me to apply to take part on the Leaders International Selection Weekend in September.

Well I went to the selection weekend and boy it was hardwork but fun (that was more important!). We were told to wait up to 2 weeks for the result so fair enough!

Yesterday a letter arrived and I opened it and found out that my guide county West Yorkshire South would like me to represent our county to attend a trip to CCJam09 at Camp Samac in Ontario (Canada) next August 2009!!!

But in the next paragraph as I was reading on and found out that they have chosen me to be the leader in charge with three other assistants. That's hard work but I'm delighted to say that I've accepted the offer to organise everything!

So I'll be busy for a year now - I'm so chuffed and over the moon!

Roll on August 2009!

9th Month!

I once again returned to YCIS today for my 9th month assessment. This time I took my eldest son as he wanted to know what they do!

Firstly I did the decibels test and the average score was between 30 and 35 dB - much similar to the last one in February.

Next was Mr Truly Boring doing the lipreading and listening - WOW, I finally hit the 100% mark as I was aiming to get that as in Dec 07 was 97% and in Feb 08 was 99%! I knew I would get that 100% mark!

Without lipreading scored 64% - that is a huge jump as it was 40% in February. With background noise - again another huge jump - scored 43% (23% in Feb).

Here comes the tricky bit - the "one word" session - well in February it was 0% but today I couldn't believe it that I scored 33%. Didn't do the environmental sounds as he was happy that I scored 93% in February - son was a bit disappointed because he was looking forward to doing that!!

So the audiologist (Salim) was pleased with it and so was I..... just can't believe the high scores!

After this we saw Lynne the Speech and Language Therapist. She asked me a few more questions and was being videoed again. She's pleased with my new results and is happy and I didn't have to do any work today nor no homework was given today as there's nothing else I could do!

So went home on a happy note and I've spoken to Howie, mum and few friends and they cannot believe what I scored today and said that I've really improved a lot since November!

I don't need to go back till November when I have my first medical review with the consultant and then next August for the hearing test!

In overall I'm happy! And I've just given £425 to the Ear Trust today and there's more to come after Saturday's event. (I had already raised £201 online using Justgiving.com)

BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER

PROFILE of Rachel Fishwick

• is a former civil servant


• was a Guide Leader in Belgium for three years


• has written a blog about receiving a cochlear implant, an electronic system that stimulates the auditory nerve, at http://www.yorkie67.blogspot.com/.


• was awarded the 20 year service award in March 2007

Guide Leader Rachel Fishwick, 41, has never let deafness stop her enjoying all guiding has to offer. She talks to Claudia Cahalane about how she has overcome her disability.

Have you been deaf all your life?
Yes, I was born deaf. I’ve always worn hearing aids and have tried all types, from traditional ones to wireless technology and digital hearing aids. I don’t know sign language, apart from the alphabet – I lip-read instead. In November 2006, I suffered tinnitus and the hearing in my left ear became much worse. But last October I had a cochlear implant operation and my hearing and speech have improved.

Has being deaf caused you any problems in guiding?
I joined 5th Bingley Brownies at the age of seven. The other Brownies knew I was deaf, and it wasn’t a problem at all. I wasn’t taught sign language so I just had to speak up! At Guides, we’d go camping but it was never an issue, until the evenings perhaps, when it was dark and listening and lip-reading became more difficult.

What about now you’re a Leader?
I have had no trouble at all with my unit, the 10th Mirfield Guides (Yorkshire). They’ve all learned to speak to me clearly and have always loved my ideas. My Guides have fundraised £110 for the Ear Trust as they know that I’ve improved because of the cochlear implant and I have raised £550.

Has your condition ever stopped you doing anything?
No way! I joined the Venture Scouts and gained the highest award, Queen’s Scout, and went to India and Pakistan to attend the 10th Asia Pacific Jamboree. I became a Guide Leader in 1987 and have had numerous roles since. I was even with the 1st Brussels Guides (BGIFC) for three years when my husband was working for NATO HQ in Belgium.

Have you been able to travel?
Oh yes, I’ve been to Australia on my own and spent three months in Borneo in the jungle with Raleigh International – I was the only deaf person out of 250 people but we all got on really well. Communication is not a problem for me – people learn to look at my face when they speak to me.

Do you think you’ve helped other people understand deafness?
Yes, I’m currently visiting units in our District to give them a talk about my deafness and teach them to do the manual alphabet. We also have one partially hearing Guide in our unit so we all know what to do – look at her when speaking and don’t hold your hand, or any object, in front of your face.

What do you do outside of guiding?
I love the outdoors, cross-stitching and watching my sons play hockey. I also love cooking, particularly Indian, Chinese and Thai food.

The Ear Trust is trying to raise £2 million to build a new centre in Bradford. Go to www.ycis.org.uk for more details.

This was published in the "Guiding" Magazine (August 2008 issue) which is a national magazine for all Leaders in the UK and in BGIFC.

Six months onwards

It's been ages since I last put something in my blog. Anyway I went for my 6th month assessment on 21st May (3 days after I did the 10km walk for the Ear Trust).

I was expecting to have some hearing tests but it wasn't today so they increased more volume in the speech processor as I could tell it was getting quiet. I was told that it would be at my 9th monthly assessment where I would have hearing tests!

Saw the speech and language therapist and congratulated her on the 10km run as she took part in it (her second time!) and we just talked and listened to what she had to say and I had to answer it. No problem there.

I haven't learnt any new sounds but am still struggling to hear what the children has to say... oh... I've now got a new job - I'm Assistant Lunchtime Supervisor at my youngest son's school. The children are lovely but when they talk, they don't look at me and it's hard but I'm learning to listen what they have to say.

Thanks for reading so far and will be in touch soon and won't leave it too long next time!

I did it!

On the Sunday 18th May, both Howard and I left home and travelled to Manchester by train from Dewsbury. I've never seen so many runners in my life and it was phenomenal. The atmosphere was absolutely wonderful. I met Chris Raine and other people from the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Services... couldn't miss them as we had big "e" on our t-shirts!

Come round 11am, we did the warm up and then we headed for the "START" and we began to shout the countdown 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 and Dennis Law blew the horn and off we went. I could hear so many bleeps at the start as everyone was wearing the microchip and it really bleeped so loud!

The first 1km was a KILLER as everyone was pushing around to take over the runners, I wasn't actually running as I am not a runner but a fast walker and it was hard work for the 1st kilometre! I just left Claire at 2km as I just wanted to get into my pace rather than fast walking and the weather was just dry and sunny not too hot (just perfect!)

Saw the 3km sign.... 7 more to go I thought... it was lovely to see the runners, walkers etc and the spectators etc on the way.... saw Manchester United grounds and thought I'm half way there - great that was super!

After going round outside the grounds and by the river (near Imperial War Museum), it was getting better because I saw the 6km sign and the 7km sign. I sent a text message to my husband to see where he was and his reply was "800m sign".... that's a long way to go I thought!

More metres and time flew by and I saw this sign "1km to go"!!! WOW I thought and then saw Howard at 800m and I walked a bit faster this time and saw the "400m sign" and then I made it to the end!

It took me 1 hour and 49 minutes to do 10km walk. I was so proud of it and so was Howard. I collected my medal and my t-shirt and headed for a local cafe and had something to eat.

At 1.30pm my mum phoned to see where I was but all we could say was "We're having lunch and Rachel's got the medal round her neck".. mum was very surprised to hear that I did it in 1 hour and 49 mins.

We walked around Manchester and then caught the train back to Dewsbury and I just couldn't walk any further once I got off the train but we got home and had a shower and I felt so fresh again and went to mum's to collect the boys.

I have now raised £550 for the Ear Trust which is fantastic. Thank you for supporting me.

On the 2nd June, my Guides (10th Mirfield) did lots of quizzes and raised £110 for the Ear Trust so that's £660 so far!

THANK YOU for helping me to raise money for the Ear Trust.

Countdown to 10km run

Hi folks, I've been walking most days in the last 2 weeks and am getting better with the timing - aiming to complete the 10km walk in under 2½ hours but could try and do it in 2 hours if possible pending on how busy the run/walk is in Manchester!

I got my race pack at the weekend so my number is 30260 and I'm in the Pink Wave which means that my run is schedule to start at 11.15am on 18th May. I will be wearing the "Ear Trust" t-shirt given by the Trust as I am raising money for them.

I'm looking forward to take part in this 10km run.

Thanks for reading... will post more later.

By the way, my 6th monthly assessment is on 21st May - where have those 6 months gone? It's still great.... loving the new sounds........... but wish the birds would stop tweeting!

3rd Monthly Assessment (February 2008)

Returned to YCIS today after 2 months because I could not attend my 2nd monthly assessment due to flu!

Anyway, saw Salim the audiologist and we had several tests:

Lipreading with Listening scored 99%
Without Lipreading but listening scored 40% (it was hard - think Salim gave me some hard sentences this time!)

New tests that I hadn't done before:

Environmental Sounds scored 93%
Background noise and listening scored 23% - it was difficult with the whooshing sounds in the background and I was concentrating so hard to listen to the sentences
One word only - scored 0% again it was hard as it took a while to listen what that person was saying - very hard (even my mum said so!)

Hearing test levels are now between 25 and 40dB.

Then my frequencies in the electrode were turned up a little bit as I knew it was getting quiet so I'm now hearing better since I was turned up more.

Went to see Lynne the speech/language therapist - outdone her work again - it's easy for me and I could tell the difference between words that are almost sounded as the same.

My speech has really improved a lot in the last few weeks, I now have "dialect accent" which is superb as friends and families have noticed that my speech has improved even my own doctor!

So I don't have to go back to YCIS till end of May - wow! But still have lots of "homework" to practise listening without lipreading if possible and use the phone more. I am now using the phone twice a day to have a really good conversation with Howard who is really pleased with it as previously the conversation didn't really last long and now I'm forever chattering away on the phone. Just need to talk to a stranger on the phone now to try and understand what the person is saying rather than a person I know!

Please continue to support me to raise £2,000 for the Ear Trust - either email me or go to www.justgiving.com/rachelfishwick and sponsor me through that. I'm going to start my training soon when the weather is better and find somewhere that is flat!

Thank you for all your support and I'm so happy that I can hear better and wished I had it done years ago!

Fundraising is about to launch!

I have signed up to do the 10km run (walk) in Manchester on 18th May this year and I'm fundraising for the Ear Trust as some of you know that I had my Cochlear Implant last year and it's the best thing I've had - the hearing - much better and it's still improving. Now the birds won't shut up!

Anyway I have created a website on www.justgiving.com/rachelfishwick and I'm not being cheeky to you all but if you would like to donateto the Ear Trust then please feel free to do so. I still haven't decided how much to raise but hoping to do more than £2,000 for the centre which is being built as I had an email to say that the turf for the foundation has been dug up by the Lord Mayor who has an appeal for the Ear Trust this year.

Thank you.

Rachel

5 Weeks Later

Sorry this is late due to Christmas and New Year!

I returned back to YCIS on 19th December on my own as Howard was at work and my mum was working too!

First I saw the Speech Language Therapist and went through some few questions on how was I getting on with the Cochlear Implant since I was 'switched on' on 14th November. I told her that it was amazing as I had to tell her that I had been using the PHONE! So the Therapist (Lynne) asked me if I would like to practise doing some telephone conversations with her so I agreed.

The first conversation was about Christmas then holidays and booking a doctor's appointment. Lynne was amazed to see the outcome of my hearing as it's only been 5 weeks since the switch on and I could hear on the phone!

After an hour of doing some exercises, I then went to see the audiologist Elaine who tested my implant and to see if there were any more that needed to be turned up. But I had my decibels test first back in May 2007, my decibels for both ears with hearing aids was over 120db, with the implant on my left and no hearing aid on the right (have not worn right hearing aid since the switch on) the result was between 30 and 45 decibels!! That is a big improvement there!

We then went to another room to do some lipreading and listening to the TV, us people on the yahoo group have nicknamed him "Mr Truly Boring" and the staff found out about this! Anyway, first test was to lipread Mr Boring and listen to him at the same time, in September 2007 my result was 56% on my left ear and with the new implant, the result rose to 97%! After this, it was without Mr Boring so I had to concentrate on listening to what he was saying. In September the left ear was 6% and on the 19th December it was 44%. Again, I was really pleased with it and so was the Audiologist.

I now go back on the 30th January for my second monthly programme and hearing tests too - am looking forward to hear the new results. I have started to use the cable from my implant to any music from MP3, CD Players, Laptop to listen to any music and my son's DS for any speaking games on the More Brain Training which he got for Christmas!