Hello, my name is Linda. I'm twelve now, but when I got my CI I was 9 years old.
I hesitated for a very long time back then, almost a year! I wasn't very afraid of the operation, but I was afraid of the injections and accesses that were necessary for the operation. Eventually I got over my fear and agreed to the operation. During this time, my parents thought about where I would be best operated on and came to the conclusion: in Hanover at the MHH (Hanover Medical School).
My decision in favour of a cochlear implant in Hanover
Why there? My parents told me that there was the best chance of me retaining my residual hearing. Once everything was planned, we travelled to Hanover. Everything went well until the day of the operation, because the operation had to be postponed as another patient needed an operation more urgently. So I wasn't operated on until the next day. I was given an IV, fell asleep and woke up with a thick head bandage and immediately fell asleep again. When the bandage was finally removed after a week, I was allowed to go home.
First hearing with CI: fears, challenges and new experiences
A few weeks later I was there again for the initial fitting. Hearing with the CI for the first time was a stark but also terrible experience. At first I heard nothing, then strange noises. It took a lot of practice and time before I could understand clear words. But the work was worth it, because it had always been one of my dreams to hear crickets chirping. And now I could finally do it.
I have been in possession of hearing aids for a whole 6 years, since I was 6 years old. I was probably already hard of hearing at the age of 2 or 3, even if only a little. It wasn't properly recognised until my preschool check-up and then my hearing quickly deteriorated. Nobody really knows why that is. I have now become almost deaf in both ears. I was told about the CI, but I hesitated. In the meantime, I have got used to the CI and certain disadvantages. That's not to say that I regret it, on the contrary, I love my CI. I can now listen to music much better and stream it directly from my mobile phone to my CI. But I still don't dare swim or bathe with my CI, even with the Aqua Kit, because I'm afraid it will break. It's now like an extra body part for me.
Field report | Linda 12 years | Child with CI | Status: August 2025