Hearing Fatigue is REAL | What is Listening Fatigue?

If you or someone you love is struggling to hear clearly, especially in noisy places, this episode of HearMeOut with Belinda is packed with insight, hope, and practical tools. Belinda sits down with audiologist Dr. Sandra Vandenhoff to discuss cochlear implants, hearing fatigue, word recognition, auditory rehabilitation, and how adults can train their brains to hear better.

Sandra shares her personal journey with progressive hearing loss, what it was like to receive her first cochlear implant, and how that experience changed the course of her life. Together, Belinda and Sandra break down the difference between hearing aids and cochlear implants, why hearing in noise is so exhausting, and how adults can improve communication, confidence, and connection through auditory training, lip reading, and better strategies.

This is a powerful conversation for anyone navigating hearing loss, supporting a loved one, or wanting to understand better what hearing rehabilitation really looks like.

00:00 Introduction

01:17 Sandra’s cochlear implant story 04:23 Her hearing loss journey

07:37 What HEARa means

09:26 Training your brain to hear better 

16:29 Communication strategies that help

If this episode resonated with you, make sure to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who could benefit from this conversation. Hearing support is about more than devices — it is about connection, confidence, and quality of life.

#HearMeOutWithBelinda #CochlearImplants #HearingLoss #Audiologist #AuditoryRehabilitation #HearingHealth #HearRightCanada #HearingInNoise #OkotoksPodcast #BelindaWaites

Host: Belinda Waites

Youtube: @belindawaites 

Instagram: @belindawaites

Belinda Waites - Hear Right Canada – Okotoks: where better hearing starts with listening.

🌐 hearrightcanada.ca

Guest: Dr. Sandra Vandenhoff

Title: Audiologist Instagram: @heara.ca Youtube: @HEARa

Website: www.heara.ca

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

It's amazing to hear though that twenty years ago how much it changed your life with energy, right? I think it just speaks to how tired you were, right? And that cognitive strain of having to interpret everything and really listen to what a person is saying.

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Yes. The listening fatigue is real.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

It was exhausting. And a lot of it was about, you know, like I couldn't hear on the phone. So someone would have to check my voicemail messages for me. I couldn't hear children. I I had difficulty in most situations. And so there was always this planning that went on in my mind. You know, how am I going to cope with this situation or that situation? And so and that part's pretty tiring too. Yeah. Um, but yeah, the difference was incredible. And it was immediate for the first one. Uh, it was immediate. I on the way home from my activation appointment, I heard a song on the right on the radio, and I knew the song. And I had not been able to hear the radio as an adult. Wow. You know, so yeah, it's like, that's Led Zeppelin. Wow. What?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Stairway to heaven. Oh my gosh, what a song as well to hear.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

And it's nice and long, so you have time to figure it out.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Welcome back to Hear Me Out with Belinda. Today, in studio, I welcome my friend and audiologist, Sandra. Welcome, Sandra.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Thank you. It's great to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Well, I'm glad you could join us today, and I know that you have a new company called Hera. So before we get into what that stands for and means, um, I know that you were two cochlear implants. And so if you don't mind, for our viewers that don't know what that is, do you mind um telling us what what a cochlear implant is?

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Of course. So cochlear implants are for people who can't get benefit from hearing aids. So the hearing loss is typically severe, severe to profound, and word recognitionability it has to be poor. And then the cochlear implant bypasses the part of the ear that is damaged, the hair cells in the cochlea. So it the cochlear implant stimulates the hearing nerve directly. So it's electrical stimulation, and that's fundamentally different from natural hearing, um, but has made a huge difference in my life. And how long have you had the cochlear implants for? Um, the first one I got 20 years ago. Okay. And at the time, and still they are they're only giving adults one cochlear implant. For children, they give them two. But um just because of funding practicalities, I got one cochlear implant and it changed my life 20 years ago. And so much so that I found I had a lot more energy, and I ended up going back to school and I got my doctorate in audiology because I was so fired up about how great the technology was. And and then I got the second one a year ago.

SPEAKER_02 3:25

A year ago.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

A year ago, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

Okay. And so just to talk through that a little bit. So um you said, you know, cockle impulse is when hearing aids are not enough because of what we call word recognition. So once again, just going back to our listeners who are maybe new to hearing aids or don't know what that is, that's the clarity, right? That's the interpretation of words and hearing the different sounds so that you can put that word together and not guess, right? Not guess at the puzzle piece of what a person is is saying, right. And so for um people with good word recognition, hearing aids, they do amazing, right? Because it's just amplifying the sounds for them. But when you have poor word recognition, it's hard because you're amplifying um noise and words, but it's not clear, right? That's what a lot of people say. Like it's not clear, I can hear louder, I can hear more things, but it's not clear. Um, and so that's when um, you know, they get referred for the cochlear implants. Right. Yeah. And um it is amazing to hear though that 20 years ago, how much it changed your life with energy, right? I think it just speaks to how tired you were, right? And that cognitive strain of having to interpret everything and really listen to what a person is saying.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Yes. The listening fatigue is real.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

It was exhausting. And a lot of it was about, you know, like I couldn't hear on the phone. So someone would have to check my voicemail messages for me. I couldn't hear children. I I had difficulty in most situations. And so there was always this planning that went on in my mind, you know, how am I going to cope with this situation or that situation? And so, and that part's pretty tiring too.

SPEAKER_03 5:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Um, but yeah, the difference was incredible. And it was immediate for the first one. Uh, it was immediate. Like on the way home from my activation appointment, I heard a song on the right on the radio, and I knew the song. And I had not been able to hear the radio as an adult. Wow. You know, so yeah, I was like, that's Led Zeppelin. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

What? Stairway to heaven. Oh my gosh, what a song as well to hear.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

And it's nice and long, so you have time to figure it out. Yes. But yeah, yeah, it was so exciting. So were you born with a hearing loss? I was not. I was born with normal hearing. Okay. Um, and but I got my first pair of hearing aids in preschool. In preschool. And I had a mild hearing loss. And then that progressed to a severe to profound hearing loss when I graduated from high school. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. And and that's what um led to becoming an audiologist. And, you know, a lot of people have noble reasons for becoming hearing care professionals. They want to help people or they knew someone with hearing loss. But I got into audiology because I wanted to learn how to cope.

SPEAKER_03 6:28

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Mm-hmm. Like we, the fact that I'd lost something really important uh was never explicitly discussed in my family. And we were just trying to to figure it out. Um, but there were there were a lot of gaps in my advocacy, for example. And and so that's why I I went into audiology. Is to learn more about it. To learn more about it, to learn how can I how can I cope with this. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

That must have been actually really difficult if I think about it, you know, going back um to the childhood and stuff, and um, I mean, just knowing from my own childhood and different things, not with hearing loss, but I think parents do the best they can, right, with the knowledge they have. And but that doesn't necessarily mean the child gets the support that they need, you know? And um I think that is difficult. And then, like you said, later enough with the anxiety of not of planning everything, are you going to be able to hear? Are you gonna be able to cope? Are you gonna be able to respond? It's things that um a person with normal hearing, um, or even a person that's well treated with hearing aids doesn't even necessarily deal with or or know that that's real for somebody else. So um I think that um, you know, when people say like we're all in the same boat, well, when someone with hearing loss, there's definitely different boats. There's a luxury yacht and there's like a leaky, you know, canoe, right? There's different stages of everything and different understanding. Not everybody has the same hearing. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Yeah, that's a very important point. Yes. And cochlear plants are very different from hearing aids. And then each person has their own journey.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Yeah. Yeah. And I think the other thing on cochlear implants is with without the implant on, there's no hearing, right? Because as far as I know, they they do sever the nerves. So there's no hearing without the implant. That's one of the big risk factors I think people must sometimes warn about.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Yeah. So they don't sever the nerve of the hearing, it's the hair cells that get wiped out. Okay. So when they put the electrode array into the cochlea, they basically just wipe out what you have. Okay. So you can't go back to wearing the hearing aid.

SPEAKER_03 8:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

That's why they only give cochlear implants to people who have nothing to lose. Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

You have to be on the very severe to profound and word recognition, right? Because even with the severe to profound hearing loss, if you've got good word recognition, you don't necessarily need the coffee implant. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

You would not be a candidate.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Yeah. Yeah. So that brings us into your passion, right? Which is the auditory rehabilitation part and hearer. So what does he stand for?

SPEAKER_00 9:05

It stands for hearing education and rehabilitation for adults.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

Okay. And so what does that mean? How do you help adults?

SPEAKER_00 9:15

Well, I've I I like to put it as um hearing rehabilitation before and after getting hearing devices. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

So um, once again, not everybody will need it, but those that are not as severe where needing a cochlear implant, but not having those accent word recognition scores where there's a bit of a gap, those would be the ideal candidates for you to help them with the auditory rehabilitation part done.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

Mm-hmm. Well, that that's very much uh my typical client. I also um see people who are not ready for hearing aids yet. Okay. And then people who have hearing aids but would like to hear better with them. Okay. They want to improve their outcomes with their hearing aids. And yeah, it's just people who are wondering if there's more that can be done. And really what excites me is these are things that people can do for themselves. So through their own efforts, okay, they can hear better. So the technology part is very important and it's been huge in my life. And then once the technology is all taken care of, or if you're not ready for technology yet, then what else can be done?

SPEAKER_02 10:39

Right. Right. So sort of taking control, right? How can I control things? What can I do to help? I can wear these, but what else am I able to do? And so that's where um, and then is it like a 12-week course that you offer, or how does it work?

SPEAKER_00 10:54

Um well there's there's um three kind of prongs to it. The um the most important um tool that I use is auditory training. Okay. And uh so it's um with an app on uh on your phone that you can download an app on your phone, and it's distributed by Neurotone. It's called LACE AI, and it lace stands for listening and communication enhancement. And that is a program that helps people to hear better um in noisy situations. So you actually train your brain to hear better in more adverse listening conditions.

SPEAKER_03 11:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

So speech and noise, and then rapid speech as well. Um, because sometimes when people speak quickly, if you're trying to fill in the gaps, that can make it quite difficult because the conversation keeps going. Well, you're back there trying to fill in the gaps of what was said. And um, working memory as well. So working memory is is has a close relationship with our ability to hear in noise. People who have a stronger working memory capacity hear better in noise. So this program was specifically a design for adults with hearing loss. And it was designed by two audiologists at the University of California, and they were actually approached by the sound engineer from The Grateful Dead, and he had just gotten hearing aids. And he's like, can't we do better than this? Like, let's let's make a hearing aid. Um, and they're they're they're thinking, well, no, what we could do is develop a program to help people tr train their brain to adapt and to learn to hear better in noise.

SPEAKER_02 12:41

Okay. Yeah. So that yeah, I think that's very exciting, right? So for those that need it, they can take control, they can have it on an app in their home in their home. You're there to guide them or check in with them. Right. And then they can measure their success, you know, by going out to their favorite restaurant with their family, right? Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Mm-hmm. That's the whole point, is to is to have that real world benefit. Right. Um, but the interesting thing is in the real world, there's a lot of sound, but it's not designed to train your brain. I can't ask people, especially when I first, um, for for example, for me, when I got the new cochlear implant last year, they wanted me to wear that one on its own as much as possible. But I couldn't ask people, okay, talk at the volume and the pace that I need for my auditory training needs. And that's the case for most people. You the world won't slow down or talk louder so that you can train your brain to be able to withstand noise and and fast processing time. So this way, the program meets you where you are now. And then the idea is to give your brain that opportunity to practice neuroplasticity. Yeah. And that will happen with with repeated exposure. And so it's always right around your threshold level for the task. And I recommend 12 hours of training.

SPEAKER_03 14:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

So it's lifetime access, though.

SPEAKER_03 14:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

So, um, but 12 hours. Each session is about 15 minutes. So that's 48 days. Okay. Yeah. So But 15 minutes is not too bad. No, yeah. No, it's not all that long. Some people say they're, especially in the beginning, they're quite tired. Yeah. Um, which after training, which is good, because it means that they're really working hard and and you want to kind of maximize the time you spend training. Like if it's really easy, then you're probab your brain's probably not learning anything about hearing in noise.

SPEAKER_03 14:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

So it should be difficult but not impossible.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

And then it keeps getting harder as you improve.

SPEAKER_03 14:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

So I can see on my end, I can see, okay, what was their SNR loss, which is how much louder do they need the signal to be than the noise? Yeah. And then and then I can see it dropping where they don't need the signal to be as loud, you know, m that loud in order to hear. They they can withstand higher levels of background noise. Right. And so that's incredible to watch.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

Yeah. And still follow the conversation, right? They can participate not just in a quiet room, but in that restaurant with their family or their friend group. Yeah. Because that's what it's all about, is being engaged.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

That's what it is. Because if if it's too difficult, then people they they stop engaging. Yeah. And when you stop engaging, that's it. Yeah. You've lost that thread. And it's really hard to enter back in again.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

Yeah. Yeah. And then I think that builds on once again what we know now that isolation, that depression, and all those other things. Um, and going back to, I think just touching on we don't hear with our ears. I think that's the biggest thing is breaking through those barriers. Because I still see it every day in the clinic where people think we hear with our ears, right? But they don't understand the importance that we hear with our brain. Our brain interprets everything exactly like you're saying. It's you're training your brain to hear a noise again. You're not training your ears, right? You're training your brain, and that's the important part. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

Yes. Yes. And neuroplasticity means that our ability isn't fixed. Yeah. So you you could never say about yourself, I can't hear when it gets noisy. Well, that's not a fixed ability. You can change that.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Right. Um, and so that is empowering to be able to take that active role in your own rehabilitation. That's very empowering. Um, and then the other um the other component to my business here is lip reading instruction. So learning to make use of all the visual cues that are available. Um because there's a lot of information that can be had visually. And then a third component is the strategies you can use in communication. So, what are things that you can do to make the conversation go more smoothly?

SPEAKER_02 17:16

Okay. Yeah. Because there's a lot of sounds in the English language that we take for granted, but that if somebody's lip reading, it's it would look like the same sound, right? Yeah. So that's what you're helping them sort of navigate, looking for the cues as to what sound is actually forming the word, right? Right.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

And so I start with some um theory. So I I actually decided to put that part on YouTube. And so that's free for anyone. Um, it's about an hour and a half of theory and practice. And it really talks about um, like you said, the sounds that look the same, we group them together, and then we learn how to substitute one for the other if the first thing you see just doesn't make sense.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

Um, and so just doing some drills with that, and then which groups those are, and then the importance of the communication strategies too. Because if you if you do miss something, there are really important ways to ask for clarification. So a lot of people when when they ask people to repeat, they'll say, what? Or pardon. And and that's really not all that informative for the other person because you don't know what part I've heard. Yes. Right? So if I say, I got the first part about, you know, not being able to find a parking spot. Well, what did you say after that? And and so then that way you know I'm trying. Um, and then you you can just drill into the part that I the part that I didn't hear.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

So then then it's it's it's it's a two-way street. I'm trying, you're trying. Yeah. Versus sometimes it feels like some significant others feel like they're always trying, or the person with hearing loss feels like they're always trying. But it's it's a two-way street. Do you find that people mention that?

SPEAKER_02 19:08

I was actually gonna say, yes, that's one of those light bulb moments, right? Where people say, I always say what, or my spouse always says what, you know, why can't they hear? Why aren't they actively listening? And I think that's very important is to go back and say, I heard this, what you know, this is what I missed, right? That's really important that relationship, right? Because otherwise there is that barrier, that breakdown where you get frustrated with the person, you know, even just with my husband and I, you know, thinking about even though we can't, he didn't have his hearing aids in, and he said what several times to me, and I do have patience, but he is my spouse. So there is a little bit, you know, like there. And um, yes, I think I'm going to even coach him to say, you know, I heard this, but not this. So then it's easier to repeat, you know, that person's actually engaged. Don't feel ignored. Because even with him, you do feel ignored when he's asking what. You're like, why aren't you listening to me? You know, why don't you stop what you're doing to pay attention to what I'm saying? You know, if you if you're not hearing. And it's not always the case, you know, we know that, right? It's about that um active listening, being present. But sometimes the person generally did not hear and understand what you what you said.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

Right, right. And so those are called specific requests for clarification. And so another example would be did you say they painted the door blue? Or what color did they paint the door? Or that kind of thing, so that people know that you are listening. It's just you didn't get part of it. And and sometimes your attention is elsewhere because you're thinking about what they said. Yes. And there's there's a lot of effort when it comes to listening for people with normal hearing, but especially so for people with hearing loss.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

Yeah. And then that once again, going back to that fatigue, right? And how you felt 20 years ago when you got your first implant, right? Of how life-changing it was, how much more energy you had. And that's just the difference, right? We we overlook how much how tired we can be when we're having to listen intently or harder than someone with normal hearing can be.

SPEAKER_00 21:16

And do you find that people say that when you see them in your clinic? Do they talk about the effort?

SPEAKER_02 21:22

Some of them, yes, for sure. Some of them will say, and some of them, I think there's still a big denial. I think that's one of our biggest obstacles within the hearing care, you know, professional world is that there's still the stigma attached to wearing hearing aids. And um I think we have to break through those barriers because, you know, I'll still see, you know, those um older seniors coming in and they don't want hearing aids, but they're tired, you know, and they're getting isolated and they are depressed and their family, you know, is now concerned about them. And then you say to them, you know, you don't have to this can improve your quality of life. You know, these are the things that it can help you with. And then when they come back, um, not always that person, but generally a family member will say, yes, they have more energy, you know, that they're going out more for their walks. Now, so you can see that improved quality of life. Um, and I mean, obviously, uh that's just typical, you know, everybody is unique, but that is something I do see with older seniors that are definitely in that denial phase that don't want um, don't want the hearing aid because they think it's gonna make them look old, right? And once again, breaking through those barriers and telling them, I think I have a new caption actually in for for Here Eye Canada when I'm like hearing aids are not for the old, they are for the bold. Right. Because you take that, you're taking back your confidence, you're taking back your quality of life, right? You're you're making a statement that I don't have to live like this. You know, there is something that can help me, and I'm going to, I'm going to take, you know, use it to the best of my ability to help me, you know.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

And I want to be a full part of the conversations.

SPEAKER_02 23:06

Yes. I don't want to be sitting in the corner, right? I want to be engaged. I want to be hearing you. I want to be listening. So when I ask you, you know, I didn't catch, you know, what you said there or, you know, like it's me trying to engage, you know, and all of that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Yeah. Because sometimes you hear about people, they don't want to go out. Right? They'd rather stay home. And because it's difficult to hear and they feel like people maybe aren't including them, but other people don't know why they're not participating. You know, maybe they're having a bad night or whatever. We can't read each other's minds. That's it. Right. And so that's why I think it's really important to disclose hearing loss.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

Do you find that people are reluctant to tell other people that they have hearing loss? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

Um, I mean, I think there's a new generation of people coming out there where they are bolder and saying, I have a hearing loss, please repeat, or I'm, you know, I'm not afraid, or they want the bright colors of hearing aids again so that they, you know, stand out so that people know that they are hearing impaired. Um, but we still have that other group that is a a large group that wants everything to be discreet and they don't want other people to know. Um, but I do find it's like invisible disability. People with hearing loss are expected to perform in conversation all the time with this invisible disability that's not really always acknowledged.

SPEAKER_03 24:32

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

But I think you can make it easier for yourself if you tell other people about the hearing loss and say, sometimes I miss things. So um if I do, this is why. Yes. And I'm really and the thing, the thing is, it's important for me that you know I'm really interested in what you have to say. Yes. I want to get all of it. Versus if I don't tell you because I don't want you to know, you have no idea why I'm not engaging. Exactly. Right? You might think I'm not interested.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

Yeah, or you're tired or it or something moody, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

Yeah. And and that happens in families, right? Where the the people see that the person is is not engaged anymore. And it's it's it can be hard to get back in. What can we do about this? And it is a two-way street. Yeah. They need to be brought in, for example, giving them context, saying, We're talking about this. Yes. And then and do you remember when and then and bringing them back in again?

SPEAKER_02 25:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Because otherwise I think there is a breakdown in relationship. Right. Like that's that's what it's all about. That's really what life is about, isn't it? It's about our relationships with other people and um it's not being alone in quiet, right? I mean, sometimes that's good to, you know, to sit alone and quiet, but really we we social beings, we need to have that interaction with with others.

SPEAKER_00 26:00

So And others need to have that interaction with us as well. Like the people will miss you.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

Exactly. Yeah, you're important. Yeah. Yeah, you're important, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

And you know, and another another thing that can happen between couples is um they start to not watch movies together anymore. Yes. Right? Because the TV is too loud. Where maybe at the beginning when when they first met each other, they used to love watching movies together. Yeah. Or binging on a series or and now they're watching TV or movies in in different spaces in the house.

SPEAKER_03 26:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

And that is just so fixable. It's so fixable because yeah, you could sit together on the couch again. You could have that connection, that moment together. And um, yeah, it is fixable. That's the whole thing. Is there's technology and there is the auditory rehabilitation, right? To help with all the things so people can take back their life and their connections and everything. I think, yeah, I think that's really the message for today is that um don't live in more and more silence or anger, or I don't know um what the word would be, but yeah, take, you know, be bold, you know, take control of your hearing again. There's help available to you.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

Yeah. And really what I've tried to do too is help people um know where to put their time and effort. Because that was kind of what I struggled with when I was learning how to cope, is like what so what can I do? And so like these are the these are the areas where I think you should put your effort. Yes. Like this auditory training program, um, you know, lip reading is very helpful. Communication strategies are are important to that kind of thing. So you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You don't have to.

SPEAKER_02 27:53

No. There is help available out there. If you don't mind, Sandra, if we go back just to your cochlear implant, because that is something when I um, you know, when I'm reading a person's word recognition scores, and they do have very low scores, and I'm thinking, you know, have you ever been recommended to the cochlear implant team? You know, is it something I can recommend you go, do excuse me, I'm losing my voice here. Um, there's a lot of fear, I would say, involved in that because they know that they're going to lose their hearing. Um if you had to speak directly to them and say, you know, just go for the go for the interview, go listen to what they had to say, is that something you would encourage because it's been so life-changing for you?

SPEAKER_00 28:36

I do, I do, because if you go through the evaluation and find out if you are a candidate. Yes. Right. So have the imaging done, make sure your nerve is most for most people, the nerve of hearing is fine. Um, so get the you know, the CT scan done, talk to the audiologist and the surgeon about what in what it involved, get your questions answered. And then if you feel at that point that you don't want to, having all this information, that's okay. Yeah, that's okay. And you can change your mind. Yeah. Um, so you, you know, you'll need another appointment, but that's okay. That's okay. But have get all the information that you need to make an informed decision.

SPEAKER_02 29:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

Yeah. Um, you know, like for example, some people, the the idea of surgery, yeah, you know, is well, that's a bit scary, but I mean they put you under so you don't feel a thing. And I'll like it's incredible how you can just wake up and think, okay, like two hours just passed. Right. Yeah. And I wasn't awake for that. I didn't feel anything, nothing.

SPEAKER_02 29:41

Is it just a day surgery? It is.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

It's a day surgery, okay. Yeah. So I was home for lunch fr with my last one. I I I my teeth were sore. Like it might it, you know, they they probably prop your jaw somehow or something. But um, but yeah. And the, you know, I I took about a week off of work. Okay. Um, I had quite a bit of tinnitus at first, and then that that resolved. Um, but yeah, you kind of feel like you feel like you've had surgery. Yeah. But wow, it's worth it.

SPEAKER_02 30:13

Yeah. And how long from the surgery date when they actually activate it? About a month later. About a month later.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

So you got the swelling has to go down. Yeah. Um, just give it some time to heal. Yeah. And then you go to your activation appointment. And that's where you get the external parts. Yeah. And they and they switch it on. And then um, some people, you know, start fairly soft and then they go get louder over time. Time.

SPEAKER_02 30:37

So yeah. And that the that's the day of the magic, right? I think I've seen some YouTube videos actually of babies getting their first cochlear implant, and you see them smile and giggle when they hear their mama's voice, you know, for the first time. And I think probably for an adult, you know, it's it's very similar, you know, that experience hearing Led Zeppelin, right? That's that moment, right, of of joy. And excitement.

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Now I have something I can work with. That's how I felt. Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

That's beautiful. Thank you so much for coming on the show today and sharing that story with me. Um, is there anything else you wanted to let our viewers know before we close off for this morning?

SPEAKER_00 31:13

Yeah, I just I just want people to know that through their own efforts they can hear better. You know, the the devices, the hearing devices are important, but there's other things you can do. It's not the only step. It's not the only step. So yeah. Especially if you're really struggling in noise, right? So no reason. Well, there is reason to struggle, but it it it's these things aren't fixed. Yes. You can you can improve them. You can improve them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

Thank you once again for coming on and for chatting with me this morning.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

Thank you. Thank you very much.