Her older sister was insisting she get a hearing test because Kylie was often misunderstanding things, and as a kid, she talked a lot and didn't pay attention. When Kylie was 8, she remembers that her mom took her to the GP to find out if there was a cause for her behaviour. The Doctor tapped a “fork-like instrument against my head”, which yielded little useful information and no action was taken.

At 18, Kylie discovered she had moderate cookie-bite hearing loss.

“I was shocked—I thought everyone else just mumbled too much.  The audiologist told me I should consider genetic counselling if I was planning to have children!  That freaked me out, and I didn't go back until 4 years later, when I started university. I was able to receive funding for hearing aids but they were never fitted properly, were uncomfortable to wear, and I didn't like being different from my peers, so I barely wore them,” she explains.

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Challenges Due to Hearing Loss

‍Kylie faced numerous personal and professional challenges due to her hearing loss. The hearing aids made her feel old and disabled, leading to uncomfortable interactions with people.
“I had a few occasions when a random person would see my hearing aids and start talking really loudly and slowly to me; another commented that I didn’t “sound” deaf.  I once had a deaf person start signing to me, of which I had no idea what he was saying.”
Her confidence was affected, and she rarely disclosed her hearing impairment to others.
“Being young definitely had an effect on my confidence and was something I rarely told people about.  When I found an amazing audiologist that “got” me, it was life changing.  He understood when I described how things were/were not working with the hearing aids, taking the time to programme them to the right setting for me. He also encouraged me from an early age to consider cochlear implants.”  
Despite her hearing loss, Kylie's children were born without any signs of the condition. She only became comfortable with her hearing aids in the last eight years, gradually becoming more open about her impairment.

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Decision to Get a Cochlear Implant

‍For Kylie, the turning point came with her family's frustration and her own when she frequently misheard or missed conversations. Her supportive audiologist answered her questions and encouraged her to consider cochlear implants. Kylie conducted extensive research before deciding to proceed with the surgery, finding reassurance in the significant reduction of risks over the years.
She also had fears about the implant's visibility and effectiveness. However, attending a Pindrop seminar and meeting other cochlear implant users helped alleviate some of these concerns.
“I was imagining a great big thing sticking out CI-a lot of pictures I found online showed women wearing the CI on top of their hair—so I thought that was the only option.  It was only when I attended the Pindrop seminar and meet other CI users that I saw how many were wearing the device completely hidden under their hair."

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The Process and Experience

‍The pathway to getting a cochlear implant involved multiple stages, from consultation to surgery and switch on. The operation went smoothly, and the hospital staff were amazing. However, Kylie found switch-on the next day overwhelming, leading to tears and initial discomfort.
“The day after surgery, I was still in pain, tried and in a heightened emotional state.  So when the CI was turned on, I burst into tears. However, one week in I was so glad I didn’t have the 3-week wait to get switched on that others do in different centres.  I felt I had a head start and was starting to slowly adapt to the noise.  I was focused on daily training using apps that help identify sounds, even though I was still unable to understand speech.”

Kylie experienced heightened sounds resembling a xylophone, dizziness, jaw pain, and an overall challenging rehabilitation period. Gradually, through daily training and support from her family, Kylie began to adapt.  The process was akin to learning to use a prosthetic limb, with significant internal struggles not visible to others, but Kylie persevered.

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Impact on Life Post-Implant

‍At the three-month mark, Kylie noticed significant improvements. Speech became clearer, and she scored 90% accuracy in a sentence test, up from 30% the previous month. Social interactions became more comfortable, and she no longer avoided gatherings. Work interactions improved with the activation of Bluetooth for the cochlear implant, allowing her to hear through both the CI and hearing aid during calls and meetings.
“I’m feeling more confident in social settings and in my job when interacting with people. I am more open to telling them I have a CI as people are genuinely interested and seem more understanding than when I had hearing aids alone,” says Kylie.
Unexpected benefits included a robust support network through the Pindrop Foundation, Facebook groups, and The Hearing House staff. Kylie's confidence grew, and she openly shared her experience with others.

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Advice and Reflection

‍Kylie advises those considering a cochlear implant to keep an open mind and meet other CI users beforehand.
“I had so many questions that did not relate to the medical side of things- brushing hair, using a hair dryer, wearing a bike helmet, hearing protection and wearing hard hats that only other CI users could answer. It is really helpful to talk to them beforehand.”
Looking back, she wishes she had met more CI users in person to better prepare for the switch on process. “I would have liked to meet more CI users in person as my research online led me to have some preconceived ideas about switch on,” she says.
Overall, Kylie finds the cochlear implant less visible than her hearing aid and feels positive about her decision, grateful for the profound improvement in her quality of life.

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