There are so many ways the BAHA has given me back my life and I’d like to share them with you.

• No longer do I withdraw from conversation with more than one person.
• Social isolation is no longer a problem
• I now feel confident in meetings with colleagues, when I go shopping, dining in restaurants with family and friends or at social gatherings
• I am able to confidently collaborate and no longer have to ask, “ I’m sorry could you please repeat that?”
• I no longer have to lip-read, which made me so tired and often causes embarrassment to people
• I no longer have problems with background noise
• I know where ‘here’ is when calling someone in the house, yard, classroom, etc
• I can find my mobile when it rings
• I never get a fright when someone comes up behind me on the wrong side
• I never miss a whisper on my deaf side because they are actually talking into the microphone
• Being able to hear everything when a passenger in the car speaks, with the radio on and windows open, traffic
• Being able to hear emergency vehicle sirens, horns or the screeching of brakes before they are on my tail, and the direction they are coming from
• I won’t be so upset when someone really raises their voice to me in frustration because I can’t hear them
• Never having to swap sides when walking next to someone who’s talking to me
• Being able to go for a walk and hear a pushbike or jogger come from behind
• Never having to do a head rotation to hear someone that I can’t move around, which made me dizzy
• Being able to cross the road without watching where I am stepping and looking and hearing at the same time and staying balanced
• Never having the TV or radio volume loud (the family is thrilled to bits)
• Missing parts of my favourite TV program when someone is talking in the room
• Never become frustrated with anyone again because I can’t hear
• My balance has improved
• Someone always wants something when you’re on the phone, and I could never hear them as my good ear was in use. Now I can hear them, but don’t want to, so I just adjust the volume to the ‘off’ position and motion to them to wait
• Hearing my husband over the table when out for dinner and hearing the waitress, shop assistants and the general public in noisy places

I look forward to helping others who are considering having a BAHA implant. Funny enough, I now look forward to a little peace and quiet occasionally so I simply remove my processor and enjoy silence, for the first time in nine years. I still enjoy sleeping with my ‘good’ ear to the pillow, my BAHA safely tucked away in its dry store and I hear nothing whatsoever, no dogs barking, sirens, cars etc, it’s fabulous.

Dear Dr Mol

Words cannot describe what I am feeling today! So how do I tell you what you have done for us over the past couple of months? How do I thank you?

You have changed our lives forever!

What a wonderful day was it not for Hanre and all of us when his cochlear was switched on for the first time (17 January 2007) and he could hear! The tears that followed as a result of fear and shock of hearing for the first time, was just absolutely amazing! My child can hear and this is all because of the miracles that both you and Dr Hockman performed. God has given you the talent to do this for my child and many others and I praise Him. I also thank God for leading us to you in a time that we did not know who else to turn to, you were really God sent.

Well I suppose I could go on and on, but in a nutshell, thank you, thank you, thank you! You will forever stay in our hearts and prayers.

Lots and lots of love,
Hanre, Carla and Wessie