Where to start...

My Darling Mary has been profoundly deaf since birth, we think. I first realised there was a problem when she was 7-8 months old, she had always been a listless sickly baby. I asked the health visitor to check out her hearing and she claimed that she couldnt be deaf because "She is a happy baby." I should have pushed harder because things may have happened quicker. Through other means we got referred to the audiology unit at hospital. She was eventually seen by paediatric consultant two days after my mum's funeral. She was tested electronically via an ABR a week later and by 17 July we had a confirmed diagnosis that she was profoundly deaf. She was fitted with her first hearing aids on the 1st August. She was 13.5 months old.
We perservered with the hearing aids for 4-5 months but there was no improvement in her vocalisations.
In December we were referred to the Emmeline Cochlear Implant centre. Numerous tests later she was admitted to the program. We were lucky as we were able to secure a place in a trial to determine if two implants were better than 1. The NHS at the time were only funding one implant. I always felt that we were meant to have two ears so it seemed bizarre to only offer one implant. Mary had her operation on 23 June when she was a week over 2. She was switched on five weeks later after a few complications with infection.
It has been slow progress but since January, Mary being 2.5yrs, she seems to have come on in leaps and bounds with her hearing and vocalising. I wanted to make a record of her journey to hearing and speaking. Please bear in mind she is still a profoundly deaf little girl and although she can hear me shout "no" and her name when she is wearing her processors, it is still very difficult for her to make out sound.
The cochlear implant is a very sophisticated, almost magical piece of equipment but it is not a cure for deafness. I call them her "Magic Ears". We are learning sign as well because I feel it is important for her to learn the language of her peers.
With this blog I am hoping to record all those little milestones she does. Hope you enjoy it.