How a cochlear implant transformed Janet’s working day
- The Hearing House
- Jan 5
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 6
When you meet Aucklander Janet Parker, 58, her warmth and optimism stand out instantly. Those qualities have shaped both her career and her experience of living with hearing differences.
Over the past decade she has learned to adapt in professional environments that rely heavily on communication. Early signs of change, like missed alarms or silent oven timers, slowly turned into challenges at work. She found herself choosing strategic positions in meeting rooms, concentrating intensely during group discussions and avoiding certain noisy environments altogether.
“I remember sitting in meetings and realising I was watching people’s faces more than I was actually hearing them,” Janet recalled.
Hearing aids supported her for many years, but they were only part of the picture. Everything shifted when a routine appointment showed further hearing differences in one ear. Janet decided to explore a cochlear implant, beginning with an assessment at The Hearing House and a consultation with surgeon Dr Michel Neeff.
Surgery went smoothly and switch-on opened up a new sensory world. Early on, everyday noises felt unfamiliar — birds chirped like toys and cars seemed exaggerated — but that strangeness softened quickly as rehab became part of her routine. She spent evenings completing listening exercises, attending tuning appointments, and reading out loud. One day her husband John walked in and joked that she looked like she was talking to herself.
“I told him, no, I’m doing my homework,” she says, laughing. Bit by bit, everyday cues like rain, stove clicks and distant sirens returned. “I didn’t realise how many sounds I had just stopped noticing,” she says.
She now works closely with The Hearing House audiologist Nathan Lowe and speech-language therapist Chris Lawson, who have guided her through each stage of the process.
Janet has built a career in consulting and leadership, roles that rely heavily on listening and collaboration. Before the implant she often managed well but felt exhausted by the effort. Group discussions, in particular, were draining.
Now, with her cochlear implant paired to her hearing aid, calls stream directly into her devices and captions help fill any gaps. Meetings at work, she says, are much easier and far less taxing.
She also volunteers with the Hearing Association and is passionate about standardising hearing needs at work.
“Hearing checks should be as normal as eye tests. And workplaces need to understand that hearing differences aren’t a weakness. They’re just part of who we are.”
When she reflects on the past year, Janet says her proudest moment was choosing to take the step forward.
“I trusted the process, embraced the technology and invested in myself. I’m not working twice as hard just to hear. I can be fully present. That’s the biggest change of all.
“I also couldn’t have done it without the support of The Hearing House. The team there have been alongside me, every step of the way.”
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