My hearing journey: Sixty-six-year-old Deborah Gill

Deborah Gill

“I went to my first audiologist at about 35. I had two small children at the time and had returned to teaching at Greenmeadows Intermediate in Manurewa. Things sounded muffled, and I struggled to hear without asking people to repeat themselves. 

“I wasn’t too concerned and underwent some hearing tests, and it was suggested that I wear hearing aids in both ears. That was a surprise.  

“My first hearing aids were a shock, and I panicked. Things I didn’t want to hear were loud, and I still couldn’t hear everything that was said to me.  

“As my hearing gradually changed, I became increasingly concerned and decided to see a specialist. They suggested may have been linked to hormonal fluctuations during my pregnancies. 

“Over the next 30 years, my hearing continued to change, and I began using more powerful hearing aids. This support was essential in enabling me to continue teaching.  I was a food technology teacher for 39 years. 

“In 2024 it was suggested that a cochlear implant would give me better hearing than my aids. I was very clear that this was the way forward if I wanted to hear and communicate with my grandchildren. My first moko was on the way. 

“The operation and recovery went very smoothly for me and I will always be grateful for the public funding made available. 

“It took me a while to learn to trust my cochlear implant. Initially, sounds were very strange but with the wonderful support from therapists at The Hearing House, sounds and voices began to make sense. This support is intense to begin with, but it’s fun and positive. 

“The Hearing House is a community of very, very special people. You become part of this community, and it is very empowering. 

“All of a sudden, I could hear independently at specialists and doctor’s appointments. I could hear my passengers in the car, I could manage phone calls and I gained enough confidence to attempt international travel alone. Joy of joys I could hear my grandson babbling and his first words. 

“My confidence increased in all aspects of my life, and I took the opportunity to speak about my hearing journey to the first-year audiology students at Auckland University last year and again this year. At this session, I had the very special experience of reuniting with a student I’d previously taught at Greenmeadows. 

“It was just another example of the unexpected pleasures my cochlear implant has brought me. 

“I’ve found that making the most of your cochlear implant is dependent on the effort you put in. Wearing it 12 hours a day, making sure you’re involved in social activities and speaking to people every day, listening to audio books, Ted Talks, the TV without subtitles.  

“I’d got a bit lazy in the second year of wearing my cochlear implant. The Hearing House very kindly invited me to take part in a research project. The exercises I committed to for that research made such a difference to the use of my device. My hearing scores doubled within a few months. 

“There are situations where I still struggle to hear accurately. However, I’m reassured that I’ll always be able to hear one-on-one accurately, hear the guts of group conversations, communicate with my moko who is often entrusted into my care and can be independent in the decisions I make and the activities I take part in.  

“I’m so grateful to The Hearing House and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a cochlear implant to others.”