Meet Karen Kermond

I live in Australia, born with natural hearing, About 3 years ago my right ear drum busted, 6 months later, I went profoundly deaf in the left ear. I then suffered a Kidney Infection and was often sick, resulting in me being on painkillers and Antibiotics.

I was always abusing my ears going to loud bands and I have also fallen over and had stitches in my head. All this resulted in me loosing my hearing.

I went profoundly deaf in the right ear November 2003. I also developed tinnitus 24/7 that is still with me today. I never did learn sign language, as being a hearing person for most of my life I was eager to get the Cochlear Implant.

The waiting list was 3-4 years, with my tinnitus blarring in my head, I knew I couldnt wait that long, so my parents agreed to pay for the implant.

I was implanted at St Vincents Private Hospital on the 8th April 2004, by Dr Philip Chang. Then I was fitted with the ESPrit 3G on the 30th April 2004.

I will admit that hearing with a implant is totally different to what I expected, but with each map I have things and sounds are starting to sound more normal to me.

Its very over whelming to loose you hearing in your 30s, but I can never thank my parents enough for giving me the gift of hearing again. The surgery was the easy part, its learning to hear again that I find difficult. But I have a very good understanding of words and I am still a chatterbox. All I wish for now is to be able to hear music again.