“It’s The Best Thing That I’ve Ever Done” – Louise’s Journey To RONDO 2

Meet Louise. After gradually losing her hearing during from childhood, she made the decision to get a cochlear implant. Now a successful businesswoman and volunteer HearPeers Mentor, she shares her story with us, including life with her RONDO 2 audio processor.

Going For An Implant

Louise’s hearing journey goes all the way back to when she was just four years old. She got an ear infection which left her with hearing loss and tinnitus. “It wasn’t that bad when I first lost my hearing,” explains Louise. “But then as I got older, it would deteriorate for a little bit and then remain quite constant and then deteriorate again.”

When she was in her late teens, her hearing loss became worse, however for many years she continued to study, work and live with her hearing loss. When her hearing loss reached severe-to-profound she was referred for a cochlear implant, and after researching it, decided now was the time.

Experiencing New Sounds

One of the special moments for Louise came after her switch on. She was working in a school where they had some chicks hatching in an incubator. “I suddenly could hear this sound that I realized was actually the chicks and I’ve never heard chicks before. And to be fair I didn’t really know that chicks made a sound because I had never heard them. And I was just like: ‘Oh my god!’”

With help from rehabilitation specialists and listening practice at home, things continued to improve and now Louise can’t imagine her life without an implant. “When I don’t have it on at night or I take it off I just realize how silent my world becomes again,” she says.

Running A Business

She now runs her own business as a mobile dog groomer, something that she says would not have been possible without her implant.

“I wouldn’t have been able to have had my business before at all,” she says. “I really struggled to hear people unless I was absolutely looking at them with no background noise at all. And it was becoming quite difficult. But now I really don’t have to worry about that.”

Easy Charging With RONDO 2

Louise recently upgraded to the RONDO 2 Audio Processor and is a fan of its discreet design. “It’s a lot lighter and it’s a lot thinner, so it sits really quite flush against my head. I can put my hair up you just won’t be able to see it.”

She’s also impressed with its wireless charging feature. “It makes it a lot easier,” says Louise. “I have my wireless charger just by my bed. I take it off at night and I pop it onto the charger and then when I wake up it’s good to go.”

A Life-Changing Decision

“It’s completely changed my life. My confidence has come back. I run my own business. I can go out and socialize with my friends and family. I wouldn’t be without mine.

“It’s not the easiest of processes. But the best thing is to remember that the benefits of it far outweigh any of the struggles and the difficulties. It’s the best thing that I’ve ever done.”

Louise is a volunteer HearPeers Mentor.  To chat with her about your hearing experiences and their life with an implant visit the HearPeers website.

Read about Tom’s experiences with RONDO 2 

Discover some of the benefits of getting a cochlear implant as an adult