I have been following the Hearing Loss thread but feel I should share on this one. I had Cochlear Implant surgery just 2 weeks ago and I am thrilled. I could hear right away, the audiologist and my husband, and it has improved daily. I heard sleet on our glass roof the other day, and hear my little grandsons high voices. And it is supposed to continue to improve for months even year. My story before very similar to those on HL thread. Just about deaf for 3 years, and modest hearing for 4 yrs previous with HA in both ears. Could “hear” face to face one on one and the rest downhill. Continued to work as an interior designer but with difficulty, used email for the most part. Couldn’t talk on telephone hear TV and so on and so forth. I loved the silence when I could turn my HA off because all background noise eliminated. Was afraid I would miss that using CI but not so. I love turning it on and hearing! Background noise not an issue. My experience with Johns Hopkins in Maryland was wonderful, from surgeon to attendants to audiologist. It was a process to get to CI, knew so little about and knew no one with one so it took almost a year of research to make the decision. A long journey but so successful and happy now. A whole new life! And I should add HLAA helped me make the final decision, went to chapter (headquarters) in Bethesda, Md. last summer and met 2 that is 2 women with CI. A first for me. From that point the journey to CI surgery was on its way.