It's good to hear from you, Tom and I will share some of my experiences. I am 83 years old and had my CI implant done on March 8, 2022. I have had no regrets and yes, it is a learning curve for all of us. I have always had Phonak hearing aids and my hearing loss was less than 33% in both ears. I chose to have the right ear get the CI as I sleep on my left side (something to think about). I have a Phonak hearing aid in the left ear. I have done all the homework and everything the audiologist has assigned to me. I work with an app and try to spend 30 minutes each day using that.

What you said about noisy environments is something many had discussed here. I find it very difficult in noisy restaurants or rooms with many people talking. I don't think that is going to improve much. There are some people who I have difficulty hearing also. Men have deeper voices and I hear them much better than wonen who have high pitched voices for instance. I love the Bluetooth while using my cell phone. It's made a great difference in my life. My CI is AB Bionics which is compatible with Phonak hearing aids.

I find forums such as these very helpful with many good ideas.

As a side note:
My CI box was lost while traveling over Thanksgiving! It was eventually found in my granddaughter's bedroom where I was staying. It slipped out of my suitcase onto the floor behind some stuff. I have now purchased an Apple Air Tag and keep it in my CI box!