Friday beckons

Friday is the day of the panel meeting at which we will hear the clinical - at least - view on whether a CI is the best way forward, and advice on how we make the decision to commit to that.

We are still a long way from implantation of course. There is an outstanding MRI scan to complete, a meeting with a clinical psychologist, and other members of the team to see. There is the likelihood that I'll have some time to think about the decision and then, as faras NHS funding is concerned, there are funding decisions to be made.

However I can't speak highly enough of the Cochlear Implant Programme team at RNTNE Hospital. Knowing how long this has been left unattended by unnamed ENT Department and friends, they have done their very best to complete a full investigation as quickly as possible.

During last Thursday's appointment at the RNTNE Hospital we managed to catch up a good deal of the time. I had, in something of a rush (brilliantly coordinated by the team),

- an ABR test (to ensure nerve function is good enough and to confirm cochlea hair cell death)

- and autoimmune inner ear disease blood test and three other blood tests to identify (rule out) other causes

- a CT scan (with an MRI scan to come)

- four speech discrimination tests

- four online psychological profiles and 'expectations assessments'

- a face-to-face psychological profile (first of several I think)

All of which, together with three previous audiology tests (pure tone, pressure and one other I can't recall), a written psychological profile, a team/panel meeting and an information session, has covered just about all that needs to be covered before we begin the move into the 'informed decision' phase.

What happens now is that after another test (0930 on 21st December) and a trial of an Oticon Sprint 3 hearing aid - to rule out its utility for me [I think already that much is clear, but for the process we have to try it] I will have a meeting with the team and a panel decision will be made.