Ten years later, I got a second implant. It was a hard decision, because I thought I was doing fine. My dad was like, ‘You’re young, you’re healthy, you have medical insurance, do it.’ I’m glad I did. Because I do get more sounds. When I walk my dog, I can tell where the birds are, I can tell whether there’s a bicycle on my left or my right. In conversations, I don’t have to tilt my head—I can just face them normally.
Em Paton
With two implants the volume of sound is better for me. If I take off one speech processor then I feel that the volume of what I hear is not as loud.
Olivia got her first cochlear implant at the age of 2 and her second when she was 4 – mum Honor Clark said she could now almost hear normally.
“I notice when she takes one off, her quality of speech reduces quite substantially,” she said.
“With two on, she sounds fairly normal, but with one on she sounds like a deaf child.”
Joshua Foreman
At 12 he was asked whether he wanted to have a second implant and quickly decided that he did. “I just loved it because the results were incredible. Talking in crowds is much easier, conversations are at a higher volume than normal, I can hear from all sides and I don’t have to look around to locate the source of sounds.”
“I hear better with two ears”
Australian Facebook Posting
Wore two CIs together for the first time the other night. Gosh, it’s loud!
Facebook posting from the parent of a recent bilateral child (Micah)
2nd ear activation yesterday. Micah said, “two ears is the best!” Also he heard our car GPS for the 1st time and said, “WHO is that talking?” We are so happy for him!
A Facebook mum
My girls were unilateral for five years and then bilateral – lots of really difficult years getting them to where they are now. My[sic] son was bilaterally implanted at age one and it has been so much easier for him
Cochlear Implants in New Zealand 