The Best C.I moment!

It's nearly 5 months since i've had the Cochlear Implant. I can't belive how quick it has gone. I've learnt alot over the past 5 months and everyday the sounds just gets better and better. I've worked so hard on my listening skills. After working so hard I've decide to try something that I have never been able to do before, is to talk to my grandad over the phone.

My grandad lives in Scarbrough which is about 3 hours away from where we live. So, every weekend my grandad and my parents take it in turn to ring each other up

Every time he rings he always get a chance to talk to my little hearing brother and sister.
The only problem was, I coudn't talk to him over the phone because I couldn't hear what he will say, the only way I could talk to him if my mum was to interpet what he says..

Somehow today, while my grandad was on the phone to my brother. I asked my mum if I could try using the phone to see if I could hear grandad and talk to my grandad by myself.

So, there mum on the phone again talking to grandad saying " Katie-Louise would like to talk to you" When she pass the phone over to me.

I held the phone right up to my ears where the microphone is and said "Hello Grandad" My grandad then said "hello" back. When he said hello, I could hear him but it was a bit quiet so my mum raise the volume on the telephone. He said "hello" again, this time I could hear alot better now the volume turn up. While I was talking to my Grandad my mum was next to the phone just incase I didn't understand what he says.

So during our convonsation grandad was asking me some small question, like "how are you, what have you been upto, have I been training hard in football, How's the Cochlear Implant and am I looking forward to Universtiy etc." While I was talking to him I was able to understand some of the question he said, my mum only help me a little bit.

I felt so happy that I was to be able to talk to grandad most of the time by myself, It was a big acheivement for me and it all I ever wanted to do.

My grandad got so emotional because he was so happy to talk to me over the phone for the very first time, he was he pleased that I used my voice becaue everytime I see him I tend to switch off and use sign language as I wasn't that confident in using it, but now i'm alot confident I did well.

My grandad hasn't seen me yet with the cochlear implant, but he has been looking up on my blogs seening how i am getting on and of course talking to me on MSN. So, i'm looking forward to talk to him on the phone next week and my next target is to try and talk to my other grandad in wales, but this time I will ring him up as a Suprise!

so, that's it for me now, better get to the gym and do my workout!

speak soon x

New Appointment!

Postman Pat has arrived this morning and posted an appointment letter for wednesday the 10th sept, ekk - guess what it is?

Speech Therapy!

I suppose I better start doing my "homework" even though I have been talking alot but not yet manage to see if i missed the ending words. The good thing is, i've worked on my volume of my voice though, especially last night at football training . During my training session I've been "shouting" to get their attention while having a small friendly match. Luckly I wokeup this morning without a sore throat.

So, I'm looking forward to see if there any improvements.


me in action at a game

I got caught!

On the first week of my summer hoilday with my family, the weather hasn't been so good.

One afternoon, I went to take my dog out, Oscar. That afternoon it poured it down with rain and it was very windy. so I ended up taking my umberella with me because I didn't fancy getting wet.

When I took him out I was trying to control both of them at the same time by holding the umberella in one hand and oscar lead in the other. It didn't work very well because oscar is so young and not yet fully trained, he does like to pull and of course go in any direction.

So, it was hard to control both because the wind kept pulling my umberella and of course the coil keeps sticking to the umberella pole too.

so, guess what. I got caught by Richard and he recorded it. I thought i'll post up a video and share it with you all, then i'm going to think of a way to get my own back on Ricahrd :-D

have fun watching the video

I'm on TV tomorrow

Since I have won the bronzes medal in the 1st Deaf world Cup in Greece.

A tv programme called 'See Hear' will be back on air tomrrow at 1pm on BBC2. They will be showing a small news clip of the tourement which I and my team mates played in.

If you missed this programme, you could always check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/seehear/

Also I appeared on a The FA Website http://www.thefa.com/England/DisabledTeams

Me 2nd on the left along with my england friends at Macclesfield Stadium

Summer Almost Over!

Well, summer has nearly come to an end to me. This summer the weather has been up and down. one minute it rains and the next minute the sun comes out to play, well , only when it want to.

Now, after spending 3 years at Derby College Studying : BTEC National Diploma in sports and science its now time for me to move up a level and study a physical Education degree at university this october and this course will take 4 years. (argh)

oh well, hopefully 4 years will fly by quick for me to be a fully qualified P.E teacher which I've always wanted to do and I am now saying goodbye to this uniform I had to wear at college for good!! (picture shown below) Finally at univeristy we're are allowed to wear what ever we like to wear. Woohoo!!

Deaf Camp Got Talents

After spending a week at Golden Sands. Every summer in Augest I do some volenteer work as a staff at Deaf Camp at Mablethorpe which is not far from where Golden Sands is. This year is my 3rd year.

At mablethorpe deaf camp they have 28 deaf children from all over the UK that are mild - profoundly Deaf at the age 6-14years. 7 of them were Cochlear Implant users plus there were me, Richard and lizze as staff too.

I spent a week organising games, sporting activties for them during week and of course take them out and visit different places.

This year was the first time I went with a Cochlear Implant. The past 2 years I either wore my H-aids or don't wear them at all. Untill this year with my implant I can't belive how noisey those deaf children ARE! I do remenber some of the hearing staff last year saying SHHH to some of the child. That time I didn't realise how noisey they were. This year I ended up saying "shhh" to them myself. I can't belive how much noise they make, all Icould hear was screaming, banging, etc. The good thing is, I didn't take the implant off while they were very noise!


Not only it was noise, the last day at camp there was a party and they had Deaf camp got talent. All staff have to do an act and of course some of the children did too. My friend Lizzie another C.I users (freedom) who has been implant at the age of 10 at the nottingham implant centre too came up with hip hop dance which we had to perform to the 3 evil judges and of course this kids.

The dance was great, Lizzie taught me how to do them because she had more experince in following music. which was a great achievement for me. So, check out these small pictures clip of us dancing and of course what we wore too. (sorry some of the are not clear) I'm in the red and lizzie wearing a black top!

Haven Hoilday!

Ever since I were little, my family and I always take a week camping at one of the British Haven Hoilday campsite.

Haven hoilday is a site for all ages but do have alot of activities throughout the day and of course entertainment during the evening. When I were little I used to take part in all the activites with my brother and sister such as football, basketball, treasure hunt that they have set up. I had no problem with all that as I knew what to do.

The only problem I had was the evening entertainment which had shows like Rory the Tiger and his zoo mates. I've always been a fan of Rory the Tiger when I were little and used to love watching him every time went. The only thing was that I wasn't able to hear him and it was all visual. I used to get picked to go on stage and take part in some of the activities but

when I were on stage I used to be quite and I didn't understand what to do untill my mum or any other of my family realise thatI was on stage. They used to come up and explain to the funstars that i'm deaf and my mum or my sister used to come on stage with me and interpet what they say. That the only way I could take part.

Now I've had this Cochlear Implant I went to one of his shows because we had a small menber of my family was with me that wanted to see Rory .

That evening I just sat there watching rory and able to hear him and could understand some word that he say, even though his lips not move. I was so happy that I could hear him which I have never been able to. I even brought his Cd which had loads of songs that was he often played such as the Tiger Club theme. (there apicture of me watching his show)

The next morning I ended up playing it and followed the lyric which was written at the back on the Cd case. The 2nd night we went back to watch another of his shows and guess what. I was able to understand the full lyrics that he played which was brilliant. After that the show ended it moved on to a funstars dance which I took part in and of course the adult game show which was a quiz, I was able to hear some of the question but did had to ask my mum for some help a bit

Not only there was an evenining entertainment, there was a beach there and it the first time for me to be able to hear the british "SEA" The waves were brillant. it did sounded low but I heard it. It wasn't just me that had fun listening to the sea. My 8 month old dog, Oscar enjoyed it too. It was his first time on the beach and he loved ever minute of it. We did have a hard time getting him clean again because he had long hair. ( here me on the beach drawing BIONIC in the sand)