About Sophie-Anne

„Having bilateral BONEBRIDGE implants is the best decision I’ll ever make in my entire lifetime.“

My hearing journey

I’ve had a hearing loss since I had glue ear at about three years old. I had lots of grommet operations and was told I would grow out of it but it never seemed to happen. When the grommets didn’t help, I had four T-tube operations, which are similar to grommets, but over time my hearing loss gradually worsened due to the glue ear and repeated infections.

When I was about 16, I got my first pair of hearing aids, but I kept developing ear infections that affected my social life. I also had to keep taking time off work, affecting my career development. My hearing loss affected my family too. When I took my hearing aids out at home, everyone had to shout to get my attention and I needed subtitles on the television to follow programmes.

My surgeon and audiologist suggested the BONEBRIDGE system to me. They provided lots of information about the implant and I was given the choice between BONEBRIDGE and a bone-anchored hearing aid. The decision process was instant for me. I chose the BONEBRIDGE as it’s more discreet, the chances of infection are lower, and it requires less maintenance.

The day I was told I was having my first implant in my left ear, I was ecstatic and bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate! My family and partner were equally happy.

I found the international HearPeers forum helpful, as I was the first person in England to receive bilateral BONEBRIDGE implants so it meant I could exchange experiences with BONEBRIDGE users from other parts of the world.