Life and Deaf

This programme contains some strong language.

THEY LAUGH

LAUGHTER

ALL: Yeah!

WHISTLE BLOWS

CHEERING

Well done, men!

-LINESMAN:

-Stay in the box. Thank you.

I'm going to learn sign language one day.

HE CHEERS

FINAL WHISTLE BLOWS

Well done, well done. Good game.

THEY CHEER

CAT MEOWS

You've been a patient here for a long time, actually, haven't you?

-Since you were quite small.

-Yeah.

So we know quite a bit about you.

Can I just check - do you think your hearing has changed at all

throughout your life, or has it pretty much stayed the same?

OK. Is that what's prompted you to come for the cochlear implant,

or is it something that you've been thinking about?

-They're not mutually exclusive, are they?

-Exactly.

You could be part of both, really, yeah.

What we'll do first of all is just do the speech tests

-and get those done.

-OK.

And that can help to inform us

about what the likely benefits of the implant would be.

We'll just go into the other room.

-To begin with, a man is going to come on the screen.

-OK.

He's going to say a sentence and I want you to try and tell me

what you think he said.

Don't worry about passing or failing this test.

It's just a measurement of what you're doing now.

OK.

-MAN:

-Can you see the flock of sheep running across the field?

OK.

Can you see the flock of sheep running across the field?

Do you think the ice on the roads will melt by this evening?

What was the last word that you said then?

"Than the TV," did you say?

She has a cold.

OK, that's fine, thank you.

The next part of the test we're going to do

is to try it when you can't see the face.

Which is probably going to be really difficult.

It might be impossible, but we'll try it and see.

'The postman shut the gate.'

'They're looking at the clock.'

'The bag bumps on the ground.'

'The rain came down.'

'The ice cream was pink.'

Yeah, OK. We'll just go back into the other room,

where we were before.

So those tests are quite important, cos they can help us to think about,

if you had a cochlear implant, how much better that would be.

It has the potential to help you, but only a little bit.

And the reason for that is because, really,

the nerves of hearing haven't been stimulated normally

all of your life,

-particularly those high frequencies where you've never heard them.

-Yep.

So they're going to be a struggle for you and they are the things

that people who have been deaf all their lives often tell us about.

They're the things that they really find hard.

I think it's something that you really need to think quite carefully

and quite hard about

to decide... OK, it's going to give you a little bit of help,

but then you've got to have an operation.

You've got to have surgery with the risks that go with that.

You're going to spend a year, or even potentially longer than that,

trying to get the maximum benefit from the implant.

And I don't want you to make a decision now,

because we need to think a bit more carefully, as well,

about whether we think the implant is the right thing for you.

It's a two-way decision-making process, really.

No, I do understand.

I've got tissues in here for you.

I think, out there in the real world, it's really tough

to be able to hear in the circumstances you're describing.

When you're out with friends, when you're out in group situations,

when you're out and lots of people are all talking at the same time,

those situations are really tough when you can't hear 100%.

I suppose what I'm trying to get over to you in all of this

is that, actually, if you have a cochlear implant,

that's not going to transform those situations for you either.

It might not suddenly transform things for you.

HUSSEIN CHUCKLES

LAUGHTER FROM BACK SEAT

Hussein, Hussein.

Stupid, man!

You don't understand...

Hello, again.

-OK, heads for you.

-OK.

Tails for you, OK?

Heads. Stay or change?

Stay? OK. You've got the ball.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

-Best of luck.

-Best of luck.

-Good luck.

THEY SHOUT:

WHISTLE BLOWS

PLAYER ROARS

FINAL WHISTLE BLOWS

Well played, man.

Hi!

Who's Tina?

-That's Tina.

-Yep!

Fiona.

Come, come.

Good.

So about 40% of our women deliver in the pool.

About 55% use the pool for labour.

Because sometimes...

-TINA VIA INTERPRETER:

-So in labour, but then they're born maybe outside.

Yes, that's 55... It depends on the mother, it depends on the baby,

if the midwife is happy, if you're safe, then you're allowed to stay.

If there's any issues and you come out,

I might at the end say I want to get out, who knows?

My aim, yes, is to give birth in the pool, but we will see.

OK, so if you're having difficulty pushing...

..then we would recommend that you go on this marvellous love seat.

-OK!

-I'll show you so that you know now...

..and then in labour, you can just point and go if...

Because even in pain, you might find even signing hard.

Because a lot of women that speak English don't talk...

..because they're focused on the birth.

So you can just go...

But their ears are working,

so they can hear what the midwife is saying, whereas with me,

I need to look at someone,

so for me to lip-read during labour is impossible.

But I can look and watch sign language

as if someone could hear English.

But for me, I wouldn't be able to lip-read throughout.

So come.

So this...

Very good.

So, you, this way.

It's like a love swing, eh?

When the contractions come to push...

..she holds on to this...

..and... MIDWIFE MIMICS GROAN

-Do most women like using this?

-Love it.

It's very comfortable.

In between the contractions, she might want to rest,

so that's why we...

Then she can rest back and he, "Love, love, love".

Very good.

TINA LAUGHS That's perfect.

Right now, it's a little bit embarrassing to do it,

but I guess when you're on the spot and you're in pain,

you don't really care what you look like,

you'll just get on and do whatever.

Lots of women, I think, like this,

because the husband just sees the baby, rather than the vagina.

I don't think he'll... I'm really not bothered.

-MARIOS VIA INTERPRETER:

-I want to see if it's a boy or a girl -

-I'll be pushing her out the way.

-But then you'll be here.

Yeah, OK.

Oh, yes. I kept the two...

And I'm like, "You're glasses?"

And then I'm like, "OK, well, the sweets we'll bring..."

Hooray!

Yeah!

Yes!

No, no, no.

No, ten.

Two o'clock, yes.

Yes.

KIDS LAUGH

You see, this is another reason why he was a boy.

Abigail Gorman.

That's me.

-Probably best if you come and have a seat over there.

-Lovely, thank you.

Right, you've seen my colleague Professor Saeed already

and you've had some tests and investigations done.

We've had a chat about it

and we think that you would get some benefit from the cochlear implant.

We are happy to offer you a cochlear implant, if that's what you want.

And it sounds as though that is what you want. OK?

I know it's not going to make me become hearing...

..but I know things will improve a little

and that improvement is more than I would have without.

If it only improves 5%,

then that 5% is more than I would have had without.

So I think for Professor Saeed,

he may have a list available at the end of this month,

if you're interested.

Yes. Um...OK.

-You mean this month?

-Yes, 31st March, I think we're looking at.

-Oh, when do I need to let you know?

-You can think about it, don't worry.

-Good.

-Good.

So come with me.

Sorry?

Very soft. It would make a lovely jumper, yeah.

A lovely jumper.

Or scarf.

-Hello.

-Hi, is it Tina Costi?

TINA VIA INTERPRETER: Yes, that's correct.

I'm Dr Rawra, I'm the registrar.

The midwife was telling me that you were saying

you couldn't feel Baby move, is that right?

Yeah, recently, the movements have become much less.

It's gradually become less every week.

And you came in ten days ago with reduced movements, as well?

-Yes.

-So this is now the second time?

We can offer you induction of labour,

where we start the labour process.

You mentioned you're already getting Braxton Hicks.

-Is that the pessary?

-That's right, yes.

I wanted to ask you, does that mean

I can't do the birthing pool if it's induced?

Yes, if you want to have the birthing pool,

then it has to be low-risk.

-So that means you can't induce?

-No.

If we decide to induce,

then we would recommend you're on labour ward.

-MARIOS VIA INTERPRETER:

-Could I just have a brief talk with my wife?

Yeah, of course.

I don't know whether I should interpret this or not.

You've been worrying for ten days about less movements and everything

and I do understand that you want to have the pool and everything,

I know you want to do it naturally and everything,

but if it's putting the baby at any risk...

It's not an injection or anything to induce you. That's right?

-To induce, it's not like an injection, is it?

-No, no.

It's a hormone pessary which goes inside the vagina

and it stay there for 24 hours

to soften the neck of the womb to start labour.

But because we are introducing hormone, we have to monitor the baby

to make sure that Baby's coping with the process

and therefore the birthing pool is not appropriate.

Are you feeling Baby move now?

Then I would recommend today.

Yeah.

I have something just here, like a little foot.

I can feel a little foot or heel here, but that's it. That's it.

Then I would recommend today.

-OK. OK, fine.

-Are you sure?

Yep. So no birth centre, sorry.

It has to be labour ward.

-All right? OK.

-Thank you.

You're welcome.

LOW CONVERSATION

OK, so we've got a little boy who was born yesterday, the 24th.

-TINA VIA INTERPRETER:

-Yes.

And other than yourselves, is there hearing loss in the family as well,

permanent childhood hearing loss?

You've got a show of hands! OK.

-MARIOS VIA INTERPRETER:

-My mother's side is hearing

and father's side is deaf.

With Tina - my mum's deaf...

..but other deaf in the family, no. It's just myself and my mum.

I don't think with my family it's linked to genetics.

I don't know, but I've been told

it's not a genetic thing with our family.

-So it'll be interesting to see what happens now with the baby.

-OK.

I'm happy to tell you Baby has clear responses on both ears.

OK?

So hearing is all OK and it's all done and finished for you,

the hearing screening.

Done?

Let's go.

It was the first part, just the painkiller first.

The first part.

There's two parts.

You're feeling light-headed, yeah?

OK, we'll see you in a couple of hours.

-Yes.

-Sorry.

See you in a couple of hours.

Feeling sick, yes? OK, I will give her...

How are you feeling?

Hungry? Good.

Your supper is here.

Is it sore?

The operation went very well,

so that's the easy bit.

Now the real hard work starts.

OK? Good. See you soon.

-ABIGAIL:

-Thank you very much.

Good? Good to go.

I'm going to switch all of it on, OK?

I want you to know that, initially, it might just sound like noise, OK?

That's very normal, yeah?

It's very normal that it won't make sense,

that it will just be beeps or ringing, OK?

It won't be like anything you've ever heard before,

so there's nothing to expect.

I don't want you to expect to understand me.

Today is just about getting comfortable

with the noises that you hear, OK? Ready?

OK.

Switching on.

OK.

There we go, Abi.

Right. I'm just going to carry on talking

while you listen to the sound of my voice.

I want you to tell me, is it comfortable, or is it too loud?

SHE MIMICS DISTORTED WARBLE

Yeah? That's good, that's perfect.

So...if you listen to that noise,

where is that on the scale?

Where do you think that is, is that comfortable?

Is that comfortable? Is that very uncomfortable?

SHE GUFFAWS Where is that?

That's good, OK.

I'm going to carry on talking while you listen to the noise, OK?

Remember, you won't make sense of my voice yet,

but the fact that you can hear these noises

is a very good sign.

You have a nice range...

a nice access to a very wide range of sounds

and your brain has to just interpret that

and get used to that, OK?

So what does it sound like?

OK.

It's almost like there's a pattern, isn't there?

Every time I speak,

there's a pattern of the sound that you're hearing,

so the brain is starting to hear when I talk,

it's starting to hear when you talk,

and eventually it will interpret what we are saying.

How do you feel?

OK, that's good, that's good.

So the brain is already adapting

only a couple of minutes into the session

and it's not as harsh as it was in the beginning, so that's good.

OK. Right, just so you know,

you've got manuals in here,

but you've also got a DVD player with subtitles,

so it explains everything about the process.

So if you forgot everything that I said today,

don't worry - you've got it all in here.

OK. All yours.

Happy listening.

You're welcome.

All done.

Right.

Um, see how you go,

but just listen and just experience the world out there.

Don't sweat too much.

Hello, are you all right?

WHISTLE BLOWS

Come on, Uncle Marios!

THEY CLAP

WHISTLE BLOWS

CROWD CHEERS

CROWD APPLAUDS

Hello!

TINA CHUCKLES

THEY LAUGH