Hi… I’m Back 💛
Hi everyone, I’m finally back after a couple of years away.
So much has happened since I last wrote, and I wanted to share a proper life update as well as talk about where this blog is heading next.
In the last few years I’ve:
• Bought my first home
• Adopted two beautiful doggies Milo and Marley
• Had surgery due to a cochlear implant failure
• Become President of IFHOHYP
• Become Mrs Want
It’s been busy, emotional, challenging, and exciting all at once.
This year, I have a lot planned for the blog and my socials. I want to focus on showing the realities of life as someone who is deafblind — the good, the difficult, and everything in between.
Although my sight has been getting worse, I’ve still been making memories and enjoying life, including buying my first home with my partner (now husband!) Mason in July 2024.
My Cochlear Implant Failure & Surgery
In September 2024, I began experiencing problems with my cochlear implant.
I had:
• Pain and discomfort around the magnet and ear
• Severe tinnitus
• Extreme headaches
• Distorted sound
I had to take time off work and schedule lots of “hearing breaks” because everything became overwhelming.
After several months of investigations, my audiologist confirmed that my implant was failing and needed replacing as soon as possible. I was placed on a waiting list in December, with an estimated wait of 2–3 months.
A Very Eventful Week…
Two days before returning to work after the Christmas break (I work in a SEN school as a Learning Partner), I came home from shopping with my mum to find Mason waiting with a huge surprise…
Two doggies
I was completely shocked and overwhelmed with happiness.
Then, just two days later, on my first day back at work, I received a call at the end of the day offering me a surgery date — that Wednesday.
I didn’t hesitate. I said yes.
One Month Without Hearing
The operation went very well, but afterwards I had no hearing at all for an entire month.
I also experienced constant, loud tinnitus, which was extremely distressing. Normally I would use white noise to help mask tinnitus, but without hearing, I couldn’t do that.
This was an incredibly challenging time, especially while adjusting to two new doggies at home.
To communicate, I relied on:
• Caption.Ed on my laptop
• A transcription app on my phone
These tools helped me understand conversations and stopped me from feeling isolated. I’ll link them at the bottom of this post.
During this month, I also:
• Turned 25
• Had my wedding makeup trial
Thankfully my Maid of Honour supported me, and my makeup artist was incredibly patient and accommodating.
I am so grateful to my family and support network, I couldn’t have managed without them.
Switch-On Day 💥🦻
On February 4th, I attended my switch-on appointment with my mum.
It was a strange hearing day.
But I could hear again.
I cried.
Everything sounded high-pitched and “elf-like” at first, but I didn’t care, I was just so relieved and happy.
It took some time for my hearing to settle back to normal.
Getting Back to Life
I returned to work about one to two weeks later. Getting back into routine took time, but slowly things became easier.
With hearing restored, I could finally focus again on:
• The doggies
• Wedding planning
• Daily life
Milo’s Health Scare 🐾
In April 2025, one of our dogs, Milo, became very unwell.
He was hospitalised and, after lots of tests, was diagnosed with megaesophagus.
The following months were tough:
• Feeding upright in a special chair
• Medication
• Constant monitoring
Thankfully, Milo made an amazing recovery. He’s now back to normal and just uses a slow-feeding bowl.
The vets told us this condition is rare, which makes his recovery even more special.
Becoming President of IFHOHYP
In May, I became President of IFHOHYP (International Federation of Hard of Hearing Young People).
IFHOHYP is an international organisation that supports and connects young people who are hard of hearing, including those with mild to severe hearing loss.
The organisation focuses on:
• Empowerment and confidence building
• Accessibility and inclusion
• Leadership development
• Advocacy for the hard of hearing community
• Creating international connections and opportunities
I feel incredibly proud and honoured to hold this role and to represent young people from the hard of hearing community on an international level.
UsherKids UK Camp
In July, I attended UsherKids UK Camp for a few days.
It was extra special because I was getting married the following week.
Seeing familiar faces, meeting new campers and mentors, and being in such a supportive community reminded me why this space matters so much.
Our Wedding 💍
On August 4th, I married my partner of nine years, Mason.
It was a perfect day.
Nothing went wrong.
Our doggies walked down the aisle with the rings.
We danced our first dance to Perfect by Ed Sheeran.
We laughed, cried, and had the time of our lives.
Honeymoon in Japan 🇯🇵
For our honeymoon, we travelled to Japan — and it was honestly the best holiday of our lives.
Japan has some of the best accessibility I’ve ever experienced:
• Tactile paving everywhere
• Captioning and visual displays
• Braille signage
• Calm, organised environments
It felt incredibly inclusive, especially for disabled and neurodivergent people.
We will definitely be returning.
What’s Next for Chloe’s Usher Journey
Going forward, this blog will focus on:
• Life as someone who is deafblind
• Accessibility wins (and fails)
• Daily life, travel, work, and relationships
• Advocacy and community
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for your patience.
And thank you for continuing to follow my journey.
💛
Here is a link to Caption Ed and the app live transcribe which I used on my phone during the month of no hearing.
Chloes Journey 
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