This may help you understand... although this thread is couple of years old and is pretty similar process for CI. (of course everyone is different)
Good luck.
My ci journey
I am posting this in case the information can be helpful to anyone who is thinking about getting a cochlear implant. Keep in mind that this is the journey of one person, your experiences may be different. My name is Ian MacGregor and this post will document my experience with a cochlear...www.alldeaf.com