Okay this is nothing like your experience, but I was partially deaf as a child. I spent a few of my young years confused about why I could not hear the things my friends could hear. As it turns out, I was born with shattered stapes. When I was quite young, I had re-constructive surgery to replace it with stainless steel. Technically speaking, I regained my hearing; however, because I was hearing impaired for my language acquisition years, I still have trouble processing what I supposedly "hear".
It has caused a lot of frustration for me over the years, because for all intents and purposes, I'm "healed" -- however, in my mind, I'm still partially deaf. While I realize it must be all in my head, that doesn't seem to fix the problem.
I am not but I just attended my first Deaf Social last night and had a blast...I am beginning to learn ASL and love the language. I'm sure you'll find many people participating from the deaf community. Nice to "meet" you.
Hi Rachel! I have otosclerosis and have had hearing restoring surgery on both ears (on the left ear twice even)! No implants for me but I'm losing my hearing again already and it won't be correctable by further surgery so I don't know what the future holds! I went deaf in my right ear almost overnight at the age of 22 and my hearing was restored to about 80% with a stapendectomy and when tested in May of 2010 it had dropped to about 60%. I had the same surgery done at age 31 on my left ear and again this year at age 32 (to repair the one the year before). My Dad wore hearing aids for about 20 years and my older brother has a device that connects to a post implanted in his skull. I can't remember the name of it.
Don't know why I felt the need to share all that, but there you go! :)
I think my wife is....she never listens to me! ( http://365project.org/moesinmass/365) In all serisousness though, one of my old partners (now retired) on a ladder company was deaf in one ear. It was a constant hurdle for him and a major deficit at a fire, but he managed very well. I quietly always respected how difficult it was for him - almost any sound on his left side was muffled and distorted, which made it difficult for him to determine direction.
Wow, thanks for responding, everyone. :) That's cool. I've been profoundly deaf since I was a month old. I was born with hearing, but lost the majority of it to being sick and also I was premature. Guess things happen! Without the steroids/medicine, I wouldn't be here today, at least that's what the doctors told my parents. I'm the only deaf one in the family. It's hard lately on me, but I try to think about the better things and how lucky I get to be here.
Today I'm going up to the Cleveland Clinic to do a couple hearing tests to see results (if any) about my hearing loss. It will be interesting. It's called H.I.N.T, which means Hearing In Noise Test. Wonder how I'll do. I think it's done with the cochlear implant, but it'll be difficult because it won't be including any lip reading, just sounds and having to repeat things. I'm no pro at that! Also, I am gonna try to update my cochlear implant device which would be wonderful because I would get to hear more things a lot more clearer, longer battery life, and it's waterproof! (meaning, I can go swimming with it/walk in the rain and not worry about it being destroyed.)
@ashleyjwilson - Maybe you still are. Maybe it isn't in your head. I feel that way too. When I was born, I had hearing. Then I lost it. I always felt like I was in between the hearing/deaf worlds. I seem to be more into the hearing world since I don't really interact with any deaf people anymore!
@cholbert - Is it a cochlear implant, because that's implanted. =)
@jcrowley40 - Ha, if I don't want to listen, I just have to take off my implant device and I can't hear anything. It's quite nice sometime, but it does annoy my family!
@nortikiwi - Nice to meet you! I don't get to see many deaf people around where I live. Although while attending Ohio State, I was always at deaf events and I took a couple ASL classes just to meet new people, etc.
@kholtphoto - I LOVE deaf socials! It's so much fun. I miss it. I don't get to go. I always went while I was in college. I try to keep up with my signing so I don't get 'rusty' but I feel like I am already since I'm the only deaf in the family. And I'm always using my voice. My boyfriend seems to sign more than I do. (he's hearing, but he learned it so he could talk with me in the beginning when we first met)
I am almost completely deaf in my left ear. I had a cholesteotoma that destroyed my hearing bones. I had surgery in 2009 to remove it. I also have some hearing loss in my right ear due to chronic infections as a child. The audiologist says i really need a hearing aid however, our insurance says it's not a "medical necessity" and we do not have the funds to buy one. (they are quite pricey) So, I just deal. I can hear, it's just a struggle in certain situations and quite frustrating at times. I suppose that's why I'm more of a "visual" person, too. :) Nice to meet you.
@kholtphoto - I LOVE deaf socials! It's so much fun. I miss it. I don't get to go. I always went while I was in college. I try to keep up with my signing so I don't get 'rusty' but I feel like I am already since I'm the only deaf in the family. And I'm always using my voice. My boyfriend seems to sign more than I do. (he's hearing, but he learned it so he could talk with me in the beginning when we first met)
Thanks for sharing! My brother got me interested in the socials, as he took an ASL class at college and part of the class grade was to interact with the deaf community. I learn at least one new sign everyday and he's helping me with ASL grammar (but most people here use Pigeon or English Sign).
I have worn strong hearing aids in both ears for many years with a genetic issue of "balding inner ears" as an audiologist once described it, the follicles in the cochlear continuing to disintegrate over time. But with the latest generation of hearing aides, the microelectronics, comfort ear pieces, directional microphones and miniaturization, I don't think about it much any more.
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It has caused a lot of frustration for me over the years, because for all intents and purposes, I'm "healed" -- however, in my mind, I'm still partially deaf. While I realize it must be all in my head, that doesn't seem to fix the problem.
Weird, huh?
Don't know why I felt the need to share all that, but there you go! :)
Today I'm going up to the Cleveland Clinic to do a couple hearing tests to see results (if any) about my hearing loss. It will be interesting. It's called H.I.N.T, which means Hearing In Noise Test. Wonder how I'll do. I think it's done with the cochlear implant, but it'll be difficult because it won't be including any lip reading, just sounds and having to repeat things. I'm no pro at that! Also, I am gonna try to update my cochlear implant device which would be wonderful because I would get to hear more things a lot more clearer, longer battery life, and it's waterproof! (meaning, I can go swimming with it/walk in the rain and not worry about it being destroyed.)
@ashleyjwilson - Maybe you still are. Maybe it isn't in your head. I feel that way too. When I was born, I had hearing. Then I lost it. I always felt like I was in between the hearing/deaf worlds. I seem to be more into the hearing world since I don't really interact with any deaf people anymore!
@cholbert - Is it a cochlear implant, because that's implanted. =)
@jcrowley40 - Ha, if I don't want to listen, I just have to take off my implant device and I can't hear anything. It's quite nice sometime, but it does annoy my family!
@nortikiwi - Nice to meet you! I don't get to see many deaf people around where I live. Although while attending Ohio State, I was always at deaf events and I took a couple ASL classes just to meet new people, etc.
@kholtphoto - I LOVE deaf socials! It's so much fun. I miss it. I don't get to go. I always went while I was in college. I try to keep up with my signing so I don't get 'rusty' but I feel like I am already since I'm the only deaf in the family. And I'm always using my voice. My boyfriend seems to sign more than I do. (he's hearing, but he learned it so he could talk with me in the beginning when we first met)
Thanks for sharing! My brother got me interested in the socials, as he took an ASL class at college and part of the class grade was to interact with the deaf community. I learn at least one new sign everyday and he's helping me with ASL grammar (but most people here use Pigeon or English Sign).
Anyway, long story short, hi! LOL