Adjustment to late onset deafness

glickchick said:
Wow, I can totally relate to this! This is one of the reasons I have gone basically voice-off. It avoids this situation entirely. Yeah, relying on pen/paper or text messaging isn't easy, but it works for me.
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Are you going to learn ASL? It really is a beautiful language, far more expressive than spoken english (IMO).
 
KerBear said:
Are you going to learn ASL? It really is a beautiful language, far more expressive than spoken english (IMO).
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Voice off mean that she can sign with ASL without using her voice (No need to speaking out loud). But when she want to communicate with hearing people, she would rather use pen and paper so that she does not have to use her funny voice. You have to remember most hearing people don't know Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with Deaf people. :roll:
 
Bebonang said:
Voice off mean that she can sign with ASL without using her voice (No need to speaking out loud). But when she want to communicate with hearing people, she would rather use pen and paper so that she does not have to use her funny voice. You have to remember most hearing people don't know Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with Deaf people. :roll:
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I know what voice off means, but I've read most of Glick Chick's posts, and she had mentioned that she didn't know ASL. That's why I was asking;)

I wish more hearing people would learn ASL, but I know that's not going to happen. At least now, where I live, they are offering ASL as one of the language options for credit in high school just like French, Spanish, or any other language. That's a huge improvement from how things were 20 years ago!
 
Yep, I'm new to ASL... Starting to learn it. It's definitely really hard learning it while deaf. Funny, I had the option to take asl in high school, but opted to take Spanish instead. Naturally, had I known that a few years later I'd be completely deaf I would have made a different decision!
 
Today was hard. My lip reading was severely off today and work was super fast paced and stressful. I could barely keep up. I got the job done though. I'm afraid to ask my work for special considerations to make my job easier (like a vp). I can't really talk on the phone at all. Can't understand them.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
horus11B;

I'm sorry that your day was so rough. That must have been really frustrating!

Why are you afraid to ask your employer for accommodations? Surely they would understand that they would help you to perform your job more easily?! Is there someone outside of your work situation who could help you along with the process of accessing the equipment you need? (I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with US policies, but I know in Canada the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association can assist HOH/d/Deaf clients in obtaining the accommodations they need in order to perform their jobs successfully.) Maybe someone in the HLAA could point you in the right direction? Whatever the case, I hope you are able to get the assistance you need soon.
 
Basically, I work in the oilfield industry. A lot of times they're simply above the law. I actually have been moving alot of my communication to email and making my minions answer the phone for me.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
Hi everyone-new here (former lurker) and I have to say that it is refreshing to see so many other people who have had hearing loss later in life.

My back story is that at the age of 18 I was fitted for my first hearing aids, never previously having any issues with my hearing. Funny how I hated the CICs and rarely wore them however now I would love to be able to wear CICs! The ENT I saw believed my hearing to be genetic in its origin (I am adopted so do not have family history information) and that there did not appear to be any physical issues linking to my hearing loss. Progressively my hearing got worse and I was fitted with BTEs (Phonak Extras in 06) and since then my hearing seems to have stabilized. I have a steep ski slope audiogram, high frequency loss. Both ears, although my right is a bit worse than my left. I am currently looking for new hearing aids and am very pleased with the advancements made since I bought the Phonaks!

What I find to be the most difficult is dealing with issues at work-I have dealt with discrimination in the past and it has been difficult for me to come to terms with being open with my hearing loss due to that. I appreciate being able to read other people's stories and point of view as I do not know many people who have hearing losee-my family and friends are all hearing and while they are incredibly understanding, do not really understand the frustrations that can occur on a daily basis.
 
I've had a rough couple days, s=ms like everyone who wanted to talk to me either turned around and walked away during it or mumbled.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
horus11B said:
I've had a rough couple days, s=ms like everyone who wanted to talk to me either turned around and walked away during it or mumbled.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AllDeaf App mobile app
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Keep pen and paper handy or have an editor up so they can type on your comp if you can't hear them.

Also, keep in mind, half the conversations, obviously, aren't vitally important.
 
Pen and paper is the biggest life saver - I keep a little notepad in my purse at all times and use it often when i either can't lipread or if it's just not working. It's low tech but it works - you can also use the notes app on your phone!
 
new to AD, just found this post...
hi all! I am a late-deafened woman, about to re-enter the workforce. I have some anxiety about doing job interviews. What do I say "by the way, I am hard-of-hearing... etc... (I am learning to speak up in different settings to get people to face me, or keep their hands away from their mouths when speaking, etc..). One of the jobs includes taking notes at meetings... are their options for someone who has a hard time hearing (I miss words, sometimes, even with HAs).

Does anyone have some thoughts, advice, tips about this topic?
 
I am LD. I lost my hearing suddenly about 13 months ago at the age of 32. I have been adjusting to many changes in my life but have had a lot of support from friends and family. Someone I met at my ASL class recommended the site to me. Don't know many deaf people and looking to meet some new people
 
Babysteps said:
I am LD. I lost my hearing suddenly about 13 months ago at the age of 32.

What caused your hearing loss?
Are you deaf or hoh?

Adjustment is hard, for sure. I've found once you stop fighting it, life gets way easier! Good for you taking those asl classes so quickly.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I437 using AllDeaf App mobile app
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I JUST went thru this when I was interviewing for jobs... I decided to disclose it pretty early on via email with scheduling. It came up because one of the opportunities wanted to do a phone interview (which clearly wouldn't work!) - so that gave me a perfect opening to mention my deafness. For another interview, I didn't mention it, but I think it became pretty apparent early on in the interview, and then I had to address it.

Good luck!

PinkRibbonAngel said:
new to AD, just found this post...
hi all! I am a late-deafened woman, about to re-enter the workforce. I have some anxiety about doing job interviews. What do I say "by the way, I am hard-of-hearing... etc... (I am learning to speak up in different settings to get people to face me, or keep their hands away from their mouths when speaking, etc..). One of the jobs includes taking notes at meetings... are their options for someone who has a hard time hearing (I miss words, sometimes, even with HAs).

Does anyone have some thoughts, advice, tips about this topic?
Click to expand...
 
glickchick said:
I JUST went thru this when I was interviewing for jobs... I decided to disclose it pretty early on via email with scheduling. It came up because one of the opportunities wanted to do a phone interview (which clearly wouldn't work!) - so that gave me a perfect opening to mention my deafness. For another interview, I didn't mention it, but I think it became pretty apparent early on in the interview, and then I had to address it.

Good luck!
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Always good to avoid phone interviews anyway. It gives you a chance to see the people you'll be working with. If they look like Hell, that's a sure sign the place stinks...and keep looking. How the employees look and behave while you're there says a lot about the management.

Laura
 
The prospect of losing my hearing has always scared me a bit. It's not that I'm scared of becoming deaf. I've been finger spelling and using basic signs for 10 years, now. Over time, I've adapted my communication around my hearing abilities. For the longest time, I didn't even know my hearing was different from anyone else's. It wasn't until I was 12 and my grandmother asked me how I could hear the moving truck from a block away and know what it was, but still couldn't hear what she was saying through the bathroom door without a long pause to decipher what the different tones meant.
My hearing has always been one of my last priorities. I've always had other medical issues to deal with at the forefront. Either it was weight, or hormones being out of whack, or psychology, or sleep, or my immune system just plain crashing, so talking to an audiologist never even made it onto my list until a couple years ago (and even then, it was well behind other more emergent doctor's appointments, new jobs, and finding a way to move out of my mother's house.
Now, it's starting to bump up the list at an accelerating pace. The fear thing is starting to make more sense. I'm losing recognition of soft consonants and it's starting to effect my ability to communicate at work. My name starts with a soft consonant. I don't even know someone is talking to me from behind until they're a couple words into their sentences. My trainer and I kept having misunderstandings until I finally told her about my hearing issues.
My own mother doesn't even know it's gotten worse, yet. I plan on telling her, but not until I have some semblance of prognosis to explain to her (my family has a way of dramatizing situations when we don't understand what's going on--obviously I'm no exception--sorry).
In light of the situation, I'm realizing that, given my lack of prior interest my hearing, I don't know what to expect. My insurance has taken me on a wild ride before, and I don't trust them to be cost effective with my healthcare. Does anyone have advice or a webpage to visit with advice on talking to doctors about diagnosing hearing changes or effectively communicating with coworkers about talking to a person who is HoH? The stuff I've looked over so far doesn't really address the answers I'm actually looking for.
Thank you,
SD
 
I had very bad infection that wasn't treated properly. It caused my immune system to go rouge and it is attacking a protein in my inner ear. I feel fortunate that it's not my kidney's or my heart. It's not something that will kill me. I can live just fine without hearing. I am slowly going deaf. I'm also grateful that it's not sudden and as my hearing fades, I adjust.
Maybe that's why losing my hearing isn't that big of a deal to me. Sure, it's irritating sometimes. I'd like to go to plays or the indie flick at the art house, but I can't hear. While I can't go to plays anymore, I can go see the foreign film with English subtitles at the art house. It's all about compromise and finding ways to do things I love and navigating a hearing world without being able to hear.
Though, I feel isolated. As my hearing goes, there are fewer and fewer people I can communicate. As my hearing goes, my world grows smaller. Losing my hearing isn't a big deal to me, what is a big deal to me is losing my ability to communicate with others.
 
Hi my name is Sky and I am HOH, which actually just started in June of 2014. I was having a hard time with hearing low sounds and HF sounds like communication which lead always saying "I can't hear you" to my family. My husband finally got me to go get my hearing tested and he was right I have moderate hearing loss, which is progressive, whatever that mean. I guess eventually i won't hear anything. My biggest challenge is Fear: fear of knowing how soon my hearing will be completly gone or how fast it will happen. There are times i feel bitter, frustrated. All of my social friends are hearing that my husband and i have - and sometimes i feel left out and bad if my husband has to tell me what people say. I have great Hearing aids - but he reality is they help but they truly don't fix your hearing to hear like you ears do. I am taking ASL classes now to learn signing - i am trying to be proactive and making this transition easier on me and my family but sometimes i still have a hard time and throw myself a pity party. I am also hoping find some new friends that understand what i'm going through.
Sky
 
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