Happiness

Daredevel7 said:
Wow.... all I can pick out is piano, drums, and SOMETIMES voice singing. And I think I heard better than you? I got 90-100 and 100-110 dB losses (pre-CI).

I think it's safe to say that audiograms mean jack squat when it comes to sound discrimination.
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Yea, that's why I am not surprised at the fact that CIs work for some and dont work for some after meeting so many users. Same thing with HA users.
 
Daredevel7 said:
Wow.... all I can pick out is piano, drums, and SOMETIMES voice singing. And I think I heard better than you? I got 90-100 and 100-110 dB losses (pre-CI).

I think it's safe to say that audiograms mean jack squat when it comes to sound discrimination.
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If any of my favorite 80s music plays on the radio, I can recognize them and can sing along with some of them, depending on my memory of the lyrics.
 
shel90 said:
I can hear vowels, can tell if someone is speaking English or another language without looking by the flunctations in the speech patterns, can distinguish between a male and female voice, and child and adult voice. . I dont know if that means I can hear speech. I was told I couldnt so I guess not.
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I do not answer the phone unless I know the person.

I can recognize the difference between male and female. (most of the time) depends on the individual.

I pretty much understand a person speaking, when I can see them talk. By saying that, I can collaborate the lip reading with sounds.

If they covered up their lips.. I would only understand half, if not less. The same can be said, for totally lip reading a person, with Lip movement only...

I usually combine both, on people that are ASL Illiterate. :)
 
Shel,

I'm not sure someone's happiness dependends on being able to hear but I think instead, it depends on the person and what they have experienced in life. I'd also have to say if someone was hearing and lost their hearing over time then maybe they would be unhappy in that their life has changed considerably from what they knew. This may also be different for someone who lost their hearing slowly as compared to someone who lost it very quickly. Maybe with some, it would be like loosing a friend really close to them (parent, spouse, child). For me, I had the option of getting a CI and it is working really well and I know I am fortunate. Because this was an option while I was loosing my hearing, I did not go through the mental and physical loss.

For my quality of life improving with a CI, I don't think it has taken away from my life. I do think that if I couldn't hear then it would affect the responsibilities I have at work and how I communicate with other co-workers if they would even be willing to try and communicate with me.

I was thinking over the weekend and wondering how someone who has been deaf their entire life would respond to hearing sounds. I think understanding speech would be the hardest part. The best way I can think of it would be for me to try and listen to a foreign language and try to learn how to understand it and speak it. This really got me thinking especially because my ability to hear sounds has changed as the healing process takes place so what I heard the 1st week is different than what I am hearing today. I could see where this could be a challenge for someone not familiar with sounds.

Understanding environmental noises I think would be easier since for the most part, many sounds are the same from place to place but with speech, there are so many different accents and ways to express ones thoughts.

I know this doesn't answer all your questions or thoughts but maybe it is like someone who is single and getting older but has not found the right person to settle down with while all their friends were getting married and starting families. I know I felt this way for a while, it just took a little longer for me to find the right person but I did feel at times "empty". Not the right word but hopefully you get the idea. Maybe this makes sence.
 
shel90 said:
Just had someone from the store the other day who said that it was very sad that I am deaf. I told her that there was nothing to be sad about. She looked like she couldnt believe me.

Just made me wonder if hearing people in general think having hearing equates to more happiness.
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I think it's more like "Wow, I cannot even imagine being deaf, I'd be depressed if I were." But that's because they CAN hear.

I've actually had SEVERAL people to tell me something like "I cannot imagine my life without music. Life without music is so depressing to me." And I'm kinda thinking "um... are you okay? Maybe you shouldn't be THAT invested into music... or anything else for that matter..."
 
SteveESP52 said:
Shel,

I'm not sure someone's happiness dependends on being able to hear but I think instead, it depends on the person and what they have experienced in life. I'd also have to say if someone was hearing and lost their hearing over time then maybe they would be unhappy in that their life has changed considerably from what they knew. This may also be different for someone who lost their hearing slowly as compared to someone who lost it very quickly. Maybe with some, it would be like loosing a friend really close to them (parent, spouse, child). For me, I had the option of getting a CI and it is working really well and I know I am fortunate. Because this was an option while I was loosing my hearing, I did not go through the mental and physical loss.

For my quality of life improving with a CI, I don't think it has taken away from my life. I do think that if I couldn't hear then it would affect the responsibilities I have at work and how I communicate with other co-workers if they would even be willing to try and communicate with me.

I was thinking over the weekend and wondering how someone who has been deaf their entire life would respond to hearing sounds. I think understanding speech would be the hardest part. The best way I can think of it would be for me to try and listen to a foreign language and try to learn how to understand it and speak it. This really got me thinking especially because my ability to hear sounds has changed as the healing process takes place so what I heard the 1st week is different than what I am hearing today. I could see where this could be a challenge for someone not familiar with sounds.

Understanding environmental noises I think would be easier since for the most part, many sounds are the same from place to place but with speech, there are so many different accents and ways to express ones thoughts.

I know this doesn't answer all your questions or thoughts but maybe it is like someone who is single and getting older but has not found the right person to settle down with while all their friends were getting married and starting families. I know I felt this way for a while, it just took a little longer for me to find the right person but I did feel at times "empty". Not the right word but hopefully you get the idea. Maybe this makes sence.
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Yea, it does.

:ty:

I saw the influx of late deafness members joining here and asking for help...

My happiness used to depend on my ability to hear as a child and my expectations..I wanted so badly to be a "hearing" person like my friends but couldnt accomplish it and ended up so miserable and obsessed with it. That's one of the reasons why I have a memory box full of 80s songs in my head...I would literally spend hours at a time to memorize as many songs as I could so I could sing along with my friends. Looking back, I wonder why and how I got the idea that being hearing equated to a happier life, ya know?
 
Daredevel7 said:
I think it's more like "Wow, I cannot even imagine being deaf, I'd be depressed if I were." But that's because they CAN hear.

I've actually had SEVERAL people to tell me something like "I cannot imagine my life without music. Life without music is so depressing to me." And I'm kinda thinking "um... are you okay? Maybe you shouldn't be THAT invested into music... or anything else for that matter..."
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Ummmm...errr...I used to be THAT invested in music only cuz my friends were! :laugh2:
 
I almost forgot....this is interesting.. a few weeks ago, one of my friend's FB status said that if her happiness depended on her ability to hear, she would be drowning in misery by now.

I asked her what made her make a status like that...she said that her family refuses to believe that she is happy living life as a deaf person and keep pressuring her to stop hanging out with deaf people and to stop using sign language cuz that was no way to live a good life. I was like :shock:
 
for me its just easier being able to hear. One thing that bothers me, is not hearing my name called at the doctors office. I do all I can(sit where I can see the nurse, let them know Im hoh, etc) but sometimes I dont hear them.
 
shel90 said:
I almost forgot....this is interesting.. a few weeks ago, one of my friend's FB status said that if her happiness depended on her ability to hear, she would be drowning in misery by now.

I asked her what made her make a status like that...she said that her family refuses to believe that she is happy living life as a deaf person and keep pressuring her to stop hanging out with deaf people and to stop using sign language cuz that was no way to live a good life. I was like :shock:
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Wow, this is a bummer what hearing people assume that we would be miserable if we can not hear so that is where they get the idea that they have been trying to "fix" us for years to be like their hearing. The hearing parents and hearing people have no idea how we have suffer under them and we could not have a happier life if they force us to give up our deafness and our Deaf Culture including ASL. Without Deaf and HOH friends, we would be lost miserable. Oh, I hate that image. For me I am just happy being Deaf. In the past when I was growing up in the mainstream schools, I was not happy about being force to do what they want me to lipread and speak. I was very miserable. It was like a big heavy rock on my back that I feel miserable when there was no sign language and communication with lipreading was really hard to make out. But when I learned how to sign from a Deaf pastor, it really opened the door and my rock on my back lifted up and it goes away and sign language make me very happy and be able to communicate with Deaf people. I feel relieve and happy. :D
 
Doug5 said:
for me its just easier being able to hear. One thing that bothers me, is not hearing my name called at the doctors office. I do all I can(sit where I can see the nurse, let them know Im hoh, etc) but sometimes I dont hear them.
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Have you tried using a vibrating pager?
 
shel90 said:
Just had someone from the store the other day who said that it was very sad that I am deaf. I told her that there was nothing to be sad about. She looked like she couldnt believe me.

Just made me wonder if hearing people in general think having hearing equates to more happiness.
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People are the same way when it comes to their sight. They act like being blind is the worst thing in the world. In a survey when people were asked which disability they feared next to cancer, they listed blindness.

Deafblindness is really no big deal to me. I've learned to live with it and it's a part of who I am.
 
I am happy with whom I am. Due to the fact that I have accepted being deaf. being around deaf people and being around hearing people..


I have an attitude.. of course!!!!! My attitude is either you like me or you don.t......



Sure! I get upset by a few negative comments made by others at times.

as well as any other person may do. (especially if it by a love one)

People will always find faults in others. No matter what.

It may be the inability to hear, speak, walk, or even the color of your skin.

It may as well be the education you have. If the person does not pertain to me. I could careless of what they think.
 
shel90 said:
I can hear piano tunes, violen, drums, voices singing, guitar (what's the word?)...I think that's it. I can tell when someone is singing on a high note as opposed to a low note. I CANT understand the words unless I spend countless of hours memorizing the lyrics which I used to so I could be "cool" like my friends. Now, I just enjoy the soundss I hear and tell people that I cant sing along with the songs and then they tell me that they feel sorry for me.
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Thanks for answering my question.

Pre-CI, I could hear drum beats and male vocals depending on how much they overlapped keyboards and other instruments.
 
I was talking to my husband and daughter tonight about the sounds I can't say apparently will be sounds people who can get CI will hear, and I was listing them, and my daughter told me I can't say the letter "L".

I am surprised and I did not know I say L wrong.

Don't know where else to say this. :hmm:
 
Bottesini said:
I was talking to my husband and daughter tonight about the sounds I can't say apparently will be sounds people who can get CI will hear, and I was listing them, and my daughter told me I can't say the letter "L".

I am surprised and I did not know I say L wrong.

Don't know where else to say this. :hmm:
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Well if you say that you are happy or unhappy now that you've learned that you've been saying L wrong, then it pertains to the thread. :)

(did I actually use the word "you" four times within a sentence?)
 
Daredevel7 said:
Well if you say that you are happy or unhappy now that you've learned that you've been saying L wrong, then it pertains to the thread. :)

(did I actually use the word "you" four times within a sentence?)
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Rats!! Wrong thread. I was only surprised.

But my inability to say "L" does not warrant it's own thread.

I hope Shel forgives me.
 
Is One More Happy Being Deaf, Than Hearing?

Life in general.. and all that has to do with it, is based around ones ability to hear, see and function in a non-impaired way.

It amazes me when I hear (no pun intended), someone say they're happier being hearing, sight or extremity impaired. Let's be truthful about the matter. I think one who feels that way is only kidding themselves if they believe that.

I think a simple way to explain the above would be to ask yourself this question: "if you had the choice of receiving $1.00 (substitute being impaired), or receiving $100 (substitute being non-impaired).. which would you prefer?

Like I said before.. I think you're only kidding yourself if you only want a $1.00 !!

Shi-Ku Chishiki ShiKu.Chishiki@Gmail.com
 
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