I'm new here, and with the Deaf Community...

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Cristyn

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Hi, I'm 21 years old. I was born deaf in my left ear (as far as anyone knows) and I'm also HOH in my right, but my whole life I was at a crossroads with my hearing. I didn't want to change for others, but at the same time I HATED being deaf, being different. My parents tried everything they could, I got tubes at least 4 different times, I had undergone a surgery to replace my stappes bone in my left ear, nothing worked! So I gave up, said I can't hear, like me or don't. Then I had my two wonderful kids, and both started to have hearing problems, like I feared, so I sucked it up and got the CROS, bi-lateral hearing aids for my deaf ear. It helps, but I can only hear as good as my HOH right ear. I'm sick of feeling like i'm less of a person because I can't hear, I am starting to take ASL (for education reason, I want to work within the deaf community and use what little hearing I have as an advantage) and I figure if I can TRY to find a job working with deaf/HOH and I do go 100% deaf I will already know and be prepared with ASL! It's been a uphill battle my whole life, trying to hide being deaf, but i don't want to hide anymore, I want to embrace it!!
 
Yeah, don't hide who you are. Causes undue stress, and from the sounds of it, you've got enough of that as it is. :) It's good to meet you. Welcome to AD.

You'll find a lot of amazing people here.
 
Cristyn said:
Hi, I'm 21 years old. I was born deaf in my left ear (as far as anyone knows) and I'm also HOH in my right, but my whole life I was at a crossroads with my hearing. I didn't want to change for others, but at the same time I HATED being deaf, being different. My parents tried everything they could, I got tubes at least 4 different times, I had undergone a surgery to replace my stappes bone in my left ear, nothing worked! So I gave up, said I can't hear, like me or don't. Then I had my two wonderful kids, and both started to have hearing problems, like I feared, so I sucked it up and got the CROS, bi-lateral hearing aids for my deaf ear. It helps, but I can only hear as good as my HOH right ear. I'm sick of feeling like i'm less of a person because I can't hear, I am starting to take ASL (for education reason, I want to work within the deaf community and use what little hearing I have as an advantage) and I figure if I can TRY to find a job working with deaf/HOH and I do go 100% deaf I will already know and be prepared with ASL! It's been a uphill battle my whole life, trying to hide being deaf, but i don't want to hide anymore, I want to embrace it!!
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*nods* Sounds so familiar! Been there done that.....Are your kids HOH? Maybe you could request ASL instruction for them, or send them to dhh school/program.....then you could learn through them! I know of a few other women just like you, who grew up mainstream and oral, and then had dhh kids...They sent their kids to Deaf School, and decided to learn ASL! And it's SO cool that you've decided to get into the Deaf community and ASL and all that.........It really sucks that parents think the ANSWER is just "hearing aids" and hearing world.......
 
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