Learning about my HoH/Deaf future

[MDFighter]

Hi all, I'm new to being HoH and am trying to find people around my age bracket (21-31) who are living through the same kinds of things I am. I'm the only person in my family (extended family included) that has any kind of hearing loss, let alone being HoH, and potentially Deaf in the next 5-10 years.

I have Ménière's Disease and have been symptomatic for a little over a year. I've lost my hearing in the past year and a half, and it's really been a life adjustment for me. Struggling with day to day life has been really frustrating and I don't have any family or friends who actually understand what it's like going for being perfectly healthy with normal hearing to being sick and going Deaf. I have a high powered hearing aid for one ear and am saving up to get the same for my other one. I also took 2 ASL college courses and am continuing teaching myself. I'm slow, but can usually hold a conversation decently..

I'm really hoping that I can meet some people on here that are HoH or Deaf who can give me some advice on maneuvering through what feels like a Hearing dominated world now.

Thanks..

 

[Bottesini]

I'm really hoping that I can meet some people on here that are HoH or Deaf who can give me some advice on maneuvering through what feels like a Hearing dominated world now.

Thanks..

It is a hearing dominated world.

So you need to find out if you want to accommodate it, or live a deaf life separately .

 

[pinkgirl30]

I started loosing my hearing at 19 from an illness that caused an ear infection. my parents wanted me to hide it as much as possible. That was 11 years ago ( I am 30 now) and I wished I had learned more about all this and my options. I have hidden for so long it is affecting speech as well my ability to communicate with my hearing friends and family if they forget to look at me when speaking. Plus they say I am either screaming or they can not understand me at all (i assume i talk funny or mumble).
my point is accept yourself now and it will be easier. I am having to learn this too. I am refreshing my ASL skills by taking a class. i definitely live in a hearing dominate world but I am tried of people thinking i am either stupid or snobby because I am neither. I do not know how much hearing i will loose but every time i get an infection, which is often, because I get upper respiratory infections a lot. I get ringing in both ears and tons of fluid so I have try harder and harder to keep up.