Steinhauer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2009
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My Dad is profoundly and clinically deaf. He started to lose his hearing when he was in his early 20's and while he attended College. He was going to College to be a minister. He has what is called "progressive inner ear nerve damage" which meant that, his hearing was once corrected by the use of hearing aids .. but progressively worsened to the point of becoming deaf.
I have the same thing - except - I began losing my hearing at the age of four. There is a distinct difference between my father and I. For one thing, I was never cut out to be a minister
. Another thing ... I learned ASL. His brother, my uncle, also lost his hearing at about the same time my father did (it is a hereditary condition). My niece, however, lost her hearing at the age of 4 (like me).
then, my sister began losing her hearing at the age of 32. So ... none of us were "born deaf".
Anyways, my uncle decided to get bilateral cochlear implants a couple of years ago. for him, the results were amazing. He can hear better than his wife, and he understands speech better than most hearing people. Again, I am asserting here, that he was not born deaf, and learned speech from an early age and did not begin to lose his hearing until his 20's. He was accustomed to sound from memory (unlike a person whom was born deaf).
So .... my dad made the decision to also get bilateral cochlear implants. He was just approved for the procedure and has an appointment at Emory in a couple of weeks to discuss the procedure with a surgeon.
He used to play the piano and sing. He was a minister. Even as he lost all of his hearing, he would still play music because he could read music ... but he hasn't even glanced at a piano in over a decade. Now though .. that he was approved ... I can see that little glimmer in his eyes again.
Before what I said is misinterpreted ... no, he did not become sullen and depressed when he became deaf .... he missed the ability to hear.
I have the same thing - except - I began losing my hearing at the age of four. There is a distinct difference between my father and I. For one thing, I was never cut out to be a minister
. Another thing ... I learned ASL. His brother, my uncle, also lost his hearing at about the same time my father did (it is a hereditary condition). My niece, however, lost her hearing at the age of 4 (like me). then, my sister began losing her hearing at the age of 32. So ... none of us were "born deaf".
Anyways, my uncle decided to get bilateral cochlear implants a couple of years ago. for him, the results were amazing. He can hear better than his wife, and he understands speech better than most hearing people. Again, I am asserting here, that he was not born deaf, and learned speech from an early age and did not begin to lose his hearing until his 20's. He was accustomed to sound from memory (unlike a person whom was born deaf).
So .... my dad made the decision to also get bilateral cochlear implants. He was just approved for the procedure and has an appointment at Emory in a couple of weeks to discuss the procedure with a surgeon.
He used to play the piano and sing. He was a minister. Even as he lost all of his hearing, he would still play music because he could read music ... but he hasn't even glanced at a piano in over a decade. Now though .. that he was approved ... I can see that little glimmer in his eyes again.
Before what I said is misinterpreted ... no, he did not become sullen and depressed when he became deaf .... he missed the ability to hear.
