people thinking i'm faking deafness...

[manya-hoh]

hey

i'm completely deaf in one ear, +100db in the other. however, i only started losing hearing around 10-15 years ago (43yo now), so i was born and raised hearing & oral. i have no problem continuing being oral, at least for the time being, when i have to. but the issue is that hearing people perceive it as a mixed signal somehow. it seems like it would be easier for them if i were completely deaf (or completely hearing).

i carry around a notepad, for them to write on whatever they want/need to say to me. i mean, with friends i just chat on phone, but strangers ferociously refuse to use phones. they are freaked out by speech-to-text deaf apps, fearing that their words are being recorded somehow, they literally run away lol. and they won't type on memo pad either, i'm not sure why. but handwriting on paper they are more or less willing to do. grudgingly, but yeah.

however, i am able to guess some of what they are saying. idk, "hi," "bye," "have a nice day," "take a seat, a nurse will call you," "your total is $xxx" - i can guess these things, because they are predictable. i'm not very good at lip reading, and i don't hear enough sounds to actually carry out a conversation, but between non-verbal cues, and muffled sounds, and general context of the conversation - yeah, sometimes i'm able to guess what the person is saying. and other times i can't. so sometimes i answer them, and other times i tell them i can't hear and ask them to use my notepad.

and it's this inconsistency that angers them. they seem to think i'm faking deafness for attention or something.

example 1:
went to a doctors office today. walked up to the receptionist, said "hi, im hearing impaired, my name is manya-hoh, here's my id, i have an appointment today at 10am with dr so-and-so." if the receptionist said the usual "take a seat, the nurse will call you" - i woulda guessed it, thanked her, and the conversation would be over. but she said something i couldn't decipher. she was wearing a mask too. i told her i can't hear, handed her my notepad, she pushed it away and repeated one word a couple of times. based on her jaw movement (under the mask) it seemed like she was saying "actor?", and for the life of me i couldn't guess what could this mean in the context of a doctors appointment. i smiled, shook my head, said i couldn't hear her, offered my notepad again. after a few repeats she finally used it, and it turned out she needed my address. but she also unloaded a whole tirade on me, about how we've had a whole conversation no problem, and now all of a sudden i can't hear, pahleeease, with eye-rolls and "ugh" and all that. i mean, we did not have a conversation. i was the only one talking. the first time she said something - i asked her to use my notepad. should i have given her my notepad before saying anything? i mean, 90% of the time there's no need to, they just tell me to take a seat, there's nothing to say, that's why i didn't pull it out in the very beginning.

example 2:
same doctors office. at first i was talking with a new doctor that i never met before. she spoke at high frequencies, i didn't hear any sounds at all from her, and she wore a mask. so i told her i couldn't hear her, and had her write in my notepad. and then another doctor joined in. this one i interacted with before, was familiar with his speech patterns, and he speaks at low frequencies, and he took off his mask for me. so i was able to guess what he was saying. and that sent the first doc into a full-blown tantrum, throwing my notepad at me (literally threw it, hit my chest). the second doc told her i was reading his lips, and couldn't read hers cuz she was wearing a mask - that calmed her down a little, but she was still fuming and throwing things around.

example 3:
my case manager keeps trying to "catch" me at hearing, and shaking her finger at me with a mischievous smile whenever she "succeeds" at it. i mean, she has my medical records on file, she knows i'm hearing impaired, but somehow doesn't believe it i guess? for example, she'd say "hi," i'd respond, and she'd laugh and shake her finger, saying that see, you can hear no problem. i didn't hear her say "hi," i saw her say "hi," it's not the same. if she says "hi" facing away from me - i won't know it and won't be able to respond. but these nuances go over her head i guess.

honestly, for me it would be easiest if people just typed up whatever they have to say, on a tablet. but they insist on talking, and when it's short predictable interactions - i cave in, and try to accommodate, and it just always results in the above type of conflicts.

what am i doing wrong? should i just flat out refuse to "hear" whatever they are saying? but it's hard for me to pretend to not understand something that i do understand, like "have a nice day." hard for me to shrug my shoulders and give them my notepad, instead of responding "thanks, you too."

how do you guys do it? i figure people who are completely deaf are also able to guess basics like "have a nice day" or "take a seat" or such. do hearing people get angry at you too, for understanding some of what they say but not all of it?

thanks!

ps: for clarity, i never use the word "deaf" to describe myself, i say "hearing impaired." i'm not pretending to be something i'm not, i'm not exaggerating my hearing loss, i just really cannot hear what people are saying...

 

[Old Analog]

Yah I didn't want to misapprpriate deaf so for years I used hard of hearing, my deaf friends told me no I was late deaf, and I quit being oral because then people think you can hear, there's a difference between hearing and understanding, been there done that

 

[deerheart12]

Hi

Thank you for sharing your story. I am hard of hearing myself and have to navigate this new world of masks. Like you said I usually rely on routine and do the best I can. I do have hearing aids and I'm able to pick up some things. However with some people it is just impossible I often nod as though I understand (not a great idea in some situations I know! ) I also use a speech to text app that sometimes help but not always. I'm surprised how people seems to shy away from it according to your situation. It is possible it is this current political tension that no one wants to be recorded and stress could cause people frustrations/stress to boil over so it is possible why you got a lot of back lash. It does not mean it is your fault. We all have to learn new way of communication.

Now for those people who think you're lying and such who knows?! They probably do see people who pretend and stuff and just don't realize how much lip reading or how much cues we depend on that makes us seem to communicate like hearing people.

Does your doctor have sign language interpreters available? Maybe you can have someone help you repeat what they say or how to solve this miscommunication problem Or you can write a letter/ message to your doctor's place (humane resources/ customers services) explaining this treatment that you're getting and how can a deaf/hard of hearing person get help on communication clearly?

That seems really rude that people aren't helping you out ugh. I would be really frustrated yes. Maybe saying that you are deaf and that you communicate by lip reading so please use a paper or pen or using your phone text to speech app.

There seems to a a lot of issues dealing with masks among the deaf/hoh and how people are getting confuse or feeling scared about removing their mask to communicate. It's a huge challenge that's for sure!

Hope that helps !
Annie

 

[manya-hoh]

thanks for the replies!

I quit being oral because then people think you can hear

right, this seems to be the issue, unfortunately. strange imho, cuz obviously some people (like myself) lose hearing after they learn how to talk. not like you forget how to talk the moment you lose hearing. i do have an accent by now, but im still able to talk clearly enough for people to understand me, most of the time.

I also use a speech to text app that sometimes help but not always. I'm surprised how people seems to shy away from it according to your situation.

im surprised the people you interact with agree to use your app. nobody ever agreed to use mine. when they see a phone - they literally jump back and put their hands between us. i mean, there's nothing unusual about my phone, yet they react to it as if it were a bomb lol.

Does your doctor have sign language interpreters available? Maybe you can have someone help you repeat what they say or how to solve this miscommunication problem Or you can write a letter/ message to your doctor's place (humane resources/ customers services) explaining this treatment that you're getting and how can a deaf/hard of hearing person get help on communication clearly?

it's not my regular doctor. i'm having some surgeries, so these are surgeons/anesthesiologists/radiologists/etc at a large hospital, people i never saw before and hopefully will never see again. im not complaining of mean hospital staff, we'll figure it out with them one way or another. i was just illustrating the issue, because it's the same scenario with every stranger i bump into, when they discover that i can talk but can't hear.

i thought maybe i'm doing something wrong, because i'm still new to the issue, i dont know anyone who is deaf. i thought maybe this issue has an easy solution. just like people's refusal to use phone apps has a solution - physical paper notepad. but it seems like it really boils down to people believing that if i can talk - it must mean i can hear as well. to me it's bizarre logic, kind of like - if i can see a blind person, it must mean that the blind person can see me too lol. but yeah, seems like this is what people are thinking, about my hearing. oh well...

 

[deerheart12]

im surprised the people you interact with agree to use your app. nobody ever agreed to use mine. when they see a phone - they literally jump back and put their hands between us. i mean, there's nothing unusual about my phone, yet they react to it as if it were a bomb lol.

How are you doing it? Are you handing your phone to the person so they can speak to it? It's possible nurses and staff don't want to touch anything from a patient due to potential covid 19. I don't ask them permission or try to get them to hold my phone. I have the google live transcribe app open on and I hold it in my hand and after they speak I take a quick glance and response. I hold it open /flat so they can see it too. I'll leave it on a small table while I'm sitting in my chair for my regular infusion treatments and it'll pick up pretty well only if the person speaks clearly. I had one nurse who spoke too softly and didn't really talk much but the routine was the same nothing crazy. I always have paper and pen with me if it doesn't work. Or I'll gesture too.

When I had to stay in the hospital 6 years ago, I had to ask every doctor, nurse, to write down what they were saying since the mediation mess up my concentration and hearing and my hearing aids was not working as well so it was a challenge but writing was the best way to communicate with me at the time.

i thought maybe i'm doing something wrong, because i'm still new to the issue, i dont know anyone who is deaf. i thought maybe this issue has an easy solution. just like people's refusal to use phone apps has a solution - physical paper notepad. but it seems like it really boils down to people believing that if i can talk - it must mean i can hear as well. to me it's bizarre logic, kind of like - if i can see a blind person, it must mean that the blind person can see me too lol. but yeah, seems like this is what people are thinking, about my hearing. oh well...

that is true! I notice with some people who have no idea or never met with deaf/hard of hearing people tend to think we can hear or some strange thing. It is possible that the staff at your hospital do not have the training on how to deal with deaf/hoh people. I live near a deaf community so that is possible. You could try out saying that you are deaf and please speak louder/i read lips/ please write/type or do some gestures or sign language more often you might be surprise how this might get people to oh I need to be more clear with you and stuff. But yes as always there will be people who have no clue on how to act, freeze, freak out, stare, or run away for fear of making a mistake. And of course the dang covid 19.

 

[Jane B.]

You might refer to yourself as late deafened. And explain thus you can talk but some pitches and/or accents on in the range you have lost.

Manya-hoh
The amount of hearing I have currently is similar to yours but when I lost what is very different. I lost all hearing in my left ear at the age of 5 following an infection that followed measles. (I am 77 so that means that it was in 1947 or 48 depending on when in the year it was) My right ear was very good fairly well into adulthood but is currently to the point of being profound. So I grew up oral
= regular school & community college.

I have not had problems using Live Transcribe for a one on one conversation. I have a corded mic connected to my phone and hold that close to them without asking them to hold anything. It also really helps with a sound system in places like a church or the speaker on a computer or TV. It does not do well in a in person group because there is no way of knowing who is going to speak next to get the mic up to them.

 

[manya-hoh]

guys, thank you so much for the Live Transcribe tip, i was using another app, just installed Live Transcribe and i like it better. i hope hearing people will like it better too, fingers crossed

How are you doing it? Are you handing your phone to the person so they can speak to it? It's possible nurses and staff don't want to touch anything from a patient due to potential covid 19. I don't ask them permission or try to get them to hold my phone. I have the google live transcribe app open on and I hold it in my hand and after they speak I take a quick glance and response. I hold it open /flat so they can see it too. I'll leave it on a small table while I'm sitting in my chair for my regular infusion treatments and it'll pick up pretty well only if the person speaks clearly.

it was happening before covid19 too, but i think i might need a better phone. i can't just place my phone on a table and expect it to pick up speech. i gotta hold it for the person to speak into it, about 1-3ft from their mouth, depending on their volume and the amount of background noise. i don't give them my phone to hold, and i don't exactly ask for permission, i just tell them i'm hearing impaired (sign it), cannot hear them, but my phone can transcribe their speech for me, and hold the phone horizontally (screen up) between us, at chest level. and they jump back, put their hands between us, shake their head, and refuse to speak another word until i put the phone away. not just turn it off, but put it away in my purse. then i offer them my paper notepad, and after some convincing they might agree to use it. or might not, just depends.

Manya-hoh
The amount of hearing I have currently is similar to yours but when I lost what is very different. I lost all hearing in my left ear at the age of 5 following an infection that followed measles. (I am 77 so that means that it was in 1947 or 48 depending on when in the year it was) My right ear was very good fairly well into adulthood but is currently to the point of being profound. So I grew up oral
= regular school & community college.

actually seems somewhat similar i had an injury that resulted in middle ear infection when i was 3yo, that caused some loss in my right ear, but left was good, and right wasn't gone completely, not till i was in my late twenties. that's when the left started deteriorating too. my mom lost her hearing early too though, we both got otosclerosis, bones in middle ear fusing together. so there might be a genetic component to it, idk. but yeah, regular school/college/work as well.

I have not had problems using Live Transcribe for a one on one conversation. I have a corded mic connected to my phone and hold that close to them without asking them to hold anything. It also really helps with a sound system in places like a church or the speaker on a computer or TV. It does not do well in a in person group because there is no way of knowing who is going to speak next to get the mic up to them.

im not sure if holding a mic would work better than holding a phone. i guess it's worth trying, but it seems like they are scared of getting recorded. maybe it's really the app, maybe they don't like the look of my old one and will do better with Live Transcribe. i don't do group activities much, watch tv on mute with captions, and use instant messaging with people i know (whether in person or not). its mostly short first-and-only-time interactions with strangers that result in issues. it doesn't really matter to me what they think at the end of the day, i just hate angering/stressing them needlessly, and i want them to communicate whatever they gotta communicate to me, rather than run off in a fury or shoo me away.

i'll see if they like Live Transcribe better than my old app, thanks again for the tip, and i'll also count these interactions, to get a more accurate picture. because i feel like its "always" a problem - but i remember a few times when things went smoothly. im going to take notes for a month or so, to see which interactions were smooth and which weren't, if there are any patterns, and also - if my perception is indeed accurate, that majority of interactions go wrong. maybe im just not paying attention to the good ones, taking them for granted.

thank you for your support!

 

[Jane B.]

What I find helpful about the corded mic is it can be held closer to the sound source (someone talking in person, computer speaker, TV speaker, etc.) and still get the screen of the phone in a position that is easy for me to read. I wear trifocal glasses so where the phone screen is makes more difference to me than to some people.

 

[manya-hoh]

i've been taking notes for nearly two months. first of all - hearing people do like LiveTranscribe better, i see a lot less of jumping away now that i switched to it, thank you guys for recommending it. and second - i've discovered that people split into roughly three equal groups, about 30-35% each. one group accommodates without issues. another - outright refuses to accommodate, won't be convinced to, just ends the conversation and walks away. and the third group, about 30%, is the one that puzzled me, the people who have their own ideas on what hearing impairment means and what accommodations i need and don't need therefore. and yes, it does boil down to the fact that i'm oral, that's what throws them off.

example:
had an argument with one such person the other day. she wouldn't tolerate me using my phone, so i had her write in my notepad. she kept trying to talk instead, i kept redirecting her to the notepad. finally she wrote on it "but you can talk" i responded "yes, i can talk, but i cannot hear." she ignored the second part and wrote "then nothing prevents you from answering my question, you don't need me to write it down," with a triumphant look on her face.

my takeaway is that these people are just dense. that can't be helped. i'm not doing anything wrong. this is just something to live with.

 

[EllietheEncourager]

Good morning and thank you for sharing.

I work in the mental health care field and am studying to become a Deaf Advocate. I have had a client much like you; late onset deafness. They could speak and I wrote everything back. I would take them to their doctors appointments and ensure their rights were being observed. Either the doctor wrote the responses or I did. It bothers me a little more that your case worker is "trying to catch you hearing." Sounds like you need one with more compassion and professionalism, imho.

Telling them "I have late onset deafness" or I went deaf 10 years ago, making this at least a little easier for us...levity sometimes helps. It would quickly explain an move on from it. (I hope)

I am sorry this is an issue for you and others at all. Take care and good luck with your surgery.

 

[deerheart12]

i've been taking notes for nearly two months. first of all - hearing people do like LiveTranscribe better, i see a lot less of jumping away now that i switched to it, thank you guys for recommending it. and second - i've discovered that people split into roughly three equal groups, about 30-35% each. one group accommodates without issues. another - outright refuses to accommodate, won't be convinced to, just ends the conversation and walks away. and the third group, about 30%, is the one that puzzled me, the people who have their own ideas on what hearing impairment means and what accommodations i need and don't need therefore. and yes, it does boil down to the fact that i'm oral, that's what throws them off.

example:
had an argument with one such person the other day. she wouldn't tolerate me using my phone, so i had her write in my notepad. she kept trying to talk instead, i kept redirecting her to the notepad. finally she wrote on it "but you can talk" i responded "yes, i can talk, but i cannot hear." she ignored the second part and wrote "then nothing prevents you from answering my question, you don't need me to write it down," with a triumphant look on her face.

my takeaway is that these people are just dense. that can't be helped. i'm not doing anything wrong. this is just something to live with.

Thanks for the follow up! Glad you're getting something out of that app. I seem to do okay when there is a good wifi connection but once there is no wifi then it's all paper and pen or gestures!

Sometimes I feel like I need to go get an interpreter FOR the hearing person as they are in capable of speaking or communicating to me lol. I noticed many hard of hearing get frustrated with that issue of "but you can talk" issue so they just turn off their voice and use sign language /paper and pen as that really forces these people to communicate.

Best wishes to you

 

[sonocativo]

Ive has a few wearing masks I cant communicate with ( I am full deaf and have implants ) so if they dont sign/write or remove the mask I just stand there looking at them with no reply ( Im also oral ) eventually they get the hint. Now if a Doc ever threw anything at me Id have their ass handed to them, get the name, office and report it to authorities including any witnesses , if you get a lawyer they will have a field day, that is un professional !

 

[Jane B.]

A few ideas and a pleasant story; so this thread isn't ALL complaints!

How might they react to "I learned to talk before I lost my hearing"?

Another of the things I like about having a corded mic plugged into my phone is that by holding just the mic close to them keeps me from covering the mic in my phone with my hand as I hold my phone.

One of you mentioned needing WIFI for a good connection. Don't forget that you need data when not using WIFI. It is a matter of having data setup with your service provider and not having run out of however much your allotment is.

A few days ago I had some glitches in a delivery order from Domino's and I didn't happen to have my hearing aid in yet when the young man that delivered it got to my home. It turned out that we did have to talk about it and the young man that delivered it pulled out his phone when I could not get enough reading his lips. I am not sure what app he used but he wrote to me on his own! I told him about noticing once again how fast the younger generations are on the thumb keyboard on a phone then us older ones are but we are faster on a full size keyboard doing touch typing with all fingers.

 

[VisualistGang]

I've experienced something like this several times in restaurants, shops and so on. I can guess what people are saying based on visual cues and context. It doesn't mean I understood their spoken words. Often I pretends I can understand and come with vague answers like "hmmm", "yeah" and "we'll see", and follows instructions correctly. Someone have told me that it seems like I'm acting when I'm telling them I can't understand and why. Others are uncomfortable with written communication and gesture in fear of spreading virus. Pens gets touched and some believe if they moves their bodies too much, the virus particles in the air would be pushed on other people. Facial covering makes matters worse.

I just think not everyone have knowledge about how things works and if you got no experience, it's easy to assume things. Not everyone knows how to do it better. Of course I wished it wasn't like that and it's not an excuse for the way they acts. I think we should spread more awareness and send a complaint if someone isn't doing their job!

 

[gnuuser]

its sad people are so judgemental
I deal with deaf people all the time some can speak quite clearly that people dont understand that deafness can come later in life after someone has learned to speak.
ive learned to look directly at anyone so they can read my lips (if they can) and i always carry a notepad and pen if they cant.
But if a person is not used to being around the various levels of hearing impairment they will be skeptical about it.
that is too narrow minded thinking and their parents and teachers are to blame for not teaching them correctly.
wearing a tag saying your deaf would help but it also invites abuse in other ways and i would not want anyone to face that.

 

[malus handle]

hey

i'm completely deaf in one ear, +100db in the other. however, i only started losing hearing around 10-15 years ago (43yo now), so i was born and raised hearing & oral. i have no problem continuing being oral, at least for the time being, when i have to. but the issue is that hearing people perceive it as a mixed signal somehow. it seems like it would be easier for them if i were completely deaf (or completely hearing).

i carry around a notepad, for them to write on whatever they want/need to say to me. i mean, with friends i just chat on phone, but strangers ferociously refuse to use phones. they are freaked out by speech-to-text deaf apps, fearing that their words are being recorded somehow, they literally run away lol. and they won't type on memo pad either, i'm not sure why. but handwriting on paper they are more or less willing to do. grudgingly, but yeah.

however, i am able to guess some of what they are saying. idk, "hi," "bye," "have a nice day," "take a seat, a nurse will call you," "your total is $xxx" - i can guess these things, because they are predictable. i'm not very good at lip reading, and i don't hear enough sounds to actually carry out a conversation, but between non-verbal cues, and muffled sounds, and general context of the conversation - yeah, sometimes i'm able to guess what the person is saying. and other times i can't. so sometimes i answer them, and other times i tell them i can't hear and ask them to use my notepad.

and it's this inconsistency that angers them. they seem to think i'm faking deafness for attention or something.

example 1:
went to a doctors office today. walked up to the receptionist, said "hi, im hearing impaired, my name is manya-hoh, here's my id, i have an appointment today at 10am with dr so-and-so." if the receptionist said the usual "take a seat, the nurse will call you" - i woulda guessed it, thanked her, and the conversation would be over. but she said something i couldn't decipher. she was wearing a mask too. i told her i can't hear, handed her my notepad, she pushed it away and repeated one word a couple of times. based on her jaw movement (under the mask) it seemed like she was saying "actor?", and for the life of me i couldn't guess what could this mean in the context of a doctors appointment. i smiled, shook my head, said i couldn't hear her, offered my notepad again. after a few repeats she finally used it, and it turned out she needed my address. but she also unloaded a whole tirade on me, about how we've had a whole conversation no problem, and now all of a sudden i can't hear, pahleeease, with eye-rolls and "ugh" and all that. i mean, we did not have a conversation. i was the only one talking. the first time she said something - i asked her to use my notepad. should i have given her my notepad before saying anything? i mean, 90% of the time there's no need to, they just tell me to take a seat, there's nothing to say, that's why i didn't pull it out in the very beginning.

example 2:
same doctors office. at first i was talking with a new doctor that i never met before. she spoke at high frequencies, i didn't hear any sounds at all from her, and she wore a mask. so i told her i couldn't hear her, and had her write in my notepad. and then another doctor joined in. this one i interacted with before, was familiar with his speech patterns, and he speaks at low frequencies, and he took off his mask for me. so i was able to guess what he was saying. and that sent the first doc into a full-blown tantrum, throwing my notepad at me (literally threw it, hit my chest). the second doc told her i was reading his lips, and couldn't read hers cuz she was wearing a mask - that calmed her down a little, but she was still fuming and throwing things around.

example 3:
my case manager keeps trying to "catch" me at hearing, and shaking her finger at me with a mischievous smile whenever she "succeeds" at it. i mean, she has my medical records on file, she knows i'm hearing impaired, but somehow doesn't believe it i guess? for example, she'd say "hi," i'd respond, and she'd laugh and shake her finger, saying that see, you can hear no problem. i didn't hear her say "hi," i saw her say "hi," it's not the same. if she says "hi" facing away from me - i won't know it and won't be able to respond. but these nuances go over her head i guess.

honestly, for me it would be easiest if people just typed up whatever they have to say, on a tablet. but they insist on talking, and when it's short predictable interactions - i cave in, and try to accommodate, and it just always results in the above type of conflicts.

what am i doing wrong? should i just flat out refuse to "hear" whatever they are saying? but it's hard for me to pretend to not understand something that i do understand, like "have a nice day." hard for me to shrug my shoulders and give them my notepad, instead of responding "thanks, you too."

how do you guys do it? i figure people who are completely deaf are also able to guess basics like "have a nice day" or "take a seat" or such. do hearing people get angry at you too, for understanding some of what they say but not all of it?

thanks!

ps: for clarity, i never use the word "deaf" to describe myself, i say "hearing impaired." i'm not pretending to be something i'm not, i'm not exaggerating my hearing loss, i just really cannot hear what people are saying...

I have had the same result with people when I say "what", or I'm hearing impaired, or "could you speak up". All of these seemed to be "red flags" to some people, and that puts me at a disadvantage.
Being confident and showing confidence, to me, is most important, so anything I can do to put people at ease, is act natural, and look natural. Which means, no phone in my hand, no "ear antennas" out of my ears, and a smile on my face. ( because my favorite instrumental music is low on my ear.) No red flags so far. When I can interact with people
and not have them look past me, or shun me because I hesitate, or aren't quick to answer. That builds my confidence and theirs too. It really is about the corners of the mouth and eyes, and the hand "jesters", that make for a good conversation, but all to many people will not , stand up straight and look you in the eye, but when I do it, it kinda forces them to follow my lead, and they never know that I am severely handicapped, as far as being hearing impaired, goes, and they never know that my wife can hear them through my phone in my pocket, and be talking to me about what she hears, and they never know that I'm listening to Dark Side of The Moon...ha...
It just is so much better since I can now differentiate the sounds that i want to hear and let everything else go.
So far I have found that a hearing "aid" is more of a volume thing, and needs to be calibrated, but I can understand more now and don't need "volume", with my bone phones.

some thing that should be talked about is "personal security". You don't want to draw attention to yourself, and If you are connected to your friends on the phone, (in your pocket) that just increases "security for your friends too. I've always felt that people with a phone in their hand and earphones sticking out, are some what vulnerable to being "stalked" or snuck up on, whether they can hear perfectly or not. They are distracted by these devices, all day long, so I have seen , "How Not To Act".
My confidence is in my hands free attitude, and my abilities with my hidden "devices", which helps me be at the ready, and a little crooked smile on my face.

stay safe.

 

[x1heavy]

When I am dealing with a stranger I have to work really fast to stay on top of the situation as to what the stranger wants.

Hey mac, got a light? (Smoke etc) No.

Anything else is frivolous and I am finished with stranger at that point. Problems escalate if stranger gets persistent. (I am a licensed carry... we have predators and robbers etc which can be a problem threat) what part of no do you not understand, we are finished, I have nothing for you. Beat it. Scram, Vamanos etc. Ive had way too many beggars attempt a minor question that like asks for time or light or whatever as a lead in to much more serious threats.

Thats where body language and their overall comes into play.

This year with the crappy mask problems I choose not to deal with it. I just point to a gigantic old 1970's hearing aid hanging off and around one ear and shake my head. That takes care of most of everything stranger. Now with doctors and such... well. There is a notepad or they can go across the room and talk without mask and I'll pick it up. Or they bring in a interperter for me. (Hospital etc) We have the same doctors and same people who know me up to 25 or 30 years going to the same business for the same needs (Prescriptions etc) they see me, know who, why, what and so forth and have it ready for me asking for the money to finish the sale.

Sometimes I can turn a bad situation into one that is outrageous and funny. Especially when I use my voice. I did that once with work long ago and one person said where the hell you from? (This is Arkansas in the deep south, where am I from? Baltimore) so I broke out the Bawlmo and talked back to him in pure bawlmo and wrapped it up. He died laughing.) Turned out he was also a trucker and cannot place me right where in accent. (Think Arnie with thick accent) which is why its better not to speak when deaf some days. If you asked me the time in Bawlmo (Baltimore) I would tell you... EH... distreefiddy. (3:50)

He he he.

 

[sonocativo]

Some dont understand "Deaf" so my medical tat the Doctors love, as far as personal protection ( if the old threads are still here ) start them young and stay informed on the Laws... Im CC myself.

 

[x1heavy]

I like it.

The thing that I think would amuse a few who have not thought of it would have to date way back into the 80's when we were together and it got dark. In certain situations you don't need hearing to communicate when there are other ways to do so. Our school had a huge pool that was indoor and was then state of the art. I don't know how many truck tanker loads of water is in it but it's huge. If you were able to get inside there and be the first one in before the others arrived and get into the middle of it in about 8 feet of water you can find that it is very quiet there. Not just in sound but also in vibrations and so on. Of course once the rest of the people got into it its play time and very chaotic. I loved that kind of quiet. You can relax and think for a few minutes at least without problems.