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Stella

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Hello Everyone,

I have a progressive hearing loss and I'm severely hearing impaired. My left ear is severe to profound and my right ear is profound. I have about 40% speech recognition in my left ear and none in my right. I rely on what I can still hear and lip reading to communicate. I can speak well and few people realize I am as hearing impaired as I am. I don't use hearing aids.

I'm at the point where I have to think about cochlear implants, but I'm not sure that's the route I want to take. The hearing people in my life think I should get them, but I think that has more to do with me being able to communicate with them rather than they learn sign language to communicate with me.

I've gone back to college to get a degree in IT. I want to be able to get a job where my hearing loss isn't going to be an issue.

I live in a small town on the Spacecoast in Florida. I don't know anyone in the deaf culture and there isn't any deaf center around where I live. I was hoping to meet others who are hearing impaired/deaf so I can learn from you.

Thanks,

Stella
 
I just love how hearing people think hoh or deaf people should get an implant just like that. That should be up the person and no one else. You might get some flap about saying you're 'hearing impaired' I personality have no issues with it.
 
Thanks for the head's up, whatdidyousay. I have a lot to learn and I don't want to offend anyone. If I have, I apologize.
 
oh I speak for myself: I'm the one who use hearing aids, and I have hearing loss with an average of 90 db. I speak the language well enough local and under the sea level :D
 
Stella said:
Hello Everyone,

I have a progressive hearing loss and I'm severely hearing impaired. My left ear is severe to profound and my right ear is profound. I have about 40% speech recognition in my left ear and none in my right. I rely on what I can still hear and lip reading to communicate. I can speak well and few people realize I am as hearing impaired as I am. I don't use hearing aids.

I'm at the point where I have to think about cochlear implants, but I'm not sure that's the route I want to take. The hearing people in my life think I should get them, but I think that has more to do with me being able to communicate with them rather than they learn sign language to communicate with me.

I've gone back to college to get a degree in IT. I want to be able to get a job where my hearing loss isn't going to be an issue.

I live in a small town on the Spacecoast in Florida. I don't know anyone in the deaf culture and there isn't any deaf center around where I live. I was hoping to meet others who are hearing impaired/deaf so I can learn from you.

Thanks,

Stella
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:welcome: to AllDeaf Forum.

The first bold statement about hearing impaired is not the right word. Anyway, on the second bold, you are definitely deaf, not hard of hearing. If you are oral, then you are deaf with the small letter d. If you know ASL and know about Deaf Culture, then you are Deaf. But I think you have not met any d/Deaf people near your home area.

If you are living in a small town, then the only way is to go to the city closer to your area where there are d/Deaf people there for Deaf events.

I hope you enjoy reading and posting here. See you around here. :wave:
 
Welcome! Have you given thought to trying HAs first before the CI? If you don't wear them now it might be a good starting point.
 
mortimer mouse said:
oh I speak for myself: I'm the one who use hearing aids, and I have hearing loss with an average of 90 db. I speak the language well enough local and under the sea level :D
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Thank you, mortimer.

Do you dive? Since I live on the Spacecoast in Florida everyone I know dives.

Bebonang said:
Anyway, on the second bold, you are definitely deaf, not hard of hearing. If you are oral, then you are deaf with the small letter d. If you know ASL and know about Deaf Culture, then you are Deaf. But I think you have not met any d/Deaf people near your home area.

If you are living in a small town, then the only way is to go to the city closer to your area where there are d/Deaf people there for Deaf events.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Bebonang.

I never thought of myself as deaf. Right now, I'm in college which limits my time. I plan on moving to a larger town for employment when I graduate in a couple years and I can get involved in Deaf culture. I plan on taking ASL next summer, plus I can use it as a second language for my degree requirements.

AlleyCat said:
Welcome! Have you given thought to trying HAs first before the CI? If you don't wear them now it might be a good starting point.
Click to expand...

Thank you AlleyCat.

I have tried hearing aids. They only increase my speech recognition by maybe 10% to 15%. Since they are so expensive, I'm not sure if the cost factor is worth it to gain so little help from them. I'd have to take out a student loan to buy them and I really don't want to do that.

I went to VR for help with hearing aids and, at first, they put me at a priority 1 due to the severity of my hearing loss. Since my hearing loss was the only issue, they down graded me to priority 2 and put me on a wait list. That was a year ago.

Right now I am coping, so perhaps after I get my degree and get a good job I will have more options available to me.
 
Bebonang said:
:welcome: to AllDeaf Forum.

The first bold statement about hearing impaired is not the right word. Anyway, on the second bold, you are definitely deaf, not hard of hearing. If you are oral, then you are deaf with the small letter d. If you know ASL and know about Deaf Culture, then you are Deaf. But I think you have not met any d/Deaf people near your home area.

If you are living in a small town, then the only way is to go to the city closer to your area where there are d/Deaf people there for Deaf events.

I hope you enjoy reading and posting here. See you around here. :wave:
Click to expand...

The OP can use any words they want to describe their hearing lost. We still do have the freedom of speech .
 
Stella said:
Thank you, mortimer.

Do you dive? Since I live on the Spacecoast in Florida everyone I know dives.



Thank you, Bebonang.

I never thought of myself as deaf. Right now, I'm in college which limits my time. I plan on moving to a larger town for employment when I graduate in a couple years and I can get involved in Deaf culture. I plan on taking ASL next summer, plus I can use it as a second language for my degree requirements.



Thank you AlleyCat.

I have tried hearing aids. They only increase my speech recognition by maybe 10% to 15%. Since they are so expensive, I'm not sure if the cost factor is worth it to gain so little help from them. I'd have to take out a student loan to buy them and I really don't want to do that.

I went to VR for help with hearing aids and, at first, they put me at a priority 1 due to the severity of my hearing loss. Since my hearing loss was the only issue, they down graded me to priority 2 and put me on a wait list. That was a year ago.

Right now I am coping, so perhaps after I get my degree and get a good job I will have more options available to me.
Click to expand...


I went to rehab when I was in college to see if they would help with the cost of new HA and that was my only issue . Rehab got me new HA and I did not have to wait that long, this was some years back. I know VR and rehab funding been getting cut over the years so that could be way you moved down the list which I think stink.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I know VR and rehab funding been getting cut over the years so that could be way you moved down the list which I think stink.
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Yes, VR said the issue is funding cuts and they had to prioritize those who had multiple issues.
 
Stella said:
Thank you, mortimer.

Do you dive? Since I live on the Spacecoast in Florida everyone I know dives.
Click to expand...

hem.... :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:


mine was a joke!

I'm deaf, and I know that deaf people do not speak but doing signs with his hands, and it is exactly like the ones they do diving under the sea, hence my joke ....
and however, answering the question .... no, I do not do diving. I'm afraid to lose the toupee purple colour that I use to protect the head from sunburn :D

PS
very beautiful space coast!!
 
whatdidyousay! said:
This is happening everywhere and Special Ed is getting cut in schools too . :(
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Yaaay!!! I hate Special Education. I hope they put Deaf Program or Deaf education where we can get accommodations like ASL interpreters and notetaking. I am keeping my fingers cross. :cool2:
 
mortimer mouse said:
hem.... :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:


mine was a joke!

very beautiful space coast!!
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Oh, okay! I watched the last space shuttles take off from my front yard and see rockets take off regularly. Though, because I live in a rural area that is surrounded by nature preserves, when I walk the bike path in the park I see alligators.
 
Bebonang said:
Yaaay!!! I hate Special Education. I hope they put Deaf Program or Deaf education where we can get accommodations like ASL interpreters and notetaking. I am keeping my fingers cross. :cool2:
Click to expand...

Special Education is not only for deaf and hoh students , I had a note takers in college and I really did not find their notes helpful . Someone suggested me having a note taker I did take note myself ,it was hard but I found mine to be helpful when studying for a test.
 
:wave:....where is Spacecoast in Florida at?...Near Cape Canaveral?....:hmm:...anyway's...welcome aboard...Jacksonville native here.
 
rockin'robin said:
:wave:....where is Spacecoast in Florida at?...Near Cape Canaveral?....:hmm:...anyway's...welcome aboard...Jacksonville native here.
Click to expand...

Thanks rockin'robin.

Spacecoast Fl is the eastern edge of Brevard country. I live in Titusville. I want to go to Jacksonville to visit the zoo there!
 
Stella said:
Oh, okay! I watched the last space shuttles take off from my front yard and see rockets take off regularly. Though, because I live in a rural area that is surrounded by nature preserves, when I walk the bike path in the park I see alligators.
Click to expand...


oh i forgot.... i live in Rome. oh no, not Rome, GA.... :D
 
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