Music

One of the worst things about being deaf is not being able to hear the music my pre-teen is listening to .......................... one of the best things about being deaf is not being able to hear the music my pe-teen is listening to...........................................

So much happening in the land of the deaf!

It's been a while since I have posted, sorry. Deaf or not, life is full steam ahead, working full time and the kids/husband/house/dog. However something happened today that I just had to share.
My work have bought me an FM system. My audi calls it a glorified microphone. It comes in two pieces; the mircophone (looks like a remote control), and a small attachment for my cochlear. It is wireless and has bluetooth. I put the microphone on a table or in front of the person/people I'm wanting to hear and it sends their voice/s directly to my cochlear.
I tried it for the first time today in an all day meeting. The first time I turned it on I nearly fell off my chair! It was amazing! The sound is as if the person/people are standing right in front of me and it is crystal clear. For the first time in six months I heard nearly 100% of the meeting, despite the fact that we were in a big room sitting around a huge boardroom table.
At one stage during the meeting I excused myself and went to the bathroom two rooms away. This is the creepy bit, I could still hear the meeting going on two rooms away!! I had a brief thought that they might be able to hear me going to the toilet even though I know it only works one way. I then realised that I could leave it in an interview or something and listen to what they said about me once I had left the room. Food for thought, but for now, I'm going to take it everywhere I go, meetings, appointments, teaching, lunch break, conferences ....................... the world is my oyster once again. Yay!

What you need to know about deaf people ......

Actually, if you have been reading my posts you will already know but I'll list them anyway (this is my personal list and doesn't apply to all deaf people):

1. We need to see your face to "hear" you. We need visual cues even if we aren't lip reading.

2. We are really tired. Commuicating for deaf people takes double the effort than it does for a hearing person.

3. We have empathy for others with disabilities, who suffer pain and face difficulties but not so much for those who complain about minor upsets.

4. We can get a bit touchy. Deaf people need to connect with others just like everyone does so we use our others senses a bit more. Touch and sight are very important to us.

5. Deafness does not effect our cognitive processing. Our brains are fine thank you. Do not lower your expectations of us but don't expect the impossible.

6. We are offended by your frustration with us. Most deaf people don't choose to not hear what you say correctly. We know it's frustrating to have to repeat yourself but you need to learn to do this without showing it. The most offensive thing you can do is say "don't worry" and dismiss us when we don't hear you the first time.  x

New Tactic

The last few days I've developed a new tactic. Instead of saying "pardon" all the time (like 230 times a day), I repeat to the person what I think they have just said to me. Usually it's something so far from what they actually said it gets a laugh and then they repeat themselves without me having to ask them to. This worked well last night, while I attended two parties, a 50th and a 40th. I knew people at both parties so they just laughed when I repeated silly things I thought they said. I'd give you an example but I didn't really understand what they actually said in the first place, even after they repeated it, but it still broke the mood and got a laugh and that's what parties are all about. I may have a new life as a deaf comedian, at least I wouldn't hear if I was heckled!!

Can you see me?

My parents delight in telling a story of when I was little. It's not that funny but I asked, if I shut my eyes can you still see me? Well, this has become more of a reality for me lately as I struggle to hear people I can't see. My husband doesn't get it but I really can't hear unless I can see people. I'm still using visual cues and lip reading and even if someone is close to me but standing behind me, I can't hear them. As a result, I'm now worried about going blind! Don't laugh. I was always worried about going totally deaf and that happened.
I was talking to a friend yesterday who is having trouble with her hearing in one ear. She asked me why she had trouble understanding people when she couldn't see them clearly. I imagine that hearing people use visual cues just as much but don't realise it until they have to rely on them.

The Work Lunch

This week at work was interesting. I had a full week of classes and one of the teaching strategies I use is to stimulate discussion on certain points with my students. This is fine except that I can't hear what my students are saying, or worse, when they are asking a question. To keep the class moving along nicely I often pretend I've heard, make some sort of generic comment, and move on.
However, this wasn't the most challenging thing of my week.

Friday I had a meeting regarding a big project I'm working on. It was a really important meeting and I needed the information being presented to complete the project. This meeting however, was being held in a restaurant, a noisy restaurant. I can hear the collective sighs of deaf people the world over. Yes, they were holding a make or break meeting in a noisy restaurant!!!!

Still, a free feed is a free feed, so off I went. There were four other people dining with me, one had great hearing but a quiet voice, the other had great hearing, the other wore a hearing aid, another had a grommet and had lost hearing in one ear and then there was me with a cochlear implant. I had to explain to the great hearing people (whom we were there to speak with in the first place), that I was lip reading and that they didn't have anything stuck in their teeth.

Anyway, I got about half of what was said and nodded and made some intelligent sounding comments on the stuff I didn't hear. Sometimes I would just agree enthusiastically when I had no idea what was going on. This seemed to work. Now I need to follow up with some of the others in the meeting and check everything that was said. My work now seems to use up twice as much energy and time as it once did. Lucky I don't waste time watching TV anymore!