Hello!
My name is Caitlin, and I am 14 years old, going on 15 (yes, I am younger than most of you ). I have a severe hearing loss in my left ear (somewhere between 20 and 25 percentage of hearing) and profoundly deaf in my right ear (0% hearing). I have a hearing aid for my left ear, which gives me a good 30 percent extra hearing. I used to have a hearing aid for my right (I was first diagnosed with a severe hearing loss in there at 3 before losing it all before age 7 or 8) then I got a cochlear implant surgery summer before second grade. I hated it as I never adapted to the sound of it, and last year I gave it up. I have a BICROS I use when I go out in public (I don't wear it at home). Anyway, for some reason, when I was born, I never had a hearing test. Mom suspected that I couldn't hear because I was speech delayed and I didn't respond to noises and voices and all. She told my doctor about it, but he chalked it up to just being developmentally slow and I would catch up soon. I never did. Finally, mom took me to a new doctor, got my hearing tested, and ta da, I was diagnosed. I was 3 at the time. I kinda remember getting hearing aids and going through speech therapy, but sorta fuzzy. My parents and siblings are all hearing, and I've done years and years of speech therapy (l'm still doing it). While I appreciate it, it gets frustrating sometimes. I am learning ASL as I have a few culturally deaf friends who communicates with it and I just find it fascinating. :P I've been a lurker here, and I finally decided to join and become an official member. It is wonderful to be surrounded with deaf, Deaf, and HOH people I can relate to. And hearing folks that are interested in our culture. I am so excited to be apart of this community.
My name is Caitlin, and I am 14 years old, going on 15 (yes, I am younger than most of you ). I have a severe hearing loss in my left ear (somewhere between 20 and 25 percentage of hearing) and profoundly deaf in my right ear (0% hearing). I have a hearing aid for my left ear, which gives me a good 30 percent extra hearing. I used to have a hearing aid for my right (I was first diagnosed with a severe hearing loss in there at 3 before losing it all before age 7 or 8) then I got a cochlear implant surgery summer before second grade. I hated it as I never adapted to the sound of it, and last year I gave it up. I have a BICROS I use when I go out in public (I don't wear it at home). Anyway, for some reason, when I was born, I never had a hearing test. Mom suspected that I couldn't hear because I was speech delayed and I didn't respond to noises and voices and all. She told my doctor about it, but he chalked it up to just being developmentally slow and I would catch up soon. I never did. Finally, mom took me to a new doctor, got my hearing tested, and ta da, I was diagnosed. I was 3 at the time. I kinda remember getting hearing aids and going through speech therapy, but sorta fuzzy. My parents and siblings are all hearing, and I've done years and years of speech therapy (l'm still doing it). While I appreciate it, it gets frustrating sometimes. I am learning ASL as I have a few culturally deaf friends who communicates with it and I just find it fascinating. :P I've been a lurker here, and I finally decided to join and become an official member. It is wonderful to be surrounded with deaf, Deaf, and HOH people I can relate to. And hearing folks that are interested in our culture. I am so excited to be apart of this community.