Stuck in the middle?

xunixan

xunixan

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Do any of you feel like you're "stuck in the middle" in that you can hear, but yet you can't?

What I mean by that is, in quieter situations hearing is okay, but going out to a restaurant or pub can be daunting at best as suddenly hearing becomes such a struggle!

How do you all cope with that? What sort of alternative activities do you do?
 
Nope. Born deaf, still deaf, will always be deaf. C.I. doesn't make me less deaf, just technologically advanced. :P
 
@Mewtilation
so the CI is just handy basically? i've got two CI's (sudden onset for me) as well and sometimes its easy to forget i'm deaf in quiet places or listening to movies/tv but then I go out and try and do something and its all too noisy.

Do you lip read? sign? what do you do in a noisy situation?
 
xunixan said:
@Mewtilation
so the CI is just handy basically? i've got two CI's (sudden onset for me) as well and sometimes its easy to forget i'm deaf in quiet places or listening to movies/tv but then I go out and try and do something and its all too noisy.

Do you lip read? sign? what do you do in a noisy situation?
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C.I.'s for the people born profoundly deaf do not make most of us hear like most people think they do. Many who are fitted in their adult life after being born deaf ( myself ) still rely on lipreading a great deal in noisy situations. I can make out speech and stuff sure..... but it's almost overwhelming sometimes, I'd much rather just not wear it. I wear it at work, and that's it. Being I was born deaf, yes I communicate with ASL and lipreading mostly. I have many years of vocal therapy under my belt so my voice isn't AS terrible as it could be..... I can't really relate to your situation being I was born profoundly deaf, and could never really forget I was deaf in any situation. If you're wearing a C.I. and it functions properly in quiet environments but is chaos in regular every day noisy ones, I'd go see about having that looked at or adjusting it. When was your last mapping session with your audi? Maybe it's something he needs to be aware of as well. Lipreading isn't a cake walk for most. Again being born deaf, it's just something I've done forever and a day, so I'm not really 110% sure how difficult it is. I know 40% is about average on lipreading, but I score much higher. It varies person to person as anything I'm sure. ASL doesn't help in situations where there are no ASL users. While I advocate and encourage the use and learning of ASL, if you don't have people around who sign, it won't be much use to you. Personally most of my friends are deaf and sign, and my family signs but I don't run into many strangers personally who do, so it might not be something to help your situation. Practicing lipreading never hurts. Seriously though, I'd go see your audi and make sure everything's golden. That's an expensive device on you, damn right I'd be up there with any questions or concerns I had. I know my audi probably hated my GUTS the first year or so I had mine..... :laugh2: But I'm sure they're used to it.
 
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