Michelena Boehmer Late Life Deaf

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paddelingbear

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:wave: Hello everyone:
My name is Michelena Boehmer. I have Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia and a host of other abilities. I never look at anything as a disability.:angel:

I had been losing my hearing quickly. 3 months total time. On News Years Eve morning I woke up completely deaf. I am a college student in a Gerontology degree program as well as Social Service degree program. I am also taking Psychology so that I can become a counselor.

I have a service animal named Bubba. He goes to all my classes. I was using an FM unit at first in classes. Then when my hearing left and College decided I need letters to prove I am deaf.:shock:

I signed up for ASL for this quarter so I could communicate with people. No one in all three classes would help with notes for me. When asked in my ASL class (these are all future Interpetures); they all looked at me and said no. I have asked te disability support services at the college for a scribe but first I must take my letters in to prove my deafness. There were no questions when it came to my hard of hearing. :hmm:

I sit in all three classes in a silent world not knowing what the heck is going on with no help from the instructors. I have two classes that I am required to watch and hear the videos which we watch online at home. I try to do well and so far I'm an "A" student. My hardest class is ASL-1 where I am supposed to hear the video and write down the words and sentences. Instead I spend days working on that video. My husband watches the videos with me and helps me with what the Interpetur is saying. I still spend hours on the video to learn the signs and sentence structure.

In ASL-1 class I watch my Instructor & as long as she uses visual I can get the gist, well part of the time. I just wish she would write on the board to at least give me a hint of whats going on. :type:


As for my hearing I miss it at times but am okay with it.
 
:welcome: Life should be much better next semester after you prove your deafness to their satisfaction.
 
:welcome: to AllDeaf forum. Have you talked with your ASL instructor that you are losing your hearing and that you were having a hard time understanding what the instructor is saying? It must be a very unsual class when it involved a video to show the signs and then later talking on what the signs mean (noted: should have a caption or subtitle on the word for sign). There might be other hard of hearing and deaf people who had never sign before and want to learn to sign from the ASL 1 class. This is very weird. :crazy:

For now, have fun reading and posting all the threads here. See you around here. :wave:
 
I am surprised that an ASL class would require students to listen an audio and then sign it in ASL. I took ASL classes and not once I was required to do something like that. I am profoundly deaf in both ears so if I was required to do something like that, I would have gotten an "F" in ASL.

Are your instructors aware of your hearing loss? They should be sensitive to it..if not, you can appeal?

:welcome: to AD!
 
shel90 said:
I am surprised that an ASL class would require students to listen an audio and then sign it in ASL. I took ASL classes and not once I was required to do something like that. I am profoundly deaf in both ears so if I was required to do something like that, I would have gotten an "F" in ASL.

Are your instructors aware of your hearing loss? They should be sensitive to it..if not, you can appeal?

:welcome: to AD!
Click to expand...

Shel, I am the same like you, but I started to read again and he was in an interpreters class for ASL 1 class, I think. I don't know why paddelingbear is doing the class mainly for hearing interpreters. He or she is in the wrong class. :hmm:
 
paddelingbear said:
When asked in my ASL class (these are all future Interpetures); they all looked at me and said no.
Click to expand...

What I am shocked and disappointed about is that the student to become interpreters said no with helping. Gods if it was me in the class I would jump at the chance to get some experience at least with helping someone in the field I would be working with later on.

Welcome and I hope you will be able to find the assistance you are unable to get at school at this time.
 
some people have no choice but take ASL in college. They should help her but seem to me all this class is doing is teaching hearing people how to be insensitive toward deaf people. Not a very good class at all.
 
Bottesini said:
:welcome: Life should be much better next semester after you prove your deafness to their satisfaction.
Click to expand...
I hope so. I have given the letters to the disability services. Now I wait 8 weeks for a note taker. The semester will be over by then.
All of this makes me smile, if not I would cry. I am looking at it as a small hurdel.
 
Hello again Michelena Boehmer

:lol: Hello everyone.
Thank you for your warm welcome.:D

The strange part is that I took papers in from the Audiologist showing them there is no hearing. Less than 10% in left ear. All the rest is gone. Because I returned the FM unit they want more proof.

I spoke to my ASL-1 Instructor informing her that I'm deaf now. But I'm still requried to "hear" the video.:(
As for my Chemical Dependency class I still am required to watch a video and "hear" it. I spoke to this Instructor as well. Not hearing the video is unacceptable. :confused:
My Aging & Personality Instructor is helpful.:cool2::applause:

When the ASL students did not want to help it crushed me:ugh: Then the Chemical Dependency Students did the same thing I had to leave the room to compose myself.

Yes the ASL is being taught as a hearing class. But I'm holding my own with straight A's. I asked the ASL Instructor to have students put cotten or ear plugs during class at least once to help them understand. :deaf: I am learning patience. I've been asked why go to college if I'm deaf. I responded "I'm deaf not dumb". Their answer "your deaf and don't belong in college. Ignorance is everywhere. I have a deaf Uncle. Now I can truly understand what he went through. I am working on lip reading but need lots of practice.
:ty:for all your support. It feels good to talk & listen to people who were born deaf/became deaf & HOH, as well as blind. I will check back in a few days.
have to get rest for school. I like to show them that nothing will stop me from getting my degrees.
Michelena Boehmer
 
wow.. an ASL class that uses sounds!?!?! WHAT!?!?! i've never even HEARD of that! I LOVE my ASL class because it's finally a level playing field!
Hope things improve for you!
Welcome to AD!
*EQL*
 
Hello Bebonang:
I spoke to the Instructor the first day. In fact before the semester started I explained it all to her. I told her I could not understand what is being said. The strangest part for me is when I found out it was required I watch & hear. I found out that my case manager with DVR (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation) had sent everything before the first day. I was shown the fax by my case manager along with the time it went and if it went through.
 
Still trying to get help Now week 6

:wave:
Bebonang said:
Shel, I am the same like you, but I started to read again and he was in an interpreters class for ASL 1 class, I think. I don't know why paddelingbear is doing the class mainly for hearing interpreters. He or she is in the wrong class. :hmm:
Click to expand...

It is a hearing class. That's my biggest problem. Until Thursday, February 4
I had noticed Wednesday that my name & Bubba (Service Animal) was being fingerspelled. So I act like I see nothing. Then I noticed that they would sign derogatory remarks (doesn't help them when they point at you) some very cruel signs as well as fingerspelling. I had already been crying for weeks over the way I'm being treated by classmates, the dss office, and feelings of invisible, and like the kid no one wants to pick to play on their team in grade school.:hmm: I was one of those kids.
I had time to decide what I would do. Knowing a group session was going to be the next day :cool2::angel: I walked up to my Instructor and plainly said "I refuse to take part in any class groups today" I'm tired of being treated like a joke, Bubba like a joke. This is supposed to be an ASL class not day care. I explained to her what has been going on & she looked at me and said "These people would never act that way, your just making this up especially Angie (hoh oral)" Then I told her "Doesn't matter I want to be left alone during group time, I'm not in the mood for them today, I tired of crying, of being treated like scum, and they need to shut up about Bubba (he loves people, does therapy work with elderly) their walking on dangerous territory and I will not be treated like this.
Next she asked how would you know those signs? Told her none of her business." So she said it is my business when you make false acquisitions" So once again she asked. I told her you really don't want to know because like everyone else I'm judged on who I know."
She pushed for it so I told her. My Uncle became deaf ater the whooping cough almost killed him, he was 10. He is now 76. He got tired of idiots like the ones in here. He rode with "Hells Angels" for many years. It is people like that, that caused his hate for y'all". Whenever he and his biker friends would drop in they would sign to me, and each other. I learned signing from him & buddies, while I have forgotten all the other words, signs, etc...I remember every swear word, rude remark, etc...and I wont tolerate it. Especially when it comes to Bubba."
That day was the day everyone was supposed to learn how to get deaf peoples attention. I told each one to stay away, go away, practice on hearing people and leave me alone.
There is a red head that I can't stand, as well as the hoh. She started to touch me, I told her I wouldn't do that. She did it anyway. I told her to move quickly because my old self is coming out. I turned a little, when she walked by I put my food out. Not a big deal to me. She looked' at me as did the Instructor. I simply said "should be careful and watch where your going cause your off balance today.":cool2::devil:

Now the next day was our perceptive test. I told her after the test that I know I was rude yesterday. She looked up and signed it will not be tolerated ever again. What you did was wrong and you owe them all an apology. My response was simple "you get what you put out in this world." I also told her your right I won't tolerate their behavior any longer. :fruit: I told my husband that she wants me to write an apology. He looked at me and laughed. I told him don't worry because I won't be apologizing. :bump:
I explained to him that I'll write but they will know what they did, as well as to look at the persons' body language. And there are other deaf people like myself and put up with this nonesense.:nana: I just couldn't believe the Instructor, I told her for someone who hears and spends a lot of time in the deaf community, you would think you had a clue by now about people like these kids.:laugh2::smash: I told her that she does not want my husband to get involved, his biker self is coming out and trust me don't push it.:cool2::smoking: And still the drama continues.
If it had not been for all the beautiful poeple on this website I would still be depressed and crying. I came to terms with everything and decided "forget them, using other words" These people are dictating my life, who I am and are destroying my whole sense of being. When I got up this morning I told my husband & mother that I'm back. I was a proud educated hearing woman, who then became a proud severe hoh, and now I'm more than proud that I'm death because this is my path and I feel God wants me this way so I can go where I supposed to & help the elderly.
:ty::ty:I have all of you to thank for that. I added a photo of my lil' boy. Bubba is 1/2 pit & 1/2 American Bull dog and a very good boy to boot.
 
paddelingbear said:
:wave:

It is a hearing class. That's my biggest problem. Until Thursday, February 4
I had noticed Wednesday that my name & Bubba (Service Animal) was being fingerspelled. So I act like I see nothing. Then I noticed that they would sign derogatory remarks (doesn't help them when they point at you) some very cruel signs as well as fingerspelling. I had already been crying for weeks over the way I'm being treated by classmates, the dss office, and feelings of invisible, and like the kid no one wants to pick to play on their team in grade school.:hmm: I was one of those kids.
I had time to decide what I would do. Knowing a group session was going to be the next day :cool2::angel: I walked up to my Instructor and plainly said "I refuse to take part in any class groups today" I'm tired of being treated like a joke, Bubba like a joke. This is supposed to be an ASL class not day care. I explained to her what has been going on & she looked at me and said "These people would never act that way, your just making this up especially Angie (hoh oral)" Then I told her "Doesn't matter I want to be left alone during group time, I'm not in the mood for them today, I tired of crying, of being treated like scum, and they need to shut up about Bubba (he loves people, does therapy work with elderly) their walking on dangerous territory and I will not be treated like this.
Next she asked how would you know those signs? Told her none of her business." So she said it is my business when you make false acquisitions" So once again she asked. I told her you really don't want to know because like everyone else I'm judged on who I know."
She pushed for it so I told her. My Uncle became deaf ater the whooping cough almost killed him, he was 10. He is now 76. He got tired of idiots like the ones in here. He rode with "Hells Angels" for many years. It is people like that, that caused his hate for y'all". Whenever he and his biker friends would drop in they would sign to me, and each other. I learned signing from him & buddies, while I have forgotten all the other words, signs, etc...I remember every swear word, rude remark, etc...and I wont tolerate it. Especially when it comes to Bubba."
That day was the day everyone was supposed to learn how to get deaf peoples attention. I told each one to stay away, go away, practice on hearing people and leave me alone.
There is a red head that I can't stand, as well as the hoh. She started to touch me, I told her I wouldn't do that. She did it anyway. I told her to move quickly because my old self is coming out. I turned a little, when she walked by I put my food out. Not a big deal to me. She looked' at me as did the Instructor. I simply said "should be careful and watch where your going cause your off balance today.":cool2::devil:

Now the next day was our perceptive test. I told her after the test that I know I was rude yesterday. She looked up and signed it will not be tolerated ever again. What you did was wrong and you owe them all an apology. My response was simple "you get what you put out in this world." I also told her your right I won't tolerate their behavior any longer. :fruit: I told my husband that she wants me to write an apology. He looked at me and laughed. I told him don't worry because I won't be apologizing. :bump:
I explained to him that I'll write but they will know what they did, as well as to look at the persons' body language. And there are other deaf people like myself and put up with this nonesense.:nana: I just couldn't believe the Instructor, I told her for someone who hears and spends a lot of time in the deaf community, you would think you had a clue by now about people like these kids.:laugh2::smash: I told her that she does not want my husband to get involved, his biker self is coming out and trust me don't push it.:cool2::smoking: And still the drama continues.
If it had not been for all the beautiful poeple on this website I would still be depressed and crying. I came to terms with everything and decided "forget them, using other words" These people are dictating my life, who I am and are destroying my whole sense of being. When I got up this morning I told my husband & mother that I'm back. I was a proud educated hearing woman, who then became a proud severe hoh, and now I'm more than proud that I'm deathbecause this is my path and I feel God wants me this way so I can go where I supposed to & help the elderly.
:ty::ty:I have all of you to thank for that. I added a photo of my lil' boy. Bubba is 1/2 pit & 1/2 American Bull dog and a very good boy to boot.
Click to expand...

First, I think your dog is beautiful.
Second , this is not a criticism, but see the bolded. And I think you are having quite a few issues , whether related or unrelated to being late deafened.
I think you need to see your doctor. And soon. This whole post seems like paranoia, and I am not surprised by your teacher's reaction.
Please see a doctor.
 
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