dealing with newfound deafness.
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etalton
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How do you cope/deal? I suppose that depends on the person. For me, it is "but for the grace of God go I".
I have had "normal" hearing for 50 years. Shortly after I turned 50, I started to notice the hearing in my left had drastically changed. I was having bouts of Vertigo and had developed these weird sounds in my ear (Tinnitus). After many trips to the Doctor, a CT scan, blood work and an MRI, the final diagnosis was Meneire's Disease (Syndrome). There is no known cause for this and no known cure either. It attacks one or both ears and can either leave you with bouts of Vertigo so bad you can barely get out of bed or it attacks your hearing.
I was doing great for the first year even though a ha was out of the question in my left ear due to nerve damage from the MD) but then, the hearing in my other ear started to decline and I started wearing my first hd (Oticon's Delta). That worked great..I was amazed at the sounds I could hear again, crackling leaves, paper rustling, etc. That was back in Sept of 2007. I was on a low sodium diet, taking diuretics and getting along fine. Then, I went to bed one night in January of this year and woke up with what I thought was just a simple head cold. My hearing was worse in the "good" ear, but I thought that was just the head cold. Well..the cold went away, but my loss of additional hearing did not. I now wear a Widex Inteo Pro and it helps a lot. I can understand one on one speech w/o having to look at the persons lips in a quiet room...But get real..who lives in a quiet room? or works in one? Not the majority of people. So, convo is a bit hard in a noisy environment, but hey..I can still hear..most things.
Anyway..the point I am trying to make in here somewhere is going back to my first statement...I could have it worse..I could be so crippled by Vertigo that I couldn't work or shop, or play with my grandaughter..
I could have cancer, all sorts of things..or I could no longer be on this earth. Good or bad, life is what you make it.
Not sure if that helps..but life does get better, just give it time. Take advantage of what resources there are out there for you. (I have thought of ASL classes, since I can take them at the local cc, but to be honest, I am a homebody when not working and the environment I work in does not have any ASL users that I know of and few people with severe hearing loss or deafness. Nor does my circle of family/friends. Perhaps I will get to that in time. After all..still adjusting myself.) I have found CC on the television and I have found sources for videos that I can download and find matching subtitles. At least I can still get up each morning and give each new day a chance...and so can you.
I have had "normal" hearing for 50 years. Shortly after I turned 50, I started to notice the hearing in my left had drastically changed. I was having bouts of Vertigo and had developed these weird sounds in my ear (Tinnitus). After many trips to the Doctor, a CT scan, blood work and an MRI, the final diagnosis was Meneire's Disease (Syndrome). There is no known cause for this and no known cure either. It attacks one or both ears and can either leave you with bouts of Vertigo so bad you can barely get out of bed or it attacks your hearing.
I was doing great for the first year even though a ha was out of the question in my left ear due to nerve damage from the MD) but then, the hearing in my other ear started to decline and I started wearing my first hd (Oticon's Delta). That worked great..I was amazed at the sounds I could hear again, crackling leaves, paper rustling, etc. That was back in Sept of 2007. I was on a low sodium diet, taking diuretics and getting along fine. Then, I went to bed one night in January of this year and woke up with what I thought was just a simple head cold. My hearing was worse in the "good" ear, but I thought that was just the head cold. Well..the cold went away, but my loss of additional hearing did not. I now wear a Widex Inteo Pro and it helps a lot. I can understand one on one speech w/o having to look at the persons lips in a quiet room...But get real..who lives in a quiet room? or works in one? Not the majority of people. So, convo is a bit hard in a noisy environment, but hey..I can still hear..most things.
Anyway..the point I am trying to make in here somewhere is going back to my first statement...I could have it worse..I could be so crippled by Vertigo that I couldn't work or shop, or play with my grandaughter..
I could have cancer, all sorts of things..or I could no longer be on this earth. Good or bad, life is what you make it.
Not sure if that helps..but life does get better, just give it time. Take advantage of what resources there are out there for you. (I have thought of ASL classes, since I can take them at the local cc, but to be honest, I am a homebody when not working and the environment I work in does not have any ASL users that I know of and few people with severe hearing loss or deafness. Nor does my circle of family/friends. Perhaps I will get to that in time. After all..still adjusting myself.) I have found CC on the television and I have found sources for videos that I can download and find matching subtitles. At least I can still get up each morning and give each new day a chance...and so can you.
Everlucent
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LoL
Sorry but I really needed to lol at the fact of you saying you had confidence and success with the ladies. I mean really come on. You were a drug heroin addict, that's like the worst loser drug that exists. You even lost a huge amount getting your dope yet you still do it? LoL people with confidense or any kind of success don't need to get doped up to make life seam better.
Don't worry too much crack whores don't care if you can hear or not so long as you bring their next bump. So you can still enjoy your "game" lol.
What a joke,
Sorry but I really needed to lol at the fact of you saying you had confidence and success with the ladies. I mean really come on. You were a drug heroin addict, that's like the worst loser drug that exists. You even lost a huge amount getting your dope yet you still do it? LoL people with confidense or any kind of success don't need to get doped up to make life seam better.
Don't worry too much crack whores don't care if you can hear or not so long as you bring their next bump. So you can still enjoy your "game" lol.
What a joke,
lovezebras
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Just because someone is an addict to something doesn't mean that ALL their life is shit..i know ppl are addicted to drugs but have faithful gf's helping them...not all drug addicts are degenerates and don't care about themselves..an addict is addicted a druggie doesn't care there is a difference most of the time
Thanks guys for all the help!
lil italia- yeah i'd def like to know how you cope HOH at 16 is pretty similar to me... I also have the tinnitus and just can't hear in my right ear cuz its loud as hell.
everyone else... In all things... I realize it could be bad... And i know there's no one to blame... but I feel like the quality of my life has just suffered dramatically. Yeah i could be blind/cancer/paralyzed and all that shit would suck... I dunno i guess i just fucked up and gotta deal with it.
Everlucent- You and newidme are the people that I am afraid of in REAL LIFE. what you think when you think junkie? some homeless on the street hustlin their game for the next bag?
Uh... bro, i'll post some pics in the gallery... But i guess deaf people are like hearing in the fact that they steryotype before they know SHIT about a NEW CULTURE.... yes being a junkie is a culture too. a culture which ALL TYPES of people can be in..
A little background, If you took anyone that i'm associated with thats not my good friend.. and told em i used to be a junkie... they woudl laugh and think you were lying... I'm CHINESE first of which most people steryotype to being good and school and all that jazz... even the JUNKIES i used to hang out with thought i was a cop or somethin cuz I don't look a THING like what you're thinking.. Yeah i can get girls, i go to school at the 2nd biggest state school in illinois (Northern illinois...the shooting school)
Shel90 - I guess you are right.. hearing people and deafies are the same.. we got the peole that think they got every culture figured out and they never lived a damn day in it. We got people steryotyping about other people due to 1 single fact that they attribute to everything a person is.
Everlucent, I don't need crack whores, I am NOT from the inner city, Actually I'm a suburban boy my whole life..You think being a junkie would ruin my game? HELL YES IT WOULD if they ONLY KNEW THAT I WAS. It's not like I wlak down the street with junkie tattoed on my arm man. I'm on an ONLINE forum where NO BODY KNOWS WHO I AM NOR WILLL EVER KNOW... so you know? I Could give a damn relaying this "personal" information upon ya'll.
Thank you everyone I will stay on the forum, I am not gonna change my name cuz like i said, i really don't care if people know I'm a junkie on an ONLINE forum.... what a joke. lol
EDIT: One more thing, I realize the "game' with girls is almost completely a confidence game... I would say 90%. You coudl be ugly as hell and still score if you got the confidence. What i'm sayin, is being deaf has cost me the confidence... I hate saying "what?" "huh?" "i can't hear you" after everything. i'm sure that kills the game as well. no one wants to repeat themselves a millioln times...
lil italia- yeah i'd def like to know how you cope HOH at 16 is pretty similar to me... I also have the tinnitus and just can't hear in my right ear cuz its loud as hell.
everyone else... In all things... I realize it could be bad... And i know there's no one to blame... but I feel like the quality of my life has just suffered dramatically. Yeah i could be blind/cancer/paralyzed and all that shit would suck... I dunno i guess i just fucked up and gotta deal with it.
Everlucent- You and newidme are the people that I am afraid of in REAL LIFE. what you think when you think junkie? some homeless on the street hustlin their game for the next bag?
Uh... bro, i'll post some pics in the gallery... But i guess deaf people are like hearing in the fact that they steryotype before they know SHIT about a NEW CULTURE.... yes being a junkie is a culture too. a culture which ALL TYPES of people can be in..
A little background, If you took anyone that i'm associated with thats not my good friend.. and told em i used to be a junkie... they woudl laugh and think you were lying... I'm CHINESE first of which most people steryotype to being good and school and all that jazz... even the JUNKIES i used to hang out with thought i was a cop or somethin cuz I don't look a THING like what you're thinking.. Yeah i can get girls, i go to school at the 2nd biggest state school in illinois (Northern illinois...the shooting school)
Shel90 - I guess you are right.. hearing people and deafies are the same.. we got the peole that think they got every culture figured out and they never lived a damn day in it. We got people steryotyping about other people due to 1 single fact that they attribute to everything a person is.
Everlucent, I don't need crack whores, I am NOT from the inner city, Actually I'm a suburban boy my whole life..You think being a junkie would ruin my game? HELL YES IT WOULD if they ONLY KNEW THAT I WAS. It's not like I wlak down the street with junkie tattoed on my arm man. I'm on an ONLINE forum where NO BODY KNOWS WHO I AM NOR WILLL EVER KNOW... so you know? I Could give a damn relaying this "personal" information upon ya'll.
Thank you everyone I will stay on the forum, I am not gonna change my name cuz like i said, i really don't care if people know I'm a junkie on an ONLINE forum.... what a joke. lol
EDIT: One more thing, I realize the "game' with girls is almost completely a confidence game... I would say 90%. You coudl be ugly as hell and still score if you got the confidence. What i'm sayin, is being deaf has cost me the confidence... I hate saying "what?" "huh?" "i can't hear you" after everything. i'm sure that kills the game as well. no one wants to repeat themselves a millioln times...
lovezebras
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I sent u my aim sn on ur profile page if u wud like to chat. And i can [almost]totally relate to what u are going thru! I use to use a white noise machine til i heard creepy sounds from it and it reminded me of the movies white noise
lmao
Everlucent
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What a joke
LoL, crit by a wall of poor me.
I couldn't careless dude. You come on here and string a thread as a bragart talking about how "Cool" you are with all the "Game" while being a dope fiend. Yeah I say fiend, why, cause you're not just smoking pot or popping some X you're Over Dosing running a needle into your arm of the most anti-social low life shit there is. You're obviously not just your social or occational drug user and even after you paid a big price you're still sorry enough to keep doing it i.e. Fiend.
So do I feel sorry for you that you lost your hearing? Hell No, maybe if you hadn't been a bragart I would of said that sucked, but you were.
You know there are some people who just lost their hearing for No reason. They we're not drug addicts or around other un safe situations and one day their hearing started to leave them. Some are born with it. Yet you want all this sypathy after you did it to yourself with the choices you made and continue to make. You won't be getting any from me that's for sure, and if you don't like it then whatever learn not to do your laundry in public.
(Posted from my bb, so not well spoken)
LoL, crit by a wall of poor me.
I couldn't careless dude. You come on here and string a thread as a bragart talking about how "Cool" you are with all the "Game" while being a dope fiend. Yeah I say fiend, why, cause you're not just smoking pot or popping some X you're Over Dosing running a needle into your arm of the most anti-social low life shit there is. You're obviously not just your social or occational drug user and even after you paid a big price you're still sorry enough to keep doing it i.e. Fiend.
So do I feel sorry for you that you lost your hearing? Hell No, maybe if you hadn't been a bragart I would of said that sucked, but you were.
You know there are some people who just lost their hearing for No reason. They we're not drug addicts or around other un safe situations and one day their hearing started to leave them. Some are born with it. Yet you want all this sypathy after you did it to yourself with the choices you made and continue to make. You won't be getting any from me that's for sure, and if you don't like it then whatever learn not to do your laundry in public.
(Posted from my bb, so not well spoken)
I didn't come asking for sympathy.. get the fuck out my thread then boy.
yeah? low life shit there is huh? seriously get the hell outta here lol. why bother postin some LOW LIFE SHIT like you just did.
I didn't criticize you in any form... so why you gotta be an asshole? I was just askin a simple question yet the haters come spewing bullshit.
LOL damn. You'd think I was on the BLIND forum around here.. I'm new and i see that no one can read... I KNOW I DID THIS TO MYSELF... I AM NOT LOOKING FOR SYMPATHY...i've said it this is being my 3rd time... if you're blind i'll gladly call you and tell you that.
once again. GET the fuck outta my thread if you got nothin to say. peace out bro.
sorry another thing, I didn't mean to be a bragart... I was just simply stating what i felt...i didn't know that would spawn alot of haters.... but i felt i needed to because i was stating a major reason i feel the quality of my life has over all suffered... I never asked anyone especially YOU to feel sorry for me you know... i was ASKING people how they DEAL with newfound deafness... you have really contributed NOTHING to the question i asked... INSTEAD you have insulted, criticized, and hated on me for no reason other than that you think i'm a "low life junkie" when i said i quit... relapse 2 times? BIG FUCKING DEAL you know how hard it is to quit heroin in the first place? so fucking hard that most people are too scared to ever dare venture near that.
You think being a junkie is a lowlife? i'm sorry but go try some heroin... and come back and tell me you didn't turn into a junkie... im sorry for being addicted to one of the most addictive substances known to man?
EDIT: mmm.... i'm on some forums.. and i've met my share of people in real life.. but i gotta say... there's ALOT of haters in the deaf community.... like wow... really opened my eyes to some shit.
yeah? low life shit there is huh? seriously get the hell outta here lol. why bother postin some LOW LIFE SHIT like you just did.
I didn't criticize you in any form... so why you gotta be an asshole? I was just askin a simple question yet the haters come spewing bullshit.
LOL damn. You'd think I was on the BLIND forum around here.. I'm new and i see that no one can read... I KNOW I DID THIS TO MYSELF... I AM NOT LOOKING FOR SYMPATHY...i've said it this is being my 3rd time... if you're blind i'll gladly call you and tell you that.
once again. GET the fuck outta my thread if you got nothin to say. peace out bro.
sorry another thing, I didn't mean to be a bragart... I was just simply stating what i felt...i didn't know that would spawn alot of haters.... but i felt i needed to because i was stating a major reason i feel the quality of my life has over all suffered... I never asked anyone especially YOU to feel sorry for me you know... i was ASKING people how they DEAL with newfound deafness... you have really contributed NOTHING to the question i asked... INSTEAD you have insulted, criticized, and hated on me for no reason other than that you think i'm a "low life junkie" when i said i quit... relapse 2 times? BIG FUCKING DEAL you know how hard it is to quit heroin in the first place? so fucking hard that most people are too scared to ever dare venture near that.
You think being a junkie is a lowlife? i'm sorry but go try some heroin... and come back and tell me you didn't turn into a junkie... im sorry for being addicted to one of the most addictive substances known to man?
EDIT: mmm.... i'm on some forums.. and i've met my share of people in real life.. but i gotta say... there's ALOT of haters in the deaf community.... like wow... really opened my eyes to some shit.
Bebonang
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Well, now you have to adapt to your deafness whether you like it or not. I understand where Everlucent came from. There has been a lot of addicts (alcoholics, dope addicts, gambler addicts, and cigarette addicts) that got a lot of addicts tried to quit, but they don't have the willpower to quit. Also they can lie to their teeth if they are not honest to people about saying that they can quit doing terrible addiction habit. It is call the disease of the addiction which make people get sick and not be able to get well. You have to get use to be deaf just like all the rest of the late deafend people who now realize what deaf is like. And you think being deaf is suck. But we don't think so. Silence is golden to us. You screw up big time with losing your hearing, but that is something you have to deal with it. Don't be angry with Everlucent or me except yourself. You can not blame anyone. We really still want you to stay on the forum to learn how to adjust to your hearing and learning from us. This is a discussion forum and we will all try to be fair and square about our deafness. I hope you understand what I am saying as you just don't get it. 
lovezebras
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i do not agree with some of wat everlucent he was not that nice and ur right he has to adjust to being deaf but what some ppl dont understand is that being hoh and losing ur hearing is bad but hearing everything to one day not is hard too and even tho it was because of the drugs no one shud criticize but try to understand that he came here to get help ..everyone has their rant days and gets mad at the world ..so he's having his..
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Everlucent
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Yeah I definatly don't want you to go anywhere, you need these people as much as any of us. But I don't like you and won't. That doesn't need to bother you though. I spoke my mind and am done, and donn't worry I won't troll you.
Prolly not
Prolly not
dead money
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wochoo,
just hang in there man, and who gives a fuck about some bitch-ass internet tough guy. Dont faze it, yo. Another thing i went through actually last summer was a series of ear infections, ALL on my so called "good" ear and after a couple doctors visits and a couple 'scipts i was cool but i did suffer some kind of damage because the tinnitus in that ear only got worse. Its fucking scary man. To lose my hearing, completely i dont know how i would feel, what i would do either. I had trouble sleeping, and when they occured i was literally praying for the worst NOT to happen. They blamed it being allergic to something in the building i was working in. I had the same thoughts about chicks and the whole 9 yards as well. I have dated both deaf/hearing gals but usually hearing chicks work out because i can relate to them more on things hearing people connect with (ie: movies, music/concerts, etc) So i feel for ya man. But life is life and theres still many upsides yet to be discovered im sure. Just hang in there man. Peace.
just hang in there man, and who gives a fuck about some bitch-ass internet tough guy. Dont faze it, yo. Another thing i went through actually last summer was a series of ear infections, ALL on my so called "good" ear and after a couple doctors visits and a couple 'scipts i was cool but i did suffer some kind of damage because the tinnitus in that ear only got worse. Its fucking scary man. To lose my hearing, completely i dont know how i would feel, what i would do either. I had trouble sleeping, and when they occured i was literally praying for the worst NOT to happen. They blamed it being allergic to something in the building i was working in. I had the same thoughts about chicks and the whole 9 yards as well. I have dated both deaf/hearing gals but usually hearing chicks work out because i can relate to them more on things hearing people connect with (ie: movies, music/concerts, etc) So i feel for ya man. But life is life and theres still many upsides yet to be discovered im sure. Just hang in there man. Peace.
awesome replys thanks!
Exactly what i'm looking for... sorry about the previous rant. Dead money thanks for coming into the thread its nice to see someone in a similar situatino to see how it goes.
question for you guys though, when you like... tell someone that you're HoH or deaf... one of the things i realized that is quite humorous to me is.... everyone has a particularly different reaction to it... Some people are like embarassed or something and they're like "oh im sorry..." some peopel are like "wow really r u serious!?"
I dunno i find it quite humorous...i dunno sometimes for a few seconds after it's an awkward moment... lol like... i don't really find offense or anything in either of the responses but have you guys gotten reactions that are offending or anything? like... i mean you can't really laugh at someones disability... its a prick move... but have any of you encountered it?
Exactly what i'm looking for... sorry about the previous rant. Dead money thanks for coming into the thread its nice to see someone in a similar situatino to see how it goes.
question for you guys though, when you like... tell someone that you're HoH or deaf... one of the things i realized that is quite humorous to me is.... everyone has a particularly different reaction to it... Some people are like embarassed or something and they're like "oh im sorry..." some peopel are like "wow really r u serious!?"
I dunno i find it quite humorous...i dunno sometimes for a few seconds after it's an awkward moment... lol like... i don't really find offense or anything in either of the responses but have you guys gotten reactions that are offending or anything? like... i mean you can't really laugh at someones disability... its a prick move... but have any of you encountered it?
lovezebras
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Everyone i have encountered to tell them i am hoh usually doesn't mind and tries to help me out as much as they can..u get the odd few pricks who just look at u like u just told them u mite have an extra set of eyes somewhere or that ur the fricken queen of england but most of the time i get people who ask me "how hard is it for u to hear" "how long have u had ur ha" " can i see it" ...I've rarely had a negative experience..i find kids are mostly the stare-ers but they are inquisitive and just don't know what it is so they like to look...i just tell them sometimes (jokingly) that i'm a secret service agent and i need to be patched to headquarters 24/7. Usually they laugh and some just stare even harder...maybe one day i will pretend my ha is one of those in the ear mics and put a security t shirt on and try to get in at a concert!
Everlucent
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Oh yeah lots of that and more even. Since you lost your hearing late I assume you still speak well. You find that to be a blessing and a curse. You see there are some people out there that will harbor the misconseption that since you speak you can hear.
There are actually times that I will refuse to speak. It just saves time if the other person isn't insisting on talking AT you. I speak very well, as a matter of fact you can not tell I'm deaf unless you try to speak to me. I only have 3 dbs left in one ear and none in the other.
So there may well be times you wish you couldn't speak, When boss's, co-workers, customers begin talking at you again. And if you learn to read lips well you may even be anoyed at times by people who don't try to talk. They never even open their mouth you tell them you're HoH and they start writing. Then there are my favorites sweet girls who will cup their hand on you ear and lean in to talk to you. I'm sure you can imagine the times when that's Great!!
There are actually times that I will refuse to speak. It just saves time if the other person isn't insisting on talking AT you. I speak very well, as a matter of fact you can not tell I'm deaf unless you try to speak to me. I only have 3 dbs left in one ear and none in the other.
So there may well be times you wish you couldn't speak, When boss's, co-workers, customers begin talking at you again. And if you learn to read lips well you may even be anoyed at times by people who don't try to talk. They never even open their mouth you tell them you're HoH and they start writing. Then there are my favorites sweet girls who will cup their hand on you ear and lean in to talk to you. I'm sure you can imagine the times when that's Great!!
Use what bad you did and turn it around for something good. You can do alot now that you were not able to before just simply because you are deaf; you can do deaf ministries, deaf missions, helping people learning the culture and language, etc.. there are so many posibilities.
VamPyroX
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That's a very good point.
You're very lucky to be alive considering what happened to you.
VamPyroX
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Well, it happened... time to move on. Don't dwell on the past. Think about today and prepare for the future.
Don't let it stop you from trying new things. You can learn sign language. You can meet deaf people. You can talk to others about the dangers of drug use. There are a lot of things you can do.