Growing Up Deaf...

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Angel

♥"Concrete Angel"♥
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How did you lose your hearing and what was your life like while growing up being deaf by describing your experiences and how you struggled to communicate, make friends and have an independent life?...
 
I became deaf around the age of one. I grew up and didn't really suffer much. Now, I'm suffering most because my family tends to leave me out a lot. :(
 
Lost my hearing to menigintis at 2 and half. I learned to be stubborn and refused to learn how to talk. My poor mother did everything with me by write all kind of words on the ref and practice with me to talk and unds her. But I had another mind to pay attention. I loved play card games with older people, played pinchole with them all the time. It was my passion then. Till about 8 years old, I got hit by a car but it did not hurt me at all except for being so afraid of being yelled by my mother so I hid myself in the closet for hours till she found me. She was mad at me then told me never to go out on the street again. I had nightmares from this and woke up screaming every night. She came to me and asked me what was wrong. I could not tell her cuz I had no understand or a language to tell her. That was when she decided I needed to learn sign language. She fought school board to change program from oral to tc. Then I finally remembered before I became deaf and picked up alot. By the time I was 9 years old, I asked zillion questions about everything unlikely my kids asked me when they were 3 years old. Why is that , how is that , how come, etc....

Lonely? not at all, I have 5 older sisters and brothers. I was bratty and bother them all the time. Friends? my mother was too old to had me so all of her friends' kids already grow up so I sneak into their bedrooms and find something to do. I played with neighbor kids. Communicate with neighbor kids were limited but we found a way to communicate and get in trouble sometime.

As I got older, made more friends and rode horse with my friend. I had a great childhood despite being deaf and depend on others to do things for me. I finally did myself by the time I was in high school. Involved in clubs and meet new friends.

Only thing I hate was dinner time with my family, bug them what they talked about and got mad at them when they said, not important. I never knew my father told dirty jokes at the dinner till I brought my hearing boyfriend and he told me what my father said at dinner table. I was alike, drop my jaw down and in shocked.

Anyway I am glad I survived childhood and overcome with my being limited.
 
I was born hearing till at the age of 2 due to real bad illness and had bad ear infection, was in hospital for few days and lost my right hearing mostly and lost few percent of hearing on my left hearing and until about 9 or 10 lost some hearing percent on my left then at the age of 15 lost some again. I dont complain about it. I live with it.

PurrMeow
 
i became deaf somewhere at age 1 by unknown cause yet, i was also very sick baby too. My parents found out after the age of 1 because i stop "vocalzing" ( stop using my voice and etc) and i didn't hear them calling for me or dropping things. I don't remember exactly though.

I have grew up in mainstream school and i had took speech therapists and etc and it helped me a lot to communicate by using my voice and lipreading. I could communicate as much as i could try. Some of them are difficult for me like silent sounds "d" or "g" or long words, i couldn't say long words but at least i try my best. I don't go to speech therapists anymore. I stopped since h.s. years. I'm satisfied with what i have by my communication and being deaf. I enjoy being deaf but sure i wish i could hear a little like music or talking on phone but its ok. I'm still being happy to be deaf so i dont have to worry about noisy places or snoring, etc etc. u get the idea.

I love to be in deaf community but for hearing community - its alright but I'm more into deaf community because of communication reasons. I've been left out a lot in hearing community and i hated it so much - I have nothing aganist you guys . its the way I am.

I'm PROUD to be DEAF!!!!!
 
i lost my hearing when i was around 2 1/2 years old from menigitis but not 100% i was fourturne that my parents took me to hosiptal right away when they find out something's wrong with me.

then few months after i had my menigits there's a menigits vaccines aviliable (oh well)

anyway was fitted with hearing aids by 3. me and my mom and my brother all went to take SEE class. that time i wasn't very interesting.. so went to preschool to learn. however i never SIGN.. which i REFUSE to SIGN till i was in 7th grade but i do know sign language but i won't sign.. just talk but i do sign a little with other deaf kids.
i talk with my voice in class.. by the time in high school i decide to take a full course of ASL. i lose my hearing through the years while i'm in elementary by massive ear infections.

i never had problem with hearing peers or deaf peers.. i'm into both world. in high school i'm more into deaf world then when i graduate i'm more into hearing world cuz all the deafies are gone.
i do remember what sounds are like, but can't remember excatly what it is.
hopefully having a surgery for CI this month.. was scheduled for feb 28th...
 
I born PROFOUND deaf. My family did not find me being deaf till 1 year old. My parents starts upset at themselves because of me. They learned how handle the deaf child.... OFC I am emotional child! :lol:

I grow up up and down with hearing people involved my family try to talking around me. It did upset me sometimes, They would look at me and talk str8 but not ALWAYS. I start to learn about deaf commuity and barely aware about it.... OFC I am still learning. :)

I starts sign TC at 3 yr old then SEE at 8 yr old...... ASL at 13 yr old. I am very QUIET and many people think I am hearing! :roll: Yes, I do SIGN and deaf all my life! :)
 
Intesting stories there everyone! :hug: ...


I lost my hearing at the age of 5 due from illness, my mom had a hard time accepting our own deafness, we grew up learning how to speak by attending mainstream schools and even went to a speech therapists in order to be able to talk quite clearly...I had my first hearing aid when I was in first grade I believe...My sister and I didn't learn sign language until late when we were in middle school, my parents did not know much about rasing deaf children but they did everything they could by fitting us into the deaf world....I don't blame my parents at all because I was able to learn to live in both hearing and the deaf world and learn to be able to communicate with the people around me and for that I thanked them! :)
 
I born hearing til 18 months old , my mom found out that i couldnt hear as well cause of my balance kept tripping , falling , etc.... so took me to hospital .. see what wron g.. dr said no infection or no fever .. dont know what it cause ... so i been Hard of hearing from 18 months old til 2 years ago * 2002* which i was 25 yrs old .... i became deaf at 25 yrs old cause of high fever 105.2 F by lupus disease ... and my doctor believe that i born with lupus .. who knows.. but they are not sure abt it! oh well .. so let it be ... so i am proud being a deaf anyhow !!


Smile,

TongueOnFire
 
Angel,

Great topic.. and I have to agree with you for begin thankful for parents trying to make sure we are in both hearing and deaf world..


Now, my turn...

I was discovered deaf at about 18 mos old Unknown cause deafness.. My mother place me in a school for speech first, until i was 11-12 I learn sign language and I felt so much better that I had both languages.> my mom told me that She and two sister sign up for sign language and everytime they "practices" with me, I rebell at them, refused to practices with them.. So.. basically I grew up reading lips, sign with friends who knew signs..
Now I do oral at home... Grew up with Hearing aids, I have notice I couldn't live without Sounds! so I decide to go for CI, and I am very pleased with my decision to have CI Other day my cable on BTE broke, I called Mass eye and ear infirmary asking for new cable, the secetary said will have audie call me but she never called back, and my bwp battery died I was so despress for not able to hear what was going on that day! i had to have sound! and of course I do get panic/aneixty attack when I have no sound so I decide just lay on my bed watch tv till if all asleep! Lance knew I am not pleased to have no sound I accepted my deaf *Big time yes* just want to be left alone if I have no sound gotcha ? Anyway
Everett now learning signs too. I notice Lance, his brother Ralph use signs with Everett too.. It made me feel good because my two other children's real Father would NOT let them use signs!

I am glad I have balances life in both Hearing and deaf world! I grew up mostly with hearing but do see deaf friends when I have time :)

Wendy
 
born hearing but became deaf at age 18 months by spinal meningitis.... i dont have much plms with my own deafness while attending to public school... i just feel i was special and it was them who are different.. not me.. at least thats waht my grandma said... and i suppose because i was so social person maybe that is the reason i dont have much plms making friends... i do remember how kids used to fight over the seat next to me... even in middle school i still have friends not much problems but by then.. i learned how to be alert of bullies and kids who made fun of me... the interesting part i think because of those kids who teased me... didnt really bother me because i didnt hear what they said.. and when they tried to mock the teasing wiht hands thing... it only made them look so silly that i cant help but laugh. so no problems there i think...

most problems i had while growing up was authority lol. i remember fighting with my mom all the time because she would want me to do homework or cleaning room or do chores... i would fight with teachers too lol. i think i had more problems when i finally entered in deaf school when i was 14... thats when i truly realized where i stand. u know.. like every school have... theres always groups.. snobby groups, smart groups, rebel group, jock group, learning disabilited group.... and had more problems trying to fit in .... also theres a hell lot more people that have authority (teachers, supervisors, principal, etc.. everywher u go.. theres an adult u had to deal with.. yikes!)

yep i was always a rebel kid ... lol

after i graduated from deaf high school.. things got easier.. found a place in world have friends and everything but its still hard because i still get cut off from many things just because i was deaf... i think those are pretty common... like famous phase "oh nevermind" or delay updates... like one person told a joke and everyone found it soooo funny and i would like to know... then someone would have to explain and for some reason it wasnt being told exactly same way that person did so it didnt hold any humor. etc common stuff i think.

so nothing special about my life.. im facing same thing most deafies do now... :)
 
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