Probably scorned as I am a cochlear implant user.
In 1982 I suddenly lost 100% of my hearing in both ears, I was 32 years old. I was pretty much not allowed into the deaf community because of course I couldn't sign or anything yet. Took sign classes, lip-reading, read up what I could find and basically found myself by myself for the next 20+ years.
I did some research relative to the implants and finally on 9/11 (yup, that one) had my final MRI exam to see if I could get 'planted.
Got my first one around xmas, became the first dual-implantee in my state the following February and essentially never looked back.
In 1982 I suddenly lost 100% of my hearing in both ears, I was 32 years old. I was pretty much not allowed into the deaf community because of course I couldn't sign or anything yet. Took sign classes, lip-reading, read up what I could find and basically found myself by myself for the next 20+ years.
I did some research relative to the implants and finally on 9/11 (yup, that one) had my final MRI exam to see if I could get 'planted.
Got my first one around xmas, became the first dual-implantee in my state the following February and essentially never looked back.
and couldn't bear the thought of going vegetable so early on. My work enabled me to carry on quite a bit without hearing and I was a damn good lip-reader. But let me tell you, having a chance to hear Leonard Cohen and the Beatles again when I was about 52 years old brought a tear to my eye. My son was 4 when I lost my hearing, he was getting out of college when I had the 'plants put in. We were talking, talking normally and I wasn't even thinking about it when he said, "Dad, do you know this is the first real talk we've had since I was 4 years old". Yup, it was totally worth it.