Not your typical college freshman

[glickchick]

It's nice to find someone else who can relate. I think people tend to think that I'm weird because I have a voice that works but just hate to use it, but i just don't feel comfortable. It's definitely true that text messages are a deaf girl's best friend, and I definitely use that as a major means of communication. I've been told (mainly by family) that my voice definitely has changed in terms of pitch and inflection and I am a bit hard to understand, which just reaffirms the fact that speaking isn't right for me.

I started learning ASL shortly after I lost my hearing, but didn't stick with it. Part of it was because I was so busy, but part of it was also admitting the fact that I'm disabled. That said, I realize it's going to be crucial to my future so I am starting to learn again.

While the communication challenges were obviously the toughest part, it was (and still is) tough to deal with the loss of just regular sound like a train approaching, running water, etc. I know that the sound is there, I just can't hear it.

Every day is an adjustment still!

-Lauren

Wow! That's an uncommon way for a person to become deaf. It is completely understandable that you would have to make major adjustments in life with a sudden hearing loss. At least, you were able to cope with it well. When did you start learning ASL?

I totally understand how you feel about not standing speaking without knowing how you sound because I have been there many times. My mother would tell me to talk while I sign, but I told her I don't like it because I don't know how I sound. It is quite annoying when people say, "Oh, I like it when you talk. You have a nice voice." They are just saying that to make me continue talking. I prefer to use ASL because I am comfortable using a language where I know exactly what I am saying and can be as expressive as I can. Of course, paper and ink [and even technology] will do in lieu of talking when it comes to interacting with hearing people who don't know sign language.

 

[respectyoda]

It's nice to find someone else who can relate. I think people tend to think that I'm weird because I have a voice that works but just hate to use it, but i just don't feel comfortable. It's definitely true that text messages are a deaf girl's best friend, and I definitely use that as a major means of communication. I've been told (mainly by family) that my voice definitely has changed in terms of pitch and inflection and I am a bit hard to understand, which just reaffirms the fact that speaking isn't right for me.

I started learning ASL shortly after I lost my hearing, but didn't stick with it. Part of it was because I was so busy, but part of it was also admitting the fact that I'm disabled. That said, I realize it's going to be crucial to my future so I am starting to learn again.

While the communication challenges were obviously the toughest part, it was (and still is) tough to deal with the loss of just regular sound like a train approaching, running water, etc. I know that the sound is there, I just can't hear it.

Every day is an adjustment still!

-Lauren

Lauren, you should make your own thread instead of hijacking someone else's introduction thread.