I am a 70-year old man with moderate hearing loss in both ears. Sensorineural loss. Wear two digital hearing aids that are one year old (Phonak). I am practically "deaf" when I don't wear them. Therefore, that and a streamer are what keep me connected to the world. I have trouble making out conversations around a banquet table, and at parties in general. I depend on CC on TV to help me with the language. I didn't wear hearing aids until late in life because of denial and stigma. I also didn't get aural rehabilitation like sign language, etc. Now I find ASL and lip-reading very difficult and wearisome. However, I am attending two hard of hearing support groups to make friends and learn coping skills.

@colleenyoung Hi. I'm a 45-year-old man with congenital bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, with profound loss at high frequencies (3,000-8,000Hz). I didn't get my first hearing aid until my Senior year in college, although I first failed a hearing test in kindergarten. I'm now on my third set of digital aids (Widex) and have a streamer for my cell phone. Even with the aids, group conversations are impossible for me. My hearing loss has caused significant social isolation. I recently started attending local HLAA meetings.