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Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (1534)Comment receiving replies
Hi! My name is Gerid. I am bi-modal. I've been severe/profound deaf since I was 2 years old from pneumonia. I am currenlt 39 years old. Either the high fever ruined my hearing or the antibiotics did it. Doctors aren't sure but they are leaning towards antibiotics probably being the cause. I have worn HAs all my life up until about 3 years ago when I got my first Cochlear Implant. My word recognition was 24% combined with both hearing aids in. 0% in my right ear. 24% in my left. 6 months after getting an implant, my right ear went from 0% to 66% percent. I am now at a combined 96% word recognition! I am getting my 2nd implant done in July 2019. I wish I had gotten my implants done 5 years sooner but unfortunately I was sucked into a vortex of nasty and untrue rumors/perceptions about Cochlear Implants. I am now a Cochlear Implant volunteer. I am also President of Hearing Loss Association of America, OAK Chapter in Grand Rapids, MI. I work for CaptionCall as well, talking with providers about captioning telephone services. My life is an open book and I love to talk with others about my experiences and connect them with resources to help them seek answers to their own questions.
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@wired4sound how wonderful for you! I had been told for years there was nothing that could be done with my hearing. At age 60, in 2011, I saw an ENT who told me my hearing could most definitely be improved with aids. I was fitted with a pair of Widex Clear. I can’t put into words how thrilling it was to hear a bird chirp and hear my footsteps on the sidewalk. My first memory of not hearing goes back to probably age 3 or 4. I had many ear infections and high fevers. School bullies had a field day with me. What they thought was being stuck up was simply not hearing them. My hearing loss is not as great as yours, but I can just imagine how thrilled you must have been when first you heard sound. I’ve learned from this that we all have to be our own advocates. Don’t take no for an answer. See as many doctors as you can and never give up!