Hi Judy:
Welcome to the group! I definitely agree that hearing loss can be a very lonely experience. And your loss has progressed relatively quickly. I have a moderate to severe hearing loss (more like severe, if you ask me) and can get tired and frustrated with the usual types of social interactions requiring listening and responding. Sometimes I can do one on one conversations but that's about it. Mostly I prefer to email people. But being in this and other HLAA groups has helped me greatly. I've seen a lot of people with less hearing left than me do very well in interacting with other people. Because they were able to be open about their hearing loss and, most importantly, convey to others that they really wanted to understand what those other people were saying.
You might want to find out more about cochlear implants. That HLAA seminar this afternoon has me convinced they work surprisingly well, and they are appropriate for people with profound and severe levels of hearing loss.
Stay safe and be well.
Ann