Hearing Loss can be a speed bump in your life but only if you want it to be. Learning about it takes time. Accepting it once you understand why you have it and how you can work with it will help you take one day at a time. You are you and hearing loss doesn't define you. It is a part of you and helping yourself work around it and with it is what you need to think about. No one else can do that for you. Working with others who share this same challenge is one idea that has worked for me as it has with others around this globe. Finding ways to use all of your senses to the best of you abilities is step one. Work with the professionals that are trained to help discuss and collaborate with you on finding, testing, purchasing and using the various tools of technology available to hear better/well. And that doesn't end there. With our computer and internet age always expanding, there are exciting ways to learn about how to access accessibility at all levels of functioning for our time at work, school, in our communities and in at home. We can find this through the various state/national/international organizations that advocate, education and sponsor work, research and assistance in our hearing loss communities. All we need to do is look in our libraries, attend a local meeting, or 'Google' a hearing loss organization.
I have been hard of hearing/deaf since birth but only discovered it when I turned around 50 years of age when my employer decided they had enough of my shouting at work (a consequence of HOH people when they can't hear - they speak loudly). Hearing aids did little initially because my brain couldn't take the sudden noise coming into my brain. I had headaches and earaches everyday. But over time and new digital hearing aids, with medications for my migraines, I learned to hear a part of the speech - enough so that I could advance my education (MBA) and my career in nursing.
I volunteered my time for the Hearing Loss Association of America - local chapter as well as for the Board of Trustees for 10-12 years. I also sat on the Governors Counsel for The Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the State for three years and contributed my knowledge by helping the legislators and Governor understand that it truly helped the kids to have hearing aids instead of all that worthless therapy and not hear. They eventually passed a law for all kids to have the aids/CI's covered up to 18 yrs of age - one of the first states in the nation. I also served on the Council for the Disability in town where we lived and advocated for the Hard of Hearing. I was appointed by the Mayor after speaking up for those who had no voice on certain matters. I served for three years. It's amazing what one can do, it you put your mind to the matter. Even if you have various dis...abilities, doesn't matter. I have many of them but no one sees them because they see the outcome of what I am doing. Not what I am.
I wear bilateral Resound Hearing aids that are on my iPhone. I have four programs that I use for various environments. I have tinnitus from a postop surgical mistake and had toxic overdose from the medications. One program provides me with music for the tinnitus. The second program is for the induction loop system (which I am an Advocate for all of the time). The third program is for noisy places (like restaurants) and the fourth is the standard program. I don't need any other devices to make my life useful other than a loop in places where I want to hear well. But not all public places have the loop system yet. But that 's another story for another time. Any comments - questions - thoughts can be directed to me at any time.