@ltecato
Hello and wow did you start a conversation about one of my favorite topics! So glad we got this going and I have read al the great posts here and the word for the day is Advocate.

I live in Florida and I'd like to tell you what I do with my medical providers. I get both email and text notifications about my appointments with my eye doctor who belongs to a large Clinic. I get text notifications with my ENT doctor My Audi personally emails me.

What I have done for years especially in a large Medical setting is bring an 8 by 10 sign with me that says patient hard of hearing ..may not hear name called...please bring this with you when you call my name. It's printed on red paper and my name is at the bottom. I ask them to put it on the front of the chart , if there is one, or just bring the notification with them. 90% of the time they do . The fact that it is on red paper is a visual clue that they're calling my name.

I've never had a provider tell me that I could not use my live transcribe app. I have been relying on this app since we are all wearing masks.

I used innocaption on my cell phone so any messages are visible of course. The same with my landline .

I've been told many times how impressed people are when I somewhat aggressively advocate and speak up. As my hearing loss got worse over the years the technology got better so I'm lucky in that respect.

I have come across my share of insensitive people especially in the medical profession. I'll never forget the first time I dressed down the son of a famous doctor who owns a string of eye clinics here in Florida. We were talking about cataract surgery. I initially told him about my hearing loss and to speak slowly. He was so fast I did not get half of what he said. I told him to sit right down and start all over again as I told him I could not understand him unless he spoke slowly. He did and look probably abashed. I was so angry.

Advocating gets easier each time you do it. This is such an invisible disability and I think I have educated a lot of people during the pandemic as I have to whip out my phone with the prelude ...hold on a minute I can't hear you through the mask. Young people especially love it.

Keep pushing people! And shame on the hearing aid advertisers who market their hearing aids as so small and invisible no one will see them.

FL Mary

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