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@judyca7

I think the medical professionals are generally uneducated about working with hearing loss patients. With the emphasis on phone and video appointments now rather than in person it is very difficult. Mine have to be phone appointments because I cannot hear on the computer. I always tell the doctor that I have a caption phone and that they still need to speak slowly and clearly as the phone often does not translate accurately. Conversation starts out well but then most forget and start talking rapidly. I have also been surprised at how many are unfamiliar with caption phones and how they work but then I remember that before my hearing loss I had no idea what a caption phone was ..... had no reason to know.

I have learned from participating in this group that the onus is on us... we who have hearing loss have to educate others and keep coming back until they get it. Thanks to the group I have become much more open about sharing my hearing loss problems.

Now in writing this I remember at times having a sense of shame about my hearing loss, almost as if it were somehow my fault and I should be apologetic about it. Anyone else ever felt/feel that way?

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Replies to "I think the medical professionals are generally uneducated about working with hearing loss patients. With the..."

@judyca7 I well remember feeling shame about my hearing loss. I resisted getting hearing aids for over a decade. When I got them, I did everything possible to hide them. That was nearly 4 decades ago. There were no support groups. No one understood how I felt, and my feelings were minimized if I tried to express them. Thankfully, my husband, daughter and family did their best to understand. Now, 40 years later, there are so many improvements in hearing technology, BUT we now see an industry that is marketing denial. They constantly tell us that their products are invisible or so small no one will know you're wearing them. That tells a lot of people that hearing loss is shameful and should be hidden. How strange this is at a time when we see so many people with devices hanging in their ears to broadcast on TV, listen to music while walking, etc. Somehow we have to change these negative attitudes. So glad you are able to look at your hearing loss differently now. It helps so much to meet and talk to other people who share similar experiences. Thank you for sharing.