Hearing Loss Experiences - Can you find humor in some of it?

Posted by Julie, Volunteer Mentor @julieo4, Jul 20, 2021

People with hearing loss can easily mishear and respond to something out of context. Obviously, this can be a big problem. Most often it's not. How about sharing some of the experiences we have had. I believe that being able to laugh and find humor in some of our experiences can be healthy. What do you think?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hearing Loss Support Group.

imallears | @imallears | Jul 24, 2021

@julieo4

Yikes…500 ….please …..no more cartoons related to hearing or Covid lol.

FL Mary

Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Jul 24, 2021

In reply to @imallears "@julieo4 Yikes…500 ….please …..no more cartoons related to hearing or Covid lol. FL Mary" + (show)

No more cartoons although some are pretty thought provoking. I've used them in presentations to generate discussion many times. Again, hearing loss is not 'funny ha ha', but the way some people perceive it can be 'funny odd'. There's quite a difference.

imallears | @imallears | Jul 24, 2021

In reply to @julieo4 "No more cartoons although some are pretty thought provoking. I've used them in presentations to generate..." + (show)

@julieo4
That’s a great idea about using them for presentations.

FL Mary sitting in the 90 degree sun for about 5minutes

Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Jul 24, 2021

In reply to @imallears "@julieo4 That’s a great idea about using them for presentations. FL Mary sitting in the 90..." + (show)

Believe it or not, I am in Northern Minnesota. It's hotter here than it is in Florida. Humid too. Not my kind of weather. Stay cool FL Mary. Do you know that the national HLAA convention will be in Florida next June? I hope to see you there.

lizzy102 | @lizzy102 | Jul 25, 2021

To answer the original question: YES, it is possible to find the humor. The key is to be able to laugh with your close people about what you hear and what they said. Hearing loss is terribly frustrating for everyone - both the person who has the loss and their family, coworkers, clerks and others. I turned to meditation to help me cope with my frustration and grief.

lizzy102 | @lizzy102 | Jul 25, 2021

In reply to @jshdma "Thank you, Julie. You are very kind and thoughtful. This is just me; probably can't be..." + (show)

Talk with your audiologist about Cochlear Implant (CI). When your hearing loss reached the eligibility level, I encourage you to choose Cochlear Implant. I hadn’t enjoyed music for years, post-CI and lots of rehab training, I love listening to music again! There are some good posts out there by musicians and others in the entertainment field. CI has completely changed my life!

Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Jul 25, 2021

In reply to @jshdma "Thank you, Julie. I have not yet reached the point of using any aids. But I..." + (show)

I thought you might find this article of interest. Richard Einhorn is a composer who is affected by sudden sensorineural hearing loss that has changed his life. He became involved in HLAA, and served as president of the board of trustees a few years ago. This information was just shared, by Richard, on Facebook.

Richard Einhorn shared a link.
·
I'm pleased to announce that my new article on hearing loss and music was published in Sound on Sound magazine. It can be digitally accessed for free below.
This article is intended for musicians, audio engineers, and music lovers who are interested in hearing and how hearing loss affects the perception of sound. It should still be pretty accessible for lay people.
Thanks to the many prominent audiologists and experts in hearing loss I interviewed for this article. Sound on Sound is one of the finest magazines serving the vast music technology community. It was a pleasure to work with them on this piece — and there will be others.
soundonsound.com
Free Replica Digital Magazine

dwi | @dwi | Jul 26, 2021

In reply to @lizzy102 "Talk with your audiologist about Cochlear Implant (CI). When your hearing loss reached the eligibility level,..." + (show)

How much of a learning curve after the implant?

lizzy102 | @lizzy102 | Jul 26, 2021

The learning curve is entirely up to you. How much you are prepared to do to improve how your brain and the CI work together. Some folks I’ve talked to didn’t push their learning past the first weeks or didn’t seek other voices, use the TV, listen to audiobooks etc. and so they are unhappy with their CI. Others worked like I did - pushing themselves and those around them to work that brain and train it to hear with the CI.
I worked every day, twice a day for 45 min each time for the first 8 months. I still work with a music app for Cochlear to refine my instrument identification skills and with Angel Sounds for speech in noise etc.
At first everyone sounded like Elmer Fudd. I was so astonished to be able to understand them that it didn’t bother me - did make me laugh sometimes in those early days. I worked with lots of different people of varying registers of voice, speaking styles, accents… so that my CI hearing was always challenged. My grandson did FaceTime with me and his kid voice saying words off a list was really a challenge.
You see, I couldn’t understand speech at all. I was a stellar face and speech reader so I “got by.” My CI gave me speech understanding - I can go to movies, listen to music, understand my grandkids, understand guys with deep voices and mumbly diction… I was willing to work my non-existent fanny off for any improvement while at the same time being happy to understand at all.

dwi | @dwi | Jul 26, 2021

In reply to @lizzy102 "The learning curve is entirely up to you. How much you are prepared to do to..." + (show)

Thank you for sharing your experience. I live out of country where everyone has different accents which I never experienced when I had both ears. Accents are impossible for me to get around using by aids.