Looking for others born with hearing loss

I was born with progressive hearing loss. It is hereditary in my family. I started off with decent hearing but always failed hearing tests in school and now I’m at the point where my hearing loss is profound. Hearing aids help for the most part but I have always struggled to fit in. I always feel left out of the group and do best when it is only me and another person.

Hi MIckey5909. Welcome to 'Connect'. While my hearing loss wasn't diagnosed until I was 21, I am sure it started much earlier. Some of the 'cute sayings' my mother had put in my baby book were probably misunderstandings. Still, I had a pretty typical childhood as the HL was very mild. Although I didn't get hearing aids until I was in my 30s, I can identify with you. It's difficult to cope in noisy places where most social interaction takes place. It's definitely easier to be one on one with someone.

My life changed for the better when I learned about assistive listening devices that worked with my hearing aids. My first experience with ALDs was using a hearing loop at a large meeting. I had no idea that the telecoils in my hearing aids could bring sound direct to me. It has gotten better and better over the years. I have to believe that you had access to assistive tech when you were in school. Did you use it?

That technology has improved so much and is not as cumbersome as it once was. Do you use BT microphones or automatic speech recognition apps?

Getting a cochlear implant changed my life for the better. Have you considered cochlear implants?

Thanks! I’ve been a member for awhile and have posted a few times. I was responding to the original poster. The issue I had growing up was basically financial. If anyone was going to get a hearing aid it should have been my mom because her hearing was a lot worse then mine but we didn’t have the financial means to do it. I do have aids now and have used technology a lot more. The one I haven’t used much though is the speech to text apps. I don’t usually think of it when I’m out. I should try using them a lot more. But all of these things are new and weren’t really available in the 80s and early 90s. But again when I was younger my hearing wasn’t as bad as it is now.

I was born deaf, no sign language, wore hearing aids at 5 years old then in 2017 I got Cochlear Implants. Best thing I ever did 🙂

I had surgery this past Tuesday for an Cochlear Implant. It's healing nicely but doesn't get turned on until 3/30. I am excited about this as my hearing has gotten much worse over the last few years!

OOH gosh! I'm soo excited for you!!! what an adventure :). when you get turned on - take your Kleenex. Do not be surprised if after you get turned on that you have to take it off for awhile. You will get fed-up and tired of listening to this noisy world. You'll sleep too. Just like a baby -after a baby is born it sleeps because coming from a quite womb -it's a noisy tiresome world ! Keep me posted and write a journal i sure wish i did - before after etc...

@arieswoman I hope you saw @pinkpam's enthusiastic response to you.

You may also be interested in joining these discussions to learn more about the experience in turning on a Cochlear implant:
- My Cochlear Implant - a journal https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/my-cochlear-implant-a-journal/
- Cochlear Implants: How well do they work at an older age? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cochlear-implants/
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OOh and do not worry the tiredness goes away as our brains adjust to new and louder sounds.

If your spare device can’t go through X-ray machines how does one travel on airplanes? Just asking for future reference.

I’m not sure where your comment is stemming from. I am able to wear my hearing aids through the security I’m airports. I would think you can put them in the bins with your other items.