Living with a Hearing Impairment

I have been hearing impaired most of my adult life. When I was about five years old my right eardrum burst as a result of infection. I had many ear infections during my childhood but no noticable hearing impairment until I reached my late teens.

I needed to be constantly vigilent as a child when running through the sprinkler and going to the beach during the summer months so I wouldn't get water in my ears. If I did get water in my ear it often resulted in yet another painful infection.

Children can be cruel, taunting and teasing peers that have noticable impairments and/or afflictions.

Sadly I found, even as adults, some of us continue to exhibit this poor behaviour. As a younger adult, I was often teased by friends and family about my fear of getting water in my ears. I was often treated with impatience, mimicked and mocked by some of my peers. Another favorite of some of those meanies was to pretend to speak but actually make no noise. I was never able to toughen up and ignore the teasing. I am still sensitive to it today. The blessing I received as a result of being teased is that I developed a strong compassion for people living with any sort of disability.

I am older now and I cannot remember the last time I was taunted or teased over my inability to hear. I do not think it would have the same devastating effect on me if I was.

I am able to suffer some fools more lightly than I was able to in my youth.

Although I had many ear infections during my childhood I did not notice any difference in my ability to hear properly with my right ear until I was about seventeen years old.

I could not hear the clock ticking as loudly when I laid on my left ear, other small noises started to disappear. If I were to guess I would say I had about a 5% hearing loss, at the most, in my right ear.

I went to an ear specialist when I was eighteen to have my ear issues assessed. He discovered a small hole in my right eardrum. He told me he would be able to graft a piece of skin taken from my own body, onto the eardrum and as a result, my hearing would be restored to normal levels.

I agreed to having my ear operated on. I was admitted into hospital and had the the operation. After a short stay of a couple of days in hospital, I returned to my home. My right ear was bandaged up. I was told I wouldn't know for about six weeks if the operation was successful or not.

I was not able to hear anything at all with my right ear but the specialist assured me that it was a result of the bandaging. I had no reason to not believe him.

After six weeks passed I returned to the specialist and the bandages were removed. To my dismay I could still hear nothing with my right ear. I was completely deaf in my right ear and today, thirty-six years later I still am. The operation was a failure. The specialist never owned up to the failure. On subsequent appointments with him he continued to assure me that over time, the hearing in my right ear would return. It never did.

In 1986 I began getting many infections in my right ear again. I went to another specialist. He recommended another ear operation. This operation also failed. I was less disappointed with this failure as I was already deaf in the ear before the operation so I didn't lose anything except anticipation and hope.

Yet again, in 1993, another specialist looked in my ear and told me the eardrum was there. The skin graft had adhered itself properly with the last operation. He told me the only reason I was unable to hear out of that ear was because there was scar tissue on the eardrum. He said if I had another operation to remove the scar tissue, I would be able to hear out of my right ear again.

I agreed to the operation and a date was set. In the days leading up to the operation I developed an irrational fear that I would wake up from the operation to find the doctor had operated on the wrong ear and I would be totally deaf. I was fiercely protective of the hearing in my left ear by this time. I could not talk myself out of my fears and I canceled the operation.

My ability to interpret the world around me is severely augmented by my inability to hear well.

I need to pay attention to things like where to situate myself in certain situations, depending upon the noise levels, venue, number of people in the room. I need to be aware of the kinds of jobs and social situations I attend and take. Part of my adapting includes learning to read lips. This is a skill I developed born of necessity not desire. It took me a while to even realise I was reading lips.

I do not watch television unless closed captioning is available. I need the volume up way too loud to be able to understand the dialog.

Body language and tone of voice are important communication indicators for me. I often withdraw from social situations because it is easier and less stressful than gong and trying to figure it all out.

I often find that people are surprised to find out I am hearing impaired today. I have developed my own skill set for perceiving what is being conveyed and communicated to me and around me.

To most people I present as a fully hearing person, unless they are speaking with their backs turned to me or their mouths covered. When this happens it becomes necessary for me to ask them accommodate my impairment by turning around to speak to me so I can see their lips moving.

Part of my present job is to serve the public. At the end of my eight hour work day I am often quite tired and a bit stressed from having to pay such close attention, but it has become my 'normal'.

About a year ago I decided to do an internet search to see if I could find a funding source to help me get hearing aids. Hearing aids are a big ticket item and I live in a small dollar world.

I found a website for IDHHC, Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center, located in Duncan on Vancouver Island. I live close by on one of the smaller gulf islands and began to communicate with via email with IDHHC. I explained my situation and that I was looking for possible funding sources.

Mr. Steve Clarke, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with the organisation offered to meet with me to hear the circumstances of my hearing impairment and determine if IDHHC would be able to offer any help.

It has been a pleasure dealing with Mr. Clarke. He has been an awesome advocate for me. He drove up at least three or four times to discuss how my life is affected by my hearing impairment, my financial situation, ability to help pay for the aids, among other things. The drive from his town to mine takes about three hours. This is a man that is truly dedicated to his job of helping people.

Mr. Clarke had me set up a hearing test and have the results, recommendations and costs of the hearing aids sent to him. I went to Connect Hearing in Campbell River and they performed this service for me. They are another organisation full of kind and caring people.

The woman Olga, that was handling my case, was very helpful and thorough. She described the different aids and how they could potentially improve my ability to hear. She was able to answer all of my questions and recommended some good aids.

Technology has changed a great deal over the years. The hearing aids of today are amazing little devices capable of much more than just helping me hear better. They also have BlueTooth technology capabilities. I am not quite up to speed on technology today, it moves at warp speed. Nevertheless, I will be able to answer my phone remotely with them and all kind of other amazing things that plain old ears are incapable of.

I am meeting with Mr. Steve Clarke in a few days to finalise the paper work necessary for me to obtain hearing aids. Mr. Clarke phoned me yesterday to tell me the funding for my hearing aids has been approved. I was overwhelmed by his hard work and the generosity of strangers. It was an emotional day for me. I kind of feel like I won a lottery.

In a few days I will have 'new ears'. I am excited and nervous and anticipating hearing sounds I have forgotten exist.

I can turn the aids up or down and take them out if/when I do not want to hear or if the new sensory perception is simply too much at times while I am getting used to them.

I am being given the gift of hearing. A gift I am truly grateful for.

I will write another hub when I have worn the hearing aids for awhile to talk about the changes in how I perceive a world that I can hear much better.

I have spent thirty six years honing my non-audio communication skills.

I am excited about the experience of re-learning what the world sounds like, to hear all the sounds I have been missing.

Make it a great day.