Doc shock today - apparently I am deaf!!

Lucky7

Lucky7
My OH has been telling me I'm deaf for the last 10 years / moaned about the volume I need the TV etc. so maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but...

...thought hearing should be checked as he keeps nagging, and other friends have had ears syringed (sp?) lately so dragged myself down to the Doctors this morning to get them looked at.

The doctor looked and said there was no wax to syringe, so gave me a simple hearing test. He looked quite concerned / sorry for me, and told me that actually I'm 'quite profoundly deaf' and had probably been using lip reading more than I realised for some time (another thing my OH moans at me for is looking too hard at people when they're talking to me - he says it puts people off). The Doc's referring me to the hospital, and said I'll be given a hearing aid there. I'm not particularly sure that I WANT to hear more stuff than I already do - noise is quite irritating already. (Although the idea of being able to turn the noise off if someone's being a nuisance is quite appealing).

Apparently my Aunt had something similar, discovering that she was deaf in one ear, (and had probably been born like that) when she was 50 and had to have a medical for work. Maybe it runs in the family.

Anyway - sorry, just thought I'd share as am kind of shocked. Not upset really, just completely surprised.
 
Please don`t take this the wrong way but it could be a lot worse.

Unfortunately deafness as you get older is not uncommon. Also my OH has been totally deaf all his life. Yes it can make life awkward but you make adjustments.

As I said it could be a lot worse. It`s deafness not terminal cancer, which my OH`s dad has.
 
That's pretty much what I thought. Got the feeling that the Doctor and my OH expected me to be worried by it. I was just surprised because I've not thought it all THAT much of a problem considering. Would have thought I'd have noticed it as more of a problem, but I suppose I've just got used to it over time and developed strategies for overcoming it.

2-4 months more peace and quiet eh!! Lol
 
I've been hard of hearing since I was a child and after lots of resistance now wear two hearing aids.

I'm much worse at the moment as I have a cold so my hearing is non existent (my deafness is caused by a deformed Eustachian tube, so nothing drains properly from the ear nose or throat, meaning I had recurrent infections which ate into the bones behind my ear. I've had four operations resulting in very pinned back ears although not wonky anymore as I told them last time to straighten them!!
I'm having my hearing aids repaired tomorrow as I put them through the washing machine lol!

You've done well not to be affected. I can't bear not being able to hear and often avoid going out. I feel isolated watching people chatting and not being able to join in.

Ask about mouldless hearing aids, they are so comfortable and easy to wear!
 
I've been hard of hearing since I was a child and after lots of resistance now wear two hearing aids.

I'm much worse at the moment as I have a cold so my hearing is non existent (my deafness is caused by a deformed Eustachian tube, so nothing drains properly from the ear nose or throat, meaning I had recurrent infections which ate into the bones behind my ear. I've had four operations resulting in very pinned back ears although not wonky anymore as I told them last time to straighten them!!
I'm having my hearing aids repaired tomorrow as I put them through the washing machine lol!

You've done well not to be affected. I can't bear not being able to hear and often avoid going out. I feel isolated watching people chatting and not being able to join in.

Ask about mouldless hearing aids, they are so comfortable and easy to wear!


Thanks for the advise - esp about mouldless hearing aids (will read up online before I go to hosp) and not putting them through the wash!!

There have been some times when I've been affected, but for me it's been in situations where sound is distorted or lots of background noise. Staff meetings in the school hall are a nightmare - might as well not be there for all I manage to pick up from it. And travelling when I need information that's coming over any sort of tannoy system. I found it hard over the summer when I was working in Habitat as well as I didn't really know the place / people / job well and couldn't fill in the gaps with what I thought they'd probably said. Well, I could, but was wrong most of the time. At school it's easier, and a lot of staff double up with signing anyway as lots of our pupils have problems with hearing, or with decoding heard speech.
 
Lucky7 said:
Thanks for the advise - esp about mouldless hearing aids (will read up online before I go to hosp) and not putting them through the wash!!

There have been some times when I've been affected, but for me it's been in situations where sound is distorted or lots of background noise. Staff meetings in the school hall are a nightmare - might as well not be there for all I manage to pick up from it. And travelling when I need information that's coming over any sort of tannoy system. I found it hard over the summer when I was working in Habitat as well as I didn't really know the place / people / job well and couldn't fill in the gaps with what I thought they'd probably said. Well, I could, but was wrong most of the time. At school it's easier, and a lot of staff double up with signing anyway as lots of our pupils have problems with hearing, or with decoding heard speech.

If you have mouldless you can walk out with your aids same day! It's fab! Normally it can take weeks and weeks to get your moulds, then theres the cleaning, and i get eczema in my ear so they did away wirh the mould for me. You can also take phone calls normally, I want some that sync to your phone and mp3 player!

They tell you to wear the aids as much as possible to get used to it, but I find it stresses me at first (lots of teeth grinding) simply because I'm not used to it! So at first I do an hour or two then turn them off for half an hour then on again! You may need to change your clocks as the ticking is so loud! Oh and I got a shock at the noise my knees make going upstairs!

Lastly to people without hearing problems, when someone says they're deaf, it's NOT funny to say 'pardon?' you aren't clever or original in fact it makes you an idiot who may end up with a fat lip!
 
I too am half deaf although mine is a nerve deafness from birth so have never noticed! I am unable to get hearing aids or anything to help, you just learn to put boring people on your deaf side when out for dinner and use selective hearing!!
 
OH had a cochlear implant 7 years ago. He went from 100% deafness to 100% hearing (when he`s wearing it!) in a moment.

When he first got it he wanted to chuck it away. It still happens when the hospital call him in for an upgrade, about once a year.

The next one is due soon and he`s not looking forward to it!!
 
Lastly to people without hearing problems, when someone says they're deaf, it's NOT funny to say 'pardon?' you aren't clever or original in fact it makes you an idiot who may end up with a fat lip!


OMG this does my brain in, so much so that I don't tell people about my ear, I just let them think I am ignorant! There are definite +s about being half deaf, my other half snores like a train so I just sleep on my hearing ear! Love it then! Hate it when in busy social situations, can't hear anything clearly, bits of this and bits of that, amazing what my brain manages to piece together!! Not always correct :S
 
I once had to give a GP lessons in how to talk to someone who is hard of hearing.

I went in and told her 'I'm very deaf at the moment' she proceeded to shout the first three words then burbled into her neck whilst shuffling paper, then carried on talking whilst turned away at the printer!

So I stood up and said "I'm very deaf at the moment would you mind talking clearly, whilst looking at me, or this is a waste of time"
She was a bit red faced!

When I ran the Post Office I had regular deaf customers who would only come to me as I spoke to them normally, but with good enunciation so they could understand, and I had non English customers who would come to me for the same reason.
 
I did feel a bit upset one day at Habitat in the summer. One lady came into the shop in a big rush one day and garbled something about a pole to me (while turning round and looking behind her for half of her speech). I apologised and asked her if she could repeat herself as I have trouble hearing. The b***ch (sorry, but she was) rolled her eyes, and shouted her request super slowly and super sarcastically to me, insinuating that I was an idiot. I suggested that she find someone else to be rude to as I was deaf, not stupid. Unfortunately for her all the other girls behind the tills had developed hearing problems of their own. I explained to the auditor (as he was there all the time keeping an eye on things) what had happened, and he said if she came back to send him to her so he could tell her to shop elsewhere. Ha.

What I learnt that day:

(1) don't try and throw your weight around in a rude and aggressive manner in a shop that has gone into liquidation. The managers and staff have nothing left to lose, and will cling to their dignity and support each other like never before.

(2) If you take the p*** out of someone for a disability (major or minor), you're probably best not to expect anyone else to join in your sad humour.

(3) Working in a shop can be a bit rubbish sometimes.
 
I got a good one! At the Post office customer comes in and asks me for a Rod licence, I get out the book and ask him if he wants a day, 8 days or a year, he looks really really puzzled!
So I say to him, 'what was it you asked for?'

He answers 'Canadian Dollars'!!!
Everyone fell apart laughing and I tried to join in though I felt like crying! That's lipreading for you!
 
Oh no. Can see why he was confused though. Lol. Glad it isn't just me. Much better when I'm at school and people are more used to me and my quirks and expect to have to tell me everything twice.
 
The Doc's referring me to the hospital, and said I'll be given a hearing aid there. I'm not particularly sure that I WANT to hear more stuff than I already do - noise is quite irritating already. (Although the idea of being able to turn the noise off if someone's being a nuisance is quite appealing).

This reminded me of a documentary I watch a while back. An elderly couple were both totally deaf & each had an operation to insert hearing aids in their ears (can't remember the ins & outs of it). They were really excited but after the operation, which was sucessful, they couldn't cope with the noise & often turned the hearing aids off!
 
I am also totally deaf in my left ear, after a rare complication when I had Labyrinthitis, and can't wear a hearing aid as all the nerves are dead.

It was a bit of a shock, but as I was so ill at the time with Vertigo, also from the Labyrynthitis, that deafness seemed the least of my problems.
 
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