Fire, Earth and Water

Talking about my hearing loss is probably one of my least favourite topics to discuss and anyone else who has a hearing loss probably feels the same way but I feel it is time to help others understand what it is like to be me. It was grade 3 when I was diagnosed with a 25% mild bilateral hearing loss,... that explained why I was getting failing marks in school and probably some lack in social development. That is like missing one out of every four words and that makes for some twisted sentences! Lol I do remember speech therapy with a Mr Fox- it was usually cue cards and fun games....I also didnt mind all the hearing tests and I got to miss school :)
I started having to wear around the ear hearing aids for grade 4, I was mortified to say the least. When you are the only kid in your school with a hearing loss and at a new school too- it sucks. I envied other kids, running around the playground and screaming with reckless abandon, completely oblivious to what they had.
I hated my hearing aids so much I believe I purposely sabotaged a couple pairs (aka sticking them in front of the school bus wheels just before hopping on). I didn't like how they felt or how they made my ears stick out. I used to go to the "hear together" conferences in London every year and I really felt out of place because most kids there had much worse hearing losses then I did and they all talked like they had a bunch of teeth all over the roof of their mouth. I didn't connect well with anyone (far as I remember) because I just felt like I could hear just fine. I always had a difficult time just accepting it, it took years before I began to advocate for my needs on my own. I call a mild hearing loss an invisible disability because people don't see it when they look at me even if they've been told, they often forget. I am sure some think I am rude or pushy because I often interrupt conversations but it is just because I don't hear that someone else is talking... I try to read body language and lips but that isn't always successful. I keep a closer reign on my children then most parents probably do but think about what the first sense that we use to gage whether our kids are in trouble? HEARING... so because I can't always hear, and that can be worse depending on the environment, I keep my kids close. I have a much harder time hearing someone who is soft spoken, in fact I pretty much can't hear them at all if I am not aware they are speaking to me. Same with someone who speaks with little voice inflection. Yelling at me is unnecessary, usually I need people to speak with more clarity then anything, or go to a quieter area. My biggest pet peeve has to be when people accuse me of not listening to them- HELLO?!!! and no I don't have selective hearing (well mostly bhahaaha) but seriously- that joke is old. The biggest word of advice for people when they would like to speak to me, is make sure you have my attention and that means I am looking at you :-) The picture above shows how far technology has come and the kind of aid I want to buy next... they run thousands of dollars!