My Name is Dr. Angel'Star Koerner though most people simply call me Angel or Doc. Due to progressive hearing loss that is genetic (If you watch CSI then think Gil and you'll know where I am at the moment.) Often my hearing is acute and I can hear quite nicely- other tones are not audible to me at all. It can be frustrating. I am just now beginning my journey to learn and understand sign language and I must admit that it does not come easy to me. I am not sure if it is because I am in denial- or simply trying to get by (as so many do) with simply trying to get the jest of what is being said based on the movement of their mouth. In social situations when many people are talking at once I find that it is just easier to just smile and nod my head than to attempt to "strain" to hear. In a word it completely sucks for the most part- but still I remain a joyous person. I have procrastinated in learning more than I have and I need to change since my situation is not going to. I watched my Father before he passed away shell out so much money for various hearing aids through the years that of course were not designed for our type of hearing loss and I just don't want to go there. Nor do I want to continue to simply nod my head and smile when I didn't catch what was being spoken.. I have time to learn so any help that is given hear to learn will be much appreciated. I look forward to getting to know you all.

Warm Regards,

Angel

ps: when I went to the other thread to post my group sites I completely buggered it up and the words appear to be screaming- heehee. The words are huge! If you could please go in and adjust my post to a smaller size or delete it I will repost. I am so sorry. 

Welcome to the club Dr. Angel!  We are glad to have someone as sharp as Gil Grissom in the ranks…  HL is frustrating, which is why this group was created.  We are ‘hear’ to support each other.  Together, I hope we can all learn to develop positive communication strategies in situations that have caused us difficulty, but perhaps someone else has had good luck with a certain approach will speak up and share their positive experience…

I know what you mean by smiling and nodding, I find myself doing it at times.  My audiologist friend calls it ‘Auto-Nod’ and she says it is a sort of defense mechanism that we develop in order to ‘get by,’ like you said.  I am sure that your lipreading speechreading skills are amazing!

Lemme know if you still want to modify your other post – you have had several positive comments on it already…  Looking forward to more dialog!!!

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 to AudibleGAIN Leszek!! We’re so glad you are “hear” with us!  You are right, it is always good to have more friends. 

It will be neat to hear (sorry, I mean read ) about how things are where you live.  Each area has its own signed language, (American Sign Language is different from Chinese Sign Language, which is different from English Sign Language… etc) so I also wonder  how different perceptions regarding hearing and hearing loss might be in various geologic regions.  This will be a very interesting thing to discuss, and to see how people in different cultures respond to difficulties in hearing!!

I am so glad you decided to join us!

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 Darin, Ravenwolf, Shiva, Everyone - It is wonderful to have you here!!

There are so many things I wanted to reply to last night, then we lost our electricity  , DOH! Not due to our own load, but that of Mother nature...  She's a strong force!  It is a good thing to remind ourselves of our creature comforts every now and again - working by candlelight isn't something I have a chance to do everyday! LOL.

It is exciting to see so many discussions starting already, I'll be in and out over the next few days, so feel free to chat away...

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Hello Everyone!  My, so many new faces here, it is great to see all of you!

I’m Audio Doc, an Audiologist, as well as an individual that experiences hearing problems on a more personal level…  Although I still can hear sound down to fairly decent levels, I have trouble processing speech at times.  Some situations are more difficult than others, for example – if there is noise around I am totally lost!  I think I lipread quite a bit, for I feel much more comfortable and able to understand what is going on when I can see someone speak… I have an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) which makes it difficult to make sense of the spoken word.  It is impossible for me to understand pop music, and even if I listen to something 1000 times, I’ll sing gobbledeegook along with it if I try to sing along…  As an adult, I have heard songs that I sang along with in my youth (and have now read the lyrics)… and BOY was I mistaken!  I just babbled the sounds that came thru to me, regardless of whether or not the lyrics made sense…  Now, even though I don’t frequent the rap scene much, I do find some rap music a bit easier to understand – but I still have to listen to it a couple of times first.  I think that perhaps the emphasis and the cadence of the words may have something to do with it.  When watching TV with my sweetheart, we have different comfort levels… He would be satisfied with a much softer TV volume, and says that my 'comfort' volume is way too loud…

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I'm Julie, from Cambridge in England. I've joined because Auricle invited me. And, also, because I have friends and students who have hearing loss. I think HL can be very isolating and frustrating, especially as it's not "obvious" to other people. One of my students has Ushers Syndrome and is registered deaf-blind. She's been studying "Creative computer arts" with me for about a year, and is a huge inspiration to other students because of the high quality of her art work.

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Hi Julie, thank you so much for joining our group, we will look forward to your input in future discussions… I agree with you that HL can be extremely isolating – almost more so than being blind (being deaf and blind is a totally different arena…) 

It seems that many of us tend to work up some fantastic defense mechanisms to keep from admitting to any hearing changes – oh that person mumbles/doesn’t enunciate well; oh there was a lot of noise so no one could hear, etc.

It is an invisible difficulty, as you said, however sometimes it is those around us and closest to us that can alert us to any changes in our hearing status before we are ready to admit it to ourselves!  Isn’t that bizarre?

Usher’s Syndrome is a very interesting, and progressive (genetic) condition.  I have a very close friend who has US and I interviewed this person once for part of a school project.  It can manifest in a few ways. Hearing loss generally presents first, and the loss of vision is progressive over the years from loss of night vision, to tunnel vision, and I believe that it can diminish to total blindness (the project was YEARS ago!!).  My friend has some interesting tales to tell of before they were aware of the condition, and trying to drive or keep up with friends at night without good night vision can be a challenge…

We are looking forward to perhaps seeing some of the creations your student has worked on over the past year (of course, with her permission)… It is inspirational to admire the work and creativity of someone who * really * appreciates their senses, perhaps more so than the average individual…

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     Great to have you here, Julie.  I sent you an invitaqtion to a group I think you and some of your your students may be interested in.

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Ok, hello everyone. My name is Kara. I'm 25 years old and was born prematurely (about 2.5-3 months early) which is presumed to have caused my hearing loss. My loss was discovered at age 4 because even as a child I overcompensated so much and was able to lipread so well that none of the docs picked up on it. Finally when I still couldn't say my name at four (I said Rara) and my younger sister (by three years) was speaking more clearly then I was, my mom pushed for testing. When I was face to face with the examiners I repeated every word back correctly, something they had never seen before in such a young child. I have a sensorineural hearing loss, called a U-shaped loss and my hearing loss is onsidered to be moderate to severe. I wore hearing aids as a kid (thank god I got to wear ITE's in 4th grade instead of those awful BTE's) and went to regular catholic school and never knew another hearing impaired person. I was on the honor roll, in advanced and honors courses, involved in band, chorus, gymnastics, softball and a bunch of other activities. They had told my parents not to expect much from me academically, only C's and D's due to my loss. Ha! I don't know ASL, though I would very much like to learn it.

19 months ago I was lucky enough to get a hearing dog from NEADS. Her name is Wheezy, she is a shih-tzu (profile picture) and if you go my photo album she is pretty much the star. My hearing loss doesn't bother me too much, except when people are dumb. I have a hard time on the phone and understanding music on the radio, but just laugh at some of the crazy things I think I hear (and know I must be hearing wrong)! I also need closed-captioning for tv. I don't wear my hearing aids on a regular basis as I like things quiet.

I love to read, play with my animals, and sometimes watch tv. On occasion I become an exercise nut. I'm a bit of a health food nut as well. Eventually I want to work with Alzheimer's patients in some capacity.

I joined this group to meet other people with hearing loss. Plus, I like to learn different things as well. And I can't remember if I found it on my own of if Auricle intrduced me to it. But she's an awesome person, from what I know of her so far!

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     Always knew that you were a very lpecial person, Kara, but I had no idea that you were a child-hood prodogy and marvel of science.

     Knowing you do as much as you do I suppose I should not be suprised, but it is those of us with impairments which stop so many from living a fun or enjoyable life that makes me so rejoiceing to find people like yourself and Auricle and so many other in this an our other groups.

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Hi Kara! You make me blush thanks for the compliment! Welcome to the club… we look forward to learning more about you, and from you, at the same time. 

You really are lucky to have a hearing dog, she sounds great. We’ll enjoy reading some stories you have about living together…

I am the same way with the radio, it is impossible to understand the words these folks sing (I have wondered if it really is gibberish).  Sometimes (when I am ALONE) I’ll sing along, but my words don’t make any sense…  I do sing gibberish, doh!  It is probably a hoot, but I wouldn’t dare sing in others’ hearing distance – if possible (for popular songs, that is. I get things like holiday songs b/c the lyrics are written out…)

Thanks for joining and for introducing yourself

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Hello!

I'm at right place I see that. Good see people that are like myself. I found out my hearing lost is due the heart meds I take. Plus my husband is going hard hearing too. Yes I wear one hearing aide but my other ear is going too. I do not plan to get another hearing aide either. They cost way to much and I'm slowly learning sign.

I'm a care giver and work with 2 guys in my home. So I'm only woman. So I'm  very glad I have my computer to get away from these males.

I live in great state of Washington out on edge town by counrty.Where on windy day it's good be up wind from the farms. LoL!

At 53 they say your over hill. Well I'm driving over the hill.

Only good about taking out my hearing aide I don't have listen to these guys around here when there being guys.

LeslieKay,

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looks like im about a year too late in joining this group. i used to be a rock drummer in so. cal for many years, now at 44 i have nerve damage and loud ringing and white noise so bad that im going crazy. i was hoping to gain insight into what is happening .the dr.s cant tell me anything. i will hold out hope that someone will eventually come back to this group.

later

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     I now come back to see that Care 2 never got them posted here?

  I also wrote both of you in introductions and wrote Auricle telling her you could use her experties.

 Please let me know if you also did or did not get the introductions I sent you LEslieKay and Drew ?

                      Wolfgram MD

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     I have not heaard from Auricle for a long time but I have also not had time or online  abvaiability to write her either!

   She loves this group and I am sure she misses all of you and ther group very much!

            Wolfgram MD

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    This is the first chance I have to get online and post or reply to anything.     NO ANIMALS WERE AFFECTED ! ! !

      it has overwhelmed me more than I ever expected!

NORMALLY I AM THE ONE WHO GOES AND HELPS OTHERS IN DISASTER OR DEVESTATION IN THIER LIVES ;       NOt doing as well as I would like to report to you all.

Just coming here and knowing you all care and send your best wishes, thoughts, & prayers is very conmforting and helps a whole lot

THANK YOU WEVERYONE AND PLEASE HELP ME SPRESD THE WORD AS GETTING ONLINE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE HERE FOR A WHILE

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID NOT KNOW A FLOOD HERE WIPED OUT MY HOME AND BUISNESS AND EVERYTHNIG IS LOST BUT NO ANIMALS WERE AFFECTED OR HARMED in the flood !

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