# The little things we take for granted...



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I got confirmation I have diminished hearing in my left ear. I woke up several weeks ago to find I could not hear with my left ear. It felt like I needed my ears to pop or I had water in it. All I can hear is that hollow sound if you listen to the very end of an audio cassette where there is no recording. The emptiness. This was the same symptoms I lad last year when I had an acute sinus infection and needed antibiotics. So naturally I went to the doctor. 

No sinus infection. No canal blockage. No tear or other obvious issue.

It seems my ear has decided to slowly stop working. Now, the concept of deafness does not bother me. My mom is deaf- completely in one ear (the left) and mostly in the other. She wears a hearing aid and over the last 35 years what little hearing she had has faded.

So I have been reflecting over how deafness will directly affect me and my daily life. 

Since I can not hear on the left side I will have to make sure my 'good' ear is aimed at people so I can hear the conversation. I have seen my mom do this all my life and even move to her good side so she can hear me when I speak to her.

I will have to rely more on the dogs to tell me when someone is at the door or on the property. This was standard procedure growing up. My parents 13 year old dog is now deaf herself so my mom got a new puppy a year ago to be her ears around the house. We already have 2 dogs but I'll need to work more with Summer to hone her barks to just warnings and not because she hears other dogs barking.

No more going into the orchard alone. I can't walk out back and expect to hear someone or thing approach now. Again the dogs are going to have to be my ears.

I am curious what some of our other members who may deal with deafness have to say about the changes they have made to deal with it.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

I have only half the hearing in my right ear. Too many rock concerts way back when and mowing without protection,etc. I can not hear conversation level at all and if we're somewhere with background noise ( restaurants, vehicle traffic,etc) then forget talking to me at all cuz I'll just ignore you and not even try to hear lol Hubby has learned that if I don't respond I didn't understand what he was saying. He used to get kinda pizzed off that I was "ignoring" him ( so chick like *snickers*).

I would imagine that your sense of smell will increase as maybe your vision? I don't know. you can get things to tell you when the phone rings ( lights that light up), same for the doorbell. But since your mom is dealing with it you probably know all this.
I suppose you could go get training for you and your dog so it can go with you everywhere and it can alert you to things.

Good Luck Toots


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

We need to get some people of strong faith to lay hands on you and pray healing on your ears.


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## squerly (Aug 17, 2012)

I feel your pain Grimm. For me it was shooting out in the desert without hearing protection. The it was a bunch of years on the racetrack without earplugs. So now I'm in the same boat as Genevieve. If there is background noise I'm not going to be in the conversation. I can hear you talking, just don't understand what you're saying. It's a bitch but it is-what-it-is. It's generally the higher pitched noises that I can't hear, like a whistle.

I've been out hiking with my Son and he'll hear pigs rustling through the forest where I won't. And if the UPS is going off in the house, everyone will hear it but me. Sucks...



LincTex said:


> We need to get some people of strong faith to lay hands on you and pray healing on your ears.


Maybe we can get a group buy on this???


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

Sorry about the hearing loss. It sucks! I rely more on vision and the "signs" around me. The dog is one of my hearing "aids" as is Susan. The most difficult part is staying a part of things like family gatherings. It's somewhere between being difficult and impossible to hear conversations in family gatherings so it's easy to just isolate yourself. You have to really work at it to stay a part of those things. Those who hear well have absolutely no understanding of the difficulties of deafness.

You'll also need to work hard at non-family relationships because once again it's easy to isolate yourself.

At least you still have some hearing on the right side. Mine is shot on both sides. I cannot hear high pitches at all. Scott has learned to come get me and say "teakettle" when it's whistling. If I'm not watching it for steam I'll never know when it's ready. 

I did too much shooting as a youngster and in the USMC (they had some really noisy stuff!) and then many years working around air compressors and using air tools in the auto repair shops. Once it's gone, it's gone for good. It really pains me to see young people destroying their hearing with loud music, etc. They have no idea what the consequences are like.


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## bugoutbob (Nov 11, 2012)

My hearing aids have been a huge blessing. I have some hereditary hearing loss plus lots of noise related damage (high noise work environments, too much loud music and plenty of firearms)... voice levels about 20-30% loss, some high frequencies up to 90%. I can hear things I had long forgotten even made noise. They certainly not cheap (here in Canada Costco is 50-70% cheaper than comparable clinics and I know many people who have been happy with the results). With current technology the devices are virtually weightless and fit very comfortably.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

Hubby has pretty bad industrial deafness, I have mild. We spend a lot of time repeating things to each other. I have some pretty big issues with short term memory so a lot of our conversations go like this ... 

Me "I think we should fix the fence in the western paddock today"
Hubby "What did you say, I didn't hear you"
Me " Umm, I don't remember" 
Hubby "WHAT! You saw a reindeer."
Me "Umm Where?"

Amuses the children no end, luckily we are pretty patient with each other.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Wellrounded said:


> a lot of our conversations go like this ...
> 
> Me "I think we should fix the fence in the western paddock today"
> Hubby "What did you say, I didn't hear you"
> ...


Had to repeat it as it is too true! LOL!!!


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

My hearing has been poor for years due to running heavy equipment and chainsaws early in my careers. I don't think the Jensen co-axils behind my head in the truck and fancy 7 band equalizer had anything to do with it though. It's only Rock and Roll!!!... Excuse me "classic rock". I have also worn glasses all my life due to nearsightedness (I can see near but nor far).

My standard saying at my office job was, let me put on my glasses so I can hear you. In a quiet setting I am pretty much good to go. But in a background noise situation, I lip read to go along with what I hear. I find most folks to be understanding and will call your name before speaking to you, so you can face them.


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## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

I was stupid in my youth. I tell my sons if you only take one piece of advice from me let it be to protect your hearing. Sorry you are joining the hearing challenged Grimm.
I jokingly tell people that after 30 years of marriage hearing loss is a gift. My wife has the habit of walking into the other room and then trying to talk. It used to irritate me something awful. Now I amuse myself by giving random answers. Like I got 3 at Walmart, wear the red nightie e.t.c. she usually walks back in and say's what the hell did you say? I reply oh I don't know what did you say?


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Back in the 1950's and 60's many TV shows and movies had scenes like that. Folks would laugh and laugh, I would just go 'I don't get it, she said this.' The next generation won't have to worry about it. They will just text each other from the next room.


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## Crrrock (Sep 29, 2011)

I'm with all of the above :/
Industrial deafness in the 3000Hz area, which is where all the consonants live, so I miss out on 80% of conversations.
As Wellrounded said above, I just make up random words that "might" (or might not) fit the conversation.
Ask her sometime about "Tuesday" lol
Back when the kids were little, I tried hearing aids but had to give them up due to the kids screaming while I was driving and nearly deafening me :/
Which brings to mind...
some years back I went on a horse trek in the high country of NSW with a mate.
I had my hearing aids with me and decided to wear them, fresh batteries and all.
So, we're riding alond (at a walk) with him in the lead and bit by bit I'm turning up the aids so's I can hear.
Birds. Breeze in the trees. Critters scuffling. Sounds I had not heard in a long time.
I've got these things at max and I can hear everything in the silence of the mountains when he turns to me and says quite loudly (because I'm deaf) "Bloody beautiful isn't it Mike".
Just about blew out my eyeballs :/


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

5 years as a restaurant/bar manager in a ski resort, with live music 5 days a week, definitely played a role on my hearing degradation, as well as being in a band most of my life..

My wife and I just got over the flu and both of us had our left ear plugged for over two weeks and neither of us could hardly hear anything out of that ear, and on the same day both of our ears cleared up? Not sure why, just glad it cleared....

I feel your pain and agree with LincTex! My prayers are with you!


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm the same as most here. If there is background noise, I'm not hearing anything you say unless you look at me and speak up. Any background noise even a nice little car running just drowns out the speaking voices around me.

I said "huh?" to the lovely one for about 5 years before she realized that if she speaks a little louder, I can hear her. She wants me to check into hearing aids.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

American Sign Language ... 

I wanted to learn a second language  ... and what started out as just fun and playing around has came in handy. (my hearing sucks)

Teaching basic words can help to get the message across ... I'm working with the grandbabies now and they are getting the hang of it also.

Give it a try ...


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

Lots of loss due to ear infections from infant onward. I compensate a fair bit but also like to do all the talking so that works for me (just kidding). You know Grimm I never thought about a dog for assistance, but something I will give some serious thought to now thanks. That and hearing aid (kids are nudging me along ).


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

lovetogrow said:


> Lots of loss due to ear infections from infant onward. I compensate a fair bit but also like to do all the talking so that works for me (just kidding). You know Grimm I never thought about a dog for assistance, but something I will give some serious thought to now thanks. That and hearing aid (kids are nudging me along ).


My mom lost her hearing due to a high grade fever as a young child. Since she was already speaking they opted to teach her to read lips rather than sign language. She is _amazing_! Growing up I watched her be a successful teacher even with the hear loss and no one knew unless they were told by her (or us).

I can read lips, though not as well as my mom. It was always a fun gag to pull out during parties or in large crowds. I did notice over the years since grammar and phonics are no longer priorities in schools reading lips has gotten harder for me as well as my mom.

I'm sure once I go for my official hear test if there is any hearing in my left ear I will opt for a hearing aid. It is covered by my insurance though it will be an over the ear model and not the nice inner ear one my mom has. She had the same one since I was very young. Once I moved out of the house in my late teens she got fitted for a new smaller inner ear model. Within a few months the dog ate it! To this day we check all poop scooped to see if it whistles. (The inner ear models have a proximity alarm that sounds like a whistle. It helps when adjusting the volume and if the battery is low.)

This thread reminds me I need to stock up on batteries for my mom's hearing aid!

But for now I'll look in to training for the pups and continue reading lips when I can.


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## phxrising (Jun 24, 2012)

Sorry to hear about your hearing loss Grimm. I too have very little hearing in my left ear due to Meniere's and an inverted eardrum from a long haul flight in 2009 ruined it. I get along pretty well but I also live in a city and have people around me all day at the office. I'm pretty open to just say, sorry could you please repeat that, I'm deaf in my left ear, and people are fine with it. 

I try to keep people to my right or have little to no background noise if I have to speak with a client. Sometimes it produces humorous situations because what people say and what I think I hear are totally off. I did get a headpiece for my work phone which is for my good ear, so that helps a lot in busy times. Sometimes I just plain plug my deaf ear and that helps in noisy situations.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

I'm with the most of you. A lot of background noise and I'm out of the conversation.

When I was a kid an ear infection and later a ruptured ear drum didn't help the hearing.

Marriage didn't help the hearing.

1970's firearm training with no ear protection didn't help the hearing.

Children didn't help the hearing.

Last straw was at church, I was running the PA system. After the service several asked what that high pitch whine was? What whine?, I asked. I never heard it.

Electronic earmuffs. Crank the volume up and it's amazing what you can hear!


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## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

bummer grimm... sign language is a good idea..might come in handy in alot of situations regardless..thanks andi...


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

A lot of homeschoolers in Australia are learning AUSLAN (Australian sign language) as their language other than english. Great to think that a new generation of people will have that skill.


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## squerly (Aug 17, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> Electronic earmuffs. Crank the volume up and it's amazing what you can hear!


I bought a set of these and they arrived today. Holy Cow, just unbelievable! These are the most fantastic things I've ever seen. I can hear stuff that I never knew existed and it's really cool! We have a creek about 1/4 mile away, I can normally hear it with no problem but with these things on it sounds like it's right beside me.

Now if I can find something that works the same way for my vision!


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Grimm… (and others) make a effort to contact Matthew Wood. He’s of FB and has a website. His books describe some amazing results treating hearing and other ear problems with Monarda fistulosa tincture.


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