Hearing Loss & Deafness Support Group

My name is Teri and I've had my hearing loss since birth. My mom was pregnant with me with german measles which caused it. I am a mother of an soon to be 18 year old son who has mild cerebal palsy due to premature birth.

Hi - My name is Willie. I live in Colorado and found out about two years ago that I have tumors on my auditory nerves. I am getting MRI scans every six months and have been on Chemo for many years for tumors. The last MRI done in January, the doctors said the tumors did not grow in the last six months. I get my hearing checked every six months as well. I know sign language and love the language. I know ASL because my former girlfriend is profoundly deaf. I want to make music videos for that hearing impaired community. I already made one.

Hi my name is Russ...
My hearing loss is mainly due to Child Abuse... both my ear drums have been ruptured from being slapped up side the head too many times... then infections set in my hearing is really bad...
Hearing aids don't work well for me... too much back ground noise... I use a hearing device I buy at Radio Shack, and head phones.. It looks stupid I know but I can control the about of volume to each ear.. and cuts out the back ground noise...
I'm a father of Four grown children... six grandchildren...I'm 56 years old I suffer multible disabilities... PTSD, chronic pain, heart failure, Fibromyaglia....etc ...etc...
Took eight years to get SSI.... so for those appling for SSD or SSI hang in there... write your congressman... cause if they dragg you out five years you can't get your SSD... Get a lawyer and keep pushin...
there are some wonderful hearing devices on the market that aren't hearing aids... Hunters ears,,, come in several different shapes... the head phones are great check em out at the sporting goods stores... also there are some wireless head phones you can use to listen to your T.V. or stereo with out blastin other folks outta the house... save ya ears too...
hearing impaired is a lonelly life for some... most folks I know just dont want to be bothered with the extra effort it takes to be around a hard of hearin person...(like my ex )lol.. I've been on DS a long time... can't really find a place I feel like I fit ... must be the PTSD... but I always feel like I'm on the outside lookin IN.... russ

My name is Lianna and I am 15. I have been deaf since birth. I am also dealing with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. I am on a very rigorous schedule of chemotherapy that they hope might nip it in the behind. I had to stop school cause of this and I miss it. I wish that things were not like this but what is the use in wishing on things that wont come true.

My name is Becky. I was officially diagnosed with hearing loss back in '06. now, understand that this is one of MANY physical issues with me and to be honest I wasn't really upset, just more relieved that it was recognized. Im 22 now, and still have the same basic attitude that I had that day when I picked out the color for my hearing aid.... I said to myself 'if im going to have hearing loss and need a hearing aid, why not make the best of it.' so i (19) decided on a black and white swirl design. I didn't adjust to the hearing aid mainly because it wasnt set properly. and later when I got two, i had the same problem and went by reading lips alone for a year. I've gone back to just one and even though the doctors almost insist i have two, im just not ready for two. This time (and in 2008 when I got just my left ear done) the audiologist set it perfectly and I had no problem wearing it. I just found out just how much worse it has gotten since my previous test and within the past 3 years it has been creeping down. I am no where within the normal range at any pitch and im 100% deaf at 800 (vowels). Im going back to school full time in the fall (i just transferred to massart) and things have been set into motion for me to get an FM system. they wont say anything for sure, but the honest audiologist told me that it commonly just continues to creep down, or, if i hit my head in the wrong spot, i could go deaf instantly. of course, there is the possibility that it will settle somewhere, but things aren't looking that way.

PS
I want/should/eventually will need to learn ASL. whats the best way to go about learning it considering I dont have much time or money for classes?

I'm amanda and 14 years old. I have been partially deaf since I was born. It's not fun for me because I am a very talented and well-known musician where I live (violin since pre-k) and my hearing is getting worse each year and I'm at risk for becoming completely deaf. So I'm really afraid because music is my passion.

Hello my name is Beatrice I had almost all my life nerve deafness in both ears. I am now 52 and my hearing is getting worse. On top of that 20 years ago I started with night blindness. It wasn't so bad, but now that is getting worse. They classified me with Ushers II .
I always managed to get through life, but now it seems that it is getting more difficult at work and at home. I am also living with a husband who has Multiliple Sclerosis. Talk about stress! I take one day at a time and am very forgiving. I need new hearing aids and can not afford it , I have very good medical insurance that doesn't cover hearing aids.

Hello my name is Letita. I am a Late Deafened Adult. I am married with 8 kids. 2 are also deaf. We are in Cali. It has takened me a while to get back to the website.. so im want to say hello to everyone.

My name is Rosie, Im 19 years old and I was born Deaf. I communicate through American Sign Language and I attend a regular college with a bunch of hearing people and I participate and live in the Deaf community. I dont really have a story

It's been a couple of years since I've been here, but here it goes again.

I am Lori, age 47 and single, with three beautiful, playful cats. I enjoy many things in life, and hearing loss is NOT going to stop me!

I was initially diagnosed with a 35 baseline hearing loss after undergoing a routine hearing test in March 2007.

I decided to buckle down and get something done once and for all after denying something was "off" despite having to turn up things such as the TV more than usual, and that some things were sounding "muffled."

I would actually accuse people of "mumbling!" How awful is that? It had gotten to the place where I rarely had gone out at all.

It turned out my loss fell into the moderate range, I couldn't pick up low-pitched noises, and it could have been inherited. My father suffered an ear injury during WWII and I know he had had problems for years after.

I did wear hearing devices for awhile, but they were both generic and uncomfortable (cheap stuff) since my insurance at the time didn't cover hearing aids.

I had a second hearing test done today, and despite being told there is loss in both ears, it has worsened in my right one. Lucky for me, my present insurance DOES cover hearing aids and I'm getting a new one for my right ear on Friday! :D