Libby Collins is a mom with hearing loss. When she contacted Lipreading Mom, I found it interesting when she mentioned her young child also has hearing loss. Here is Libby’s story… A Mom and Child Get Hearing Aids By Libby Collins Early one morning in September, my daughter Olivia and I awoke to get ready … Continue reading
Filed under Awkward Ear Moments …
The Only Whispers I Can Hear
Would life be better if I could hear better? Would I notice the subtle differences in people’s voices, or the tones used in their speech? Or be able to hear the door bell ring or the microwave beep, or the wall clock tick? Or distinguish instantly who is calling me by listening to voice, not … Continue reading
Depression and Hearing Loss
Sometimes, Lipreading Mom receives comments that are too important not to share with readers. This is one of them. One of my readers–I’ll call him “Ben”– shared how his new hearing loss has caused some depression. This is Ben’s letter and my reply… Dear Lipreading Mom, What do you do about depression? I started losing … Continue reading
Adventures in Tinnitus (1): Make the noise STOP!
Oh, to have a quiet moment. Welcome to the world of tinnitus. It’s a condition characterized by a perceived ringing, buzzing or whistling sound in the ears. Lipreading Mom’s 6-year-old daughter recently shared she can’t hear the teacher at school well because of the sounds inside her ears. Her school audiologist admits there isn’t an objective … Continue reading
Do Hearing Aids Belong in the Gym?
A few weeks ago, Lipreading Mom got her rear off the couch and headed to the gym. Entering the workout center after the long hiatus made me feel naked. I’d left two items from my wardrobe behind: my ear buds and hearing aids. While fellow gym goers suited up for an hour of elliptical skiing, … Continue reading
Ouch! It Hurts to Lipread the Dentist
As I sat in the patient’s chair gripping the vinyl armrests, a mask-wearing dentist probed my mouth. Her findings nearly busted my jaw: Multiple chipped teeth, a recessed gum and six cavities. One cavity for each year I put off going for a check-up. I tensed even more as she injected anesthesia into my infected … Continue reading
Lipreading Mom’s 5 Tips for a Happy Holiday with Hearing Loss
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But for the 1 in 10 people with hearing loss, it’s also the most challenging time for communication. Lipreading Mom should know. I’ve had 10 years of holidaytime hearing loss experience. The whole family is packed around the dinner table, busily chatting about their good fortune and laying … Continue reading
How to Strike Up a ‘Deaf’ Conversation
It’s sad but true. I’ve observed friends, family and strangers with perfect hearing reluctant to talk to someone who is Deaf. I’ve seen this happen in restaurants, libraries, the post office and church. Something Lipreading Mom has committed to doing is to initiate an ASL* conversation with people I don’t know. These are people I … Continue reading
Not Too Sick to Advocate
After several days of a pounding headache, congested throat, stuffy nose and clogged ears, I was in tears. Having sick ears was like poison with my already compromised ability to hear. Hearing aids became useless; all they amplified was the dull rumbling of fluid in the ear drums. And the pounding head made it difficult … Continue reading
Meet My Hearing Helpers
Meet Emilie, Cody and Jill… my special helpers at church. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to teach my six-year-old daughter’s Sunday school class at church. Because my sensorineural hearing loss makes it difficult for me to understand a child’s delicate voices, someone must come alongside me to repeat or explain what the child has spoken. I call this … Continue reading
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