I’ve loved stories ever since I was a little girl. Long before I became Lipreading Mom and years before my hearing loss diagnosis, I sat in a crowded elementary school classroom and waited for a story to begin. I placed a set of headphones over my ears. When the recorded storyteller asked a question, I … Continue reading
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We Have a Winner in Lipreading Mom’s Corny Caption Contest
While watching a DVD of Thomas the Train with my Little Boy, I was dismayed to discover the movie lacked captions. So I took a photo of the TV screen with Thomas in mid-sentence, and posted the image on Facebook. My friends came up with some clever quotes, and I’ve selected my three favorites. Which … Continue reading
My Whirlwind Day of Sign Language, Storytelling…and Dead Hearing Aid Batteries
I took part this past weekend in the KC Ability Expo, an event in my area that promotes understanding of differently abled individuals and support organizations. The annual fest features info booths, artists, wheelchair dancers, a Deaf choir, and other entertainment. As a second-year Expo volunteer, I split duties between helping with a Hearing Loss … Continue reading
America: Land of the Free and a Lipreading Mom
The lady ahead of me in the grocery store checkout line seemed puzzled. She pointed at something in front of us, then asked me a question. Her thick Spanish accent made the question difficult for my crazy ears to distinguish. “Es su hoho?” I thought she said. It’s only been 20 years since I took high school … Continue reading
Usher’s Syndrome, Hearing/Vision Loss, and Humor
By Amy Bovaird / LipreadingMom.com Guest Blogger “I have Usher’s Syndrome?” There! I finally knew what I was up against. I’d suspected hearing loss for awhile now but wasn’t in the United States long enough to follow it up. I was too busy having adventures as a globetrotting English teacher. Or should I say “globe-tripping” … Continue reading
Do You Know Someone Who Needs Hearing Aids But Refuses to Get Them?
Have you or someone you know put off a hearing screening because you’re worried about what the results could be? I’ll admit “yes” to that question…for myself. It’s challenging enough having a hearing loss without being reminded of it when I step into an audiologist’s office. The idea of sitting in a sound-proof booth, putting … Continue reading
How Humor Can Heal Hearing Loss…Oh, Yes It Can
Okay, I use the term “heal” metaphorically. But for the past eight years of that rollercoaster ride known as hearing loss, I’ve found laughter to be the most effective remedy for coping with the inevitable. “So I’m going deaf,” I say with a slight chuckle to my family and friends. “What’s new with YOU?” For … Continue reading
Ponytail Exposes Hearing Aids to the World
Lipreading Mom has a love-hate relationship with wearing ponytails. I love them because they keep my hair out of my mouth when I’m eating. I love them because they keep my face, neck, and shoulders cool in the mid-July humidity. I hate ponytails because I have a square-shaped face that looks like a box without … 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
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
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