At the age of 27, I was a glowing new mom. My son was a healthy seven-pounder with tufts of strawberry-blond hair. My days were spent holding him because I didn’t want to let go. My nights were spent with him laying beside me. The only way I could fall asleep was to have that … Continue reading
Filed under Coping with Hearing Loss …
An Artistic Look at My Hearing Aids
It took me two years before I’d let this much of myself show. My bottle blonde hair and palette of cosmetics usually help me blend in with the other moms who drive their children to sporting events on a warm summer afternoon. I turn the wheel, hoping to avoid the stark reflection that stares back … Continue reading
Help! I’ve Got Swimmer’s Ear and Can’t Hear Well
Yesterday, after months of teaching my young daughter how to “doggy paddle,” she finally swam the pool’s deep end. Alone. Not long after this momentous occasion, one of my other children (who will remain nameless) splashed water into my right ear. Hours later, that ear still hurts. Hearing aids are useless when I have swimmer’s … Continue reading
What I Learned from a (Deaf) Girl Scout
If I could go back in time, it would be 1912. I would meet the woman founder of an organization that taught me how to love nature as an 8-year-old girl growing up in rural Oklahoma. Recently, I learned how to embrace my life with hearing loss because of her. The founder of the Girl … Continue reading
How I Overcame My Hearing Loss Fears
My hearing loss progressed after I quit working to become a stay-at-home mom. It really scared the heck out of me that one day I would probably re-enter the workforce. How would I be able to hear my employer, fellow employees, clients, and even the office phone when it rings? It stressed me out to … Continue reading
7 Tips for Surviving Allergies and Colds with a Hearing Loss
One of the most difficult times of year for Lipreading Mom is when the weather turns from cold to warm and vice versa. Not just because it can be humid and windy where I live, but because I am more susceptible to getting head colds, allergy congestion, and sinus infections. While I type, my right … Continue reading
Help! I Hate the Sound of My Voice with Hearing Loss
Voice occlusion is the perception of one’s voice when wearing hearing aids. Sometimes the voice sounds too loud, muffled, or like an echo. While rare, one of my blog readers shared about her struggles with voice occlusion even when not wearing her hearing aids. Can you relate? Can you help her? Dear Lipreading Mom, Can … Continue reading
Help! I Can’t Understand this Guy’s Mumbling
My new column, “Can You Help?”, allows LipreadingMom.com followers to share and answer questions with each other. This week’s question comes from a friend who can’t understand what the heck her daughter’s boyfriend is saying. Can you help? Dear Lipreading Mom, My daughter is dating a guy that has some type of social anxiety disorder. … Continue reading
Help! My Hearing Loss Makes Me Feel Alone
Today’s question comes from a follower of this blog: “Although I’ve had hearing loss for the past five or so years, it seems like the last couple of weeks I have really noticed more loss. I wear hearing aids and am attempting to get my classroom looped to help me hear my students. I’m trying … Continue reading
Can You Come Up with Another Label for Hard of Hearing? – By Michelle Rooney
Hard of Hearing. Moderate to severe hearing loss. Hearing impaired. They’re all the same. They all describe me. They all simply mean that my ears don’t function as intended. This doesn’t mean that I can’t think. This doesn’t mean that I’m stupid. This doesn’t mean that I should not, or cannot lead a normal productive … Continue reading