As board member for the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, it was an honor for me to be a workshop presenter at the Kansas Governor’s Conference on Aging 2026. This week’s event was held at the University of Kansas Conference Center in Lawrence, Kansas. The event’s conference tracks included: 1. Clinical … Continue reading
Join me this Tuesday, August 25 at 1PM CDT for a LIVE interview with the #NoLimits podcast with Shelley Kenow, when we will discuss my new book, How I Hear, and learn more about living with progressive hearing loss, deafness, hearing aids, and cochlear implants. Tune in for a chance to win a copy of … Continue reading
I’m excited to share the online Lipreading Mom Store, where you can find dozens of merchandise (clothing, mugs, bags, home decor) that celebrate disability pride, reading, shopping for vintage items and more! Check it out at the Lipreading Mom Store. I will have some items for sale along with a book signing of my new … Continue reading
I am excited to announce that I will be signing copies of my new book, How I Hear: Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom, on July 11 from 11AM-1:30PM at the Olathe Community Center, 1205 E Kansas City Road, Olathe, Kansas. I’ll be joining several other local authors who also will be signing their books. … Continue reading
Thirteen years ago, my memoir Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom hit the bookshelves. It detailed the emotional and mental health impact of having hearing loss while raising my three children, during the first six years after diagnosis. In the latest episode of the Deafinitely Talking podcast, I speak with Dr. Anne McIntosh, president of … Continue reading
In How I Hear: Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom, I recount my journey with progressive hearing loss, diagnosed at age 27 shortly after the birth of my first child. The unexpected news thrusts me into a life of constant adjustment as familiar sounds—doorbells, smoke alarms, and my babies’ cries—begin to fade. While raising three healthy … Continue reading
December 1990. At a mall theater in central Oklahoma, my 13-year-old sister Monica and I sat and watched the movie Home Alone. It was a tough winter. Our older sister was about to be deployed with her Army unit to assist with Operation Desert Storm. Her newborn son was less than a month old and … Continue reading
I hope you all are doing well with the cold winter weather. A lot of us will be impacted in the Midwest United States. Thinking about the snowstorm that we will be receiving makes me think about 15 years ago, when I was sitting in a living room with my then four year old youngest … Continue reading
Let’s erase the stigma of hearing loss. In 2012, I launched a campaign called “Show Me Your Ears”. I have written extensively about my progressive hearing loss on this site. For a few years after the hearing loss diagnosis, I had initial reluctance to wear hearing aids or show them off to anyone, particularly in work … Continue reading
Today was a landmark day with the new cochlear implant. I went to the movies and understood dialogue without captions. Seems unrealistic because I am deaf. Leaving the theater, I asked my husband: “When was the last time you remember me enjoying a movie without captions?” “About 28 years,” he said. We’ve been together 30 … Continue reading
