Hearing loss anxieties…
Hi everyone! I just joined Reddit specifically to connect with people in his community. My hearing has been declining slowly over the last 10 years. I haven’t had a hearing test since I was a child, mainly because I know going to get my hearing checked would confirm what I already know. I have a hearing test scheduled for next week, but I am dreading the possibility of the official diagnosis of hearing loss.
I studied ASL and deaf studies in college because I work with children and love the idea of being able to communicate with children in sign language and helping deaf children feel understood. I have a moderate knowledge of sign language still, as it’s been about nine years since I graduated…so, I have been struggling with the decision to get hearing aids. I am pretty good at reading lips, as this is what I have grown accustomed to doing in social situations, but when it’s with more than just one person, I feel so lost in conversations. I also work with children and it is getting increasingly more difficult to hear my coworkers talk to me over the excessive noise in the classroom.
I would love to hear from someone in a similar situation and how you cope with your hearing loss. I should probably wait until after my appointment to make this post, but I wanna go into the appointment with confidence and knowledge. I think hearing aids could help me, or I could lean more into my current knowledge of sign language and embrace the beautiful community of signers I grew to love and respect. I would love some advice or encouragement from people in this community. Thank you in advance ❤️