Comments on: Coping with hearing loss

By: Maureen

Maureen — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 04:13:26 +0000

How have I coped? By questioning the diagnosis of otosclerosis to ensure that it was a proper diagnosis. The ENT specialist didn’t examine any other alternative other than otosclerosis with a passing, “At least you won’t die from it” at the end of the appointment. When I lost significant hearing in my 2nd year, the prognosis & treatment of otosclerosis was so dismal that I had no choice other than to search other alternatives. My first step (as described on my blog), was Chinese tea which demonstrated that my hearing fluctuated. My next step was acupuncture where the Chinese doctor indicated he thought I had a chronic sinus infection (to which the ENT snorted). Although my left ear has fluctuated somewhat, I usually now have 100% hearing (which I likely wouldn’t have if I had relied on the Western ENT’s diagnosis of otosclerosis). I daily do sinus rinses twice with a Nettiepot. I am trying a naturopathic diet (which so far hasn’t seemed to affect my hearing but has improved other minor medical issues ~ of interest is that I now experience sinus headaches after eating sugar ~ perhaps a link between sugar consumption & hearing for me?). I was finally referred to a lung specialist who agreed that my hearing challenges could be linked to my persistent coughing (potentially asthma which is being investigated next). It has been a tiring task but I believe my body is determined to get well as well so I am giving it the best opportunity possible.

My scepticism was justified of the otosclerosis diagnosis when I asked the ENT whether he could see the otosclerosis; he couldn’t but based his opinion on the audiology test. Interestingly, the audiologist herself had questioned the diagnosis of otosclerosis because it wasn’t typical of the otosclerosis tests she had seen.

By: debcny

debcny — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:02:11 +0000

Okay – I AM being dense! It’s for Say What Club, right?

Wow… I better go get some coffee!! LOL

By: debcny

debcny — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:01:10 +0000

Ellen – that’s terible. I’m sorry you went through all that – but, glad that you’re finally in a better place.

I am probably being dense… but, what does SWC stand for? I tried to look it up and found 65 different definitions… LOL
(http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/SWC)

debcny

By: Ellen

Ellen — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:21:50 +0000

Speaking from the perspective of a born with hearing loss person, I never accepted that I was less of a person … well, not exactly anyway. I felt defective! During my childhood, no one accepted my hearing loss. My brothers were downright mean about it, my parents obviously loved me, but didn’t have a clue as to what to do about it. My classmates shunned me or laughed at me. If I learned to cope, it was to ignore others which actually only made it worse! Nothing I did seemed to be right! I was never where I was supposed to be when I was supposed to be because I hadn’t heard the announcement. I was laughed at in class when I asked the same question or gave the same answer as someone else had just done. It was a miserable life. When I was 25, I got my first hearing aids. They helped but the damage was done with no relief in site. It wasn’t until age 50 when I joined SWC that I learned that I was not defective! SWC has been the savior of my life.

By: debcny

debcny — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:42:13 +0000

Hi Kim… well, I was just echoing what your original post said in the first paragraph about how “some” people feel coping means that.
I never would have thought that personally – or that the word coping could imply such a thing.

Personally, I relate the word “coping” to the word “dealing” with things… and I think we all have need to do it for one reason or another… and it can either be done negatively… or positively…

debcny

By: kim

kim — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:10:36 +0000

joecasta– For many late-deafened learning new communication skills is the tip of the ice berg. I’ve said many times before– hearing loss isn’t about loss of hearing. So many other aspects of our lives are affected by hearing loss, that’s it’s really life as we know it. It’s a huge loss to grapple with because it impacts nearly everything we do with friends, family and at work. Not only must we change how we communicate but more importantly others must change how they communicate with us. That’s the hard part. People who are musical have an especially hard time adjusting to the distorted sound with hearing aids and/or implants. The modern world expects many of us to be on the phone constantly in our jobs. That’s an impossible hurdle for some of us and hard to explain to others who knew us as hearing individuals. ‘Coping’ is a good term here.

By: kim

kim — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:04:57 +0000

Deb–What an interesting perspective on the “less of a person” comment. Some late-deafened people DO feel less, because they lost something. This is all part of the ‘acceptance/coping’ process. I don’t feel lesser. I’ve gained insight others don’t have.

By: joscasta

joscasta — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:00:20 +0000

I recently heard that you don’t learn “coping skills” to deal with hearing loss… you learn “communication management skills” sounds much better than “coping” eh?

By: Michele

Michele — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:53:13 +0000

Great article, Pearl!! I have never consider the word “coping”, related to hearing loss or not, as a negative term. We all cope in one way or another. Coping is the only tool I have ever had in understanding and communicating in the world. I coped naturally, as a child losing my hearing gradually, and those skills were built upon and extended as I aged and lost even more hearing. And I do consider “coping” a skill, a positive and important skill. Yes, I learned to cope out of necessity, as related to losing my hearing, but I find I apply and benefit from my coping skills in all areas of my life. It is the part of losing my hearing that I view as a positive.

Michele

By: Jamie Berke

Jamie Berke — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:50:18 +0000

Interesting about the audiogram with graphics. I’ve never seen that before, an audiogram with graphics. Can you post a picture of it?

Also, a suggested replacement for the word “coping:” how about “living” as in living with hearing loss? I like to say that deafness is simply something that you live with, every day.