Ask the hearing-impaired

[b. john allen]

due to being born premature, are you sick a lot? does that influence your study/job? is it harder to get a job if you're born premature/hear badly? have you ever been unrightly discriminated against in any way?


gee i'm nosey...

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

No, it's ok to be nosey. That's why I started this in the first place.

I don't get that sick, just colds, and 24 hour bugs. I was very sick in the beginning, but that went away. The worst, besides that, was chicken pox when I was 4 and the flu when I was 13, even with that I just slept the whole illness away, literally, I was a sleep for 4 days, only getting up to eat and go to the bathroom.

I'm a senior in high-school now, so I don't have a job. When I was in second-grade, a kid made fun of me because of my speech impairment. It was hard for me to say certain words, still is, so I went to 6 years of speech therapy, during elementary school. Anyway, I couldn't say the word stop, it sounded like shop. So the kid would always say, "want to go shopping" or "I don't want to go shopping now." It got very frustrating after a while. It's also hard for me say anything that starts with the letters ch, like church. I have to be careful in what I'm saying, and make sure that I'm saying the word clearly. It's hard at times. But, that's another reason why I started this, to help myself try to get over the fact that I will NEVER be normal in the eyes of society. Sorry if that upsets upsets anyone, it's just the way I see myself at times.

 

[b. john allen]

thanks for answering the questions
i just read one of your posts on the first page again, about not ever having met anyone with the same impairments as you have. are there possibilities to join a club of people with similar impairments? if not, would you feel the need to?
i see you use the word impairment rather than disability. is this for the obvious reason, i.e. that impairment doesn't sound as harsh as disability does (to me at least)?
i guess it isn't really a disability anyway, seeing as you can speak and hear?
on a totally different note:
how about the girls? how do they see it? is it hard to get dates?

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

Yes, I suppose that there are groups out there, somewhere, but I go to boarding home, and only go home on some weekends out of the week, and during break, like Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

I've always used impairment, it's something that I do. I also have a learning disability, decording certain words on paper, and saying them out load. Oh, and ADD.

On the last note, well...they've never really notise me. I mean I have plenty of friends that are girls, but the genrual population hasn't notised me.

 

[b. john allen]

if any, what are the advantages of having a hearing impairment?


(running out of questions...)

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

You get to cut in line at the amusment parks. And don't forget it doesn't have to be about the hearing impairent of the premature birth. Just telling you.

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

That's about all that I know about advatages, sorry.

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

That's about all that I know about advatages, sorry. And for a eariler post, I ment boarding school, NOT boarding home.

 

[b. john allen]

Do you think that your impairments (sorry to put it like this, but you seem to ahve quite a few..) stand in the way of your life's dreams?

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

That's yet another good question. I hope not. Some of my dreams include writing a best seller, free-lanced photography, and to become a teacher for special needs kids. Oh, and going to Dublin, Ireland someday, that'll be amazing. And seeing a U2 concert. I think that's it. I'll try to think of some more later.

 

[BoMac]

Well I'm somewhat hearing impaired. Because of an ear infection when I was 7 years old I lost approximately 40 percent hearing in my right ear. I can hear OK except when there's background noise. So, very often I'll be at a restaurant and won't be able to hear what people are saying because of the chatter in the background. This is the only really frustrating part because I sometimes feel left out. If I'm at a bar or club and someone is talking to me I'll make sure to have my left ear facing them.

I have hope though. My doctor says that there's a slight possibility that the hearing loss is caused by some blockage in the ear canal and this MAY be corrected surgically. If not, then I can manage alright the way I am or get a hearing aid. Of course, it doesn't help that I love concerts and have been to many!

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

I'm sorry about that. If the surgery can't work, then you do get just it. It takes a little bit of time, but you do. The hearing aids are great but, you must remember that can NEVER get them wet. It's truly amazing what they can do these days.

If the surgery does work, then GREAT! Remember to never take your hearing for granted. About the concerts, just remember to wear ear plugs to protect your hearing. Hope that everything turns out for the best.

 

[yolland]

That's interesting about the earplugs at concerts...can hearing at dramatically reduced volume actually make you more vulnerable to excessive-decibel-exposure type damage, perhaps? Because you're less aware of it being damagingly loud or something? I can't do large concerts, sporting events etc. anymore...the roar of thousands of people yelling at once is too much for my ears to process, and earplugs don't really help because they make the ringing I always have in my ears seem that much louder.

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

That's interesting about the earplugs at concerts...can hearing at dramatically reduced volume actually make you more vulnerable to excessive-decibel-exposure type damage, perhaps? Because you're less aware of it being damagingly loud or something? I can't do large concerts, sporting events etc. anymore...the roar of thousands of people yelling at once is too much for my ears to process, and earplugs don't really help because they make the ringing I always have in my ears seem that much louder.

About your first question, I don't know. When ever I go to a concert, which is almost never, I just stay in the back, and take out my hearing- aids and everything is usually fine. Right, I can't deal with large crowds either, even with my aids out, it bothers me. Good questions.

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

Anyone out there?

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

Once again, anything goes, so come on people, ask me some more. Not to sound bossy or needy or anything. You guys, very do have some good questions, and I just want to answer some more.

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

Ok, I'll add something to this then, I recently came out on Interference. Yep, I'm gay. Now I just have to tell the reest of my friends and family. Wish me luck!!