Welcome to Dawn's Blog

Next New Hearing Aids

2011-02-02T17:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog page. I will do some writing about my history with hearing loss. I don't mind to share these stories and I hope it will help other people understand about hearing loss. Thank you for coming to my blog page.

Ear Tubes

2011-01-31T14:42:00.000-05:00

My ear tubes have been lasting for 6 weeks before it get hard. I always go workout at Taekwondo, being outside a lot, being in cold air, and have a sweaty head. I know in the summer time, it will be shorter weeks to get hard very fast.

I am thinking to try to put my own ear tubes since my ear tubes get hard fast. It might save some money by going 6 weeks and wasting my gas. I will be going for my ear molds, hearing aids, and hearing test check up. If I need some more ear tubes, I will come in to get it check and get some more. It wasn't hard to do the ear tubes in my ear molds.

Hearing Loss with other family member

2010-12-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

Let go back where I left off about hearing loss in my past, I know that I am starting to feel like Christmas mood from my last blog post. We all have to help each other during the holiday with hearing loss.

After my parents found out that I have hearing loss when I was 3 years old, my parents decided to test my sister Beth. She was tested too. My sister has hearing loss too, but she is different than me. She has one good ear and other ear is not good.

For me to be different from my sister, my sister likes to read a lot with better reading skills than me. She doesn’t use computer a lot like me. She also has trouble seeing from her vision. I don’t read a lot of books since I have trouble understanding reading books. I like to use computer and play games than her. Since she has bad vision in one eye, I am her taxi driver whenever she needs my help. Since I am oldest sister, I love to help my sisters and families.

In speech, my sister has a better speech than me. I had to go a lot of speech therapies than her when we were young. Since she has a better speech and reading skills than me, she helped me a lot to pronounce certain words when I had trouble pronounce them.

I am not upset that my sister doesn’t have a lot of trouble with her hearing loss like me, but she had difficult childhood in her life. We both are the same with our disabilities. We are sisters being together and help each other.

Note Taker During School

2010-12-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

I wasn’t a good note taker when I was in school. I couldn’t do it because the teachers were talking fast and couldn’t understand what she said. It was hard to hear her and focus what she said to make my notes in class.

I had to get a volunteer note takers when I go to my classes. The paper has two pieces together. The top paper is where you can write it and the second paper that is a copy from a notes. The note taker can have one and I have one too.

Over the years when I was in school, it was great to have a note takers. It helped me a lot so I won’t get behind in my classes. If I didn’t have any note taker, I wouldn’t pass my classes and get behind.

All deaf and hard of hearing people should get a note taker in school. The special education office should have one and the special paper to use in classes. It is great to use and deaf or hard of hearing person can watch the teacher or interpreter while your notes being tranlate on the paper during in classes.

During Christmas time with hearing loss

2010-12-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

Christmas season is important part of our holiday. We all like to spend time with the family. When we all have excitement in our family home, there are time that someone might have hearing loss in the family. It can be time when someone feel alone or sad not to hear everything with the family.

In my personal feeling is try to help someone to be part of the group who has hearing loss, I like to spend time with this person to let he or she knows what going on to be part of the family Christmas group. It might be hard at first, but we all need to help each other who has hearing loss.

When the children open their presents, we should let that person who has hearing loss know what going on. If this toys make noise, let that person see it and tell what it sounds like to be part of it. When someone was laughing or misunderstanding what everybody saying, let this hearing loss person knows what going so we want everybody be laughing together as a family. We want our hearing loss person to laugh when we explain what had happen. It is important to be with someone who has hearing loss in most of Christmas event so this person won’t be sad and left alone. We want everybody has a wonderful holiday.

There some hearing loss person like to use their eyes to see what going on around us. If we have a pretty Christmas tree and light around the house, it will make a hearing loss person happy to feel good during the holiday.

My Past and Future with my Hearing Loss

2010-12-16T13:02:00.002-05:00

My past was being as a hearing impaired kid. I didn’t learn about all the things in hearing loss world out there. My former audiologist and parents didn’t really explained to me a lot of details. I know they they were worry about my hearing loss and my speech problem. I didn’t had a lot of great audiologists who doesn’t explain to me clearly. My parents didn’t want me to get my hearing test every years.

When I got little older in my college years, I was getting to understand about my hearing loss. After college, I decided to explore more about my hearing loss and other information that deal with hearing loss. I found a best audiologist I ever have in my life and understand more about hearing loss. She helped me to explain a lot about hearing loss that I didn’t get the information from other former audiologists. I also understand why I need my hearing test every years.

Today, I found a face book and twitter to connect with other audiologists, hearing dispensers, speech therapies, and other great people to connect with hearing loss and speech. I am learning so much from them and on the internet to improve myself by reading more that deal with hearing loss world. I do want to keep going and help other people with hearing loss.

I have been working at grocery store for 18 years and was lay off from community college in the computer lab job. I have been thinking for my next step in my life by helping these hearing loss people. I hope I can be a hearing dispenser since I love the technologies with hearing aids, ear molds, fm systems, loop system, and other gadget things to do to help out.

In my future with my hearing loss, I know my current audiologist will keep an eyes with my hearing loss if I do lose more of my hearing later. I am glad these digital hearing aids can be program if I do lose more of my hearing later. I will pray that I won’t lose more of my hearing. If I do, we have help out there from my audiologist, I am getting all the information to learn on my own from the internet, and friends in the social media websites. I hope I can work in the hearing dispenser to help other hearing loss people in my future.

During Fall Seasons with trees and leaves

2010-11-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

My neighbor is cutting his old tree. I hope he is using his ear protection from the chainsaw. The chainsaw can damage your hearing in 2 hours because it is so loud. The chainsaw decibels is 110db if you don't wear any protection in your ears. Leaf blower can be loud too. It has over 85 db if you use the leaf blower to get rid of your leaves on the ground.

If you see someone cutting the trees or during their leaves, remind them to use ear protections so they can protect their ears.

Here is a great tips about loud noise in your ears: http://www.hipusa.com/myhealth/preventive_health/ear_disorders.asp

Hearing Test for Babies

2010-11-08T12:12:00.000-05:00

In the 70's, they didn't test me when I was born. My parents didn't know I was born with hearing loss. They told me that I wasn't crying, talking, or not responding. 3 years later, they decided to take me ear doctor and audiologist to see what going on with my hearing. An audiologist named Helen, she told my parents that I have a hearing loss. After that, I got my first hearing aids at age 3. Hearing aids were about to start as analog hearing aids.

I am glad we have hearing test for babies when they are born. The parents will know if they can response or not when they leave the hospital after they born. It is important to have hearing test when they are born so they can start building their language to hear the words from their parents and families. There are a lot of technologies in the hospital and audiologist's office to test these babies today than in the past.

I didn't get my first word when I was 3 years old. I got behind with my language to hear the words. My niece is 3 years old and she always making her own sentences. I can't believe that she is very smart little girl and will be very success with her language when she goes to school.

It is important today that babies should have hearing test before they start their new world of living.

History with ear trumpet vs digital hearing aids

2010-11-04T11:09:00.000-04:00

Ear Trumpet

How it feels if we go back in time to wear the ear trumpet? It will feel uncomfortable to wear it if someone wear all day long. There are other ear trumpet that is so long like a horn. The people back in the history has to carry with them to use it able to hear. Today hearing aids, you don't have to carry them. it will be in your ears and wear them all day long until bed time. In the picture of an ear trumpet, it does look like today technology that people wear as a Bluetooth around their ears. It would be interesting to see and feel if someone still has it as a collection.

These are colors hearing aids

Digital hearing aids are getting stronger with technology, getting smaller sizes, and colors to be select. Digital hearing aids do feel lighter than the ear trumpet. Hearing aids used to be huge that people were complain and not uncomfortable to wear them all day long. This is why people hide their hearing aids in the dresser not to wear them.

These are transparent colors hearing aids.

People still get hair colors if they don't want any other colors. For me, I would like to pick other color to have fun, enjoy to wear them all day long, and share other people it is amazing with the colors.I have an orange transparent hearing aids now. It is neat to see inside the hearing aids if you have transparent hearing aid. For my next hearing aids, I am thinking to get another color hearing aids. I would like to stay away from beige hearing aids for now since I worn them since I was 3. It is time to change to enjoy my hearing aids instead having same colors every time I get new hearing aids. I am thinking to get another colors hearing aids. I have to look around to see what kind of hearing aids I will be getting.

Body Worn Hearing Aids

2010-10-28T19:01:00.000-04:00

This is an example of
body worn hearing aids

I remember when I was a kid. I did try body worn hearing aids. I think it was a worst hearing aids to try this out. It didn't sound right to hear. I was getting a lot of feedback noise. It wasn't comfortable to have this device on your chest to wear it all day long.

After I tried this body worn hearing aids for few weeks, my parents decided to put me back to analog hearing aids. I have worn Siemens analog hearing aids for 28 years.

I am glad that I tried this body worn hearing aids. I am a person like to try these hearing aids, hearing aids gadget to feel how it feels using it. I love the technology gadgets to use.

Analog Hearing Aids vs. Digital Hearing Aids

2010-10-21T09:44:00.000-04:00

Analog Hearing Aids

My first hearing aids at the age 3 was analog hearing aids as Siemens. I only wear Siemens hearing aids for a long time because this is a brand that work with my hearing loss. The color was beige and big. It was heavy for my ears, but I had to wear them. When I reach to my teenager years, I got a small beige hearing aids.

Digital Centra Hearing Aid

In 2006, it was time to start wearing digital hearing aid for my first time of my life being as a hearing impaired person. It was a challenge to try my first digital hearing aids. My audiologist decided to use Centra Siemens Hearing aids. I was happy that I can pick a different colors than using beige color again. I picked orange transparent color. I love this color and it is fun to see them. For my next hearing aids, I will pick a different color to have more fun.

Between Analog vs. Digital

Analog wasn't helping me with my speech and I was missing a lot what I was hearing out there. I work in loud noise area. I had to hear all the background noise and trying to understand what people were saying to me. It didn't have any programs that you can use that your audiologist can program from your hearing loss range.

Digital hearing aids were an amazing for me. I wish I started these digital hearing aids when it first came out, but I didn't. My audiologist put 3 programs in my hearing aids. I have a regular setting that hear everything, background reduction, and t-coil. The most important things to have is noise reduction for my job. It changes my life to hear all the clear sound, hear speech clear, and helping my communication with my friends, at work, and home. I know digital hearing aids will keep continue with advance for the future. I can't wait it will get even better for our hearing loss.

FM System in the Past and Present

2010-10-18T22:42:00.000-04:00

I used FM system mostly when I was in school and now at home. When I was in Elementary and Middle school, I used Telex Fm system. It is old brown little box that have a neck loop and instructor have a brown box with a microphone. I remember when I was in school, I didn't like them to wear. I felt like I didn't want to hear instructors' voices.

When I was in college, I was using Phonic fm system. This fm system was update than the brown little box. I still have a neck loop and instructor has a microphone to use for me to hear instructors' voice. When I was in college, I changed my mind that I want to hear instructors' voices and learn something in class.

Today, I have my own fm system called Phonak Smart Link. I use this fm system when I watch TV since I can hear the TV through my hearing aids. It does help me to hear the TV clearly than mumble when I was TV. I love all these hearing aids technologies that will help us hear better. I can wait for more technologies to come.

Voices, Sign Language, and Lip Reading

2010-10-17T20:01:00.001-04:00

When I was living in Tampa, Florida, I went to special education for hearing impaired when I was in Elementary to Middle school. I had to use my voice to build my communication with my speech. We couldn't use any sign language in school. I did a lot of lip reading when I was in school. I do still lip reading today at work, home, and going out.

I learned sign language on my own when I read lip. I do pick up sign language and read lip at the same time. Since I haven't been near deaf person with sign language, I am forgetting some signs. I can pick up quick to learn by lip reading too. I know some of my friends want me to learn sign language. I might learn again one of these days.

What type of hearing loss and degree lost I have?

2010-10-16T10:43:00.000-04:00

My hearing loss type is sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. What is a sensorineural hearing loss? My inner ear from my brain to hear the sound and speech is damage. I noticed that I can't understand speech sound especially hear high frequency sounds in the vowel letters. I always have trouble understand children, women, and foreign people's voices when I try to hear them. I have to lip read people lip to understand what they are saying even the sound doesn't sound right.

At the age 3, my degree hearing loss was mild to moderate through my early stage. I did lost some more hearing when I reach to my teenagers years. I went to moderate hearing loss. I didn't take my hearing test for a long time and found out that I lost some more. Today, I have moderate to severe hearing loss (very close to severe). I hope I won't lose anymore.

Since I am hard of hearing person, I also follow same way the normal hearing people do to protect hearing. The only way I can protect rest of my hearing what I have left, I have to follow these steps by low the volume down, turn to the left, get away from loud music, and use my Zune player for little while.

My Beginning Days to Start Talking

2010-10-14T22:33:00.000-04:00

I came long way to start talking after my parents found out that I have a hearing loss and wasn't talking.

Sherri who is in the blue dress in this picture was my tutor. She worked with me for few years to work on my speaking and speech before I went to school. We had a special preschool class to help me to talk since I didn't start talking at age 3 when I worn my first hearing aids.

I had to go speech therapy when I started at age 3 years old to 18 years old. I had trouble saying and hear with ch, sh, s, k, th sounds in the high frequency of my hearing loss.

I always have trouble with my vocabulary words and reading skills from my hearing loss. I had to work very hard with my speech and improve my communication with people. When I don't understand what people are saying to me or read something, I have to ask someone to make this information clear so I can understand.

Today, I am starting to read more online with articles and web sites. I am working to build my vocabulary words when I read from the Internet. I always like to learn new things if I don't understand or something new that I love to learn. I do still have trouble with my skills, but I have to work harder to understand.

Hearing Loss at Birth

2010-10-14T14:14:00.002-04:00

When I was born, my parents didn't know that I have hearing loss. They told me that I wasn't talking, crying, or getting any response from them. They decided to take me to see ear doctor and audiologist to find out. I had a lot of tests and they found out that I had hearing loss. I started wearing hearing aids when I was 3 years old.

Hearing Loss Project Progress

2010-09-16T10:12:00.005-04:00

My friends,

You see I am trying to figure out how to use these tools in face book to make my page interesting. I would like to show about hearing loss and protect other people if they lose their hearing in the future.

My page will be slow for now and I will be working on off and on to figure out some ways to help other people out there since I do love to help people. Hearing loss is my interesting to help other people and if anybody has questions. I do like to read all these articles and technology with hearing aids and gadgets. Please ask and I don't mind any questions to give me.

It is hard to lose hearing since I was born with it. I had to work hard get through my education, work, and sports I love to do. Everybody can do it and don't give up!!