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I am so happy to share an updated recording of the BBC World Service Documentarywhich I was involved in earlier this year.
This version combines the original audio with a twist at the end 😉
Please note, a transcript is also available through the same link – just scroll down the page to download:
BBC World Service – The Documentary, Hearing me
What does life sound like for someone whose hearing has suddenly changed? (This programme contains audio effects that may cause discomfort to people living with hearing conditions. There is a modified version of this programme, with quieter effects, on this page https://bbc.in/2TrInga) What does life sound like for someone whose hearing has suddenly changed?
Please take the time to have a little listen and share.
I hope you enjoy it!
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My Hearing Loss Story 
Oh wow, this is so emotional Carly. It brought tears to my eyes. You’re a star anyway and now you’re a rock star! Keep rocking. Vera.
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Thanks for listening, Vera! You keep rocking too!! Hope you are very well 🙂
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I heard your story on BBC World by accident. I didn’t catch the whole story but everything I heard sounded so similar to my experience that I went online and read your blog. I lost the use of my hearing and balance on my left side around 5 years ago. I woke up one day with bells and whistles (and no hearing) in one ear and intense dizziness. It was a similar story of initial misdiagnosis (“you’ve got an ear infection”), leading to the conclusion “no apparent cause”. My biggest concern at the time was the dizziness. I couldn’t walk, concentrate or do anything. It took me about 8 months to be able to get back to work. This still effects me as I get tired quickly, so have started working part-time. I am thankful that I can do my old job as project manager and my work was very supportive.
Although on the whole I feel I have gotten used to the situation and adapted my lifestyle, it still is a constant thing. Especially the hearing. I love music, but had to stop playing guitar when this all happened (its too loud and sounds bad). I’ve put away my guitar collection as it made me sad to look at (but I still have them!). I go to gigs now, wearing earplugs all the time (even in my deaf ear, somehow that makes me feel better). I wear the earplugs a lot. sometimes I put them on when I go to a busy restaurant (which is hardly ever because its not much fun), and I always take them to the cinema (why are movies so loud???). Still it’s the small and not so small things that remind you that things are different: those scares when you have a near miss when you cross the street, uncomfortable social situations, not being able to follow conversations at work, etc. I used to enjoy a beer or glass of wine after work, but no longer. I hate the way even a small amount of alcohol makes me dizzy (but: alcohol free spirits are getting better and better).
I guess I just want to say thank you for sharing your experience. And the stories in the replies under your blogs are so helpful. It really reminds me how there are more people out there with similar stories, and I’m not alone in this. It is hard, but there are ways to cope and move on with your life. It just takes time to discover solutions and I find I’m constantly discovering new ways of coping as time goes on.
Robert
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Hello Robert
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and for sharing some of your story.
I, like you, have some issues with dizziness. I also get tired very quickly. I think this is because our bodies are working so hard to keep balanced, to listen to others, and to ignore the tinnitus and other side effects of hearing loss. I am glad you are able to continue working in your career and that your work has been supportive.
I’m sorry to read that you no longer play the guitar. I know how difficult managing the sound sensitivity can be and understand how, in your free time, the last thing you will want to do is be playing loud music that is difficult to listen to. I do feel that our bodies have a way of slowly healing themselves. Perhaps, with time, you will be able to tolerate some time spent playing the guitars again. I hope so 🙂
Uncomfortable social situations and not following conversation can feel isolating, can’t it? There have been many times that I am deep into trying to listen to someone speaking in places with lots of background noise, such as cafes, and I am grasping at words or snippets of the conversation, trying to make sense of it. Sometimes there aren’t enough words to grasp, and I am left confused…
Interesting you mentioned how alcohol makes you feel. I enjoy drinking wine. But, since my hearing loss, I have this feeling of almost being drunk every day – with the dizziness and pressure in my ears. So, a glass of wine only intensifies this. Now I can still enjoy a glass, but only one or two, and I prefer to drink at home, where I don’t have to move around a lot.
I am so glad you have found my blog, and the comments from my readers, helpful. There is comfort in knowing that there are others going through similar experiences.
Wishing you all the best with your hearing loss journey,
Carly
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