hearing loss – My Hearing Loss Story

Behind the Face Mask

The Spanish government has started to relax lockdown restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. In Madrid, we spent two months inside our homes, under strict measures, only being allowed outside for a few distinct purposes such as to go to the supermarket. On Saturday 2nd May, we were finally able to go for a walk and to exercise outdoors.

With many people currently wearing face masks in public places to help reduce COVID-19 transmissions, I have realised that this poses a challenge for people with hearing loss.

I have single-sided deafness (SSD), the result of a sudden hearing loss in 2016. I have a profound hearing loss in my left ear and functional hearing in my right ear. Although I am thankful for my remaining hearing, having only one working ear comes with unique challenges.

Anthony’s Hearing Loss Story

Since I’m blind, the sound I can’t take for granted any more, literally means the world to me. It is the key to my independence, to the travels and adventures I’m having and to the communication that keeps me connected and grounded in this world.

Anthony first contacted me after listening to Hearing Me, an audio documentary, which gives a glimpse into my world, following my experience of sudden hearing loss.

He wrote to tell me that he was ‘deeply affected’ by the way my story had been brought to life. He told me that he also has hearing loss, though he remarked, ‘For me, it means more than just that.’

I was intrigued to find out more about Anthony, and he allowed me the opportunity to interview him via Skype when he told me his story.

Airport Workers – Please Stop Shouting

Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay

A friend of mine recently told me a story about how her elderly grandmother, who is in her eighties, had travelled to Spain. It was only the grandmother’s second trip ever, travelling abroad.

My friend, her mother, and the grandmother were all travelling together and the grandmother was briefed about what to expect at the airport. Whilst packing, my friend and her mum had distributed their clothes and toiletries between the three combined items of hand-luggage. They explained to the grandmother that, although they had done the packing for her, should she be asked by a security worker whether she had packed her own bag, to confirm that she had. The purpose of this question, they assured her, was intended for crimes considerably more sinister than sharing luggage space.

No End to the Record

At night-time, it loves the limelight, gobbling it up with glee. The more I focus on it, the more layers of noise I discover.

To mark the end of Tinnitus Week, I am sharing a post I wrote nearly two years ago. At the time, I was struggling to sleep due to my tinnitus. One night, when I was feeling particularly frustrated from lack of sleep and at my failed attempts to ignore the unwanted sounds, I decided instead, to give my attention to my tinnitus and really focus on the types of noises I could hear. I hoped that if I could make peace with the different elements of my tinnitus, I could learn to accept its intrusion on my life and start to manage it more successively.

The more I listened, the more diverse the sounds became. I started to make notes of what I could hear, which culminated in this blog post:

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