It Can Take Time

I lived in a small apartment. When I’d have people over, if I went into my kitchen to get coffee or something, they would continue to talk to me. And I would think, well, that’s so rude, they know you can’t hear what’s being said when you go into another room. Finally, it took my partner to tell me I needed to get my hearing checked, because, in fact, others could hear things in situations that I couldn’t. It took some years before I really started wearing hearing aids but when I did, I was absolutely astounded at the things I could hear.

Even so, at first, I didn't want people to know that I had hearing aids or at least I didn't want that to be the first thing people thought about when they saw me – oh, there's that person with hearing aids. So, I hid them with my hairstyle. One time a hairdresser cut my hair too short, and you could see my hearing aids. I was just so upset. With time, I got over this completely, but it took some years, I guess into my 40s.

Now I'm an advocate for people with hearing loss. I'm a member of Hearing Loss Associate of America. I'm writing a book about people's experiences with hearing loss. I'm an advocate for hearing technology. And I am, as much as I can be, someone who is really trying to help others rid themselves of any stigma they feel because of their hearing loss and hearing aid use.