I have spent the last 3 months adjusting to life as a deaf person (back in May and June), and then as a moderately severe to profound hard of hearing person (after I regained some of the hearing I had lost).   It has been quite a journey.  I’ve dealt with hearing problems for many years now, but this took things to a whole new level.  I have spent a lot of time dealing with the practical aspects of this adjustment, the emotional aspects of this adjustment, and the educational aspects…for myself, but also helping those closest to me to understand each of these aspects of severe hearing loss as it applies to me and as it applies to them as well.  Even though I have been hard of hearing for quite some time, the level I have reached now has opened my eyes to an entire world I really didn’t even realize existed.  I know that sounds strange, but it’s true.  I thought that being hard of hearing was mostly just an inconvenience – yes, a person would need things repeated, but I didn’t realize how much it affects your entire life.  I suppose if a person has mild to moderate hearing loss, it might be just an inconvenience, but anything worse than that has much greater implications that I ever imagined.  Our ASL instructor, Debbie, has helped me tap into some resources that I was unaware (specifically the meeting I wrote about in an earlier post) and I feel that the information I have received from those resources has sort of helped me “complete the puzzle” I’ve been working on of how to function in a hearing world when you cannot hear much of what is taking place.  It was important for me to do the research I did on my own about the medical things I face and also about the technology out there for accessibility.  It gave me a good base from which to ask questions and a framework to fit in the information given when I was speaking with someone who is knowledgeable about these things.   Today is Chet’s and my 27th anniversary.  We celebrated on Wednesday (he had Wednesday off work, but had to work both jobs today) and went to lunch at my favorite “celebrate” restaurant, Fogo de Chao, and then we went to the movies!  That was a fun application of the new resources I’m discovering – I thought my movie-going days were over, but found info online about some theaters in our area that use captioning.  One type is called “CaptiVew” and we had to drive a bit to get to the theater, but it was amazing!  CaptiView involved picking up a device (free of charge) when you buy your ticket and having them set it for the theater you will be in.  The device has a part that fits into your cup holder and holds it in place, then a long adjustable neck that you can use to place the captioning screen so that the captions appear at the bottom of the screen (from your viewpoint).  It worked beautifully!  The captions were accurate and in real time.  They included things like “dog barking” and “doorbell ringing” which I also like.  I was thrilled!  We saw the latest Bourne movie and it was really nice to be able to do that.  We also made an ice cream stop in Stillwater on our way to church that day, so it was definitely a fun and celebratory kind of day! 🙂  I have decided to join a group called the HLAA (Hearing Loss Association of America).  They meet once a month from Sept. through May in the Twin Cities area and have speakers with the latest info on technology, medical info, political issues….basically on-going education for those who are deaf and hard of hearing from what I understand.  I think it would be beneficial for me, and also that I would enjoy spending some time with others who are dealing with the same issues.  I have also found that knowing some sign language has been more helpful even in my current situation that I expected.  Last Sunday night at flocks, Cody was leading a few songs and I couldn’t hear what numbers he announced.  Randy was sitting next to him, and used that as an opportunity to practice signing.  He signed the numbers to me from across the room and it worked beautifully!  I understood!  While it’s true that I could have looked at the book of the person next to me and found the number that way, it was great to have this avenue for communicating.  I think there will be many practical applications for using sign language even though I may not ever use that as my only means of communication.  I’m so glad I’m learning it and that so many of those closest to me are learning, too.  I really do feel like I’m moving forward in this process and am excited to see what the future holds.  I believe this situation and all that it entails will lead to things I can’t even imagine right now….many blessings to come.  I’m so thankful!