Maybe Down is UP

Today I was inspired to change the name of this blog.  After all, my life isn’t that wacky, but it certainly is deaf.  I was rearranging my writing books when inspiration struck, which reminded me that I hadn’t written a new blog entry in much too long.

 

Once again I find myself at the end of the road with my hearing aids.  They’ve been adjusted and tweaked as much as they’re able to be and until (and unless) someone (Siemens? Please!) comes up with something even more powerful, more effective, and more helpful, I have to adjust again.  But these days adjusting isn’t as daunting as it used to be, especially since so many people text now rather than talk on cell phones.  Captioned theaters have allowed me to go to movies again.  (Liam Neeson, you’re my favorite action hero these days!)  In New York, I can go to captioned live theater, thanks to the Theater Accessibilty Program, and now and then, more things become accessible.

 

It’s not perfect by any means, it doesn’t always work out, and people don’t always cooperate, but overall, I have more options available to help me now than I ever did before.  An aside – Movie Theaters, would you PLEASE when you have that cutesy little cartoon on the screen telling us to turn off our cell phones, let people know that the device in my cup holder is a caption machine?  Then maybe the woman next to me at the last Toronto theater I went to, would have taken her crushed up used tissues out of the cup holder and let me put the machine in so I could view it from a comfortable angle.  Or maybe the woman in the row behind me at that same theater wouldn’t have hit me on the shoulder when the movie started and yelled, “Would you turn that thing off!”  (I promise you the device didn’t interfere with any other viewers in any way.)  Though it was worth it to see Darling Hubby give her a withering look and say “No”, beating my Dearest Son to it by only a second.  Funny, but those things never happen to me in New York, but New York, you are behind on the movie captions.  Speed it up, ok?

 

Getting back on topic, they talked to me about a cochlear implant again.  Some of you may wonder why I don’t already have one, especially since you’re supposed to seriously consider it when hearing aids aren’t helping much anymore.  I’ve thought about this plenty, believe me.  I’ve discussed it with my family doctor, some of my other doctors, and medically, it’s not the best option for me. And even if I wanted to go through it, there’s no guarantee it would work.  So it’s my informed choice to continue with what I have and challenge myself to face it, deal with it, and conquer it.

 

So maybe things are looking down in the respect that I’m pretty much out of frequencies and can’t get most of the benefits from hearing aids, but I choose to think they’re looking up because I can still do things, enjoy my life, and enjoy the company of those I love.  I’m grateful that they still enjoy my company and most of all,  I’m grateful to have so many loving, caring, amazing people in my life. I know I say that a lot, but I’m so lucky to have so many people to say it to, for, and about.  Deaf? Pfffft.