Lipreading During The Pandemic [CC]

#cochlear #cochlearimplant #cochlearimplants #deaf
I discuss my life experiences as a deaf person, as a martial artist, and discuss a fair number of topics. I hope that you find my videos interesting.
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[@suzannezaw9892]

I am just beginning the journey toward a cochlear implant. But, Brian, I so appreciate your videos and your POSITIVE attitude about what life has brought us who cannot hear. I am a normal hearing person until 4th grade! then hearing eroded until I finally tried a hearing aid at age 35. But I was hit and miss, as thought I could "get by", which I did. Until my 50's, when needed the hearing aid to function at work. And now, at 74, I am functioning while working full time, in a job designed by heaven for me - I visit frail elders in their homes, one on one with them and maybe a family caregiver. In the pandemic months, I have relied on Z shields, and ask elder/caregiver to wear, I wear, and we sit at a distance adOF 6 FT until we know each other's status (vaccination, or post-covid - only 1 of those recently). Truly, most 70-80-90 year old's with various chronic health challenges ALSO have hearing loss, but resist having that evaluated. And nod a lot, to keep me guessing whether they are understanding my speech!
Of course, I try to get people to hearing eval, but most people simply cannot afford adequate hearing aids.
Lucky me, with employer insurance, I have good digital hearing aids. And an employer that allows an office to myself, captioned landline phone, cell with text and voice transcription - all the tools we need to try to function. BUT, I have reached that point where I see that I am changing my behavior, withdrawing from social occasions except one-on-one, and prefer silence without aids at home, home alone.
NOW that I am hearing good things about cochlear implants that might allow me to get some hearing back "until end of life", instead of slowly sinking into that "goodnight" of no hearing, not enough interaction, and now-proven associated cognitive impairment!!
Brian, I appreciate you! Thanks for being a light of hopefulness.

[@BrianJohns]

Hi Suzanne, thanks for watching this video, and sharing your life story! I identify with what you are going through. Have you gotten in touch with a cochlear implant program to be evaluated? If there is one nearby, I would contact them for an evaluation. :-) I hope that you get the answers you are looking for!

[@mikemorehouse4641]

I am a bilateral CI recipient and the pandemic has made it much harder to understand people when I can read their lips. The mask not only hides their mouths so lip reading is impossible but if muffles the sound so it is a double whammy! I like your assertiveness. I will start teaching Sunday School at our new church after not teaching for 3 years and the room is a big hall with a barrel ceiling. I plan to put the tables in a semi circle with me at the center and ask people to pull down their masks when they are speaking so thatveryone present can hear. I hope to have the good cooperation you got.

[@BrianJohns]

Good luck! I hope that they are receptive to your request to pull down their masks for you. Keep me posted!

[@Ms.RobbyEyeVee]

New subbie! I have Meniere's Disease in both ears. Had a labyrinthectomy In April in my right ear, now it looks like I may be getting a CI in my left ear. I am just so frustrated! I usually ask people to speak louder, or they will go ahead and pull their mask down so I can understand. What I hate is RUclips captioning! It is horrible! LOL! I am so glad I ran across your channel!

[@BrianJohns]

Thanks for stopping by, subscribing and commentary. Good luck with the left ear CI surgery!

[@Ms.RobbyEyeVee]

@@BrianJohns Thank you!

[@linr4002]

The plandemic mask wearing was cruel. I have supplemented my hearing with face/lip reading for a long time. I started down my Cochlear Implant journey just as the plandemic started. It was very stressful .... I started wearing a " I can't lip read through your mask" button everywhere I went. I was given numerous thumbs up, and some people would pull down their masks without me having to say a word. I always thanked them at the end of our conversation. Others ignored me and would not look me in the eye as they talked.

[@electrochaser8154]

I haven’t had anyone refuse to pull their masks down
I still use bilateral hearings aides and am profoundly deaf in both ears

[@BrianJohns]

Great to hear that!