Transcript
Interviewee #1
With my hearing loss, whenever I’m in a large group, say we’re in formation, I can’t hear.
Interviewee #2
I sit up front. You know, I don’t try and hide out in the back. And I compensate for myself.
Interviewee #3
I used a lot of work-arounds, like I’d turn the right ear consistently. And then you’re kind of looking away from the patient, which looks kind of funny.
Interviewee #4
Family got tired of repeating the question. And I think I heard, eventually, a louder voice say that, “Oh, never mind.”
Interviewee #1
I sit there and I have to wait till afterwards to ask somebody, “Was this what was said?”
Interviewee #2
The annoyance of having to not only try to listen to what somebody said, but I have to try and look at their … what they’re saying.
Interviewee #5
Because you don’t always get the right answer when you’re reading lips. That’s the problem.
Interviewee #6
I try and use humor with my hearing loss. And I always joke about it. Doesn’t matter where I am. I do a fair amount of performing and music. And I figure skate and all that. And so hearing is really critical. And to understand what’s going on around me because, you know, you have to interact with others a lot. You have to be in sync with them and all that.
Interviewee #4
You readjust the stereo, even in the car, and TV at home. You can’t hear the … for me, I couldn’t hear the higher frequencies. Everything was low and muffled. So I turned all the treble up on everything.
Interviewee #7
So it was easy for me to withdraw. And that’s what I did, especially in the last year … just withdrew. Stayed at home more or just socialized with my horse and my dogs. And I have this very close circle of friends that understand. It’s easier to stay with the people that are familiar than it is to go out with people that don’t know.
Interviewee #4
Protect your ears. When you get to be 65, you’ll hear the sounds on the radio and stereo and TV. And as it degrades, you just keep turning things up, and it doesn’t always work because all you can hear then is the lower frequencies.