Why I'm learning BSL

[Dawnie]

Hi, I've been a hearing aid wearer for 25plus years both my adult children are also hearing aid wearers since 3 and 4 years old, I've currently started suffering badly with chronic otitis externa and cellulitis pinna this led me to a ban on hearing aids for 8 weeks, I can't hear without them and I felt extremely isolated and probably never realised how deaf I actually am. I was left too scared to go out alone and unable to do my job, so 10 weeks off work has felt like a lifetime. I'm still under the ENT clinic and if the infection comes back again within 3 month then they have said that in the ear aids are no longer suitable, so looking to the future it maybe that my family would need BSL to communicate with me. Finding it a little daunting and unsure of where I go from here regards hearing aids but I'm really enjoying learning BSL and hope that maybe if I can learn enough it could be good for my job too. 

My name is Dawn and I'm 53 years old,  I am a care worker looking after the elderly and disabled in an independent living setting I love my job and would hate to have to leave due to my hearing issue, I have 2 adult children aged 27 and 29 who are also both hearing impaired.

[JB123]

Hi Dawn,
I also suffered from chronic infections with in-ear hearing aids. Have you and your GP/ENT/Audiologist ever discussed bone-anchored hearing aids? 

I'm trialling them now and so far it's an absolute game-changer for me. They sit behind the ear and use bone conduction to stimulate the auditory nerve; nothing has to go inside your ear with those.

 

Jenny

[Dawnie]

Hi Jenny, that is something they have mentioned but to be honest I've not yet really had any information about them just had a bout of perichondritis it just seems to be one thing after another I have another ENT appointment 28th December I'll ask for some information, thankyou 😊