YoshiStrawbz Story- Meniere's Disease

[YoshiStrawbz]

Hi all,

I am learning BSL because, at 28, I have difficulties communicating verbally due to my learning disabilities and deafness. I want to be able to communicate with my family for decades to come, and if I learn BSL, I can teach my fiancé and loved ones. 

________________________________________________ My Story ________________________________________________

I was first flagged for struggling with hearing when I was under 10 years old, this was flagged in winter. I passed the hearing tests completely fine (in summer, 6 month waiting list), but my mum noted several ear infections and my "attention span" getting worse in the winter/colder months.

When I was 18, I was a lifeguard on duty, struggling through a horrific ear infection in my right ear. I was sent home, but in my wisdom I decided instead to catch a last-minute shift at the local pub, as I was a waitress too and needed the income- unfortunately. I passed out and smashed my head into the wash station in the kitchen. Both eardrums perforated. I was completely deaf during college for 6 months.

I regained my hearing after I failed all my A-Levels (I struggled to learn and revise whilst temporarily deaf) and got kicked out of college.

I then got sent to Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke to do a BTEC ICT Course, which flagged me for learning difficulties (I got diagnosed with Dyslexia). They supported me amazingly, and I ended up passing with D*'s.

Went off to the University of Southampton to do Computing, where I got flagged again for other learning difficulties; it took, unfortunately, 3 years later, when I was 23 years old, to be diagnosed with mild-moderate hearing loss.

Whilst at uni, I had a lot of vertigo attacks and headaches; my balance went out the window. After working for 5 years in IT Support, I got my final diagnosis for ADHD and Auditory Processing Disorder and Meniere's Disease. 

I found out that weather impacts Meniere's Disease, which is why I seemed to have hearing difficulties more in winter/autumn but got better in Summer/Spring.

I got a lovely Sound Support Dog during this time at work that supports me at home! She's called Ocean and is a very sassy smart Cockerpoo. 

 

______________________________________________________ TLDR ______________________________________________________

Age: 28
Learning Difficulties: Dyslexia, ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Deafness: Mild in left, Moderate in Right
Conditions: Meniere's Disease