http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=381x426Oh my.
grantcart (1000+ posts) Thu Jul-01-10 06:09 PM
Original message
DUer needs your help - just lost his hearing and is lost
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...
Hawkeye-X (1000+ posts) Thu Jul-01-10 09:30 PM
THE CROSS-EYED IOWA PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message
1. Thanks grantcart - got your PM and this thread..
I am responding to her.
Such a paragon of magnanimity and generosity, the cross-eyed Iowa primitive, who's always the first in line to donate to primitive candidates and causes while subsisting all his adult life on social security disability, and always broke.
A rather rotund guy, the cross-eyed Iowa primitive; also ostensibly an ex-con, who likes to portray himself as a "bad" one.
Also ostensibly an ex-con; the cross-eyed Iowa primitive, who now lives in Colorado,
Leftist Agitator (1000+ posts) Thu Jul-01-10 10:43 PM
Response to Original message
3. Hi, everyone.
I guess I should have been checking this group out as I've been hard of hearing for more than a decade.
Now, as grantcart mentioned, I am deaf. Not completely, I still have a restricted range of hearing at 4% capacity, but ah, **** it, I'm deaf.
For those of you who became deaf later in life, how did you manage? Do you have any tips on coping with this disability? What did you do about talking on the phone? TDD is great and all (and at least I'm 'lucky' enough to have gone deaf in the era of text messaging and e-mail) but have you encountered any situations in which TDD didn't suffice?
****, I'm just going to up and say it. As a newly deaf person, what the **** am I supposed to do? What do I need to do to enjoy the same quality of life as I had previously? ASL, lip reading, some sort of gelatin dish?
Seriously, I have no idea where I go from here. I can't hear anything anymore, it's bothering the ****ing shit out of me, and I feel like a lost child.
Help me. Please.
grantcart (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-02-10 03:03 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. when I first went into the ER with sudden tinnitus they just referred me to a general physician who referred me to a board certified ear specialist.
He just tried to get me to accept it.
I did a lot of research on the internet and came back with a two page letter.
One of the questions I had in the letter was
"is this a clinical diagnosis or a laboratory one"
meaning is it something that he is guessing at or that he is running a test at.
He leaned back and I could tell that he was never going to treat me again - he was afraid of a malpractice suit.
He said "You are a good candidate to go to the University clinic - they are doing advanced studies".
So I go to the UCSD Ear clinic and the guy looks at me for two minutes and says "Meneire's".
When I handed him the letter he had no problems with it and said they would confirm it with the test which they did.
My point is that you have to keep reading and direct your own treatment. And don't worry about the money. Be honest that you don't have money and they will either not charge you or bill you.
Remember this. There is life, there are your relationships. Everything else is paper. Who ****ing cares if you run up a big bill? Its just paper. Your not trying to steal your trying to get help and you deserve it.
And you will find that many people will sympathize and help you without charging.
You also need to find a County social worker who can help you get benefits, for example Medicaid. If the County doesn't have anyone the hospitals might.
Keep fighting and never never give up.
edited to add:
Don't be afraid to ask for counseling help.
As I said in the thread - no one - even your family isn't going to understand what your going through. Ten years later my wife still doesn't know which ear doesn't work and doesn't understand why every couple of months I will pick something up and throw it against the wall. If it would stop that noise I would cut my ear off.
So find a group in your area that has people who have gone through what you are going through and share with them.
Working in a job might help, too. One wonders why that's not suggested.
uppityperson (1000+ posts) Sat Jul-03-10 02:29 AM
DOROTHY, THE SNOBBISH PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #4
5. Thank you for writing all this.
I am not totally deaf, but can foresee a time if it keeps progressing as it has. Thank you for your advice and support for others.
By the way, while franksolich was on a sabbatical, Dorothy called him out on Skins's island, but as the other primitives have no idea who franksolich is, her "shout-out" got no responses.
