What do you do for a living?

[Matt]

Just wondering what everyone does to pay the bills? Has your hearing loss influenced your choice of job? Has your CI (or will your planned CI) change what you do at work or even motivate you to change career?

I had adult onset hearing loss and so it didn't affect my choice of career.

I'm a Registered Nurse and Midwife. My CI has allowed me to continue my career and return to periods of management which I had excluded myself from in the past due to my hearing loss. I now use the phone better than I have in the last 15 years and even in our open plan office my hearing is pretty good.

I'm lucky that my patients are generally older so they often have hearing loss themselves and talk loudly. Where I work has one of the highest percentages of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) people in Australia so English is not their first language. I still sometimes struggle when listening to someone who has a great English vocabulary but a strong accent. They tend to do like the locals and talk really fast.

Has anyone suffered any discrimination at work due their hearing loss?

Looking forward to finding out more about you.

Matt

[simekj]

Hi Matt

I'm a teacher so hearing students is essential for my work.  I have always struggled and had to develop strategies to compensate which largely worked in my favour.  However, last year in particular, my students complained that I was not listening to them and I had gotten to the point of total isolation - no phone, minimal socialising etc and sheer exhaustion from teaching.  It was basically get CI or leave teaching. I had been on the waiting list for 3 years so I had to contact them and voice my concerns.  Thankfully they listened.  I am only 2 months into CI but so much is now starting to happen that just wouldn't happen otherwise.  I can hear much of the videos I use in class, so I can create questions and do my job better; I can use the phone though that is still a work in progress and I still rely on emails which suits me fine; I can follow conversations better and it allows for more classroom discussions etc. So yes, it has helped immensely.  If I wish to change careers, I now have more opportunities than previously and less psychological stress. I have a good salary so that helps to pay the bills.  I did have to remortgage the house as NZ only pays for one implant.  I needed two for my job.

Karen

[Matt]

Hi Karen,

things must have changed since I was at school because the teachers never listened to me. 

Seriously though, good on you for speaking out about your special need to be implanted sooner. I have three sisters who teach and they all love it - it's really a vocation not a job I think.

Keep practicing with the phone and hopefully it will improve.

Matt

[Leblisa]

Matt,

I think it's great that you are a Midwife!  I've never known of any male midwives here in the USA, though there must be some.  I wonder if you have been discriminated against because of your gender!  I know I'd have been fine with a male midwife when I was going through my pregnancy and birth with my son.

 

I am an Occupational Therapist.  I don't believe my hearing had much influence on my choice of career but over the years it has certainly altered it.

 

I've always worked in a small hospital with adults undergoing physical rehab for things like stroke, quadriplegia, etc.  About 15+ years ago I realized I was struggling too much in that noisy environment and not getting all the info in group meetings, etc.  I was able to steer my career into the specialty of becoming a Certified Hand Therapist.  I have been able to cont. working because now I am in a quiet, 1-on-1 situation.  It's still difficult; I cannot hear if I have to turn my back to a patient, I cannot speak with anyone over the phone and there are some patients I cannot understand even with my face 2 feet from theirs.

 

If the CI does not significantly help my hearing I will be forced to go out on disability within several years, but I am confident that it will be helpful enough to allow me to work for at least another 10.

[Adam]

Matt Laxton,

 

I have been at the same job for the last 16 years. I don't feel like you could call it discrimination. probably a better way to describe it is some folks would lose their patience if I struggled in a particular setting. I think that in certain situations, I have been overlooked for certain projects due to my hearing loss.

[Ivana Marinac]

Hi Matt,

 

I am a doctor, as pre lingually hard of hearing person I can not say that something or someone could stop me although it would be a lie if I tell that people did not tried. But it is their problem which they would have no matter what - they would find something else.

 

So, basically, my hearing loss did not altered my choice of career but when I became more conscious what life is I have tried to find specialty where hearing is not essential. I am lucky enough that my dream job was - to became ENT does not require stethoscope but not because I need to use it (I had an electronically adjusted stethoscope) than the possibility that someone needs me and I can not help him/her because my hearing aid malfunctioned. It is not just legal matter - it is an ethical matter. This was my greatest nightmare.

 

At my present job, I can stated very clearly that some people are underestimating me, some has changed their opinion and altered their way of behaviour because they realised that I am not stupid - I just can not hear them properly. I have to say that I felt huge approval by large proportion of people when they realised what is real cause of problem. It was hard but situation is getting better.

[Adam]

Ivana you are an inspiration. I cant imaginer what it must have been like to go through medical school. I'm sure it posed some big challenges for you.

[Sandy]

Hi Matt,

I've spent most of my career working in an office starting as a secretary. I decided to run away from home at 23 and spent the next 7 years travelling by motorcycle and working in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. I will be retiring on June 10 after working with the government for 28 years. My hearing loss didn't affect my choice of job but as a result of it, in the last couple of years I have had to modify my way of working. I couldn't use the telephone and had to meet with colleagues in person and there was one boardroom that I was unable to hear in so meetings either had to be scheduled in alternate boardrooms or I didn't attend. Discrimination did exist in some areas but the people in the unit I work in have been totally supportive and encouraging during this transition. I should also mention I spent the first 22 years of my life in and out of hospitals having a leg injury at birth corrected. At 15 I was the first person in Canada to have her leg lengthened. The past 9 months I have had 2 hip replacements plus the cochlear implant. The hips had to be done before the implant. I am now bionic and wired for sound and so looking forward to retirement!

[Sandy]

Hi Matt,

I've spent most of my career working in an office starting as a secretary. I decided to run away from home at 23 and spent the next 7 years travelling by motorcycle and working in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. I will be retiring on June 10 after working with the government for 28 years. My hearing loss didn't affect my choice of job but as a result of it, in the last couple of years I have had to modify my way of working. I couldn't use the telephone and had to meet with colleagues in person and there was one boardroom that I was unable to hear in so meetings either had to be scheduled in alternate boardrooms or I didn't attend. Discrimination did exist in some areas but the people in the unit I work in have been totally supportive and encouraging during this transition. I should also mention I spent the first 22 years of my life in and out of hospitals having a leg injury at birth corrected. At 15 I was the first person in Canada to have her leg lengthened. The past 9 months I have had 2 hip replacements plus the cochlear implant. The hips had to be done before the implant. I am now bionic and wired for sound and so looking forward to retirement!

[simekj]

Thanks Matt. Our students are pretty good at voicing their concerns now.  Sandy sounds like you've had an exciting life!

Ivana it is amazing that you've succeeded as a doctor.  I knew I couldn't use a stethoscope or lipread the docs with the surgical mask.  Of course most people never encouraged deaf students to aim too high which is sad. Discrimination does happen. And the worst is among professionals who work with the deaf!!!! I've had it with many jobs but mainly it is more because the 'boss' is uncertain how to cope with a deaf person.  I almost didn't get into teacher's college and had to prove myself. I even had to do a job interview at one school where the boss watched me teach a class of students I had never met.  I thought it was what that school did, but found out later after I was employed that it only happened with me...  What I found the most discriminating was not being accepted as an audiologist even though I did better than students with ESL in the pretests. Some people have a lack of an imagination when it comes to attaining the extraordinary.

[Adam]

I saw an article a few weeks ago about some testing being done on a surgical mask that has a clear window so you can see the persons lips. Pretty neat.

[Matt]

Great replies so far, keep them coming.

[Sandy]

A surgical mask with a clear window would have been great a few months ago. My surgeon asked if I could read lips through a mask. He is so funny! You are awake during hip replacement and he said he liked to talk to his patients (haha so funny). Must admit surgical staff was great and pulled down masks when they wanted to ask a question. Since I have a low tolerance to medications, I slept through most of the surgery!

[Adam]

Yeah right! why do they come up with this AFTER I need it. Sheesh!

[Peach]

Hi Matt,

Wow, everyone has some very interesting jobs!

I am a Registered Nurse with a Certification of Nephrology. I've been working in a Dialysis unit caring for both Chronic and acute kidney failure patients for the past 9 years since graduating. Prior to heading back to school for nursing, I worked as a Personal Support worker and had the privaledge to care for palliative patients, the most rewarding job I have ever had.

Before the healthcare field, I was a self employed cabinet builder for 12 years, reproducing late eightenth century reproductions in pine and oak. At the same time I cared for my family and a small hobby farm in which we produced the majority of our wonk food.

I would have to say that hearing problems have become worse over the past 5 years and infections have increased as well. I worry that I may have to choose another avenue of nursing because of it. Im hopeing the bonebridge will keep me in my field. As a child and growing up, I felt isolated and lonely as a result. As others didn't understand and I was unsure of how to deal with my hearing problems other than just get on with life.

Now that I have accepted my hearing loss, I'm much more open both as a person and about my hearing loss.

[jpl2ci]

What an interesting group of responses.  I have been dealing with government regulated, rent and income restricted rental housing for the last 30 years and have had my own company for the last 10-11 years. I do a fair amount of training to explain the various programs that a property may have. being hearing impaired, then functionally deaf and now with bilateral CIs, I can say that my hearing issues have made me even more sensitive to the plight of others.

[Adam]

John that sounds pretty interesting. How did you get involved in that?

[Proudcimom]

My son is the one who actually has the implants, but I was a speech-language pathologist for 8 years before he was born. It's been a very helpful career, especially with IFSPs and IEPs. I realized that God helped prepare me for the life ahead of me.

I wrote the following article for the American Speech Language Hearing Association last August.

http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2012/120828/E-luminations--Taking-It-to-the-Next-Level.htm

[Matt]

Seems we have a fair number of people working in the health field.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Matt

[Adam]

That kind of surprises me a little. I guess it is just my personality but I would have ben hesitant to go into the health field with my hearing loss. Of course now with my CI's I wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

what kind of technology is out there (like amplified stethescope) that you guys utilize on the job?

 

How do your coworkers handle your hearing loss? as in are they easy to work with or do they sometimes give you a hard time?

[Peach]

Hi

Quick note...

To the question about stethoscopes, I have tried 3, own 2. The 2 I own are the littman 3000 and the Thinklabs ... I like the think labs because it would connect to my streamer I had with my HA's. the littman is of good quality sound and amplified well but meant removing my HA every use. I ended up not using one when I wore HA. Now with the Bonebridge I can use my Thinklabs. I have given the littman to a co-worker to try as she is impaired as well.

As to working with co-worker; I've never had a problem face to face and believe there is no problem behind my back. We have an excellent group and work well together with lots of support.

[Matt]

 

That kind of surprises me a little. I guess it is just my personality but I would have ben hesitant to go into the health field with my hearing loss. Of course now with my CI's I wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

what kind of technology is out there (like amplified stethescope) that you guys utilize on the job?

 

How do your coworkers handle your hearing loss? as in are they easy to work with or do they sometimes give you a hard time?

I still have a little hearing in my left ear and my good quality stethoscope is enough for me to do BP's. We are going to start doing a more complete examination on our patients and will listen to their chests so I need to get an electronic steth. I'm looking at the Cardionics E-scope. Here we have a government funded body who will assess me and pay for this and other stuff to keep me in the workforce.

My current co workers are great - they used to help me out a lot by answering my phone and calling people for me when I couldn't use email or SMS. I haven't had any discrimination from other health workers, just curiosity.

[Adam]

That is too cool. One that technology is advancing even in making work easier for those that have physical challenges, plus the fact that your coworkers have been so accomodating.

Just makes my day to hear stuff like this.

[Ivana Marinac]

To Matt&Karen,

 

I was very curious as a child and am still trying to be. This was not my intention at first (actually I was 17 when I decided to become a doctor. I had a very supportive parents who gave me all support I needed. They never told me what to do specifically - just be yourself.

I am a great supporter of science but also believe that God has plan for each of us. I can coordinate both lines as a grown up person - nothing is happening without reason and without God support like, for instance, solutions for us - hard of hearing people.

 

More specifically, I have an electronically adjusted stethoscope - by Starkey modified by one great person who adjusted all my hearing aids which gave me all possibility I needed for life - but now it is time to say goodbye. BB is waiting.

I knew for Littman from the start but we did not know whether it will be possible to connect it, so I went with Starkey.

I have found even better - more "trekkie" model by Stethographics, a company from Boston who developed a way how to contact an electronically adjusted stethoscope with a hearing aid and handheld computer like iPaq. I do not know what is happening with this company but it was a nice idea - stets picked sound which you could hear on hearing aid but also ypu could see on device.

 

About surgical masks... transperent masks were even before available - from the financial point of view possibly more expensive so I guess it can be ordered on demand.

 

[Adam]

Ivana, are you saying that surgical masks are already onthe market? If so i assume you mean in Europe.