HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted June 16, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 The face mask adventure continues to confuse me. The other week....or possibly during our June HearPeers Virtual Chat....I mentioned a frustrating experience listening to someone wearing a face mask at the hair salon. Then today I had a completely opposite experience! I needed to turn in my work laptop and the turn in table was outside. I easily understood everything the person said while turning things in. Then I turned and started to walk away. I was about 10 feet away with my back to the person when he asked me another question. I answered him and then realized that I had understood him from 10 feet away with my back to him while he spoke wearing a face mask. Here are some of the differences..... -male versus female voice -disposable face mask versus homemade cloth face mask -2 CI processors on versus 1 CI processor on (I chose to only bring 1 processor into the hair salon so I could easily keep it safe in my pocket.) What have been your experiences listening to people wearing face masks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey_66 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 Having huge problems with masks. I've started rehabilitation in the last two 1/2 weeks and it has been really hard. Lipreading as a back up a no go. Very very muffled. And this is face to face with disposable masks!!!! Not even a metre away. As for any one behind me , can just do with 2 metres behind me at a push! For me the female voice is a bit easier than a male voice. Today I had a hearing test at hospital, there the two assistants had masks on , I had to tell them that I didn't understand because of the masks. On the upside my results I was surprised by...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted June 16, 2020 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 Surprised by in which ways @Tracey_66? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Megan L. Posted June 16, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 @Mary Beth I have the feeling we’re all going to have a roller coaster ride with these face masks!! I went to Walmart the other day and understood everyone fine but when I went to the doctor’s office, the person taking my info had a slight accent and I needed her to repeat herself a few times and she kept turning her back to me to type. I’m not back to work yet but everyone knows I have a CI and we’re a tight team so we’ll figure it out if I can’t understand them 😆 @Tracey_66 Hope you made out well with your results! Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Pittsburgh Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 I went to the dentist the other day everyone had face shields and mask it was impossible to understand anyone and unfortunately of all of his patients I am the only one with CI so no one really understands it very frustrating. I actually thought I was in a Star Wars Movie or in a Haze Mat environment . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted June 16, 2020 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 These are definitely challenging times for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. @Dave in Pittsburgh What kind of phone do you have? There are free speech to text apps to use on our phones. Just start the app and point your phone’s mic in their direction. Then read on the screen what they are saying. They work quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Pittsburgh Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 Yes I have live transcribe on my phone but left it at home not thinking Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey_66 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 @Mary Beth @Megan L. . I had expected my hearing with my Rondo 2 to be low as only been activated since 29th May. Umm it's a lot better than expected !!! 🎉😀 Unable to upload result as to big at 4 mb......... Made me feel a bit better, as not having a very sympathetic specialist for rehabilitation.... Really downs everything. I'm curious how she will work out what's next when it comes to Mapping!!!!! Megan L. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey_66 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 @Dave in Pittsburgh I understand completely. My first day with my specialist was on activation.... She had full face shield and behind that glasses, it was soooooo difficult to gauge reaction etc and off putting. I'm getting better with her but still not easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted June 16, 2020 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 I am glad you are off to a great start @Tracey_66! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Megan L. Posted June 16, 2020 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 Wonderful!! 😁 @Tracey_66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephG Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 I’ve certainly had trouble understanding anyone completely through a face mask using my left CI aided ear only (with a hearing aid on my right ear I can understand most with relative ease). But I wasn’t sure if that difficulty was a unique experience on my end since I only got my left CI activated 10mos ago and I hadn’t heard anything out of that ear for my entire life prior to that (give or take 4 decades). That said, some people with normal hearing have trouble understanding through cloth masks and the like, so I don’t think it’s entirely unique to our community, but it certainly makes understanding a lot more difficult for us in particular. In fact, I read somewhere (unfortunately I don’t recall the source exactly) that something like 20% or so of normal hearing comprehension is accomplished thru lip-reading /facial expressions, so it affects everyone likely to some extent. But if one can hear well through the masks then I think that says a lot about one’s CI aided experience. I never realized how much I relied on lip reading until faces were inaccessible (even a half covered smirk/lip can, surprisingly, make a huge difference IMO). Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion nancy Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 8 hours ago, Mary Beth said: The face mask adventure continues to confuse me. The other week....or possibly during our June HearPeers Virtual Chat....I mentioned a frustrating experience listening to someone wearing a face mask at the hair salon. Then today I had a completely opposite experience! I needed to turn in my work laptop and the turn in table was outside. I easily understood everything the person said while turning things in. Then I turned and started to walk away. I was about 10 feet away with my back to the person when he asked me another question. I answered him and then realized that I had understood him from 10 feet away with my back to him while he spoke wearing a face mask. Here are some of the differences..... -male versus female voice -disposable face mask versus homemade cloth face mask -2 CI processors on versus 1 CI processor on (I chose to only bring 1 processor into the hair salon so I could easily keep it safe in my pocket.) What have been your experiences listening to people wearing face masks? Positive experience. I did not realize I could understand someone wearing a face mask and face shield Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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