Hearing Impairment In Daily Life 1

The day before, I went grocery shopping. At checkout, I asked the cashier for the total cost. His answer was inaudible for me. Instead of asking him to repeat, I gave him one hundred Egyptian pounds and asked for the receipt. I checked the cost printed on the receipt and counted the change to make sure that it was accurate. I put the products in my bag and left. I could have easily asked him to repeat but I didn’t. I knew I would struggle to hear the answer in this open, noisy place so I didn't ask again.

Day by day, I’m learning to accept the difficulties I face due to my hearing impairment without seeing them as a problem of ME. This is a problem due to my impaired hearing, not me. It is a problem of the hearing part of my brain which hasn't heard well in many years.

Until a few months ago, I thought whenever I didn’t hear someone, it was because I didn’t pay enough attention or that I had a problem with comprehension. And when I couldn't understand someone talking in English, I thought it was because my English wasn't good enough. In fact, all of that happened because of my hearing loss. My English is not bad and I’m not stupid. My hearing impairment determines how I act in most cases but it doesn't define me as a person.

I’m gradually coming to terms that I have to tell everyone I communicate with about my hearing loss. I am also trying to find techniques and strategies to deal with my hearing impairment in different contexts and situations. As well as that, I am accepting that I struggle in some places to hear and that is fine. I don’t have to force myself to hear something my brain can't distinguish. I just have to come up with methods to navigate these situations on my own with minimal embarrassment.