Can you put your phone down?

In the last 10 years, with more and more people using smartphones, it appears that antisocialism is on the rise. It is very rare for me to go out and not see someone on their phone(s) -plural because reality is, quite a few people now have one, two, maybe even three phones!

I confess that I'm sometimes one of those people. Messaging friends on Facebook, WhatsApp, and texting is now normal for me. To some, I probably appear antisocial. 

Not quite.

What a HOH rant might look like

When I started driving as a teenager, I used to get the odd comment here and there: "you can drive? Oh my! How do you do it??" (Answer: like any other normal person would...put my seat belt on, turn the ignition on, and press my foot on the pedal). I just have a hearing loss. I'm not stupid. I'm not that handicapped. I'm normal.

Tea Time

A close friend of mine sent me an email saying that she's going through some pretty major transitions in her life. She just got married, relocated to a different part of Canada, and so much more.  My friend doesn't have a hearing loss, but thought it would be a good idea for me to share my experiences (as they are relatively similar). I'm hoping this post will help others out there struggling with life changes, because well, any change is never easy. This applies to everyone, not just those with a hearing loss.

A HOH goes to Church

I'm definitely a blessed mama, even if life doesn't always seem that way.


Having a hearing loss and going to church is another challenge, given that there isn't ample funding for captioning or a loop system at most churches. In fact, from time to time, people will ask me if I actually understand anything that's being said during the homily, which varies at each mass.  Often, when I was younger, I would ask my parents what was said. Unfortunately that method isn't sustainable!
 

Another Hard of Hearing Mommy :)

Gael Hannan, writer, actress, public speaker, and dear family friend is one of the few hard of hearing mommies that I have come to respect and admire. When I first met Gael back in 2008, at the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association/International Federation of Hard of Hearing People Congress I heard her one-woman show Ear Rage, and was instantly captivated by her unique charm. Hearing loss is a passion and a career for Gael.

This photo captures Gael's personality! (Photo courtesy of Google)

Live and Let Hear: Hearing Protection for All

You only get one shot at good hearing. From the day that we're born, we're given a supply of hair cells in our cochlear to last us a lifetime.



Awesome to have, but once they're gone, they're gone.

Even with what little hearing I have (most of my cochlear hair cells are damaged, save for a few), my mom was always very keen on ear protection. I remember her pulling me out of competitive swimming because I was getting way too many ear infections, she wouldn't let me do gymnastics for fear that I'd bang my head, and more.

Immunizations and Hearing Loss: Our Story

Three weeks ago, I received an email from a fellow mommy friend, Bonnie. Bonnie also runs a blog and asked me to write about how I lost my hearing, and my life as a mommy in general. She recently posted my article on her blog. Bonnie also encouraged me to write about immunizations and how it has impacted our lives.  Our discussion on vaccinations started way back in March - when I first started attending the Moms and Tots group at St. Patrick's Parish (a wonderful, wonderful source of knowledge considering these moms are amazing).

First off, I'll reiterate what I wrote in my pilot post - my opinions are my opinions, and they are not intended to belittle other perspectives. This is quite simply, our personal experience after contracting a virus (where we were the unlucky ones, not getting off scot-free).