Writing By Laura

I have mentioned previously the aural distortions that make me hard of hearing. This is a result of my severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

In this week’s #TBIthursday I want to discuss what sounds actually sound like to me post-TBI.

Since this past Tuesday marked the four year anniversary of the accident that caused me to suffer this severe TBI that dominates my every action, thought and movement, I have decided to write in more detail about the major issue I suffer from since my TBI: my hearing. (Read my Monday post for my yearly review and reflection on my TBI.)

I have written about my hearing and hearing loss many times on this blog. Notable posts are:

POP CULTURE: How my Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has affected my hearing

Essay: Closed Captioning. A technology forgotten

Apps for Hearing Loss (A Belated Monthly Essay)

Hearing and Accessibility Features- More Information

Essay: The Sounds are coming from INSIDE my head

Quite the Imagination: A Personal Account of TBI and Hearing Loss

Evolution of my hearing Part One and Part Two

I’m sure that I’m missing a few more since I discuss my hearing with regularity, but these are the posts I could think of.

What I primarily wanted to discuss today is particularly what voices now sound like to me. Because this is unique… yet as I learn more about hearing… I realize it kind of isn’t unique. I usually describe how I hear sound as distorted. All voices (including my own and a dog’s bark) are distorted and sound like a bad guy in a movie who uses a voice distorter to disguise their voice when they call for ransom. I can hear higher pitches better than lower pitches (meaning I hear women’s voices better than men’s). Hearing something output by a machine (like sound from a TV, radio, phone, etc.) is next to impossible. It’s why I rely on closed captions and use a CapTel phone (a landline that has live operators who listen to your phone calls and live caption what the other person is saying) and texting. I do watch TV with the sound on when I watch with my parents but the sound from the TV can get pretty grating and intense. I used to love to watch awards shows like The Oscars and The Emmys but now that I rely on captions and captions for live shows can be delayed and pretty unwatchable, I have to keep my expectations in check.

As someone who was hearing for 37 years, now that I rely on hearing assistance, I am honestly shocked and dismayed and disappointed by how behind the world seems to be with hearing technology. I am still learning but it seems lacking.

Voices and the distortions I hear is a topic I would like to write more about. However, I didn’t plan well and haven’t left much time to actually write this blog. So consider this a to be continued post and I will write more about my hearing soon.

A Selby Sweetie Throwback Thursday

Since we got Selby’s Halloween costume today (thank you, Amazon), I thought I would throwback to Selby’s first Halloween. She was an aviator (ala Snoopy as the Red Baron), her cousin Bella is wearing a tiny sombrero and I have a panda hoodie on. Look at Bella’s eyes. She is not having it! Thankfully Selby tolerates costumes quite well!