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Cruise booked: Lost residual hearing. Should I go?


cfr70
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Quick background: Lost hearing at age 35 in 2005. Got fitted for a hearing aid that gave me "residual sounds". Knock on door, footsteps, microwave beeping, people talking but sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher (wah wah wah wah wah if you're old enough to remember the cartoons on tv) tv sounds, etc.

 

Anyway, I booked NCL Mediterranean Cruise for Nov 2019. This latest situation throws a monkey wrench into everything. My hearing aid won't help anymore. It's now total silence 24/7.

Granted, this literally just happened today and surely by Nov 2019, i'll feel differently. But as of now, traveling is the furthest thing from my mind. Should I cancel, wait to see how i'll feel 6 months down the line?

 

I LOVE traveling. It's one of life's luxuries that's always kept me going, and with the hearing aid in, it always made it go smoothly. I never understood people talking to me, but I still heard general sounds.

 

Now even the general sounds are gone. Part of me says "You got through the first "Deafness" in 2005, now this is simply the final nail in the coffin and you still have all your other senses, so go."

But the other part is saying I won't enjoy myself without the hearing aid to use for residul sounds.

What should I do? Still go or cancel? What would YOU do?! And if there's any Deaf travelers here, please chime in on your experiences! It can only help me!!

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Many thanks to the two of you for your positive replies. What's been going over & over in my mind today is that life goes on, whether we want it to or not, and it still goes on whether we accept it's changes or not.

Along that way of thinking, it tells me that hey, i'll still be here in Nov of '19 and can either spend it sitting home crying in my new found silence, or spend that time in Italy, taking in beautiful scenery, watching the sunsets, sipping good wine, learning about Pompeii. So why not go through this hell while sailing the Mediterranean?

I'm pretty scared at the moment, but I still want to travel. I still want to see far off places. I still want to see the world i'm living in. Thanks again for your replies. I'm gonna keep going and forge ahead.

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I think you should go this thing you have will never go away. Don't let it stop you. You will regret it.

 

Sent from my Z981 using Forums mobile app

 

That's the way i'm viewing it. I feel that "it's happened, and it's not going to UN happen". So this is my life now and I can either sit home crying or go out and travel. Life ends for us all eventually so why not make the best of what we have while we're living it.

 

I think I already knew this deep inside, but posted because I wanted confirmation. And i'm so glad, and grateful that others seem to agree. Forge ahead I will, and I promise to come back here afterwards to give a trip report. It may take a while, but I will come back and post it....THANKS TO ALL who replied with such positive advice. It definitely keeps me going!!

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Take some time to absorb your current situation first before making any big decisions. I can't imagine the adjustment it takes to deal with such a loss. My prayers are with you and from your posts it seems you are working through this already.

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Granted, this literally just happened today and surely by Nov 2019, i'll feel differently. But as of now, traveling is the furthest thing from my mind. Should I cancel, wait to see how i'll feel 6 months down the line?

 

Right now you are probably feeling that nothing will ever be pleasant again.

 

In Nov 2019 you will be used to the total silence, or you may have found some sort of solution.

 

Go - have a wonderful time enjoying your other sensory input.

 

ETA: And even if I don't know you: HUGS. I have a totally deaf BIL, but he doesn't know what he's never had. You know what you've lost. It's ok to mourn that loss.

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Take some time to absorb your current situation first before making any big decisions. I can't imagine the adjustment it takes to deal with such a loss. My prayers are with you and from your posts it seems you are working through this already.

 

 

Thank you and that's good advice. I won't make any changes on the trip until I get through this. It's just funny how last week I was so happy planning and researching, literally spending hours on it, and now it's the furthest thing from my mind. But when I come out on the other side of this i'll surely want to travel so will keep things put. Thank you for the prayers, they're very much appreciated and it helps. :)

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Right now you are probably feeling that nothing will ever be pleasant again.

 

In Nov 2019 you will be used to the total silence, or you may have found some sort of solution.

 

Go - have a wonderful time enjoying your other sensory input.

 

ETA: And even if I don't know you: HUGS. I have a totally deaf BIL, but he doesn't know what he's never had. You know what you've lost. It's ok to mourn that loss.

 

It's pretty much exactly how I feel at the moment. I woke up this morning and for a few moments forgot about my situation until reaching for my hearing aid and remembered "Can't use that anymore."

I have to view this as just a new stage of life and keep reminding myself that there's many others out there living like this too, like your BIL. So i'm not the only one and shouldn't wallow in pity.

I did plenty of that last night along with a bottle of wine and my headache this morning tells me that's not the way to move on. I e mailed my audiologist and will see if perhaps a stronger aid may give me some sounds back. But if not, i'm prepared for that too.

 

The trip will stay as it is and I realize making changes while going through something like this isn't good because by 2019 i'll surely have got past it and on with the "new" phase of my life. And I still have my sight to see the gorgeous Almafi coast which i've always wanted to see in person. :)

 

Thanks all for the very helpful advice and kind words. It really helped tremendously!

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So i'm not the only one and shouldn't wallow in pity.

 

On the contrary!! Wallow away. You've experienced a loss. BIL hasn't.

 

At some point it will get really old, but right now you probably need it.

 

Mourning takes the time it takes.

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It's true one needs to mourn any loss and I will but without the drink as it only compounds the bad stuff. I was all set to wallow on the sofa all say buried under my blanket, but my audiologist says she has an opening in a couple of hours today....so i'm racing over there now to find out my next steps.

 

I do very much appreciate the well wishes and advice from everyone here and I thank you. :)

 

Off I go...."prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

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Best of luck. I hope your audiologist is able to provide you some assistance.

As others have said, you have a while to adjust and plan for any special steps.

Right now my hearing aide is still helping me...but then the time comes, I think some of the questions i will have from my cruise line will be:

1. Are there special considerations/steps for the muster drill?

2. Are there tours offered with maybe written dialog?

3. Are ships announcements shown on the TV with closed captions?

 

BTW - I too would still go... enjoy the sights, smells and TASTES of Italy!

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It's true one needs to mourn any loss and I will but without the drink as it only compounds the bad stuff. I was all set to wallow on the sofa all say buried under my blanket, but my audiologist says she has an opening in a couple of hours today....so i'm racing over there now to find out my next steps.

 

I do very much appreciate the well wishes and advice from everyone here and I thank you. :)

 

Off I go...."prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

 

I will be keeping everything crossed for good luck.

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I'm so sorry about your hearing. I can really relate I have menerie disease and I am totally deaf in left ear and have severe hearing loss in right that I use a hearing aid. I'm so afraid of becoming totally deaf but I'm sure I will mourn the loss of all my hearing. But when I look back at when I suddenly lost all hearing in left ear I mourned but quickly realized life goes on. I'm sure in time you will accept your hearing loss also. Life goes on you just have to change and adapt. Don't cancel you cruise I'm sure you will be more confident and have adapted to your situation and all will be fine. Also would a cochlear implant help?

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I'm so sorry about your hearing. I can really relate I have menerie disease and I am totally deaf in left ear and have severe hearing loss in right that I use a hearing aid. I'm so afraid of becoming totally deaf but I'm sure I will mourn the loss of all my hearing. But when I look back at when I suddenly lost all hearing in left ear I mourned but quickly realized life goes on. I'm sure in time you will accept your hearing loss also. Life goes on you just have to change and adapt. Don't cancel you cruise I'm sure you will be more confident and have adapted to your situation and all will be fine. Also would a cochlear implant help?

 

Actually, that's exactly what the audiologist recommended to me today. The hearing aid works fine....it's me. The hearing is totally kaput, so the absolute worst has happened. Now to move on.

She's going to get someone in from the Cochlear Implant place to e mail me and I go from there. It's terrifying and always been my worst fear but what's always stopped me from getting it was they cut any residual hearing left when they implant it. Well, since that's now gone, it's a moot point.

 

I think it's something I HAVE to do. I've been Deaf for 13 years now, but always had that hearing aid for background noises to keep me from total silence. Without that, i'l go nuts! I NEED to have sounds.

I liked taking out the aid when I wanted silence, but now I don't have that choice anymore, and I want it back. So the CI route seems to be the road i'm going to go down.

 

They say you can get so much hearing back you can even talk on the phone and hear music....2 things I haven't done since 2005....so perhaps this is ultimately a good thing to happen.

Who knows? By 2019, I could be in Italy, enjoying sounds and maybe even chatting in Italian haha. Trip will stay on and booked, but it looks like a hell of a long road i'm going down before that.

 

I will keep this thread updated if anyone is interested. And once again thanks for so many positive wishes and advice. It helps me keep positive through all this. :)

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I will keep this thread updated if anyone is interested. And once again thanks for so many positive wishes and advice. It helps me keep positive through all this. :)

 

I’m sure we’ll be following. And cheering when you can understand speech again with your brand new CIs.

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Sorry that you have lost your hearing that has to be very tough to accept and for it to actually sink in.

 

Definitely don't cancel your trip, what are you going to do stay at home always? Even though you can't hear you will still be able to enjoy the rest, relaxation, getting served, and seeing all the beautiful sites.

 

My friend has also lost her hearing and has had an implant for many years and it really helps her and she can hear with some difficulty but has no natural hearing at all so it does work.

 

I will say a prayer that this can be an option for you.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

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I hope you get really good results with CI. I have heard that it's a lot different from natural hearing but is some you can adjust to. Really love how up beat and positive you sound in your post. Will be praying for you and hope all works out for your CI.

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Sorry that you have lost your hearing that has to be very tough to accept and for it to actually sink in.

 

Definitely don't cancel your trip, what are you going to do stay at home always? Even though you can't hear you will still be able to enjoy the rest, relaxation, getting served, and seeing all the beautiful sites.

 

My friend has also lost her hearing and has had an implant for many years and it really helps her and she can hear with some difficulty but has no natural hearing at all so it does work.

 

I will say a prayer that this can be an option for you.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Your story about your friend made me feel great. The CI not working is my main fear. Having difficulty is no problem for me, i'd just be enormously grateful to have ANY sounds back. I'm glad it worked for your friend and will hope for the same results.

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I hope you get really good results with CI. I have heard that it's a lot different from natural hearing but is some you can adjust to. Really love how up beat and positive you sound in your post. Will be praying for you and hope all works out for your CI.

 

Thanks so much Sue. I think since i've pretty much been down this road before back in 2005 when I first lost the hearing, this isn't nearly as bad in comparison. So it's much easier to stay positive and upbeat. I came out the other side then and I know will this time. At least that's what I keep telling myself!! :)

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I am a teacher of the deaf. I would recommend you start learning sign language at your local community college. You have two full years to become mostly fluent in it. Then i would request that the cruise line provide an interpreter for you. Mainly for shows and muster drill, etc. it’s their expense, by law. Not yours. Most cruise ships have an interpreter on staff. Also, have you looked into becoming a candidate for a cochlear implant? That is completely different than a hearing aid. Definitely ask your doctor.

 

 

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