LDAchat

LDAchat is not a "chat room" per se, but more of an email discussion group. Members send and reply to email posts about any topic regarding hearing loss. It is not an official part of ALDA but has many ALDA members. This group provides support and information to anyone with hearing loss. It was established in 2000 and now has over 600 members. Join it here: LDAchat

Martha Mattox-Baker - Columbus, OH

My hearing loss was not detected until I started school. We do not know if it was from the fact I was a Rubella baby or from severe ear infections when I was young. But in first grade my loss was found. I did not need hearing aids at that time. It was in one ear and I was able to sit up front and with my good ear able to hear the teacher.

Years went by and I did not have any problems until my high school years. My hearing started to fluctuate. I also started having dizzy spells. By January of my senior year I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease which is a blockage of fluids in the inner ear that is triggered by tension and stress.

Over the years my hearing loss became progressively worse. I learned sign language and was involved in many Deaf activities.

Barbara Kerven introduced me to ALDA. We started the first ALDA online group ALDA Mid-West in 2000. In ALDA I have met many people who are like me; who grew up in the hearing world but found a separation due to the hearing loss. ALDA brings us back together. With ALDA we are not alone. We are with others that can say "I know what you mean". And it means a lot not to be alone with a hearing loss.


 

Robin Titterington - Decatur, GA

I had finished my freshman year in college. That summer I became very ill with severe kidney infections. I became deafened virtually overnight from an antibiotic. Because I didnt know better (!) I immediately returned to college. Somehow I muddled through academically. I only had note takers but still graduated with honors. However, social life virtually disappeared and I cried ALOT!


Eventually I moved to a new state where no one knew me as a hearing person. I was "adopted" by the Deaf community and became fluent in ASL. Nearly 15 years later, I discovered ALDA. It was not until I attended my first ALDAcon that I was finally able to acknowledge the loss of my hearing and grieve with my ALDA friends. I still am active in the Deaf community but also have my ALDA family. Through ALDA I have learned ways to cope with the communication struggles of my birth family. I go to ALDAcon every year and it keeps me (relatively) sane! We laugh, we cry, we learn, we dance! Join ALDA and meet others who understand!

Roxanne Gasaway - Tucker, GA

Years ago I corresponded with Rick Skyer via postal mail, and he told me about what his sister, Kathy Hering, was doing in Chicago. I didnt understand, but there has been a tremendous amount of change for the late-deafened in the 30 years I have been deaf. Rick, Kathy and I all had NF2 to deal with. That may have added to my confusion.

As the years passed, people I knew were talking about how wonderful ALDAcon was. Finally, a close friend went and she raved about it upon her return. She spoke of staying up all night talking to someone. I was interested but am an introvert and didnt pursue it.

Then ALDA-Peach (Atlanta), a chapter of ALDA, Inc., was founded and I joined. Slowly, the doors of social interaction started to creak open. It wasnt a case of my going to a meeting and suddenly everything was okay. The members of ALDA-Peach have been there for me in a thousand different ways over the years, and this has enabled me to continue to learn and grow as a human being.

With help from ALDA-Peach and my family, I went to the 2003 ALDAcon in Las Vegas and experienced for myself how wonderful ALDAcon is. I also kept track of the donations for the silent auction. In 2005 I was vice president of ALDA-Peach. The list of opportunities Ive had to interact with others is a long one. Im so very grateful for the chances to have a go at life that have been given to me by ALDA, Inc. and ALDA-Peach.

Christine Seymour - Puyallup, WA

I didnt realize how hard of hearing I was until I was 20 years old and my boss told me she was going to hang a cowbell over my desk to get my attention when she wanted to talk to me. I worked in an office with my aunt who was hard of hearing. Mom and my grandmother were also hard of hearing. A year before my life long dream of a music career had been smashed when the music professors told me I could not continue because I didnt "hear right". All through school I had been a soloist and sung in the select choirs. My voice teacher helped me feel my voice to the right pitch. But in college the teachers had no patience for that. When I got those first two hearing aids I was astounded. I had never heard water running, or my footsteps on the linoleum floor, the sound of traffic, or the coffee pot percolating.