08/07/2026
Hello FB friends! I post here for a fellow member of our East Bay chapter of the national non-profit Hearing Loss Association of America. Hearing loss affects millions - maybe even you or someone you love.
Our East Bay chapter helps connect people dealing with this challenge. Learn more about our chapter (we meet in Oakland, next on Sep12) here https://www.hearinglosseb.org/monthly-meetings-1.
Today, I have colleague MJ’s answers to “Six Short Survey Questions” about their hearing loss journey.
Q1: When did you first notice changes in your hearing?
A1: My situation is a bit different. My spouse has the hearing loss, rather than me. She became deaf on the right ear after a vacation trip to Europe in 2000 when she caught a virus. Then suddenly, one August morning in 2019, she couldn’t hear in the other ear. No more than 5%. It was terrifying. This lead to, eventually, a cochlear implant.
Q2: What were the key steps or moments in your hearing loss journey?
A2: As the spouse of a person with hearing loss, it’s been very challenging but in a different way. My wife lost hearing in one ear in the early 2000’s from a virus during a trip to Europe.
Q3: What hearing devices, technologies, or strategies have helped you the most?
A3: My spouse uses both a Cochlear Implant plus hearing aid. The CI, in my opinion, has been a help in normal conversations but not a “magic bullet”. It hasn’t really worked that well for her in day to day work, but it was enough to enable her to go back to teaching as a high-school math teacher.
Q4: What challenges have been most significant for you along the way?
A4: My wife was unable to continue her work as a high school math teacher until after receiving her cochlear implant, which had an immediate impact on our household income. Emotionally, hearing loss can be deeply isolating, especially when it affects communication with a spouse or partner. Simple moments for a couple like casual back-and-forth conversation, shared jokes, or calling from one room to another often became sources of frustration. It also became more difficult for her to continue working and socializing in group settings, where conversations often moved too quickly or background noise made it hard to hear clearly. Even meeting in a café or restaurant was challenging because of the constant surrounding noise.
Q5: How has your hearing loss shaped your involvement with HLAA and the East Bay chapter?
A5: Finding the HLAA group in Oakland was a huge relief, as we could connect with others experiencing hearing loss of the type that we suddenly had to deal with. COVID also hit at the same time and it was really quite horrible to be isolated at home and isolated from others. The supportive environment of the people combined with the expertise of the guest speakers was incredibly valuable to us, helping us better understand my wife’s condition and giving us greater confidence in managing it each day. The HLAA EB group also gave us a pressure valve to be able to share experiences with other dealing with the same (often invisible) issues.
Q6: What message or insight would you share with others beginning their own hearing loss journey?
A6: Do not try to “go it alone”. That’s probably the default - but instead I would strongly encourage others to explore hearing aid options and find an audiologist they feel comfortable with. It is important not to hide hearing loss or withdraw from others. Let me repeat: Do not withdraw. Joining HLAA can also be incredibly valuable, providing a sense of community, understanding, and support from people who truly understand the challenges of living with hearing loss.
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