Author Archive for
Linda Bilodeau
I’ve grappled with hearing loss since 1978. Through it all, I’ve faced periods of denial, acceptance, curiosity, trust and hope. But more often than not, I’ve felt annoyed, angry and frightened. I’ve encountered despair, loneliness and envy. I’ve experienced panic attacks. I’ve met understanding people, kind souls who helped me a great deal and others who thought I had nothing short of an invisible plague.
As a way of coming to terms with my hearing loss, I’ve decided to put my feelings about my disability down on paper. My hope is to better understand myself and perhaps you’ll find a little something in my meanderings that will help you, too.
Vaccines, Masks, and Hearing Loss
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health & Wellness, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories, Support, Technology
Meandering Through The Hearing World Vaccines, Masks and Hearing Loss My husband and I cheered when our governor announced the rollout of vaccines in Florida in early January. Healthcare workers and anyone 65 or older could schedule an appointment to receive their first dose of vaccine. However, these appointments could only be made by telephone,…
Read More We’re All About Ears The Ida Institute
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Featured Contributors, Health & Wellness, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories, Support
Meandering Through the Hearing World We’re All About Ears The Ida Institute I listened to a wonderful Webinar from the IDA Institute, located in Narerum, Denmark. The webinar’s title, All About Ears, refers to the Ida Institute’s focus on helping hearing professionals and those with hearing loss to communicate openly and honestly. The Ida…
Read More Hearing Loops and Assistive Devices
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Featured Contributors, Health & Wellness, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories, Support
Meandering Through the Hearing World Hearing Loops and Assistive Devices I learned a lot about assistive devices and hearing loops while listening to Dr. Juliette Sterkens’s lecture on the topic. Dr. Sterkens has an audiology practice in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and is a recognized advocate for hearing loops. It is clear that she works hard to…
Read More When The Words Blur
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Featured Contributors, Health & Wellness, Personal Stories
Meandering Through the Hearing World When The Words Blur It is always wonderful to be around people who know you, particularly during the holidays. I’ve been frequenting the same hair stylist for 14 years. She is well acquainted with my hearing loss. In fact, her husband has hearing loss so we often swap stories about…
Read More Improving Your Relationship with Music
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Featured Contributors, Health & Wellness, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories, Support | audiology
Meandering Through A Hearing World Improving Your Relationship with Music Brad Ingrao, AuD, gave an excellent presentation during a recent Zoom session hosted by The Florida State Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America. Dr. Ingrao has been in audiological practice in various states since 1992. He currently resides in Miami where he specializes in…
Read More New Cochlear Implant Research
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Featured Contributors, Health & Wellness, Personal Stories, Support, Technology | cochlear implant
Meandering Through A Hearing World Ongoing Cochlear Implant Research I cheer when news about hearing loss research pops into my email inbox. This week, I received information about two ongoing efforts with cochlear implants. The first involves clinical trials with a fully implantable cochlear implant, and the second was about the use of artificial intelligence…
Read More Strategies For Couples With Hearing Loss
By Linda Bilodeau | | CART, Coping, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Featured Contributors, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories, Support, Technology | cochlear implant
Meandering Through A Hearing World Strategies for Couples with Hearing Loss I listened with interest to Joan Haber’s excellent presentation titled Strategies for Couples with Hearing loss. Right away, it was clear that Joan was an expert on this very important topic. She has suffered from hearing loss since her twenties, and she has worn…
Read More To Work Or Not With Hearing Loss
By Linda Bilodeau | | ADA, ADA Disability Without Abuse, CART, Coping, Featured Contributors, Health & Wellness, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories, Support, Technology
Meandering Through A Hearing World To Work Or Not With Hearing Loss According to statistics on the Hearing Foundation’s website, 48% of people with hearing loss are employed and 47% are unemployed. Employees with untreated hearing loss can find their incomes decreased by $30,000.00. Employees who treat their hearing loss are sometimes underemployed and have…
Read More What Happens If You Suddenly Lose Your Hearing
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Featured Contributors, Health & Wellness, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories
Meandering Through A Hearing World What Happens If You Suddenly Lose Your Hearing Sudden Hearing Loss. I’ve read the stories. Perhaps you’ve suffered from SHL. Most people notice symptoms upon waking. There’s the sensation of fullness in one of your ears, as if water has flooded your ear canal. You hear a popping sound followed…
Read More Learn More About Hearing Loss
By Linda Bilodeau | | Coping, Featured Contributors, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Personal Stories, Technology
Meandering Through A Hearing World Learn More About Hearing Loss In conversing with friends, I discovered we have the similar problem of how to fill our long afternoons during the pandemic. Some of these women are full of ideas and have adopted new hobbies such as reading the classics, learning a language, or ramping up…
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