Your profession, how do others treat you?

I was working as a patent attorney when I decided to wear hearing aids although per otolaryngologist I did not need them yet. I was proud of my new devices and showed them to everyone in the law office. It was in 2003. I think it is you and not that others will criticize you. After all, what have eyes to do with hearing? Hearing aids are now fashionable and better looking than the Apple pods!

Hello!
I would be thrilled to see any Dr or eye specialist like you wearing hearing aids. It reminds me that you can be whatever you want to be if you work hard to achieve your ambition.
You have done fantastic work and you should be very proud of that.
I am like you, even having worn hearing aids since the age of 9 or 10, I too cover my hearing aid under my hair. Not because i am embarrassed but I prefer to do so.
I have met some people in my architects department who were just dumb about hearing loss. So I kind of ignore thrm and stick with those who are intelligent about hearing loss.
You have nothing to prove. You have proved your worth tenfold. X

Yes, I have asked one person that made an unkind remark about my aids if he was jealous of my superpower.

Made me smile! I’m bionic !

Having created this theme, I firmly decided to change my attitude towards my devices, because I really love them! These are my most loyal assistants for the past 18 years! I got married with them, I got a wonderful profession that I love very much, I got married and gave birth to wonderful twin girls who are already 10 years old! And during this week, I unobtrusively opened up to people, put my hair behind my ears a little, showed my colleagues how I can control my devices using my phone, and told them the latest news from the hearing aid exhibition (I read it on our forum). And yesterday I diagnosed the girl with a severe deviation in her visual functions, which are irretrievably lost, it took me an effort not to cry with her when I was looking for words of support for her and her mother. In our large hospital, many serious illnesses are diagnosed daily that radically change the life of this child’s family. And I feel ashamed for my weakness and for my attitude to the problem. I am 36 years old and I have only now fully realized my wrong attitude.

Thank you so much for your reply and advice! This will be my next step! I will definitely unsubscribe when this happens! Yesterday there was a moment when I wanted to support a 13-year-old girl in this way, but it was a “prickly” teenager who would answer me - “it’s good for you, you can hear everything in your hearing aids, but no glasses will help me regain my eyesight.” And she would be right. I assured her that she would definitely find her place in life. I remembered myself at the age of 16, when I was persistently preparing for exams (I hadn’t worn the devices yet, but I already had problems).

«After all, what have eyes to do with hearing?»
This question makes me wonder what the real problem is. After all, I am confident in my abilities, confident in my knowledge, confident in myself. But why do I care so much about people seeing my hearing aids? We have a wonderful team of doctors, I told some of them a long time ago. I can’t find any answers to these questions, and I can’t figure out what my fear is related to. But I’m determined to break up with him at this stage of my life.

They tried to help as much as they could! But I was a very rebellious teenager, and at some point I refused to go to the doctors. But I set out to become a doctor. My parents helped me a lot when I came to the idea that it was time for me to buy hearing aids and tried to buy something most suitable for me. I am very grateful to them!

Thanks! I went to the cafe today with my ears completely open! I was able to take this step, I have matured to it mentally. I won’t hide anymore.

I was a NASA space shuttle engineer at KSC for my career. I started when I was 26 and had a very minor hearing problem at that time. It was very minor but a manager two levels up slurred his words and didn’t speak plainly and I had a little difficulty with him but rarely had to interact with him. My loss is due to genetic CMT nerve problems more than likely and continued to worsen. I finally got a hearing aid about 20 years later and they weren’t nearly as good as these days. So I went through my career mostly in the field and thought I did fairly well. However in the half dozen times I applied for higher positions I always lost. Finally with about 3 years to go I was told initially I would be my boss’s recommendation for a lead engineer position. Then on the day of the announcement he pokes his head in my cubicle early one morning and says, Les got the job! A few days later I asked him how my career dead ended not even getting a lead position. His answer was, you know you can’t hear to well, don’t you?!!! I had fairly well figured that out long ago but finally I got confirmation and it was a downer. I had a great career though but it actually would have made a significant difference in pay and retirment annuity but we are still well off so I’m happy. As far as how I handled the aids, I really never thought too much about wearing them and nobody has ever looked at me oddly or mentioned them, 30+ years with one on my right ear. When I have difficulty understanding someone I will typically point to my right ear and say, I have bad hearing so bear with me. Like anything, it takes a bit to get over the initial hump but then you forget about them or mention your problem if you are having trouble. Seeing how the technology has advanced since my first aid though it is truly amazing but sadly can never truly fix the problem.

I’ve already told two people and visited a cafe, putting my hair in a ponytail with a girl who didn’t know about my hearing aids! I’m relieved now, it’s like stepping into cold water!

I don’t honestly know if it would have made a difference. In the first job I didn’t get, which I still feel I should have as I had seniority and was good at my job, management handled it very badly. The guy I mentioned above who talked mumbled never even told me the outcome, he was the first in line person and should have had the guts to tell me but he never said anything to me about it. That indicated to me he was a bad manager and I don’t think saying that is personal. But in NASA if you don’t get a job it is entirely up to your boss to tell you and explain it. I left that group not too long after with the help of a engineering personnel manager. I wasn’t having much trouble at that time but it did get worse and I got the aid. I remember my first high tech aid around 1995 had a wand to adjust it. In the building we had ultrasonic fire alarms that detected motion. They would shut off my hearing aid when they activated. I told them and they deactivated them in my corner of the building. One on one I didn’t have much problems. But we had lots of meetings and the noise and such made hearing clearly all the time a bit of a problem. On the floor during tests I was usually good and when using a headset did pretty well. I am sure there were probably other things taken into consideration but when I finally asked my boss/friend confirmed it. He would have selected me but higher ups decided not to. Also typically for a promotion job a person is usually picked when it is announced but they have to go through the process. I could have disputed it but that wouldn’t help anyway. But like I said, at first I was a little self conscious wearing them but quickly overcame that. I suspect for a woman it is probably worse from that perspective. Really mine doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb anyway so probably some people never even really notice. I know it never bothered me to see someone using any kind of physical aid because of a problem. I grew up with a mom that had big problems walking and using her hands since I was a kid so that might have helped too. That is the CMT that affected my hearing but not hers. It affected my walking too but not my hands like it did her. If you are good at your job, and it sounds like you are very good, it should be no problem. The only thing I would ask is do you have any problems during your surgeries? That could be critical but if in that environment you don’t then that should be OK.

Thanks for the answer! No, there are no problems in the operating room, it has a pleasant atmosphere and a simple sound environment. In principle, I do not experience any problems, my Oticon more 2 devices are perfectly configured. Soon I will be able to attach my audiogram to my profile. I have a problem with positioning my inner state, I feel shy and close my devices from people. But I finally decided to leave this moment, which was exhausting me mentally.

The fact that you have taken steps to improve your hearing is enough in itself. People wear glasses, even opticians.
Its when you see the pilot of an aircraft you are about to fly on having a dog lead him on board and he is wearing sunglasses and carrying a white stick in a darkish terminal. The same with a ship’s master. Then I think I would be concerned.
As long as your hearing deficiency is improved to nearly normal then I am sure patients and their parents are not going to worry.
If you are young it may be the psycological effect it has on you, self concousness, but really people are not worried as long as you hear them correctly.
Glasses and hearing aids are accepted as an everyday item.
Look how many young people are wearing these ear buds and just ignore you if you speak to them, same with continously on the phone either talking nonsense or on social media, both of which are anti -social.
I would much prefer to deal with somebody wearing glasses and hearing aids than covered in tatoos.
You have proven to your Medical Board that you are competent to carry out your profession so that should be it.