This is an absolutely “must read” for anyone who is hard of hearing, a late deafened adult or the family member or friend of an individual who is seriously hard of hearing or a late deafened adult. Brava to Ms. Karen Putz!

Lipreading Mom

By Karen Putz / Lipreading Mom Guest Blogger

I was born with hearing in the so-called “normal” range.  I started losing my hearing in elementary school and received my first hearing aid when I was nine.  I hated the thing.  No one ever saw it, because I kept it hidden under my long hair, or stuffed in my pocket.  The hearing aid didn’t help much, it merely amplified the scrambled sounds into my brain.  My lipreading skills began developing as a survival tactic when I was a teen.

I hid my hearing loss every chance I could get.  I played the bluffing game, feigning complete understanding when I didn’t have a clue what was said.  I nodded, I laughed, I smiled in group situations while missing jokes and friendly banter.  It was a lonely existence at times.

Shortly after celebrating my nineteenth birthday, I went out for a barefoot water ski…

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