The Ear of My Heart » 2007 » August

Archive for August 1st, 2007

My Journey Into Deafhood: Finding Grace on The Road Less Traveled ~

Posted by LaRonda on August 1st, 2007

(Ch. 46 of my storyblog of my journey into Deafhood…)

I continued to wonder in the months ahead if my hearing would ever return, but the ENTs (ear, nose & throat doctors), and the audiologists painted a pretty grim picture. Many tears followed that first year after losing my hearing, and I wrapped myself in my own arms often as I grieved.

Photo by: “Tsjeu”

I had to face my own truth: The talented vocalist and musician I had been was gone. I could no longer be that person.

My Journey Into Deafhood: Learning ASL ~

Posted by LaRonda on August 1st, 2007

(Ch. 47 of my storyblog of my journey into Deafhood…)

Photo by:Carl Jantzen

A couple of months after I had lost my hearing, and just after being fitted with hearing aids, I began my first semester at Fresno City College. I registered for 12 units of general education classes. Because some of my classes were held in large forum halls, I tried to arrive ahead of others so I could get a front row seat. I had to sit in front in order to lip-read the professors who were lecturing. While I managed to sit in the front row in most of my classes, I never heard my classmates talking or asking questions because I could never locate the speaker. The big challenge came when my professors would turn and write on the dry erase boards while speaking. I could see the words they wrote, but missed everything they said about those words.

My Journey into Deafhood: The Song of St. Barbara ~

Posted by LaRonda on August 1st, 2007

(Ch. 45 of my storyblog of my journey into Deafhood…)

Photo by: Gene Chan

My mother is truly the wind beneath my wings. She knew how hard it had been for me after I lost my hearing. She listened to my woes daily. In between college semesters, Mama decided to ask me to join her at a statewide Religious Education Conference in LA. The Catholic Church holds this grand, annual, weekend event to inspire, educate, and guide religious education volunteers and staff. My mother had been teaching CCD (Catholic religious education) classes for a year and thought it might be a good idea to get me involved as well. She knew my spirit needed tending. I accepted her invitation mostly because I was so hungry to be a part of a group again.