Talking Hearing Loss

As the year is coming to an end, I’ve found myself looking back at the road that’s brought me here, from my first diagnosis of hearing loss to life with a cochlear implant, to becoming an advocate for others walking a similar path. 

It’s been a journey full of challenges, surprises, and lessons I never expected to learn. More than anything, hearing loss has taught me about resilience, not the kind that’s loud or heroic, but the quiet kind that builds slowly through patience, persistence, and acceptance. 

The hardest challenges I didn’t expect 

When I was first told I had hearing loss as a teenager, I thought the hardest part would simply be not hearing. I was wrong. 

What I didn’t expect was how isolating it could feel. The moments of nodding along, pretending I understood. The constant effort to fill in the blanks. The fatigue that came from concentrating all day just to keep up. 

There’s a particular kind of loneliness that comes with hearing loss; being surrounded by people but feeling apart from the conversation. You don’t realise how much connection depends on sound until it starts slipping away. 

As the years went on and my hearing worsened, I had to make some tough adjustments. There were times I withdrew socially because it was easier than struggling to keep up. It wasn’t until later that I recognised how much I was missing, not just the words, but the laughter, the emotion, the sense of belonging. 

Then came the decision to have a cochlear implant. After 26 years of deafness in one ear, it was a leap of faith. Surgery was one thing; the emotional side was another. I still remember my switch-on date, 9 March 2017. The first sounds were strange, metallic, and robotic. I couldn’t tell what anything was. But over the following weeks, something amazing happened: the sounds began to make sense. 

The first time I heard birds again, I stopped in my tracks. The world sounded alive in a way I had forgotten. Those early days reminded me that growth often starts with discomfort. You have to push through the strange, awkward stages before you reach clarity. 

What I’ve learned about resilience 

Resilience isn’t about being unshakable, it’s about learning to bend without breaking. 

Living with hearing loss has tested me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. But it’s also taught me that strength doesn’t always come from fighting; sometimes it comes from adapting. 

When I started using my cochlear implant, I had to retrain my brain to interpret sound all over again. Simple things like recognising voices, understanding speech in noise, or enjoying music took time. There were days I felt frustrated and tired of listening practice. But every small improvement mattered. Every sound I learned to identify felt like progress. 

Resilience, I’ve realised, is built one moment at a time. It’s not about “overcoming” hearing loss, it’s about working with it, finding new ways to live fully despite it. 

The experience has also given me a greater appreciation for patience. Hearing technology can do incredible things, but adapting takes time. You learn to celebrate the small wins, catching a word you used to miss, following a conversation in a noisy café, hearing your child call your name clearly for the first time. 

Those moments remind you that resilience isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s quiet. It’s steady. It’s the decision to keep going, even on the days when things feel hard. 

How hearing loss made me a better listener (in other ways) 

Ironically, hearing loss has made me a better listener, just not in the way most people think. 

I’ve learned to pay attention with my eyes, my heart, and my intuition. Facial expressions, gestures, and tone now tell me just as much as words do. It’s made me more aware of how people communicate, and how much empathy is built in the spaces between words. 

Over time, I’ve also become more understanding of others. Everyone has something they’re dealing with, even if you can’t see it. My hearing loss just happens to be visible through my devices. But it’s taught me to approach people with more patience and kindness, because you never know what someone else is navigating. 

And perhaps most importantly, it’s taught me to listen to myself, to know when I need to rest, when I need help, and when I need to push forward. 

A message to those going through similar struggles 

If you’re living with hearing loss, or facing any challenge that feels overwhelming, please know this: you are stronger than you think. 

It’s okay to have days where you feel frustrated or tired. It’s okay to need time to adjust. Progress doesn’t always move in a straight line. Some days will feel like you’re going backward, but those are the days that often teach you the most. 

Looking back, I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. My hearing loss has shaped who I am. It’s taught me empathy, patience, and a deep appreciation for connection, the kind that goes beyond sound. It’s taught me that your biggest weakness can become your greatest strength and transform you in ways you could never have imagined.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that resilience isn’t about what you lose. It’s about discovering what’s still within you, the quiet determination, the hope that refuses to fade, and the courage to keep showing up. 

As this year comes to a close, I’m grateful for what hearing loss has taught me: that even when life feels silent, there’s strength in the stillness, and meaning in the moments we fight to hear again. 

Final thought: 

Resilience isn’t built in the easy times. It’s shaped in the struggle, and it’s what helps us find the beauty in hearing life, and ourselves, more clearly.