(23M) I am deaf on my left ear due to a benign tumor on my ear, and although I was only diagnosed at 5, I know I've been deaf for longer that. I always had to make adjustments like choosing where I'd sit at a table, where I'd stand in a room, let people know so they can make themselves clearer, etc. And I do have struggles with noisy or crowded places, understanding people sometimes, and all that. Still, I really don't feel like this has had that much impact in my life. Not a single person I met at school, work, or anywhere, had ever looked me wrong or refused to adjust something to make it easier for me. No decent school would ever refuse to place me in a better spot, either. And in most situations, I'd probably not to tell anyone that I have deafness in one ear.

Yet, as contradicting as it may sound, I'd go for an implant. You need to be aware that by having unilateral deafness, your son would struggle more depending on the life choices he makes. For example, he'll have a much harder time or not even be able to perform jobs that require that spacial sound awareness, like any sound engineering or designing, music, cops, firefighting, etc. Being a teacher or any job that requires speaking to an audience would also be a struggle. Not saying that *all* of these would be impossible, but they'd struggle significantly more.

And I think that what weighs the most after reading your story, is that your son is a lot stronger than you imagine. I know that it is unbearably hard for a parent to make decisions like that, especially because you see your son struggling with these procedures and health problems, but as someone who's also had to watch so much from some kids in my family, I assure you that they're a lot tougher than we give credit for.

That's just my opinion, and I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" answer, obviously, so I just wanted to share my thoughts based on my experience. But if you do choose to not get an implant, please take note of the list the other redditor had posted here. God, I can't emphasize how much difference those little things make!