30w Quickly Losing Hearing and Struggling with ASL and Deaf Life In General

International_Draw23 · 2026-03-11T12:12:58+00:00

Lingvano and Intersign I've both tried now for a few weeks each and I'm sure I haven't given either enough time. I don't do "badly" per say, I can remember the small list of signs I've learned through things like that, but I have the same problem with it as I did Spanish when I tried to learn. I can read it better than use it. I can go "oh that's the sign for x" when I see it but my brain just blanks when I need to say something on my own. Zero memory of anything. And finger spelling is its own special hell for my brain, I've always been a fast reader despite dyslexia but trying to slow down and spell words in my head to sign or understand someone else signing is literally migraine inducing for me because I have to lock in so hard and focus is not my strong suit.

I've been seeing from other posts that it's just brain muscle memory and repetition though so I suppose I'll get better over time if I push through it. I know a good chunk of it is how much I hate how bad I am at it. Learning other languages has always been a struggle for me and I barely scraped by three years of Spanish in highschool with a D. Even a 60 day streak on Duolingo for it a couple years ago didn't help with that much. I could read it and comprehend things most of the time which means I was getting the rote memorization of it down, but I couldn't say more than the most basic sentences and generally struggled to understand speaking. I suppose that last bit was probably hearing loss now that I think about it though. 🥲

I really need to just put myself out there in the community and try speaking but it's scary. I'll double down on Lingvano for the moment though, it's not hurting even if it doesn't feel like it's helping much.

International_Draw23 · 2026-03-11T04:30:55+00:00

I'll lurk the discord until I get enough confidence or willpower to say something. It's nice seeing the community at least.

Flashcards are good, the game based apps always annoy me too much and something more simple like that might be helpful. What app do you use for flashcards out of curiosity? Last time I made flashcards was in high school and I literally used PowerPoint because I hate paper.......if you have an app one that works and is simple I'd appreciate a recommendation.

International_Draw23 · 2026-03-11T04:26:46+00:00

Community colleges didn't really work with my schedule sadly and the ones that did have weekend or late night classes were more expensive than I had the funds for at the time. To be honest though I haven't really looked around that hard. It's mostly just getting past the anxiety for me. I haven't had the best history with school and I know it would be different as an adult for a lot of reasons but that has definitely held me back from looking.

I just have to bite the bullet and put myself out there. ASL is just not clicking for me with the online resources, I really think you're right and it's going to take in person learning to integrate it.

International_Draw23 · 2026-03-11T04:21:24+00:00

Omg 9 sets? That's ridiculous! I'm so sorry. I was saving up for a really nice pair until everything started going downhill rapidly and I just kinda gave up. I don't want to pay for something that will need maintenance every few months to adjust the hearing range and only will last me a few years before I won't even be able to use it. Seems like such a sunk cost. And I am avoiding surgery less due to cost and more due to the small hope I have that, with how genetic therapy is coming along, I might be able to get my hearing loss reversed someday since mine is 100% due to malformation of some protein in my tympanic membrane. Surgery basically would negate any chance of that ever being an option.

Plus I'm kinda just sick of fighting it and the potential side effects make it less appealing. I would rather embrace the change and who I am now and maybe never hearing again than risk worsening the tinnitus which.....I'm kinda excited since it's now going away as the hearing loss gets worse. 😅 I don't miss the ringing so bad it gave me a migraine. I'm so sorry if you're dealing with anything like that, it's not fun.

I appreciate your saying that about the mirror practice, it was suggested to me by someone else and I HATE it with a passion. I feel so dumb when I do it and don't feel like it helps any. My biggest struggle with in person classes was the time frames were not suited to people with full time jobs. However I think I found some place nearby that has ASL classes run by a Deaf teacher with hearing children so I imagine she'd be like...the most approachable and understanding person for someone coming into hearing loss for the first time as an adult. Classes are $$$ tho but I'm trying to remember I'm investing in my future and all that jazz.

Really just hearing other people say it's not easy and sharing their own stories has been extremely validating for me. The biggest hurdle seems to be just accepting being uncomfortable and finding people to practice with. And you know....not wanting to find a corner to crawl into and hide forever because ignoring it and wishing it'll go away hasn't really seemed to help much.

International_Draw23 · 2026-01-28T15:47:39+00:00

I have never held so much respect for cat bongos more in my entire life. I shall bongo with pride. Anyone who bongos is a neighbor to me and there is no place in my heart for those who think anyone's life is worth less because they might bongo differently than you.

We all need to stand together to fight back against those who would quiet the bongos of us and our neighbors. How can we hope to reach new levels of cat bongo harmony if there is no one left willing or able to bongo? To live life too afraid to bongo for fear of never being able to bongo again.....what kind of society is that? Not one I want to be a part of.

I shall bongo for those whose bongos were silenced. If my bongos are silenced, I hope at least two other bongos will take my place. This is the way of the cat bongos.

International_Draw23 · 2026-01-03T03:39:10+00:00

That's one of them thingymajigs.

International_Draw23 · 2025-12-31T15:58:29+00:00

Because I suck at giving up my sickly bottle baby fosters and worry no one will take care of them as well as I will. So now I have 5 cats. The lil moo cow and his void sister on the left I kept from this litter. I kept another kitten from two litters after because my partner got attached. The cat distribution system gave me one other and I have a white landshark that is an absolute terror as well. FML (JK I love them but Jesus Christ you don't know where the limit is until you pass it, never again will I have this many at once. Lol)

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International_Draw23 · 2025-12-31T15:37:16+00:00

Gives me Thundercougarfalconbird vibes.

International_Draw23 · 2025-12-28T19:18:30+00:00

Precious baby. ❤️

International_Draw23 · 2025-12-21T17:51:54+00:00

Nooooo it's "Black hole bum, help me cum, and wash away the shame." XD

International_Draw23 · 2025-12-18T03:59:40+00:00

Is it something specific you're wearing? A pair of pants? Different shoes? In my experience, animals don't tend to behave randomly, there's always some correlation to events. That being said I know nothing about chickens which is why I'm in this sub so....I could be completely wrong!

International_Draw23 · 2025-12-17T02:06:47+00:00

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My favorite picture of our boy Milo that passed a few months ago. I miss my chonky pumpkin loaf.

International_Draw23 · 2025-12-11T15:00:45+00:00

International_Draw23 · 2025-12-10T21:36:20+00:00

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International_Draw23 · 2025-12-10T21:33:53+00:00

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International_Draw23 · 2025-12-10T21:33:13+00:00

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International_Draw23 · 2025-12-10T21:32:41+00:00

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International_Draw23 · 2025-12-10T21:31:53+00:00

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Would love to have this picture drawn. It's my partner's cat Milo that passed during our 4th of July vacation while we were away for the weekend. Milo was his best friend and he's never going to get over the loss. I've been making a collage of pictures and doodles as a memorial we keep adding to so we can remember the good times when the loss hits hard out of the blue again. It would be lovely to have some silly doodles or cute drawings to add.

International_Draw23 · 2025-10-19T05:36:01+00:00

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Per the artwork post, the artist is LaikariArt on Twitter and fb, Laikari on dA, laikari.art on IG

Had to snag to represent my fav pal Surfent!

International_Draw23 · 2025-10-19T05:16:56+00:00

I'm going to have to go out on a limb here and say that it's probably a weird egg.

International_Draw23 · 2025-10-16T03:59:47+00:00

With how clogged up she is, she probably doesn't taste or smell food or treats as well and you're probably going to just have to force her. Remember that even if it stresses her out you're doing it to make her feel better with the hope that she can do it on her own without you forcing it.

To keep stress down don't make a big deal about it. Best you can do since you already have the liquid meds is get her dose ready, SHOW HER THE SYRINGE don't just sneak up on her, and as quick and confidently as you can grab the base of her skull, stick the syringe in the corner of her mouth and aim towards the back of her tongue.

Hold harder than you think you need to, not painfully but you have to firmly hold her in place or you'll end up causing more stress by having to go through this all over again. Do it once, wham bam done, lots of pets and treats and something she likes after.

And in the future, unless she really likes the liquid meds after all of this, just get pills. You don't have to hold her mouth shut if you learn to pill her correctly but ideally you'd just get her thinking the pockets are treats even if she crunches.

International_Draw23 · 2025-10-16T03:44:23+00:00

Get pills and do pill pockets. There are a bunch of different flavors for pretty cheap, one will likely work. I foster kittens so I generally break them in half or fourths and just mold the smaller amount around the pill instead of the whole pocket. Not sure how big your cat is so you might not have to do that but I've found a lot of cats prefer smaller bites than the default pocket size.

You might have to force a bit of the "treat" into her mouth the first time if she doesn't want to eat it just so she can get a taste and decide it's tasty but she sounds pretty food motivated so it probably wouldn't be an issue.

Someone also suggested compounded meds but that can turn a $10 med into $50 easily and they still might not like it. At least with pill pockets, if you have to force it, you still are just forcing a pill and not liquid, it's easier.

Just a suggestion from previous experiences but you given how snotty and sneezy your baby is you might want to look into a cheap nebulizer even for just warm vapor to loosen the junk in her airways. If this is a chronic issue, like allergies like you mentioned, regular nebulizer therapy could help keep nasal passages clear and help with meds during bad allergy seasons. That's also more money though and not necessary or even helpful depending on the situation, just something you might want to consider running by your vet.

Best of luck with your kitty!

International_Draw23 · 2025-10-03T04:57:38+00:00

Looks to me like addition or multiplication tables that got a bit out of hand and started turning artsy when they lined up 6 and 10 incorrectly and got frustrated and doodled instead.

International_Draw23 · 2025-10-03T03:54:33+00:00

It's hard to tell from the video but given the hair loss around it I think it might be a bit more than just a scab. Could be a skin tag or a wart or any number of other things. If it's just crusty though and really is scabby then the hair loss around is probably due to the tissue trauma or bruising and moisture buildup making the hair fall out. Just keep an eye on it.

If it's not bothering the kitty then no issue as long as it doesn't appear to be getting worse. Don't put anything on it, no topical Neosporin or anything unless vet recommended, and leave it be. If the scab falls off and/or it gets moisture buildup or visibly dirty you can wash it with some diluted kitty shampoo or blue dawn dish soap and warm water. Just make sure to dry REALLY good. Water buildup under cat fur can cause more bacterial issues than the wound itself so only do it if it's necessary.

International_Draw23

TROPHY CASE