Nicky Thistle

How would I feel if I became deafened

Getting out of bed on a lovely Saturday morning the sun is shining but is cold, just nice for my daughters football match.

Standing on the sidelines watching the girls running around the pitch I try to imagine what it would like to be watching this in a silent world. I wouldn’t be aware of what the officials were saying or the coaches, would I have the confidence to participate and shout myself hoarse encouraging the girls? The only up side would be not being able to hear the opposition coaches and the snide remarks from the other parents!

So many things would be different; walking the puppy would be challenging not being able to hear other people and dogs approaching from out of visual range. Shopping would become a nightmare at the moment I am able to decipher what the incoherent assistants mumble to me, would I find it embarrassing when they realised that I was unable to hear them and they started shouting and treating me like I was totally stupid.

Taking for granted things that I do without thinking about it, speaking on the telephone without aids or even hearing it ring, hearing and answering the doorbell, listening to my family arguing and being able to intervene (maybe that wouldn’t be so bad!) I realise how lucky I am.

Unable to block out my hearing I was not able to really feel what it would be like but I would imagine that I would feel very vulnerable and isolated, my confidence would hit rock bottom and maybe I would even become reclusive, my life as it is now would not exist, I would not be able to fight my sons corner as I have done for the last sixteen years. I would feel as if I was letting my family down.

I would be a shell of the person that I am now.

March 2005