Many of Hearing Elmo’s readers know that I retired my service dog, Chloe, this year. Since May 1st, she is enjoying retirement and still does some hearing alerts at home. She is happy, spoiled, and we believe well-deserving of all the naps and belly rubs she is currently receiving. I was recently matched with Milo, from Fidos For Freedom, Inc. Milo is a shepherd/lab mix and I am enjoying the process of being partnered with a mobility/balance service dog versus a hearing/balance assistance dog. We determined my primary needs are mitigating issues with Meniere’s disease and not hearing alerts. I love my cochlear implant, and feel like I have adjusted to the world of “hearing again” very well. My balance is, and will continue to be, a major issue. I suppose in a way, this is an introduction of my new partner, Milo.

One thing I have enjoyed is experiencing MY world (work, church, walks, etc.) through the eyes of a newbie. For Milo, everything in MY world is new. He looks at everything in awe. If he isn’t looking in awe, he is sometimes in “investigation mode”.

Is it scary?

Is it freaky?

Is it edible?

Is it alive?

What does Denise think?

At a training session with my trainer a week or so ago, I brought Milo to one of my classes. I had allowed enough time to exit the service dog safely from my car. I had allowed time for a short potty break. (Honestly, Chloe hasn’t been at home long enough for me to get out of the habit of some of these things. I found myself at a potty area recently and realized I didn’t have a dog by my side!). I allowed enough time. Not.

I did not allow time for all the new things my newbie partner was seeing. The grassy area was new. The trees and picnic bench were new. The ramp into the building was new. The automatic door push-button was new. At least… it was new to MILO. For just a brief second, I was mildly annoyed. I had not allowed time for appraising all of these new environments. That was MY bad, not Milo’s. I want my dog to be confident and aware of his surroundings. I was almost late to class, but the time I took “extra” was time worth taking. Newbies need some extra patience from those of us who are veterans to the schedule and environment. We owe it to them. But you know something?

Blowing It BIG!

I really know how to blow it. I mean, I don’t do anything half-way. This isn’t always a good thing. I recently became extremely exasperated with someone relatively new to “hearing again”. I try hard to be a positive advocate for people with disabilities, and chronic and/or invisible illnesses. This blog is, in part, a way that I try to raise awareness and encourage people to talk about tough subjects.

I see this lady about 3 times a month at the grocery store. Over a year ago she saw my CI, asked about it, and eventually had surgery herself. This individual was relatively new to hearing loss. She was still struggling to help the people important to her understand that the CI did not “FIX” her hearing. Instead it was restored to a type of hearing (bionically) and  she would still be in environments occasionally where she would need others to understand that she needed to 1) see their face, 2) slow them down, and 3) find a quieter spot. After listening to her for about ten minutes – really distraught about not feeling accepted –  I felt myself becoming impatient. We had this conversation before and I felt as if we were “beating a dead horse”. Remorse and shame immediately washed over me. I stuck my finger in my own face and preached, “Really, Denise? Really?” (Y’all are trying to figure out how you stick your own finger in your face, aren’t you?)

As I had (thankfully) kept my mouth shut, I continued to listen and realized she was now apologizing… “I’m sorry I keep bringing this up. I just can’t seem to help them understand that the CI was not a CURE. I’m so frustrated!”

I realized then and there that I needed to put myself in newbie shoes more often and remember how difficult those early years were. Advocating and educating take time. Families and friends do not just wake up overnight and suddenly “get it”.

I told her that I often forget how hard those early years were, and that she had to keep at it… eventually some of it would start to sink in for her family members.

As a person of faith, I believe everything happens for a reason. We may not always like the purpose behind God allowing something to happen, but there is always a reason. I’m also (gulp) old enough now to know that we may not EVER completely understand why something happened this side of Heaven. I have ALWAYS felt like that the acquired disabilities I have were allowed so that I could help others… or at least try to do so. I blow it. I blow it BIG. However, I think those of us that have lived the life a few years, owe it to the newbies in our lives, to lovingly coach, encourage, cheerlead, advise, and HUG often.

You are going to have newbies in YOUR life. Unless you are isolating yourself, you will have folks new to whatever “ails ya”. People will look to you for understanding and advice. You will be able to empathize much better than their doctor, their families, and their co-workers. Of all people – YOU get it.

Are you looking for a way to invest your life in someone with similar challenges? There are opportunities everywhere. You simply need to know where to look. Urban areas often have face-to-face support groups for various illnesses and disabilities. There are numerous online support networks, discussion forums, and peer supports. Many doctor’s offices and rehabilitation specialists have contacts to support personnel. Invest yourself in the life of a newbie. Remind yourself while investing how difficult those first years were! It shouldn’t surprise you to discover, sometimes by accident, the student becomes the teacher. Always, always be teachable.

Denise Portis

© 2015 Personal Hearing Loss Journal