Hearing Loss Magazine May/June 2013 - 31

Seen Heard

TERI WATHEN

Richmond, TX / Born April 2 (not quite a fool) in Houston, TX

MY HEARING LOSS… I was born with a mild hearing loss and got my first hearing aid
at age 12. My hearing loss progressively grew worse as I aged (I aged?). I am now
a bilateral cochlear implant user and love them.
SAGE ADVICE FOR SOMEONE NEWLY-DIAGNOSED WITH HEARING LOSS…
Get hearing aids as quickly as possible. They are not a cure-all, but they sure do help.
Find other people with hearing loss and ask a lot of questions. Your local HLAA Chapter
is a good place to start. Educate yourself. Do not bluff.
MY FUNNY HEARING LOSS MOMENT… While walking down the street with
a friend, looking at her in order to read her lips, I ran into a light pole.
This really happened!
WHEN I GREW UP, I WANTED TO BE… an airline stewardess. I don’t think
they call them that anymore, though.
FIRST THING I BOUGHT WITH MY OWN MONEY WAS… my first car,
a 1967 red and white Ford Mustang convertible. My sons wish I still
had that car. “It’s worth at least $40 – $50,000 now, mom!”
HARDEST THING I’VE EVER DONE… I was a business teacher and taught
typing, shorthand, business law and accounting. When computers first came
out, I had to teach programming. I had never taken that course, had never
programmed anything, and had no idea how to teach it. Some of my students
knew more than I did. It was agonizing and embarrassing!
I LOVE THE SOUND OF… I never thought I’d say this, but I love the sound of
trains. We just moved into a new subdivision that has a train close by. We hear
the train horns all times of the day and night (except when my processors are
off). Now when I hear trains, it reminds me of “home.”
IN MY SPARE TIME, I… love to play Sudoku, the Jumble, crossword puzzles,
and Spider Solitaire on the computer.
I MISS… my friend, Karen, who passed away way too young.
WHO HAS HAD THE MOST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? My husband, Ray. He is kind,
talented, humorous, loves to play with words (puns), a poet, and a great husband, father,
and grandfather. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary by renewing our wedding vows.
MY KIDS HAVE TAUGHT ME… Both of my sons have hearing loss. My younger
son has two sons and they also have hearing loss. All of them have inspired
me to advocate for others with hearing loss.
PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED THAT I... have a black belt in Karate.
WORKING NINE TO FIVE… When I was a teenager, I gift wrapped in my
mother’s dress shop. In college, I worked as a secretary for my aunt and
uncle’s advertising agency. I was a teacher for 32 years. I have been a
hearing loss resource specialist for the past 10 years. (That’s only
four jobs in the last 50 years!)
I AM… passionate, tall, laid back, forgetful, and very sensitive.
(I cry at the drop of a hat.)
WHAT’S THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD? My iPhone. I love that
I can text, e-mail, talk, and play games all in the palm of my hand.
MY GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS… getting my master’s degree, getting
my black belt, having two wonderful sons, and being married to Ray
for 40 years!
I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED… as someone who had a passion
to help people with hearing loss.

Hearing Loss Magazine is great! I love
reading about new technology and
inventions that can help those of us with
hearing loss. I love reading about others
and what they have accomplished.
Hearing Loss Magazine May/June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hearing Loss Magazine May/June 2013
