Boo! by Imogene

Hello!!

Long time no speak... literally!

(sorry for the post title, but couldn't think of one that goes, but it's amusing all the same!)

I firstly want to apologise for the lack of posting for well, months now. I've been really really busy with well, everything; but mostly my little family, which I would like to say has had an addition to, in the last couple of weeks!

So, I've rather had my hands full with my new little guy :) Oh, and not to mention Freddie too!

Ok, so I've got a massive confession to make - I've been cheating on this Blog with another! I've got a personal 'family' blog that I have been heavily involved with in the last few months.. and its slowly become to show that I've neglected this one - I'm very sorry!

I mainly started my other blog because I felt I never had enough to say for this one that was Deaf related as my family are literally, as sad as it sounds, is all I do. I hardly ever have many Deaf stories to share.. Which I think is kinda a good thing.. Shows that my hearing doesn't take over the majority of what happens in my daily life. (That really isn't in any way meant to sound patronising and offensive to any other deaf persons)

However, on this rare occasion, I do have a little something deaf related that I can share with you.

For the last few months I've been off to the Hospital for check ups on my Diabetes (as well as bump). I've been lucky to be able to have quite a few scans too, so it's not all been bad but there was a particular day that wasn't joyful or a planned event.

When I was 36+6 weeks pregnant I woke up and found some bleeding. Naturally this really worried me and I was terribly panicked that it could mean that something was going wrong with #2 (Noah as he is now). I rang my mum and she told me it could be the 'show' as they call it, but to make sure I rang my midwife.

I'm so glad that my midwife that I've had all along answered the phone (I also had her for my monthly check ups with Freddie too!) and she tried calming me and asked me to explain and tell her what had happened and what I found.. I explained it all and she told me to ring the Hospital to get checked out - simply to make sure everything was alright!

The funny thing that she said (it's funny now, not really at the time) was "Imogene, make sure when you go to the Hospital and see them that you tell them that you're Deaf! Because you don't always hear things right and it isn't obvious that you are.. I don't want you saying 'Yes' to something you don't hear"

Thinking back on it, it's such a true statement. I never tell people I'm Deaf. I'm not really sure why.. probably because I'm usually not too bad without telling them, but also because (as stupid as it sounds) I sometimes forget I'm actually Deaf! It sounds so laughable and really, it is but I occasionally do forget.

My mum comes to the appointments with me and very often goes 'Oh, Imz is Deaf, so if she doesn't reply or looks confused it's probably because she didn't hear you' (because I never normally mention it!) and then the same old comments come out 'Oh are you? I never realised' 'Ooh, you don't sound like you're Deaf, your speech is very normal' and 'You don't look Deaf, you're very attentive and reply quick, do you lipread?'

These comments always make me laugh. Writing them down does seem like you should take offense to what they say because it sounds rude. But I'm so open about it, I don't mind people having a say on it - at least it's not said behind my back or in whispers!

Anyhow, everything was fine. There was no explanation for the bleeding, just that it happens sometimes, but there was no sign of any other further bleeding.

I didn't have a fantastic birth, but it happened and little man arrived here at last!

To read or follow my family life feel free to become a follower/share my Blog - do say Hello too! :)

www.littleandbigmoments.blogspot.co.uk

Thank-you to you, from us.

Hi Everyone!

Imz: We wanted to write a post saying thank-you to you all for viewing our page! We've got a massive response, and have had over 2,000 page views since we've started up at the end of January! We are totally gobsmacked that so many of you take the time to have a read and respond.
We wanted to let you know that we appreciate everyone reading our posts and for commenting - it makes us feel good when we know people are reading them. It means a lot to us!

Elz: Thank you from me too, this blog has been a great way to give you guys an insight into our two favourite things: films and ranting about deaf access! :)
 We always love to hear back from you guys too, so keep the comments coming and generally just keep reading :) x

Immy: "It's more a personal achievement rather than a significant one"

Hello there everyone!

I wanted to share something that means quite a lot to me personally. The quote for this post I have been saying actually to the people who I've been talking to about this particular news. As a person I'm quite private about the things that I do as I do worry how people will think (deep down) and I hate anything to backfire so I've kept things quiet till I at least know it's going to be successful - sadly I can't blame it on my hearing (haha) but only my self-esteem, but I feel this is a thing to be proud of at the moment.

For anyone who has been following this blog and read the posts that myself and Eleanor have been posting you'll have realised that we have been doing some film reviews as a side-line to our deaf problems (It's a little passion of ours as we LOVE the cinema!).
I did a review recently on The Hobbit - The Unexpected Journey (click here to read it) and it had quite a few hits on it for us, which I was very pleased about. (thank you for reading if you have!) And, I have this online Celebrity Gossip & Lifestyle Magazine that I read called 'Female First' - which I always read from, love everything on it and I follow it all the while (It's the inner girly blogger that's obsessed with it!) and they were asking for film reviews - so I spoke to Eleanor about it saying I was tempted to send one in.. and she told me to do it (pretty much as blunt as that!), so I nervously email the woman that we're suppose to send them to and did the finale of clicking 'send' - which was quite scary. I almost felt like a laughing stock by just doing it, (yes, I don't know either!) so, I just avoided my emails in the hope that the internet had actually lost it and pretended it didn't send, but it did.

However, I'm so glad I did, (well till the moment it said '1 unread inbox message: Lucy Walton. R.E: Movie Review - Imogene Reynolds.') but I read the short and very pleasant email that the lady sent back after nervously sending my review! Here was the email:

The Email does actually end with the postcode and the link to the Female First website. But that's not the point, the point is SHE ACTUALLY EMAILED ME BACK ON MY REVIEW. Yes, every time I think of it, it makes me want to cry. I don't even mind if she was being sarcastic - but, I'm just so pleased I took Eleanor's shove and done something which has pushed me further, and left me feeling pleased with myself! Also, I was thinking, " I do have more, many more reviews!" but I don't think i'm going to bombard the woman just yet with my crazy sense of happiness. I think it's happiness in the sense that, because I follow the Magazine and look at posts daily (and follow them on Twitter - (yup, i'm no stalker!!) that it probably would meanmore to me personally than anyone else. I don't expect anyone else to understand nor, really care - but I really do. And it does prove if you jump in and do something you don't feel comfortable with - it could be the best thing you ever do!

(Now my mother is encouraging me to go to University to do Creative Writing - Haha! Got to love her! ;))

428 words about me, Immy.

Hi, my name is Imogene, but people call me by various other names. I have a severe hearing loss, so am completely reliant on hearing aids, I don’t mind it so much as I've had it since a young age, and learnt the word patterns and have become a fluent lip-reader.

I really enjoy the experience of going to the cinema, I like the loud noises and the ‘around the whole room’ part – but I don’t like going to a non subtitled film. Don’t get me wrong, I've been to loads of films and have got parts of it – but I never come away truly satisfied, and to be honest feel stupid asking what happened after. I think people get the impression you’re not all together there and think you may be dumb, but that’s not the case – it’s usually the voicing of the characters wasn't clear enough or that they were looking away at the important moments that binds the film together.
Saying that though, I have gone with my other half many times and at funny parts where everyone is laughing, I’m sitting there like ‘huh?’ and I lean over and ask him and he always tells me what was funny – but again, I felt stupid for laughing 10 seconds after everyone else..

Then, one of my best friends (Eleanor), showed me a site about subtitled films and asked me along for one, and to be honest I’ve never gone to the cinema since without subtitles. I’ve been able to come out of the film understanding the plot – which to me was amazing. Who knew how much help, some words on a screen could be? So now, we just make a day trip to the cinema simply for the subtitles. What’s the point of going to a film and sitting there not understanding, wasting money on something that you gain nothing from?

I enjoy a massive range of films from Fantasy, Action, and Adventure to a hilarious Rom-Com. I have a massive thing at the moment on the Batman and Iron man side of the movies – Who doesn't like the idea of a hugely attractive man, who saves the world? I do!

So this blog is simply for your entertainment, all thoughts are our own and well we’ll be very blunt and say it how it is from a deaf and lady point of view. I can promise you some smiles along the way – as I’m sure we’ll have many laughs ourselves over our projects! Feel free to comment on anything and well, make yourself at home.

Ta-ra!

The beginning, by Eleanor

I’ve realised that I love going to the cinema when the films are subtitled. Too many times have I gone just to be a part of the social circle only to be sat full of regret, wasting 2/3 hours of my life not understanding a word that has been said. It has frustrated and annoyed, upset and depressed me. It can be quite a difficult process, being isolated from going to the cinema with friends because in all frankness it’s a waste of money and time to watch a film you will never understand until you have the good fortune to come across it on DVD or TV and the subtitled option is available.

 Even now I believe cinemas could do more for deaf users. My local cinema does not provide subtitles at all and I have to drive an hour and a quarter to my nearest subtitled cinema provider, re-arrange my life to be able to go at random times that is shown and find someone who can afford or wants to come (no I can’t go to the cinema on my own, it seems such as a waste when I have to drive so far anyway!). Even at the Odeon the trailers are not subtitled and yes I know they aren’t part of the film but if I really must have to sit through 5/6 constant trailers I’d quite like to know what they are about and maybe feel a part of the laughter from the row behind. It would also be nice to know generally what films to be watching out for and what might interest me to come again. Just because I cannot understand what they are saying, doesn’t mean I should miss out on the same information being given to everyone else?

It has been an absolute relief and joy to have a friend such as Immy to share my frustrations with. We feel the same about so many of the issues in life, not just at the cinema but in everyday life. I know that if I ever want to try a new experience with enticing deaf-awareness involved that Immy will be instantly by my side.

When eating Pizza Hut just a few days ago Immy felt that we should have somewhere that we could rant about these feelings and share with the outside world. You know Immy has a good idea when she starts with ‘I know it sounds gay but…’. And here we are.