Guest columns & personal stories

Community Voices

People living with hearing loss, disabilities and health challenges tell their own stories here — in their own words. These are personal experiences shared for encouragement and understanding, not medical advice.

Personal reflections · Guest column

How a Cancer Survivor Learned to Stop Hiding His Surgical Scars

Chester Freeman reflects on hiding the scars from his childhood tumor surgeries for decades and finally feeling comfortable in his own skin at 60.

By Chester Freeman · Republished with permission from CURE®

Have a story to share about living with hearing loss, a disability or a health challenge? Get in touch — we’d like to hear from you.

Sound Tips™

● Hearing loss and tinnitus are among the most common service-connected disabilities for U.S. veterans.● Studies indicate that roughly 42% of Air Force veterans experience some form of hearing loss by the age of fifty.● For veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, hearing loss and tinnitus are among the most prevalent service-connected conditions.● Untreated hearing loss is linked to social isolation, depression, and anxiety — getting checked early matters.● The inner ear is remarkably sensitive to blood flow: cardiovascular health and hearing health are connected.● Noise-induced hearing loss is preventable — turn it down, take listening breaks, and use hearing protection.● Astronauts aboard the International Space Station live and work around the clock amid constant fan and pump noise.● If sounds seem muffled or ringing follows a loud event, schedule a hearing test.● Hearing health is health — ask your doctor for a baseline hearing test.● Sound Tips™: news, information, and tips on hearing health and overall wellness — every episode.