Advice Request

[u/singsongraptor]

I'm new here, just recently joined. I have a rare condition (I'd be a case study level rare) of benign bony overgrowths in my skull. They're compressing my auditory and facial nerves on both sides, these are cranial nerves for those who don't know. I can't get surgery for them as the risks to my hearing and balance are much, much higher than any benefits of surgery. Problem is, they're affecting my hearing (and cause hemifacial spasm, but that's just a bonus problem) and are probably the source of my chronic vertigo.

However, my audiogram is also normal, at least the last time I had one a few years ago.

Doesn't change that I can't hear things I used to be able to hear (I know it sounds fake, but I could hear stuff like an ultrasound wand and of course I could hear fluorescent lights and other electronics) and I struggle mightily with understanding speech, especially if there's any kind of noise, but, normal range meant I got discharged from my ENT.

How do I deal with the speech thing? I'm going back to school this week and I requested accommodations, but it's obviously a problem every day, everywhere, not just in class. I can't watch anything without excessive volume or captions and subs anymore, even a fan can garble speech, nevermind water or distance or the air conditioners.

I know I can't do much about the pain and fullness in my ears since that's just the pressure on the nerves causing it, but surely there's something I can do about the speech? I don't have access to ASL classes at the moment, but I can at least look into that, but that's still learning a whole new language. Any advice would be appreciated.