Diagnosed with moderate cookie-bite hearing loss in my late 20s, genetic cause likely but went undetected for decades because (ironically) I trained as a professional musician, starting at a young age - the brain is such an adaptive organ! Now a PhD qualified biomedical scientist (biochemistry and genetics), my transition from music to science was unrelated to my diagnosis and more the result of an ‘itchy’ academic brain. Had my hearing reassessed recently for the first time in ~7 years and have lost another 10%, so am going on the journey of getting my first hearing aids. I don’t know anyone else with hearing loss who is in my age bracket (mid 30’s) so am turning to the online community for support and lived experience