I Can Hear You

I didn't know just how hearing impaired I had become.  I had my first hearing test around 8 or 9 years ago. I was told then that I had significant hearing loss in both ears and that I needed hearing aids.  I was more than a little surprised.  I thought I was way too young and they were way too expensive.  I heard just fine, thank you very much.  I left the hearing center never to return.  I wasn't about to plop down that kind of money just to have improved hearing--not at that stage of my life anyway.  Besides we had kids in college and didn't have the extra money.

A couple of years later, at the urging of my doctor, I made an appointment with a specialist and found out that I had scar tissue on my eardrums from chronic ear infections as a child.  With each ear infection, my eardrum would perforate and drain, thereby causing scarring.  He told me that the scarring could be surgically removed, however--surgery leaves a scar.  Therefore the procedure would be somewhat redundant.  In other words, he wouldn't be able to recommend the surgery.  Once again I was told to get hearing aids.  Once again I ignored him.

Over the next several years I didn't really notice my lack of hearing--other than annoying family members teasing me about the television being too loud.  However, as each year ticked by and the volume on the TV went up--I will admit, it was beginning to bother me just a little bit too.  I think the straw that broke the camel's back happened just a few weeks ago.  I started going to a Bible study with a neighbor of mine. At the end of our time together our group of ladies would pray.  Once everyone's head was bowed I could not hear what they were saying.  I'd look up trying to catch a word here and there, I'd strain real hard--but nope, I just plain couldn't hear them.  It became frustrating for me.  Also, one evening while visiting our son for Thanksgiving we watched a movie.  Again, I could not hear it.  They kept raising the volume and asking me if I could hear the TV and I kept saying no.  It was becoming ridiculous.  I had to do something.


I called and set up an appointment with an Audiologist and went in--and 2 hours later found out that I had only 50% of my hearing in both ears.  Yay!  I was going to get 2 hearing aids!  Please read the last sentence with much sarcasm!  They Fed-Exed the hearing aids in the very next day, and last night I received them.  I was with the Audiologist for about 2 1/2 hours as we tweaked those hearing aids--turning the volume up and down, and all around.  Everything is done wirelessly on a laptop.  Is this better, is the hollow, is this tinny?  And finally, we had results.

How do I describe hearing clearly for the first time in many years?  I guess it would be like getting glasses for the first time--if your eyesight was really poor.  It was like that for me last night.  As I walked out into the public for the first time with those hearing aids I realized--we live in a very noisy world--a very loud society.  I could hear small things--paper rustling, shoes on pavement, people laughing--but everything was magnified.  And the strangest part was hearing what was going on behind me.  A couple of times I was afraid as it had been so long since I had heard things without looking directly at the situation or person.

At one point last night after we returned home--I heard something.  What is that?  My husband smiled at me--that's the hoot owl I've been telling you about.  It brought tears to my eyes--we have hoot owls.  It was a beautiful sound--who, who.  We snuck outside in the dark and there way up high in the tree there was not one but 2 huge owls.  And I could hear them!

It also seems that I had become a master lip reader. It astonished me that I could now hear a person speak without looking at them.  They could be looking down and I could hear them.  I could turn away from them and I could hear them.  And don't even get me started on the TV at home!  I had to turn the volume down several notches and even then could not believe how I could actually hear it.  It was akin to witnessing a miracle for me.  I can hear again.  What's so strange to me is that I didn't realize it had gotten so bad--I really didn't know.

I am up early this morning--I woke up at 5:00, wide-eyed and excited.  My first thought was--I have hearing aids.  I rushed to get up and put them in my ears.  And then, I considered taking them right back out again.  You see--the coffee maker is really loud.  I mean really loud.  How does anyone sleep through the racket of that machine?  It actually hurt my ears, I had to walk around the corner.  I can hear everything--if I listen close enough I bet I could hear my own hair growing!  This is crazy!  I have a feeling it's going to be a long day of me holding the little remote control adjusting the volume up and down all day long.  Maybe it's a good thing that we (as in the hearing impaired) take them out at night when we sleep--we need the quiet, the dullness of sound, the softness of the night to lull us to sleep.

However, I am excited beyond words.  I have these little hearing aids in time for the holidays.  I can wear them as I get together with my kids and grandkids and I'll be able to fully participate in conversations.  I'll be able to hear the movies being played on the TV.   And what else will I be able to hear?  Maybe my grandchildren's little laughs--how do they really sound?  I can't wait to find out--because now I can hear you!