I'm really not sure where to post this but I felt it might help others if I posted it somewhere.
Full hearing loss must be extremely hard to live with and I am so grateful I have not lost my hearing to that extent.
My relatives and friends mentioned to me for years that I'm 'deaf' but I ignored them, saying I was not deaf and they were mumbling or not speaking clearly enough. For the last few years I've used sub-titles on TV because I was convinced the sound tracks were not good on films in particular and that folk did not speak clearly enough on TV shows.
If I was in the back of a car or a taxi conversation with anyone in the front seat was a no-no. Passengers in my own car sounded muffled and I put it down to wind and engine noise. I was most certainly not deaf.
Anyway, to cut along story short, I finally decided to get my hearing checked and on 4th September duly reported to the local National Heath Service Auditory Centre.
My tests showed I had what the centre considered to be moderate and normal age loss of the higher and lower frequencies that meant, for example, I would be expected to (and did) have difficulty hearing children's voices, women's consonant pronunciation, high notes on a violin, conversations with softspoken folk, conversations in a crowd scenario etc..
It normally takes ten to twelve weeks for hearing aids to be received but I had a phone call last week to say there had been a cancellation and could I attend the following day - Tuesday 30th September.
My hearing loss being what is termed moderate, meant I did not require a moulded aid, but two of those tiny battery powered units that fit round and behind the ear. The minute funnel insertion is around 4mm into the ear and -via an almost invisible tube - the sound is channeled to the digital portion behind the ear, that contains the works, the battery and the microphone. It completely blends into my white hair.
It took around twenty minutes for an extremely confident Indian lady to explain the use of the aids to me and to computer program the aids to fit my frequency charts. All fascinating and totally painless and comfortable.
When she told me she was switching the aids on I was astonished at what I heard.
Her typewriter was not silent as I thought. I heard every keystroke. Her chair squeaked and I heard the wheels on her chair as she turned. She opened the window and I heard wind and traffic.
Armed with the aids and free batteries and instructions, I left and headed back for my car. My footsteps all sounded, and gravel crunched. I heard wind blown leaves crackling. My car keys jangled. My car lock cracked as it opened. My seat squeaked. The car rattled somewhere. My gears snapped as they worked. My indicators clicked and clacked.
The experience continued when I got home. I heard every word my wife said. Cutlery tinkled. Water was almost deafening. Kitchen and tissue paper crinkled. Unwrapping a KitKat was like scrunching tinfoil. The kettle hissed loudly. The clock on the wall ticked at me. My feet sounded with every step. I heard my hand brushing my sleeve. The knife announced in gravelly voice it was cutting tomato and cucumber. The lettuce chuckled at me as I selected pieces. Peeling an orange reminded me of ripping off Elastoplast. Soft velvet toilet paper crunched and the experiences went on and on......
The aids don't make everything louder - they accentuate the high and low end frequencies I was missing and sounds are all now sharper and clearer. I hear all my typewriter strokes now as I type this - I thought I had a silent keyboard!
I drove to the supermarket and chatted with my wife all the way without asking her to repeat anything!
All these sounds were sounds I had forgotten.
The enormity of the change came when she reached for the TV controls and turned the sound up while I was watching. The sub-titles have not been up since Tuesday. And the last time I spoke on the phone to my sister I could hold the phone at arm's length and still hear her.
I wish I had gone to the Auditory clinic years ago.
I feel so lucky to have my hearing back to what it should be and will be extremely tolerant and considerate to those who cannot regain full hearing.
My main reason for posting this is to help anyone who sees they are in my category but who is still convincing themself "I'm not deaf- it's the other folk at fault'.
Lastly, that Tuesday lunchtime I walked down my back garden path to put some rubbish in the bin and stopped - birds were chirping. I had thought they were all in other gardens, and I felt a tear trying to come through.
If you think you have any of my symptoms, trust me- it's worth getting the hearing tested.
I know, I'm British and our National Health Service helped me - I hope Obama's health plans go through and folk who can't afford the normal hundreds or thousands of dollars for hearing aids can then find help, too.
Thanks for listening, guys and I hope I didn't bore you.
Full hearing loss must be extremely hard to live with and I am so grateful I have not lost my hearing to that extent.
My relatives and friends mentioned to me for years that I'm 'deaf' but I ignored them, saying I was not deaf and they were mumbling or not speaking clearly enough. For the last few years I've used sub-titles on TV because I was convinced the sound tracks were not good on films in particular and that folk did not speak clearly enough on TV shows.
If I was in the back of a car or a taxi conversation with anyone in the front seat was a no-no. Passengers in my own car sounded muffled and I put it down to wind and engine noise. I was most certainly not deaf.
Anyway, to cut along story short, I finally decided to get my hearing checked and on 4th September duly reported to the local National Heath Service Auditory Centre.
My tests showed I had what the centre considered to be moderate and normal age loss of the higher and lower frequencies that meant, for example, I would be expected to (and did) have difficulty hearing children's voices, women's consonant pronunciation, high notes on a violin, conversations with softspoken folk, conversations in a crowd scenario etc..
It normally takes ten to twelve weeks for hearing aids to be received but I had a phone call last week to say there had been a cancellation and could I attend the following day - Tuesday 30th September.
My hearing loss being what is termed moderate, meant I did not require a moulded aid, but two of those tiny battery powered units that fit round and behind the ear. The minute funnel insertion is around 4mm into the ear and -via an almost invisible tube - the sound is channeled to the digital portion behind the ear, that contains the works, the battery and the microphone. It completely blends into my white hair.
It took around twenty minutes for an extremely confident Indian lady to explain the use of the aids to me and to computer program the aids to fit my frequency charts. All fascinating and totally painless and comfortable.
When she told me she was switching the aids on I was astonished at what I heard.
Her typewriter was not silent as I thought. I heard every keystroke. Her chair squeaked and I heard the wheels on her chair as she turned. She opened the window and I heard wind and traffic.
Armed with the aids and free batteries and instructions, I left and headed back for my car. My footsteps all sounded, and gravel crunched. I heard wind blown leaves crackling. My car keys jangled. My car lock cracked as it opened. My seat squeaked. The car rattled somewhere. My gears snapped as they worked. My indicators clicked and clacked.
The experience continued when I got home. I heard every word my wife said. Cutlery tinkled. Water was almost deafening. Kitchen and tissue paper crinkled. Unwrapping a KitKat was like scrunching tinfoil. The kettle hissed loudly. The clock on the wall ticked at me. My feet sounded with every step. I heard my hand brushing my sleeve. The knife announced in gravelly voice it was cutting tomato and cucumber. The lettuce chuckled at me as I selected pieces. Peeling an orange reminded me of ripping off Elastoplast. Soft velvet toilet paper crunched and the experiences went on and on......
The aids don't make everything louder - they accentuate the high and low end frequencies I was missing and sounds are all now sharper and clearer. I hear all my typewriter strokes now as I type this - I thought I had a silent keyboard!
I drove to the supermarket and chatted with my wife all the way without asking her to repeat anything!
All these sounds were sounds I had forgotten.
The enormity of the change came when she reached for the TV controls and turned the sound up while I was watching. The sub-titles have not been up since Tuesday. And the last time I spoke on the phone to my sister I could hold the phone at arm's length and still hear her.
I wish I had gone to the Auditory clinic years ago.
I feel so lucky to have my hearing back to what it should be and will be extremely tolerant and considerate to those who cannot regain full hearing.
My main reason for posting this is to help anyone who sees they are in my category but who is still convincing themself "I'm not deaf- it's the other folk at fault'.
Lastly, that Tuesday lunchtime I walked down my back garden path to put some rubbish in the bin and stopped - birds were chirping. I had thought they were all in other gardens, and I felt a tear trying to come through.
If you think you have any of my symptoms, trust me- it's worth getting the hearing tested.
I know, I'm British and our National Health Service helped me - I hope Obama's health plans go through and folk who can't afford the normal hundreds or thousands of dollars for hearing aids can then find help, too.
Thanks for listening, guys and I hope I didn't bore you.
