THE MEDICINE CABINET
Pardon Me? One Person’s Journey
By Jean Sutherland

     For a long time now there has been this nagging little voice in my head that keeps saying, “Perhaps you should consider hearing aids.” I can’t figure out where the voice is coming from but it seems lately that more and more I have to say, “Pardon me?”
     Hearing aids? I’m only 39 the voice says with a smile.
     At my last hearing test my hearing was what the audiologist called borderline. I could live with it. Now, three years later, I wait apprehensively to be fitted with hearing aids.

Facing reality

     Most people wait too long before getting hearing aids, and then never adjust to them (experts say most people wait 10 to 15 years too long before getting hearing aids). Often I am hearing complaints that we have the TV up too loud. More and more I am finding I have to ask people to repeat themselves. But I keep thinking I’m too young to have a hearing aid.
     Too young? Forget it. The biggest increase in hearing loss now is among 40- to 50-year-olds who are paying the price for the rock music of their youth, over-loud Walkmans and noisy cities. A new test shows my hearing has deteriorated moderately since last time.

Hearing clear

     Perhaps I can get a pair of those almost-invisible, in-the-canal hearing aids - two hearing aids are nearly always superior to one. But the audiologist explains that my ear canals are too narrow for the in-the-canal design. The lady has taken a wax impression of the interior of my ear and then, sooner that I hoped or expected, she calls to say the hearing aids are ready. She shows the tiny switches that activate the directional microphones that should make conversation, especially in noisy surroundings, a lot easier. With clumsy fingers I fit them into my ears, then turn the fingertip volume dials. It’s like turning on a long-rusted faucet. Like a cold, fresh stream, sound enters my head, as I never remember hearing it before.
     I am aware of the throb of the heater behind me, the hum of her computer and when she types a few letters on the keyboard, it sounds like castanets. A piece of paper she hands me crackles like a forest fire. When I move I can even hear my clothing rustle. This effect will wear off after a few weeks as your brain adjusts.

Feedback

     Reactions to hearing aids vary. Some will tell you they never knew you had a problem. Never be sorry when someone close gets hearing aids; congratulate them on their courage and good sense.
     It’s not all wonderful. You will need to get used to the sound of your own voice inside your head. Chewing can be a noisy business, and crunchy croutons are a whole new experience. You may have to get used to holding the telephone receiver a little away from your ear and the voices sound metallic and unfamiliar. A foam pad on the hearing-piece helps.
     But, oh, the compensations! Going to the movies wearing hearing aids and being confident you’ll hear every word. Being at a party and being able to hear the jokes people are telling. It used to be so embarrassing to ask them to repeat them again. You will find yourself asking people who were used to your hearing loss to speak a little quieter and one of the best things is being able to hear conversations that people never dreamed you would be able to hear. You can pick up some very interesting gossip this way.
     The thing is to not be afraid of them. People won’t think differently of you just because you have a hearing aid. Who knows, you may be one of the lucky ones who can have the ear canal aids. The bottom line is they will enrich your life in more ways than you can imagine.