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hardin_gw

For the first time.......'sounds' silly, but.....

hardin
14 years ago

Two weeks ago, I didn't have a choice. I had been putting it off as long as I could, but that choice was out of my hands after they BOTH quit the same weekend. I HAD to go shopping for a new hearing aid, but after some research I already knew what I wanted. I have worn aids since I was 4, so this wasn't anything new, right? Well, I do hearing aids like some do cars, like options and power. And, boy, do I mean POWER. After a couple of days, I knew what I had been missing. And it amazed me and thrilled me.

For the first time, I heard the crickets in the evening after the sun had set. I can hear the water tumbling down my waterfall. And I was worried that it wasn't making much noise. I could hear my hubby talking to the dog, and they were way back in the bedroom. I heard my daughter whistling again. She was a major whistler when she was younger, and I thought she had quit. She hadn't. I heard the crows cawing in the trees while I was walking into work. I was able to hear the donkeys in the pasture, hee-hawing and they are not exactly in MY backyard. I can hear the swish of the grasses when the wind blows. I heard the rain all night as it poured down on the roof. I slept like a baby.

But, I also heard a few other things. I figured out I need to replace the ceiling fan in the living room. Sounds awful, like a meat grider eating quarters. I need a new muffler for my car, as a hot rod it isn't, and it sounds like it is farting, and a can of WD-40 because nearly all the door hinges in the house squeak and squall.

Don't ever take for granted your hearing or your sight. I am losing both, although slowly. God willing, I will not completely lose either, although I'd chose to be deaf rather than blind. I have Type 2 Usher Syndrome, but that's okay. There isn't anything I can do about it, so why worry about it. Right now, it is just an inconvenience in many ways, like tripping over things I didn't see. But, I just figure I will read everything I can, build what I can, draw what I can, and look and listen to my family for as long as I am able. I will listen to their laughter and remember, I will look at my girls and memorize their faces. You know, just in case. But in the meantime, between all that, I am busy playing in the yard, and in the pond. I am busy getting ready for hunting season and shooting my bow. And, maybe, just maybe, I will hear for the first time, the sound of a HUGE buck walking toward me through the leaves on the ground. And, when he does, I will be ready.

Vickie

Comments (4)

  • sleeplessinftwayne
    14 years ago

    Darlin'! I am so sorry! Lets hope the gene therapy they are working on will be to your benefit. None of the things your new hearing aid allows you to hear are silly. They are truly miracles that those without hearing problems are blessed to hear. I am hoping I can locate a good indoor-outdoor intercom so I can hear just those things at night since our house cancels them out and I miss them. All I hear now is the roar of my tinnitus at night. I don't know what I would do if I lost my sight. Even if it is getting less precise with age, color, movement and shape are my world most of the time.
    I'll tell you one thing, that buck can be way too quiet if it is behind you. The deer, including the bucks used to sneak up behind me when I was working in my gardens when we lived in Wisconsin. Then they would snort at me to let me know they were there. Scare of a lifetime... They thought our place was home base and there were almost always one or more around. One morning I was late for work and ran out the door with my eyes on my purse and wound up sitting on the ground. The buck I ran into jumped almost to the top of the fifteen foot deep ravine that was our driveway. For once I got even for all the times he startled me. Sandy

  • hardin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Oh, Sandy, that buck story is hilarious. LOL. As for an intercom system, I don't have one of those now, but did when my girls were babies. My dad made it for me. I was always afraid I wouldn't hear them, but they both had great lungs. Once, he rigged up an old school bell to my phone. It's not funny, yet it was, but the reactions of company when the phone rang, would crack you up. A couple of folks were out the door before they realized what it was.

    I have been able to have the windows open all day the past week, and it is neat to hear all the noises from outside, waterfall included. I have to be careful though, cause sounds like that probably keep my husband up at night. Poor, wonderful guy. The things he will do for me.
    When I first found out 2 years ago, it rattled me a little, but it is just one of those things that have to be taken in stride. I've been keeping myself up to date on the progress of research into Retinitus Pigmentosa, which is what I have, plus the hearing loss, and things look promising. Will wait and see, and in the meantime, I will walk verryy carefully. A sense of humor helps alot, and I told my daughter, who is 20, that someday she could call me Helen Keller. She said, "Who's that?" I just shook my head and laughed. Gosh, I love those girls. :)

  • sheepco
    14 years ago

    How wonderful they are making such strides in hearing aids. My dad hates his, and I keep telling him he needs to go back, they have better ones now, he's missing so much!

    You are an inspiration, Thanks for sharing, and good luck (I'll be listening for a big buck too :)

    S

  • hardin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I don't know how long your dad has been wearing his, but they do take a while to get used to. Even though I have worn aids for years, it takes me awhile to adjust to new ones. Sometimes the fit is a little different, and new ear molds can be uncomfortable for several weeks and it takes time to adjust to the louder sounds.

    They are making awesome strides in hearing aids. The digital/programables are unreal. They have Bluetooth technology where you can hear the sounds on the phone thru the hearing aids, mp3 players, and and TV's. You can go to a website where it gives you all the information. I'm not sure I am allowed to tell you which hearing aid I have, so if you want the brand name, let me know. There are alot of different brands, but this would at least give you an idea of how much technology has improved. You can even pick different colors. I got a pink one. LOL. One of the ones I had that bit the dust, I'd worn for 17 years, so I got another one, just fancier. Hearing aids should be tailored to the type of hearing loss a person has, as there are different types and strengths.

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