Leaving this appointment felt very different than the last time I left the doctor’s office…the time where I found out I would need to schedule a hearing aid evaluation.
That time, I threw a pity party the whole way home. The steroid shots – injections through my eardrum – hadn’t helped. My hearing field hadn’t improved. However, my doctor thinks my brain is working extra hard to process any noise it hears because my word comprehension score improved a tiny bit. The human body’s ability to adapt is so cool. I met the audiologist who, in my ENT’s words, would “grow old with me” as we navigated the world of hearing aids. Even though needing a hearing aid isn’t the end of the world, hearing the words “we’ve exhausted our medical treatment options” left me feeling defeated. It felt like a dark cloud floated over me as I made the drive home, processing that this was actually how this situation was going to go.
Fast forward to my hearing aid evaluation appointment where I left feeling empowered and ready to take on this new adventure. My audiologist made Tim and I feel so well-informed and in control of a situation that frankly feels out of our hands. It’s not so overwhelming to know she will be here to support us on this journey. She laughed with us (or maybe at us…whatever 🙂 ) as we joked about different situations I’ve been in where I’ve struggled to hear, about pulling pranks on each other with the bluetooth technology found in many hearing aids, and shared her willingness to sign my [fake] petition for non-skin-color adult hearing aids (seriously…where is the shimmery blue or hot pink option!) which made this appointment so much better. She took the time to talk with us about the impact this condition has on our lives and options we have to manage this impact, which meant the world to me. This fortunately isn’t a life or death situation, but is still a big adjustment in just about every area of life.
I did research on hearing aids prior to my appointment (oh my gosh there are so many choices!), but went in with an open mind to the options that would be best for my type of hearing loss. The audiologist and I talked about realistic expectations from hearing assistance and I got to try the hearing aid she recommended. It wasn’t super helpful immediately, but supposedly you adapt to the support over time. It sounded really robotic, which makes sense because hearing aids are basically tiny computer processors. I am really excited to go back in a for my fitting appointment and give it a try!
Note: In Ohio, there is a 30-day right to return in the Ohio Revised Code.
I don’t give much thought to needing glasses, so why should I with hearing aids? This realization made my whole pity party seem a little silly, even if this comparison isn’t apples-to-apples.
Getting the help we need is one way we can honor, celebrate, and care for ourselves. Whether it’s getting a hearing aid, talking with a counselor, finding a tutor, meeting with a financial advisor, or something else, please advocate for what you need! Own and create an amazing life!
With or without hearing aids, life is what we make it, and this life is good 🙂
