I tell ya’, this new programming that my audiologist stuffed into my hearing aids makes the whole world about THIS BIG. It felt like I was wearing these babies in the above image.
‘Scuse me? Huh? What was that noise? Pheeyeew! I was exhausted by the time I got home. All this new hearing capability is a lot to get used to all in one shot. I actually had to have one of my co-workers come back to the shop so I could ask him if that piece of medical equipment always sounded like that. He said, “Yup, sounds about right”.
I just shook my head, thanked him and got back to work.
The funny thing is that it’s not actually an increase in volume but more of an increase in audio spectrum overall. I’m hearing more of what the world has to offer because my audiologist turned the rest of it on for me. So even though I’m hearing more of what’s around me it’s actually much less annoying then if the gain had just been turned up on the previous settings I had. It’s like my head woke up and wrapped itself around what it perceived as a more natural type of hearing. Of course this means I have to learn how to hear all over again and quickly at that since my neck is taking a beating from my head whipping around so much.
The thing I always have to keep firmly in mind though is that my hearing hasn’t really improved at all…just my perceived hearing as I mentioned in the previous post. My ears still ring like the dickens from tinnitus and my hearing will still slowly degrade over time but with the new technology coming out these days it looks like I’ll be able to hear almost like normal folks do for about as long as they do. Well, as long they’re around my age and with the help of a few packs of batteries that is. 
Technorati tags: deaf, deafness, hearing impaired, hearing aids
LOL got a chuckle about asking a co-worker “if this sounded right”. Did you come home exhausted from all the new stimuli?
I was a bit lolly-gagged at that. I discovered today that the radio in my Cherokee that I had been ignoring all this time sounded almost like a car stereo should sound…like not some band playing inside of a tin can.
OMG! This just might wake up more of my dormant brain cells! Can I possibly survive!!??!?
I hear it takes a while to find just the right thing, technically. I have a friend who has had issues with her hearing almost all her life. She’s not deaf, just not hearing well in one ear. She’s tried lots of different devices.
Hi Rhea,
It does take awhile in fact like I said above, it was just sometime this last year the where they came up with the new curve that was programmed into my hearing aids. I can’t believe all the things I’ve been missing. Heck…it almost gives me hope.
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