They say hearing is a precious commodity. I’m sure this is true. There is also research indicating that unaddressed hearing loss can contribute to dementia. The good news is that we have options. The bad news is that hearing aids are expensive and health care doesn’t pay for them.
Initially, my hearing loss was only in my left ear. It was difficult to identify what I was missing with a loss in one ear. I had to work at daily wearing my left hearing aid until it landed in my shirt pocket (where it is never supposed to be) and went through the wash. It couldn’t go the distance. Getting it fixed, resulted in an updated hearing test. I now also had a hearing loss in my right ear. How helpful. Rather than spend money to fix the one, I purchased two brand new hearing aids. Yes, I get a $700 contribution from my healthcare insurer which doesn’t go far for $4000 hearing aids.
When I sported my new hearing aids at work, I wasn’t shy in talking about getting them. People were surprised. I assist employees with accommodations at work for medical conditions. It is incumbent upon me to be a leader in normalizing accommodations, demonstrating there is no shame. My openness about my hearing aids caused people to ask me questions allowing me to spread the gospel of addressing hearing loss to improve mental health, social engagement, and as a bonus, act against dementia.
I remember working with a man named Greg who was reticent about wearing his hearing aids even when his wife complained he couldn’t hear her higher voice. When I asked Greg why he didn’t want to wear his hearing aids, thinking it was because they were uncomfortable or some such, he told me it was vanity, pure and simple. Wow, I thought. I’m vain but not wearing my hearing aids is just stupid. With two, I can very clearly hear the difference when I am wearing them. It’s worth it. And, not just because I can listen to the ball game on my iPhone and no one knows it. It gives me a break from asking people to repeat things three times. Three is my absolute limit. If I don’t get it after three, I just give up. This way lies loss of engagement with people. Not a good look for someone working in Human Resources.
The bluetooth feature with iPhones and iPads is really cool but only if one has a high tolerance for technical nonsense. I’ve learned to switch between my iPhone and iPad and most recently my work iPhone. It took me a long time to learn to switch devices effectively and turn off bluetooth on the device I’m not using. I hate having one ear in my iPhone and one in my iPad. While watching Saturday Night Live clips, my right hearing aid keeps sounding like a slow alien. If I toss my head around or move my iPad, it clears up. I’m not sure what part of the system gets screwed up—my hearing aids, my iPad, or my head. At times walking by a fluorescent lightbulb, my left hearing aid hums like it’s in touch with the heartbeat of the fluorescent. I don’t like to think about what’s really going on there.
Other than listening to baseball during work meetings—I have to remember to not shout out, “Yes!” in the middle of the meeting when my team scores—I’ve learned other dynamic uses. I love to hear birds singing. The more, the merrier. My hearing aid has 12 settings from -8 to +4 with 0 being normal. To hear birds beyond my normal range, I turn my hearing above normal. So, sweet. When voices or media outside of my control are too loud, I turn them down to the minus range. Recently while hanging out in a public park people watching and eavesdropping, I discovered I can eavesdrop better when I raise them above normal hearing level. “Those two look intense. I wonder what they’re talking about?” I boost my hearing. I might learn an important stock tip or a plot to take over the government or just two moony eyed idiots talking about their dating lives. If it’s good, I listen. Otherwise, it easily goes back down.
The bottom line is these things are pretty damn fun. I’m not advocating hearing loss. But if I’m gonna have it, I sure like to adjust my experience a bit. Why the hell not? There’s so much in the world I have absolutely no control over. And by the way, technology companies maybe bringing the cost down. Already there is a setting paired with bluetooth headphones that enable iPhones and iPads to act like remote microphones when placed on a table. I mean the table in front of you not for spying in the other room. I’m positive they weren’t intended for that!
To life and tech. Gawd help us.
Joceile
5.7.21
[Picture of me laying on a couch adjusting my iPhone.]
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