When I was 28, my former employer Southwest Airlines gave us hearing tests in a van on the tarmac at the Albuquerque Support. I could still hear the planes outside the van because it wasn't exactly soundproof. Several times I hit the button even when I wasn't sure I was hearing the little beeps.
The results were pretty bad. They said I should follow up with further testing to see if it wasn't just allergies/background noise. Due to the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline, they said I should address the issue ASAP because it looked like I might need a hearing aid or corrective surgery.
A couple of older co-workers with hearing aids said I'd pay out of pocket because they cost thousands of dollars and weren't covered by insurance. I didn't follow up with the issue because I made $10.00 an hour and could barely pay rent.
I have a dubious psychosomatic condition that among other things, attacks my right ear. At the time of the test, it was poorly managed. It turns out that hearing loss causes heightened stress, which also can contribute to hearing loss.
When I was 36, due to a great sense of urgency to flee the USA, I accepted the first TEFL job I could find in South Korea. Moving to the country with the highest suicide rate in the world to work in a hagwon turns out to not be a very good stress management plan. 75% of the time I was there I experienced those problems some people called "hypochondria."
Three months before my contract was supposed to end, and even crappier management took over the school. He started paying us late, and openly admitted the school was broke. When an eight year old kid shot me in the face with a BB gun, the manager asked what I'd done to provoke him. Another teacher and myself fled in the middle of the night.
Whatever the case, I returned to a terrible job market in the US with a crappy resume and more deaf than ever. I found myself doing a banquet serving assignment with the temp agency at the Southwest Conference on Disability. On my lunch break, I went to the New Mexico Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing booth, and found out if I produced a hearing test, I was eligible for services.
With little money and no insurance, I was on my own for the test--which leads me to Kurt at Miracle Ear, where it is free. After the results were confirmed, he let me try out a tiny device more expensive than any of the crappy used cars I've ever owned.
Hearing almost in stereo for the first time in years was amazing! After the appointment, they kept following up, but I told them I was broke and couldn't get the hearing aid unless Medicaid covered it. I was skeptical when they said, "We'll try to make it happen."
After Medicaid/Obamacare sorted things out, I finally had a primary care provider who referred me to a couple of specialists to make sure I didn't have a brain tumor or something. I learned the reason I have a terrible singing voice is because I am literally tone deaf. I have "moderate to profound mixed hearing loss," which means in my bad ear I can hear some tones just fine and others I cannot hear even when amplified. A specialist said surgery may increase my hearing to 80% of normal or make me completely deaf on that side.
I cannot say how surprised and delighted I was when Shelley who works in the front office finally called to say the hearing aid was approved!
Unilateral deafness had become really annoying for me and anyone trying to talk to me. I might say What? several times and come across as rude or slow-witted because I might hear words but if there is too much background noise I might be unable to make sense of them. In certain settings, I might be able to follow a conversation with the person on my left side---but forget everyone else in the room. I might sit there with a blank expression, shrug and point at my ear whenever people try to talk to me.
The hearing aid isn't perfect in all situations. It blows up all sound, even frequencies I hear fine--totally get it now why Grandma couldn't hear but still complained about everything being too loud. In any case it is a huge help. At least when people don't understand I am not kidding when I say "I'm sorry I'm deaf I can't hear you," I can pull it out of my ear and give them a visual aid.
That thing has changed my life!
Kurt and Shelley are fantastic; they always find a few minutes on short notice when the hearing aid needs maintenance.
If you think you might have a problem, go see Kurt. He can tell you what's going on and let you try out a hearing aid. Neglecting the situation will likely make it increasingly worse.
Also, if you wouldn't mind please call your senator and tell them how bad Trumpcare is gonna suck.
Thank you Kurt, Shelley and President Obama! read more
