ORIGINAL ART BY PAUL T. BOECHER©
For the past two years I’ve gradually been losing my hearing. My kids no longer bother to call me on the phone, because I can’t hear them anyway. Texting has become our MO lately. Recently, my husband has had a plugged ear and is experiencing much of the same issues I’ve been going through. Our conversations over the past weeks have been interesting to say the least.
My doctor tells me that working with young children for so many years, could be the cause of this hearing loss. Sometimes it might just be a convenient excuse not to listen to the chaos and noise of those same young children. I’ve heard a lot about the inconvenience and the getting used to hearing aids, so am not too eager to try them.
When any of your senses begin to fade, it’s just another reminder that we’re getting that much closer to the grave. To buy a hearing, you have to take out a loan and mortgage your first born child, so I have continued to ask people to repeat themselves over and over. Maybe I should invest in one of those old fashioned ear horns to take the place of those expensive electronic devices. In fact, I’ll bet my husband could craft some matching ones for us. While I continue to wait for that to happen, I’ll continue to say “Huh?” repetitively.
atimetoshare.me 
Kathy, I’ve been wearing hearing aids for the last 10 years or so -hey, I’m getting old too and don’t remember time that well. I got my first set at Costco – free hearing test, but a little over $3,000. Those lasted about five years. When I was eligible for Medicare, our supplemental insurance coverage provided for discounted hearing aids for $390 each. Well, off to Costco again for the free hearing test and I mailed to the results into the provider and got my new aids in the mail. Well, as the old adage goes, I got what I paid for. Three years later, give or take, it was back To Costco for another exam and a new set of the latest technology aids for just under $2,000. Now, I can even hook up my hearing aids to the TV via Bluetooth. Makes it great to have the sound directly into my ears and completely turn off the volume on the TV when others are reading or fallen asleep on their chars. Go for it girl!
Don
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know the day is near at hand. With all the expenses of moving and buying another home, the hearing aids will need to wait for a bit. In the meantime I will simply cup my hand around my ear and act my age! LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, there are some unique benefits of not hearing SOMETHINGS.
LikeLike
AMEN!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had no idea that hearing aids were so expensive.. I’ve heard that when you lose one sense the others become stronger, don’t know if that is a myth or not.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I believe it’s true. Most folks who are blind, use their other senses to
“see” things. I know I have even become a bit of a lip reader lately.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh how I can identify with this post! It is amazing to me just how the body winds down with that dreaded word…AGE! All we can do is hope it doesn’t go too fast, or all at once!
Glad to hear from you again…(pun not intended)!
Steve
LikeLiked by 1 person
My husband has hearing aids but hates to wear them, so he rarely does. I have enough hearing loss now that I have decided to make an appointment with an ear doctor. Meanwhile, my husband and I have interesting conversations!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know exactly what you mean 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
A few minutes after I posted my previous comment, I went outside where my husband was sitting on the back porch. I sat down beside him and said, “Is it just me, or does the breeze feel chilly?” He replied, “Yes, she is on the way home.” He was talking about his daughter, and her name doesn’t sound like anything I said. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so funny. Do you remember when Gilda Radner did her Emily Littella routine? She’d go on and on about something in her news editorial until she was corrected – “what’s this I hear about violins on TV,” she would say and then spend a time ranting about it. In the end she would relent and say “never mind” when Jane curten corrected her? That’s my life too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, yes, I remember. I didn’t watch a lot of Saturday Night Live, that was back when my children were little and I thought some of SNL’s humor was too worldly for them. In hindsight, Iwas probably too strict in those days. But I do remember what you are talking about.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello. I am new to following your blog 🙂 I came across this post when I was searching categories such as ‘hearing impairment’. I am sorry to hear (no pun intended also!) that you and your husband are losing your hearing. I bet you are having some interesting conversations together! 6 months ago, i experienced sudden hearing loss in my left ear, which has left me deaf in that ear. Now I only have one hearing ear, and am finding new challenges with this every day. i hope you and your husband are doing well, and get to try some hearing aids, as I have read some real success stories about them. Take care, and I look forward to reading your future blog posts. Carly
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for stopping by. I have investigated hearing aids. I would really like to improve my hearing and don’t have a vanity problem about wearing them, it’s just that they are so expensive and our insurance only covers a small portion of the cost. We are living on social security alone and that isn’t nearly enough. So we continue to have interesting conversations for the time being. It is rather funny sometimes. I’ll pray that you can find a solution to your problem as well. Thanks for stopping by and taking time to comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know – hearing aids can be so expensive, especially with the new technology…I guess, for now, just keep enjoying the funny conversations, and at least you can share this experience together, and support one another. sending you my love. Carly
LikeLiked by 1 person