Hearing Aid

Most people know that I am deaf in my right ear. Well, the older I get the more frustrating it is so I've been looking into hearing aids. I've noticed that I avoid big crowds because I can't hear anyone talking to me. I feel stupid having to ask people to repeat themselves three or four times. Most of the time I just nod my head and act like I know what people are saying. That tends to back fire when they ask me a question and I actually need to respond with something other than an "Uh huh, or yes or no". Sometimes Big D helps out and whispers in my ear what someone has said, but if he's not there I'm screwed.

Now I avoid all social get togethers because I'm tired of looking and feeling stupid. The only friends I hang out with is my family and that's just because they are all loud and obnoxious. They're so loud I hardly ever have to ask them to repeat themselves.

Most people I've talked to about hearing aids say there is nothing they can do for me but technology is changing rapidly so I keep asking.

A couple weeks ago we went to the Spring Fair. We ran into an old friend whom is now selling hearing aids, which is great for him because he wears one as well.

He was telling me I should come back in and get tested again. He said there are hearing aids that will take the sound from my right side and bring it over to my left ear so I can have a better directional hearing. Right now my hearing is off by 90 degrees.

I went in to get my hearing tested and the guy doing the test, not my friend, came back and said I am completely deaf in my right ear, duh. He showed me a scale of my hearing and said my type of hearing is due to nerve damage which is irreversible. I already knew that.

He did a second test on me, one that no one else has ever done. He told me he wasn't going to do the test because most people, when they have my type of hearing loss, don't react to it.

The test consisted of him putting a mic of some sort on the back of my right ear and a mans voice saying, "Say the word dog", I would then repeat the word I heard or as close to it as I could get. Out of 25 words I missed 9.

He was shocked that I did so well. He said most people just stare at him for the entire test with no reaction at all. He couldn't explain why I heard those words. He confessed he is sceptical that any hearing aid will work for me, but he fitted me for one and he wants me to try it out and see if it improves my hearing at all.

I asked him about the hearing aid my friend was telling me about, the one that brings the noise from my right side over to my left ear. He didn't really know any thing about it because he said my type of hearing loss is rare, but he'd look into it for me.

I know I shouldn't be but I am excited to start trying this hearing aid out. It won't be ready for a week and it's one of those big ugly ones that sit on the back of the ear, but I am fine with that if it helps. I can hide ugly.