I knew I was in strife when the audiologist told me that someone with normal hearing would score 100% - I could not believe how soft the sounds were.
The beeps and blobs and gurgles were a piece of cake in comparison, although it turns out that the long quiet spots were not him clicking to the next file. When he started to say words for me to repeat I was quickly exhausted: hunching over in the soundproof booth, eyes closed, concentrating like my life depended upon it.
The result was moderate loss, requiring aides for both ears. Bitch, bugger, bum as they say in the classics! A bit like araldite, he mixed two types of gunk to make a cast of my ear and whilst that set he ran me through a computer simulation of how an ear works and how I have lost quite a few of those little hairy things that work a little like cat's whiskers.
What style do you want? Which one works best? Stands to reason that it is the ugliest one. But your hairstyle will cover it completely. Do I look like a vain woman? What prices am I looking at? Well most people are a little surpri ... bottom line, bottom line, bottom line. Bloody hell ...
But that is for the pair! Oh well, that makes all the difference then ...
15 comments:
Sorry to hear this, Julie -- pun NOT intended. Hopefully the aids will work a treat.
Hello hello hello ... nice to know you are still along for the ride.
I was half expecting this outcome, but a bit surprised by the rush of the whole thing.
I know what you mean by rush. I went to the doc in December and within 24hr I was seeing a specialist, getting x-rays and having a blood test to be told I had psoriatic arthritis in both my hands! You mean I'd been putting up with all that pain for months and there was actually something wrong with me??! Hehe.
Learnt a bit about that from my friend, Google.
Sounds unpleasant. Being a journalist, you must use your fingers extensively all day. How are they treating it?
I gather that people tend to wait 7 years before they get hearing loss attended to. The audiologist implied that the hearing loss was affecting the tinnitus and the balance irregularities in my case. I await 6 months of usage to see the wholistic difference.
That's a bummer but its interesting that its affecting your balance. Maybe it will have a silver lining.
I'm trying to think of it rather like getting glasses - something to help rather than indicate ageing. The audiologist reckons that the hearing loss (which is genetic) is a huge cause of the tinnitus as the brain turns up the oomp just to get in as much sound as possible. I must read up on that. The balance is a wierd thing: the car appears to continue to move after I open the door; and, the floor of my shower can make me quite woosy. He did not imply there would be an improvement but he did say that the hearing loss would impact these two areas. I remain hopeful ...
Couldn't you just get one of those horny-type arrangements you stick in your ear?
eh? Whadcha say, dearie?
Julie, funnily enough it's when I don't use my fingers that the pain is worst... when i wake up in the morning, for instance, and my hands have done nothing all night, they are very sore.
Am taking anti-inflammatories, which are helping a lot.
Once the doctor is convinced my body is infection-free (ie. no colds or sniffles, which I've had a bit of lately) I have the option of having a one-off steriod injection to "switch off" the inflammation, although I'm not entirely convinced this is the right thing to do just yet.
My step-mother used to have steroid injections in her hips to reduce the inflammation from arthritis. But they got closer and closer together - down to about 3 or 4 months. I would need convincing about steroids: what are the side-effects, for one.
But yes, the mornings are worse aren't they: same for my balance. I am glad I have a hallway to walk down. And I have just realised why I am such a pathetic sleeper: too much constant high-pitched noise in my bloody head!!
It sounds like with your sort of arthritis it is, as with many things, "use it or lose it".
Geez, that is crappy news! Are there any positive sides? Like...erhm...you sleep better at night because you are not woken up by the noisy 'yoof' hanging around on the streets?
Maybe not, hey. Are you going for funky ones ("Loud and Proud") or for the most inconspicuous ones?
Hiya
Probably lots of positive sides - but they will become apparent once I get the aides and learn how to work them. You know me, I am going for the ones that work the best: the plug in the ear, the wire to the back of the lobe and the tell tale transmitter! Shit happens ...
I've had a few steriod injections (arthritic knee) but I'm loath to have them more frequently than every 6 months. I usually only have one if I'm going travelling and will be carrying a pack and/or doing a lot of walking. Usually they work really well and alleviate the pain for between 3 and 6 months but last time it only lasted a couple of weeks, although I think I twisted my knee.
Have you received your set already or are you still waiting? I have some hearing issues myself, I think partly caused by the years I spent around pumps and other things that make loud noises. Though I seem to have a heightened response to some sounds, such as the fridge and other odd transformers. Drives me potty sometimes. I sincerely hope your tinnitus can be managed.
Ann: I have one friend who had a really bad reaction to the very first injection and never had another. HOwever, my SM had 3 or 4 a year for about 10 years and swore by them!
Z: I think my hearing loss is more genetic than environmental: My father has something very very similar. Which was no consolation to my daughter at all. I get them fitted Tuesday next week and, knowing me, will do a couple of posts on the emotional impact of persevering with them. I wonder how people like my son will cope after 20 years of hard rock music in clubs?
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