When I was in my early twenties, I was married several years to a Military Police Officer. We were stationed first at Fort Hunter Army Air Base in Savannah, Georgia, then we were stationed in a village near Nurnberg, Germany. I was twenty three and expecting my first child. My Former Husband often accused me of "selective hearing". I, in turn, accused him of being a mumbler.
One day he came home and told me I had an appointment at the Army Hospital in Nurnberg with a hearing specialist. I was adamant that I didn't have that bad of a hearing problem, he was just a mumbler. He was concerned that I wouldn't be able to hear the baby. When he said that, I took his concern seriously and I went to the appointment.
The doctor sat down with me after we did all the tests, and explained I had a moderate hearing loss, but with a pair of hearing aids, I could do very well. Growing up, I suffered many ear infections that left me with a mild hearing loss, but not so bad that it interfered with my life. I could use telephones and watch tv without people telling me it was getting a little loud. It was hardly noticeable,,,, until now. My Former Husband observed the small difficulties I was having were begining to increase. I didn't notice.
The doctor said as I aged, I would most likely experience a progressive hearing loss later in life. He couldn't tell me to what degree, or when I would experience it, but he assured me that for now, hearing aids would vastly improve my quality of life.
We had the ear molds made so the aids would fit my ears well, and I made a follow up appointment to pick them up within two weeks. I'm so glad I went to that appointment, because my husband's concern about hearing the baby were very well founded. I was excited to see how the hearing aids were going to work and if they really would make a difference. Those two weeks were rather long as I waited for my hearing aids to come in.
Raised on the Southern Oregon Coast, now retired on the Southern Oregon Coast. I was a hard of hearing child who grew up to be a deafened adult. I share and write about deafness, hearing loss and other things I find interesting. I am a 50 something year old woman who could be anyone's mother, grandmother or friend. I've traveled the U.S., and I've lived in Europe. I'm currently residing near the beach with Fabulous Husband and 11 year old son. ~ Joyce Edmiston
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Although for me when I first noticed I had problems. I did not hesitate to go and get checked out. But I was still telling myself that I will probablly get told to listen that harder at the end of it. So you can imagine my shock when i discovered i did have a hearing loss.
ReplyDeleteMy Mum realised for some time that something wasn't right with me, sometime before this. But she did not say anything till I told her I made an appointment. So it had been going on that bit longer than I realised by the looks of it.
I wonder how many of us don't realize the extent of our own hearing loss when it comes on gradually? Thank you for stopping by, Liz, and leaving a comment.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your husband being concern about hearing the baby. Deaf people can care for their little ones without their hearing but if you have been trusting your hearing while being denial that you can't not hear well, it won't help you care for your baby. Once you realize you can't hear well, you will start using your other senses ( with or without hearing aids)to acknowledge the baby need you.
ReplyDeleteYes! I totally agree. You explained this very well, Anonymous. It would have been a matter of learning to do things differently instead of depending on hearing. I didn't know how to do that yet. I didn't have anyone around that could teach me other ways, and back then, we didn't have the internet or places like DeafRead to find a place where we could discuss and learn from others.
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