Have you guys done a hearing test recently? Did you know you should do one every couple of years?

Well I hadn’t gone in 10 years because I hate the hearing clinic. I’ve been going ever since I was diagnosed with a hearing loss around 6 years old. So it’s been over 24 years now. But I still hate this clinic and I can’t even give an explanation. I think out of everything medically I just hate the fact I am partially deaf. And you know what? It’s not even the fact I am hard of hearing because sometimes I am blessed to be hard of hearing. I can turn the hearing aids off when people are arguing. I can take them out and sleep and not get woken up. I can hear well enough to have a conversation. Sometimes words get a bit jumbled but you know that is life.

I hated the hearing loss because they would give you some people to work with. And they were literally from a different planet the ones I had. I can’t explain the whole story. They would take me out of class but then tell me that I was struggling in the class. I was struggling because they took me out of it. I asked one to stop coming that I didn’t need her and she ended up not showing up ever again and nobody ever heard from her in years. I can’t explain what happened, I don’t even know but it was like two days later.

So anyways my last hearing aid had been acting funny. I mean I have had it for years without any issues so I figured I would make the appointment and get new ones before it broke and I would be stuck without one.

When I got there I was called in right away to do the hearing test. I remembered these days being torture in my childhood but this time it was like 30 minutes and it was over. It was a lot of repeating words and knowing when you hear sounds. So basically if you heard a sound you would say “Yes” and each time it was recorded. If you hear nothing you just wait until you hear a noise again. So sometimes you are waiting a minute or two before the next sound.

But it turned out I lost a little bit of hearing especially in my right ear which is normal since I only wore 1 hearing aid at full blast for years. She mentioned that I have mid-ear and inner ear hearing loss which is rare. She is requesting I see an ENT to see if I can get surgery instead. Besides that, everything else still stayed stable.

I went back into the waiting room and then I was called in to talk to the hearing aid specialist. He was telling me all about the new hearing aids. I was feeling overwhelmed. I was loving my out ear one that had no back for the longest time. But then he had the behind ear one which you really don’t see and they connect to your Bluetooth and you can talk on the phone or listen to music like ear phones. So after a lot of consideration I took that one, especially with the amount of times I lose my AirPods.

I got scolded a bit because I only wear one hearing aid. And if this was under the new rule in Quebec I would only be allowed to get one from he government. But with the old rule I was allowed to get both of them. So he ordered them. I am getting a rose-gold back and I did not get the molded ones.

It took about two weeks to get them. When I got there they did a fitting and then the guy set them up through the system and they were close to what I originally had and was working with with the last hearing aids.

When I was done with him I went to the next room and I worked with another worker learning to put the hearing aids in and learning more about them and the maintenance and the cleaning that comes with them. I purchased a package in case anything goes wrong with them I am covered because RAMQ does not cover them.

Then I was on my way. Wearing two has been a crazy ride. Everything was so loud and annoying and it was making me on edge. Because I work with a headset at work I had to take out one because it was becoming overwhelming. But honestly at time to time I will wear both. It all depends on the situation but they are always with me.

I love the part I can hear people on the phone in my ear. It works really well. I can connect to my music or shows any time on my phone. And you know it’s a huge advancement. I know I should have went years ago to get new hearing aids but if I did I may not have gotten these ones. So I love to think that there is a reason for everything.

Please though, if you haven’t had your hearing checked. Go and do it.