[pegasus]

Well, I think I'm finally coming out of denial about this. My boss happened to pronounce to the whole group how bad my hearing is and it was very embarrassing. I have had menieres disease and tinitus (sp) since childhood and it's just something I have lived and put up with.

I need to do something about it. I'm sick of asking people to repeat themselves and if I don't hear them the second time I have to guess what they have said. Talking on the phone is a night mare.

So, I am going to go to the Doctors and try and see what to do about it, I guess a hearing aid will be the answer.

Any support or advice would be appreciated.

[mazing]

Seeing your doc is a great start Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with your boss though

good luck

Very interesting... My word is "Heeeeeeh????" *not a good translation
Drives my wife cRaZy Mad

I live with the very hight frequency tone in my ears at all times. This is why I hate silence. For many years I thought I had the hearing loss where you have a hard time hearing in noisy restaurants, bars and so on. I could be sitting across the table from you and not know what you are saying... Embarassing
Also... When I'm really into something on TV or I'm writing some nasty SQL code, you can be right behind me and say something and I'll hear you talking but have no idea what you said. (Think how the teachers sound in the Peanuts cartoons) Wamp, wamp, wamp, wamp wamp waaaaaah...

Like you, after the second time not hearing I try to put it together based on what I did hear. (Plan for Disaster) I finally had my GP test my hearing. My hearing was perfectly normal for my age?!?!?! WTH?

This may not apply to you, of course, but after my ADD diagnosis (Age 43) my "Selective Hearing" was explained. When I'm hyper-focused, everything becomes White-Noise to me. In the restaurants, I hear EVERYTHING, but there are too many channels to process. The net effect is I hear nothing.

Adderall has made a big difference. I'm much better hearing things while I'm on the meds.

That is my hearing story, let me know how yours turns out

[pegasus]

Yes, wamp, wamp, wamp, wamp. wamp, waaaaaaaaah! Is very familiar to me too! I also have the ability to tune out of conversations at times but the fact that this is being noticed means I need to do something about it. Although I deal with Doctors on a professional level day in, day out, I hate going to the Doctors for personal reasons. This is a big step for me. I'm sick of the boss making comments I can't hear and the fuzzy phone calls that I take.

Phone calls are another thing... I'm on my smartphone all the time, but rarely talk on it

How about this one...
You are on the phone and doing your best to pay attention, for fear of missing words like discussed above, then someone walks up to you and starts asking you something, or to tell the person you are talking to something... I get SO Angry at this, because the net effect is I heard nothing again. I'm having to pretend like I'm still following the person on the phone and the conversation intruder is mad because I did not relay their message...

"The Telephone Tyraant" was what I called this character

I suspect you know what I'm talking about

Hearing improvments really help the anxiety/anger levels...

I hope you get an answer soon

[pegasus]

Yep! I know what you mean. It makes me feel like an idiot. I'm not an idiot, I just can't hear several people all talking at the same time! If you want to talk to me, you need to be face on, not behind me! And if I ask you to repeat what you said, please don't roll your eyes! I can't help it!

Thanks YYZadd, I'll let you know how I get on. Obviously I can't contact the GP till Monday but I need to keep up the momentum and make sure I book an appointment.

I'm glad I came across your post, because I've seen the "Eye Rolling", heard the "You don't care, or you would have payed attention", "You don't Ever really listen to me"... 43 years was long enough for me...

Good Luck Peg

[ECHOES]

I have been hearing impaired since childhood. No one noticed until I learned I could turn up the volume of the tv myself I lived with the comments such as "You hear what you want to hear" and got no help until I was an adult.

I now wear hearing aids. 2 are recommended to have balanced hearing and it's good advice. I wore just one for a long time and it wasn't nearly as helpful.

Hearing aids are a gift and the new ones have fantastic technology. There is even one that you can wear in the shower! They often have a setting for phone that makes using a phone SO much less stressful!

I hope you will be very happy to have better hearing! I think you will wish you had done this sooner

[pegasus]

Well, I didn't have time to go to the docs so I got a telephone consultation with a doctor that doesn't know me. He was just plain rude. Told me that my life style choice of not going to the docs is wrong and told me I need to change that. Yeah, I work for the fun of it, not! He then challenged me on whether I would actually wear hearing aids and when I said well, forget it then he said it was too late he'd put it on my notes. Heck, I didn't need to be spoken to like a child. I have to try olive oil in the ears for a month and then go to the docs and then they will refer me. I certainly haven't been inspired or encouraged to go to the docs about this. I hated doctors before, it's been totally confirmed in my mind now that's for sure. I'll just carry on being partially deaf, thanks very much!!

[likewater]

sorry dr was a jerk. is the olive oil magic.? or he seriously believes you can't hear just because of earwax? what a doofus.

[pegasus]

Originally Posted by likewater

sorry dr was a jerk. is the olive oil magic.? or he seriously believes you can't hear just because of earwax? what a doofus.

He did say he didn't think it was wax but I have to do it as he said when I go for tests they will just send me away again if there is wax there. He really pissed me off with the way he talked to me and he's never met me so I don't understand why he had such an attitude. I'm never going to see or speak to him again if I can help it. It took a lot for me to contact the docs in the first place as I have a bit of a phobia about going. Can't say he has helped me at all with that one!

[yellowted]

report him to the practice manager, he was totally out of order

[ECHOES]

Originally Posted by pegasus

Well, I didn't have time to go to the docs so I got a telephone consultation with a doctor that doesn't know me. He was just plain rude. Told me that my life style choice of not going to the docs is wrong and told me I need to change that. Yeah, I work for the fun of it, not! He then challenged me on whether I would actually wear hearing aids and when I said well, forget it then he said it was too late he'd put it on my notes. Heck, I didn't need to be spoken to like a child. I have to try olive oil in the ears for a month and then go to the docs and then they will refer me. I certainly haven't been inspired or encouraged to go to the docs about this. I hated doctors before, it's been totally confirmed in my mind now that's for sure. I'll just carry on being partially deaf, thanks very much!!

Please go see an ENT now and let the doctor look into your ears to see if there is wax. It's a very quick look with a lighted scope. Takes a few seconds.

You can't know if you would wear hearing aids until you try them out, and that is an option. Get tested, let them show you what it would be like to hear better, and then decide. A phone call is not enough.