As I have commented on before, I am deaf. Not completely deaf but enough to make your ears bleed if you watch TV with me and I haven't got my aids in. I have a condition where the little bones in my ears have disintigrated and I have been going progressively deaf since I was 18. Eventually I will completely gone mutt and jeff. I spent a long time in denile and I would not wear hearing aids - vanity. Then four years ago I though stuff this and went to see my consultant.
My hearing aids are fabulos darling. I have digital ones that go over your ear and apparantly cost the good old NHS £7K each - ah, if only they were earings. I have them insured on the house insurance - never can be too careful. If I drop them in a puddle or they fall down the loo (don't ask) then it's my fault and I'd have to replace them. I don't think most people insure them, but I'm not most people.
I have three settings on them - everything, voice only and loop system. Loop system is great; we went to the Tower Of London and had one of thier audio guides. I didn't have to have the headphones as the unit fed straight into my hearing aids - faulous.
I am happy very with them, I wear my hair so they are not obvious and they have become part of me, who I am and I automatically put them in on waking everyday. With the odd exception - especially when it is raining and I have to garden in the rain - alot (I love it). I take out the hearing aids and I am alone with my thoughts, the garden and rain - absolute bliss.
Other people, however, seem to behave very strangely with them.
Today we had someone in for an interview. My colleague and I sat in the interview room with the candidate. The candidate spotted my aids. He moved to side of me - hello I thought, what's going on here, have I pulled. Every question, for the next half hour, he spoke very slowly and directly into my hearing aid. My colleague found this hysterical and spent the entire interview trying not to laugh.
Needless to say he won't be getting the job.
13 comments:
They sound terrific. Wouldn't it be lovely if you could request other settings - like 'really good jokes with fabulous punchlines' or 'witty one-liners'....Can't believe that interviewee. Well, I can, really. And I expect he went back and told everyone how specially sensitive he was...
Omega Mum - he was a man, therefore we have to excuse him for everything!!!!
Judging from your previous post you're lucky it was your ears he was directing his comments at!
SAHD - No, I was strapped down and flat chested that day - poor bloke, wouldn't have been able to anything if I had been wearing 'the new bra'.
I like the idea that you can switch them off and shut out the world ...
I wish I could do that with everything!!!
I must say you make your aids sound so glamorous and desirable I am considering getting a pair myself!
As for the chap in interview, the words stupid sod come to mind.
They do sound rather good - if you can get audio loop system on them, then surely its only a matter of time before the technology allows you to have radio, MP3, and a mobile phone all incorporated!
Deafness is not something my daughter has complained about - yet...
She is, of course, already deaf, but selectively - perhaps she's a trainee man.
Although, maybe I should be concerned when I consider the volume at which she listens to music.
I am impressed with the available functions on hearing aids. But, selfishly, I hope the designers never latch on as my daughter would be attending for an examination more quickly than you could whisper 'Chanel'.
I'm sure you look wonderful. Can you get them encrusted with diamonds perhaps? Or even a water squirter for those annoying hopefuls?
Lady m - If only Louis Vuitton did them, I would flaunt them shamlessly!
Drunk Mummy - I wish, but apparently the loop system is old technology now. The thought of an Ipod with a loop system is fabulous.
Debio - My eldest son have just purchased himslef a set of Bose headphones and the entire Linkin Park back catalogue - I dispair of his ears. However, my particular afliction is hereditry, but only women suffer from it.
Crystal Jigsaw - the idea of a water squirter is genius, perhaps you should market it!
the last time a man whispered into my ear I had to struggle not to giggle as well secretary. What is it with men? Perhaps he was trying not to give away any non-verbal cues by not looking into my eyes but unfortunatly for him it wasn't his eyes which were giving the most away, sigh
rilly - I love it. Whispering is no good with me - sweet nothings have become my husband belowing in my ear when we are in bed (as I take my hearing aids out) to the amusement of the eldest who's bedroom is over ours.
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