Hear, Hear, continued

Sometimes I wish I could wear a sign that reminds people that I have a disability. It's easy for them to forget. Hearing aids these days are practically invisible so they don't provide a clue. When asked to speak up or repeat a comment, most people will comply, but only for a short time. Then they forget and speed up, or carry on conversations with several people at once. About that time, I'm toast! So what can you do to help a person who has a hearing loss? Try to select quiet places for conversation. (I realize this is often totally impossible.) Several people can be involved, but please speak one at a time. Speak a bit more slowly than normal. It takes us longer to process the spoken word. Speak distinctly but don't raise your voice. That really doesn't help. Trust me, hearing loss is frustrating for everyone, listener and speaker alike. Sometimes it's just easier to tune out, but I really try not to do this. My greatest fear is becoming isolated, so please be patient and make an effort to include me in the conversation.

Hear, hear!

We all know that hearing is important, but few of us really understand what that means. At least we don't until our hearing is lost or impaired. Last October I discovered that, like many older people, I have some loss in the upper registers of both ears. Losing the sounds of the upper registers means that you have trouble distinguishing the sounds of consonants -- f, s, t, etc. And that can make comprehension of the spoken word difficult. At the same time, a virus caused a profound sudden hearing loss in my left ear. I figure my ability to hear has roughly been cut in half. After ten months and many tests, there is no hope for any kind of cure or improvement. The good news is that a number of horrible things, like a brain tumor and lyme disease, have been ruled out. The other good news is that with hearing aids, I can function fairly well, but noisy rooms and crowded restaurants present obstacles that I can't quite overcome. My hearing loss also makes it more difficult for me to understand foreign languages, one of my lifelong interests. And it presents a challenge to understanding my foreign students who are studying English. I tell myself it could be worse, and indeed it could, but coping with a hearing loss is an ongoing process both for me and for those around me.

Growing older

Yikes! I'm not the least bit used to being 70 years of age and now I'm closing in on 74! For many years I've been telling myself that I'm not old, that 60 is the new 40. Yeah, right, I can hear you whispering under your breath. But at 70, it's really hard to deny that one is not old! Part of the reason I have been successfully living in denial is that I have been fortunate with regard to good health. When I reached 70, however, things started to change. Now it's one thing after another -- atrial fibrillation, mysterious lung ailments, sudden hearing loss. What next? I already have hearing aids and contact lenses. Maybe new teeth. To help me move through these afflictions, I've adopted a mantra: "It could be worse." And indeed it could. What I have had to deal with is child's play compared with challenges that many people face. I know I'm lucky and that I have no right to complain. Still, it's not easy having to give up things that I once enjoyed. Skiing has been out of the question for years, but that's not a great sacrifice for me. Never once did I stand at the top of an icy ski hill and not ask myself, "What in God's name are you doing here??" No, skiing is not a loss, but biking is, and tennis, and most of all, sailing which requires more strength, agility and balance than we (Bruce and I) are capable of mustering even together. Of course, I could try all these things again, but the truth is that, after suffering a bad fall (broken ribs, injured lung) a couple of years ago, I don't want to take that risk again. So where does that leave me? (1) grateful for the general good health I still enjoy, (2) determined to take care of myself as best I can through exercise and diet, (3) joyful at the love and support of family and friends, (4) inspired to make my life more about helping others and less about myself.