I’ve worn hearing aids since I was five years old. Well except for some periods where I went without them for various reasons. When I was a teenager, I decided to not wear them because I was self-conscious. Being dumb is apparently part of the teenage condition. These days I don’t care what anyone thinks or says about my aids, I can’t function well without them.

When I got my first set of hearing aids, they were the over the ear kind, because the in the ear models hadn’t been invented yet. I was so grateful when that kind came out so I could conceal the aid a bit more. Last year I had to replace my aids and the audiologist highly recommended I get the over the ear kind again because my hearing loss had significantly increased.

I’ve grown a lot since those teenage years because the only concerns I had about wearing the over the ear model this time had nothing to do with how it would look when wearing them. I was more concerned with the weight of the aids on my ears and the inability to use a Bluetooth wireless headset. However, when I got a taste of all the features these new digital hearing aids boasted, I soon forgot about the feared inconveniences. My hearing aids have mini computers inside each of them and they’re constantly talking to each other to stay in sync depending upon the noises in my environment. When I go in for a check up, they plug the aid into the computer and a program shows exactly how long I’ve worn the aids, and at what settings I’ve kept them on. The volume and other, detailed noise levels can all be set right on the computer. I’m so amazed by that.

I’m also so pleased with my new maturity about my looks is concerned. When the doctor saw my disappointment over having to get the over the ear models, he assumed I was worried about how I would look. It felt good to know that I no longer care what other people think about me, and that my looks was the last thing on my mind. Ironically, I look better today than I have in over a decade! Gotta love it.