Hearing Restored

On Monday, August 11, 2014, I witnessed a miracle of modern science. On that day, I was in the doctor's office when my dad received his hearing aids. While these devices are common appliances for millions of senior citizens, my dad had resisted getting them for nearly a decade. We were all surprised earlier this summer when Dad initiated the process of having his hearing evaluated.

As the doctor introduced Dad to the devices, his apprehension was evident. Despite his severe hearing loss, he could hear the feedback that was loudly coming from the aids. In that moment, I thought he was going to walk out! I took a chance and reminded him that the hearing aids had not been calibrated yet and that we wouldn't leave the office until the levels were set in a way that he was comfortable with. He still wasn't completely sold, but he took a deep breath and settled in for the experience.

After having Dad install the batteries, the doctor inserted the first device in his ear and then ran her pinkie along the edge of his ear to indicate the wire's placement. Shivers went down Dad's spine because he utterly hates to have his ears touched. The second aid went in much more quickly and now it was time to introduce amplified sounds.

When the first beep sounded in his right ear, Dad jumped from the shock and told us he definitely heard it -- LOUD and clear. As we continued to explore sounds -- hands rubbing fabric, rustling paper, a faucet's running water -- Dad was adamant that things were simply too loud! After several adjustments, he and the doctor reached a point where it was time to try out speech.

As Dad looked out the window, I was instructed to say something. Of course, sarcasm was my first thought, so I quietly said, "I suppose this is the end of talking behind his back." I noticed a smirk come on Dad's face as he responded in the affirmative because he could hear me now! In that moment, I witnessed a vitality and zest for life in Pop that I haven't seen in many years. While the process to get us to this point had been very long and painful over the years, the end result was definitely worth the effort.

The rest of the session was simply fun as the doctor continued to explain basic aspects of the devices. It was clear that Dad was understanding every word. As we left the office, I couldn't help but laugh as Dad responded to the beeps of alarm systems and the slams of doors. On the way to the car, Dad shared that the hearing aids were nothing like he expected. They were causing him no discomfort. I then asked if he had ever realized how truly deaf he was; his response was a very gentle "no."

As we returned home, the adventure continued. Dad looked over to see that I was pecking a dollar bill against the window while waiting for our drive-through food. He commented on hearing the clicks of my turn signal while traveling on the interstate. In a tender moment, I saw a glimmer in Dad's eye after his first phone conversation with Mom. He said he just wanted to make sure that he could hear her clearly since her voice had been fading on the telephone in recent months.

The process is not entirely over yet. We return to the doctor at the end of the month for a final adjustment to make sure everything is just right. I'm not worried about that at all though. Now that he has regained his hearing, I'm fairly confident that Dad will take the lead in ensuring that he never loses it again!