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!

Wishing and Hoping

I have begun to experience some problems with my laptop.  It doesn't appear to be anything too serious...probably an issue with the screen itself......so my files aren't in any great immediate danger.  The machine has been quite good to me and has seen me through a dissertation and tons of various documents and presentations.  I like it a lot, but don't want to invest TOO much money into repairs since I have contemplated buying a new machine anyway.

For years, I have heard everyone singing the praises of the MAC and now I'm becoming more and more interested.  My primary interest lies in the number of music programs that are compatible with the machine and the great reviews other professional musicians give them.  In an ideal world, I want a desktop machine to handle the big projects and a laptop for portability and presentations.  The two would have to be compatible, but I don't foresee making an immediate shift to all things Apple immediately.

I would love to hear from all my friends in cyberspace -- especially those of you in the arts -- and get your reviews of MAC and its usefulness and the difficulties you have encountered.  Let the comments begin!

My New Toy!

I have had my eye on it for several months now, but kept putting it off until I got a decent paycheck. This week, everything seemed to align perfectly. I got paid for summer school on Thursday, I needed a "pick-me-up" to get through the final week of music camp, and I was looking for an excuse to make a purchase...so I am now the proud owner of a Barnes and Noble Nook! I love it--and haven't put it down much since I got it yesterday!

I love the convenience of purchasing books from the comfort of home and having them in my hand immediately. (Definitely going to have to keep an eye on THAT aspect of things!) Its lightness and thinness are greatly appreciated by this pianist's hands. Changing font size to fit my needs is an extra benefit. Let's not forget the fact that the books are slightly cheaper in many cases.

I've only spent a couple of days with my Nook, so I know I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but I have observed a few things about which I'm not crazy. Ebooks with internal links can be awkward to navigate; I'm hoping this improves as I become more familiar with the controls. Speaking of controls, I sometimes have a bit of difficulty finding the appropriate pressure to activate the color control screen at the bottom. It's not a matter of things not working--just a minor annoyance.

Now that you know about my new toy, I think I'll put away my computer and spend some more quality time with my Nook!