Is This You?
The phone is ringing and you cringe. You look around to see if there is anyone near who can take the call. There isn’t. You become anxious and cautiously pick up the receiver hoping that it isn’t one of those telemarketers who talk so fast or someone who talks so soft and mumbles.
You learn that you will be meeting some friends in a restaurant where you’ve had a problem hearing conversation because of the loud competing background noise. You get frustrated. Don’t your friends know that you have a problem hearing when you’re surrounded by background noise?
As you enter the party you’re apprehensive. You don’t want to miss a punch line and embarrass yourself. You don’t want to just stand there looking lost or foolish.
You become annoyed with your family because they don’t seem to help you. They talk to you while they are walking away. They won’t turn down the TV when asking a question. They start a conversation from the other room.
You wish that spending time with the grandchildren could be more enjoyable but they talk too soft.
You use to take charge at meetings and always be involved in conversations but now because of your hearing difficulty its hard just keeping up. You try to avoid meeting clients in a busy noisy restaurant. Sometimes it can’t be avoided and it’s a real struggle.
You seem to say what all the time. You’re afraid that if you get a hearing aid people will see it, you’ll stand out and they will think you’re old. You hate being alone.
You miss going out socializing with friends.
You remember that last time when they were having fun and you were lost and miserable.