Selective hearing...

[SquirrelDip]

Okay, here's the story:

Last summer my wife has determined that I may be hard of hearing. Not a surprise as I've known that I've got reduced hearing in my left year and it has been this way for as long as I can remember - and wife has known about this pretty much as long as we've known each other (about 12 years now). IMO, things are about the same as they have always been.

Last summer she decided that it's time to do something about this problem... She schedules me for an appointment with a hearing clinic. Half a day off work and a whack of tests and the result is that I've got reduced hearing in my left ear. I now get scheduled for an appointment with a specialist...

About a month later I see the specialist and he goes through some basic tests (less involved as the first but still half a day off work). He determines that I've got reduced hearing in my left ear and recommends further testing at one of the local hospitals...

About a month later I show up to the hearing clinic at the hospital for similar testing as the first round (maybe a little more involved). They determine that I've got reduced hearing in my left ear. BUT recommend I see another specialist to the nature of the reduction. Oh, another half day off work...

Off to the specialist about a month later... He tests a few things and determines that I've got reduced hearing in my left ear. Won't go into details as it's up to the one of the others to deal with. Another half day...

Three more weeks and I'm at the 2nd guys office. Seems I've got reduced hearing in my left ear. Due to all these tests it appears to be a broken bone - one of those wee little ones. Figures surgery would help but complications could be even more reduced hearing or possibly dizziness with vertigo issues. Recommends that I learn to live with it as the hearing loss isn't all that bad... Yep, another half day off work...

That was two days ago... Now to tell my wife...

How do I explain that I'm just getting older and tired of listening to family???

[ZAPPER]

Huh? What did you say?

[Webster]

.

That was two days ago... Now to tell my wife...

How do I explain that I'm just getting older and tired of listening to family???

Don't, unless you want her to continue nagging in your good ear until you have 2 bad ears....

One suggestion, noise cancellation head phone. They work wonder...

[Shadowmistress]

LoL. I can just see it now....

wife: "Honey I need you to take out the garbage"

(10 minutes later)
wife: "Did you hear me? Take out the garbage"

(1 hour later)
wife: "Why the hell won't you take out the garbage you #@^*%!"
you: "Sorry dear, its this reduced hearing of mine... "



Cut it out and maybe it won't bother her like it doesn't bother you. :P

[hudsonf]

No time missed at work, no Dr. appointments, no stupid test and when you don't want to listen just say my battery is dead. http://health-products.drleonards.com/Health-Products/Hearing-Aids/Bell-Howell-Sonic-Earz/21752.cfm

[SquirrelDip]

Interesting thing is that my right ear is normal or better. I find difficulty in hearing something on my left when there is sound on the right. Funny enough this is our usual placement in the evenings - I''m usually in a chair, TV to the right and Wife to the left. In this situation I do have difficulty hearing her. Simply having her sit in the chair and me on the couch solves most issues.

As for selective hearing... This is actually a real condition (do a Google search). A person will learn to blank out repetitive sounds - a nagging wife, a whining kid. A solution can be as simple as changing the way you speak - try not using the same name you call one another (try "Dipshit" instead of "*******").

[Xylob the Destroyer]

I guess that explains all of the horribly behaved children I constantly see throwing tantrums, raising hell, and just acting like holy terrors out in public....

I've had hearing loss to different degrees in each ear since a young age -- repeated ear infections as small child and then years of large calibre weapons fire and LOUD ROCK 'N' ROLL with no hearing protection.
Background noise really plays hell with me, as it totally obscures sounds in the range of most human voices. I'm constantly asking people to repeat themselves.
I think it's more of something that those around me have to get used to than something for me to adapt to I'm already used to it.