What'd You Say???

When I was in high school, my dad bought a car for me to drive. At some point after that he put a really nice stereo in it; which was totally awesome! Both my sister and I loved that surprise. I don't remember before the stereo but I know after we got it I blasted my music when I was in that car. And I would look for excuses to go out and drive it so I could blast my music. I listened to mostly the rock and hard rock stations too so it was pretty head rattling!

Also in high school, I noticed that my hearing was a little off. Sometimes I couldn't hear what people were saying. Or it was muffled. Well, first off I was never going to admit that to anyone and second I was not going to stop playing my music so loudly either. So I ignored it.

When I was filling out my mission paperwork, I noted that I had some weak hearing in my left ear. This was the only time I had ever said anything about it and I never pointed it out to anyone who looked over my paperwork. I did get a mission call to go work with the Deaf which was just convenient. But I don't think my comment about my ear was the reason for the call.

Fast forward to now, I have the same problem. I wouldn't say it is worse than in high school, but I do find it very inconvenient and annoying always having to turn my head to hear or making people repeat what they said more than once (or twice or three times~seriously, just ask my family).

When I turned 35 I decided I should grow up and own up to this issue and I made an appointment with an audiologist. Last week I went to see him and be tested. I was finally coming to terms with the possibility of having to get a hearing aid. After he tested my hearing he asked me, "What makes you think you have a hearing loss?" I said, "I can't hear what people say and I have to turn my head or have people repeat themselves and is sounds muffled."

So he took my into another room and told me that my hearing was fine. I passed with both ears. But he did another test in this new room and discovered that I have a developmental something-or-other that makes processing language coming into my left ear difficult. Somewhere in the wiring of my brain where the nerves from the ear send messages to the language part of the brain I have some developmental issues! If I was five and was finding this out, I could have therapy which could help me correct the problem. But since I am 35, I get to deal with it the same way I have been for, oh about 20 years! Nice. I don't need to get fitted for a hearing aid though so it ain't all bad news!