Top 10 Reasons I Have Hearing Aids

Back when I could stay up later than 9:30 p.m., I occasionally watched Late Night with David Letterman. The late-night talk show ran for 33 years, from 1982 to 2015.

Those familiar with the program may remember Letterman’s Top Ten Lists. The lists were regular segments on the show and revolved around a shared, humorous theme.

So, in homage to this show and late-night television, here are my Top 10 Reasons Hearing Aids Are a Good Idea for Me…

10. My Family Didn’t Argue with Me

One day, I suggested to my husband, sons, and daughters-in-law that I start researching hearing aids. To my disappointment – and surprise – none of them said, “Oh, I don’t think you need to do THAT.”

9. I Didn’t Want Our Milk to Sour

“What’s that beeping noise?” asked my husband one evening.

“What beeping noise?” I responded.

We discovered that the annoying sound – the one I couldn’t hear until I was on top of the source – was the refrigerator, warning us the door was ajar.

8. I Longed to Scroll Social Media Incognito

With today’s technological advances, hearing aids now double as headphones, allowing wearers to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, phone calls, and music. And that means you can watch Instagram stories and videos – with the volume turned up – and no one else will know what you’re doing.

7. I Wanted to Add One More Step to My Morning Maintenance Routine

Slather on moisturizer and sunscreen and eye cream. Wash and dry the hair, take medications, drink water, stretch, apply makeup, floss. Learning to insert and position hearing aids properly takes some time to master. They need an occasional cleaning and filter change. It’s one more thing…

6. I Didn’t Want the Neighbors to Hear Our Television

While watching Yellowstone or Shrinking or The Perfect Couple, I continually asked my husband to crank up the television volume. It could not be loud enough for me, even though we also utilized the closed-caption feature. “You can’t hear that?” he’d say.

5. I Needed Another Thing to Pack – and Keep Track of – While Traveling

Hearing aids no longer require teeny-tiny batteries that users must change. They recharge in a case at night, which is wonderful. However, that means one more item to remember to pack and one more thing to stuff into my carry-on bag.

4. I Love Doing New Things

Like the audiologist said, “The learning curve is steep.” She also told me it is easier to get hearing aids when you “still have finger dexterity and are tech-savvy.”

The total price of my hearing aids included unlimited consultations, and I have taken advantage of those tutorials! Like contact lenses or earrings, they get easier to insert into ears over time. The more you wear them, the easier they become! My audiologist showed me a foolproof technique that fits my unique ear – pull the ear up and back and push the device toward my nose. Everyone’s ears are different.

As for the app, I rarely use it. Mine work well without fiddling with the adjustments. I do connect them to Bluetooth while on airplanes. That allows me to listen to an audiobook or stream a show without headphones. The sound comes through the hearing aids. Some may prefer to take phone calls or watch television through the hearing aids, and that is easy to do, too. Once you learn…

3. I Needed One More Reason to Feel Old

As if I needed a reminder that I was getting older, the year I turned 65 was an eye-opening one – more wrinkles, some heart issues, a bit of hair loss. And now hearing aids.

After visiting two audiologists, both recommended – based on my needs, type of hearing loss, and vanity desires – the same make and model. A small component – matched to your hair color – fits behind your ear. Another tiny piece disappears into the ear canal. A wire, resembling dental floss, connects the two pieces. And nobody can tell I wear them!

2. My Husband Is Still Working and Has Insurance Coverage

It surprised me that Medicare, the insurance most of us utilize after we retire, does not cover hearing aids. Many other insurances do. Costco, hearing centers, and Amazon sell hearing aids, but they are not inexpensive. My package covers loss, breakage, and appointments for three years. By then, I suppose the technology will change – again! – and I may require replacements.

And the number 1 reason I have hearing aids …

1. My 4-Year-Old Granddaughter Motivated Me

There’s nothing like the dear children in our lives to nudge us toward doing what we’ve known we should do all along. One day, my precious granddaughter asked, “Cookie, what do you mean when you say Pardon Me?”

That’s all it took.

Evidently, I had been asking her to repeat herself. A lot. I’d noticed it, but I thought her adorable sing-song voice was simply hard to understand. I also realized I missed parts of conversations, but when a child called me out – because they call them as they see them – I faced reality. I moved into action. And I’m glad I did.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you think you need hearing aids? Do you have them? Did you have trouble getting used to them? Do you have advice for those who are nervous about trying them?