“Happy Thanksgiving, Aunt Mary” shouted Mary’s niece Ellen. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen you.” Ellen was right, thought Mary. It had been too long. But, amid the chaos of the greeting, Mary remembered why she avoided time with family during the holidays. It was the noise. Other than, “Happy Thanksgiving, Aunt Mary. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you.” Mary hadn’t understood what anyone else had said, and she knew it would be a long, exhausting day. She would spend the day trying to find a quiet corner away from the noise of small children, the din of the football game on TV, the clanging of dishes and cutlery, and so on. In a moment of clarity, Mary remembered why she had stopped attending family holiday events. She also realized why she had stopped playing bridge with her neighbors or going to movies and lunches with friends. She struggled to hear, which made each experience tedious, no longer bringing her joy.
Why Wait?
Mary was dreading the rest of the holiday season. There would be parties and large groups of people gathered together, making a lot of noise. Situations in which she knew she would struggle to hear. Why was she putting off finding a solution to her problem? Was it the cost? In all fairness, she wasn’t sure how much hearing aids cost. Was it the size? She had seen hearing aids on other people but had never seen what they looked like up close. How would hearing aids sound? Mary had no idea how hearing aids sounded. She realized she had a lot of questions and no answers.
We hear this and similar stories from our patients all the time. They have many questions and aren’t sure where to find answers. The internet is a resource, but separating the correct information from the incorrect information can prove impossible. Many patients also put off coming to our office because they don’t know what to expect. Fear of the unknown keeps many people from exploring solutions to a problem. We don’t know your questions, but we probably have the answer regarding hearing and hearing aids. Our patients don’t regret their decision to pursue better hearing. What they do regret is not doing it sooner. Call us today.