It has officially been a week of living in the hearing world. A week of rediscovering sound, of feeling every emotion under the sun—joy, excitement, overwhelm, sadness, wonder, and everything in between.
Never in my 38 years of wearing hearing aids have I experienced sound with such clarity. It’s almost indescribable—the way the world has opened up in ways I never imagined possible. Do I still struggle? Absolutely. This isn’t a perfect fix, but it’s the closest I’ve ever come to hearing “normally.”
This week, I have been amazed by so many little things—sounds I didn’t even know I was missing. But with that amazement came moments of exhaustion, too. The sheer volume of the world can be overwhelming. The fire drill at work? Holy noise, Batman! Assemblies? Shopping at Walmart? At times, it felt like too much, like my brain was scrambling to process a flood of new input all at once.
And so, when I got home after long days, I did something that felt almost instinctual—I took them out. I sat in the familiar silence I have known for 48 years, not because I wanted to go back but because I needed the break. The quiet was a comfort, a safe place to retreat to when the world became too loud. I don’t know how long it will take to adjust fully, but I do know this: I wouldn’t want to go back permanently.
Tomorrow, I have my follow-up appointment with my audiologist. It’s incredible to think that he can pull up data from my hearing aids, seeing exactly how I’ve been using them and how they’ve been working for me. Technology truly is amazing. Here’s hoping for a good follow-up and continued progress on this journey into sound!
The Adventures of Julie and Bella 2025 
Leave a comment