The Hearing Test Booth

Yes….the hearing test booth….a seemingly harmless booth that is virtually soundproof. It has a seat and a window that you can see out of and watch your hearing aid provider as she administers the tests. It is all perfectly harmless, doesn’t take that long, doesn’t hurt and provides valuable information about your hearing loss so you can be fitted with the right hearing aid that can help your loss the best……So, then why do I dislike getting them so much?

It’s probably because it causes me stress because I know darn well that I am going to miss a lot of those sounds or beeps……whatever you want to call them. Jacki tells me to press the button every time I hear the sound/beep. Sounds easy enough right? I start off by watching her as she starts the testing. I can see she’s pressing, pushing or whatever and I should be hearing something right? Was that a sound? I concentrate on listening…..I hear a beep so I press the button….there it is again….or was it? Sometimes I press the button and then think that I didn’t really hear a sound, did I? Then of course I have this ringing in my ears at the same time. It sounds like a summer night when all the bugs are just humming away, like crickets, etc. This really make the beeps hard to hear. I like the real loud sounds, they are easy…but those soft, high pitched ones… I just can’t seem to get. By this time, I can’t watch Jacki anymore, since it is making me lose my concentration too much. By the end of the testing, I am feeling a little embarrassed because I just know I am so failing the test….sigh……

After the beeps, then comes the word recognition testing. I will leave this part for my next blog….it’s also just as fun as the hearing test. (Being said sarcastically) Thankfully I have the kindest, sweetest Hearing Aid Provider.  Thank you Jacki.