Rachel and I both have hearing devices that allow us to maintain active social activities and life. Without them, we might easily feel isolated and perhaps find ourselves very depressed.
I have worn hearing aids for at least 30 years. For almost twenty-five of those years, The Ohio State University Speech Language Hearing Clinic has proved itself an invaluable resource to test, analyze and solve my hearing challenges. During these years, my physiologic hearing has continued to decline a bit, but the Clinic has worked continuously to assure that my brain would interpret correctly the words presented to it. No other resource I have used worked so diligently to adapt technology to enable me to distinguish words from the background clutter of noisy environments. Armed with a large variety of hearing equipment, I have had choices of devices to overcome my hearing deficits in a variety of environments. These range from the classroom to the Boardroom; from the quiet home to a noisy restaurant; from a calm day in a park to windy roar of an ocean beach. The Clinic presented these alternatives without sales pressure, carefully explaining what each could and could not do.
Rachel has a totally different history and experience. Fifteen years ago, she experienced a viral attack in her right ear. Within a matter of a few weeks, she lost one hundred percent of the hearing in that ear. She has endured fifteen years of unilateral hearing. One can compare unilateral hearing to someone who has sight in only one eye. That person lacks depth perception. Similarly, a person with unilateral hearing lacks the ability to identify the location of the sounds they hear. Recently, Rachel thought the hearing in her left ear had begun to deteriorate. She scheduled and evaluation at the Clinic. Fortunately, the hearing ear remained quite responsive, but the Clinic suggested a device that she could wear in her right ear that would transfer sound to an aid worn in her left ear. They arranged a loaner set of equipment for a trial. Rachel knew within one day of the trial period that this provided a solution. Her brain’s quick adaption to a revised approach to bilateral hearing amazed her the most. Within just a few days, she could easily identify the direction from which a sound came. She had not done that for fifteen years!
Underlying all the positive results, the staff and graduate students convey professionalism, technical knowledge joined with compassion and interest in resolving ones hearing challenges. Of even greater importance, they possess active listening skills which they employ to tease out every nuance of the situations presented to them. Dr. Christy Goodman and Dr. Jodi Baxter, both of whom have worked with us, provide quiet but effective guidance to these students.
Over the years, we have referred many friends and acquaintances to the Clinic. Every one of these referrals has provided positive feedback about their experiences. More important, all have continued using the devices provided.
-Bob and Rachel Stern
