Before I say anything else, I want to thank all of you for being here. Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say. Thank you for being part of my world. I appreciate every single one of you.

We’ve been back in Toronto since the beginning of August and I can’t deny that it’s a huge adjustment. Places don’t sit still and some of Toronto and the suburbs look so new to me. New development, new streetscapes, new names, even new sounds. Though we weren’t in New York full time, we were there more than here and when we were here, it was to spend time with family and friends, and take care of things – like DHH’s knee replacement surgery, for example. So we didn’t really do much while in Toronto. We saved all our ‘doing’ for New York.

I’ve kept pretty busy since I’m back. Since it was still summer, I decided to put off the unpacking even though we brought back a full truckload of belongings. We donated most of our furniture and household goods to various people, and donated a full van load to the Humane Society, which was in need of blankets, towels, and several other things. (If you think you have anything to donate, check their wish list on their web site.)

Since we can count on a long, cold winter when we’re forced to stay inside more, we can unpack in earnest then. In the meantime, we’ve been taking care of medical appointments, enjoying the good weather we did have, and just getting used to being back here. I actually did some gardening this year, for the first time in I don’t know how long. I even relocated two earthworms. (Yes, I was wearing gloves, but still…)

I had a wonderful surprise I must share. I emailed WA (wonderful Audiologist) for an appointment to make an adjustment on my Oticon hearing aids, and when I got there, she said, “Oticon just came out with the most powerful hearing aids on the market. I want you to try them.” By now you all know I’m kind of a geeky person who loves devices and technology, so she didn’t have to ask me twice!

The first thing I noticed and had to get used to, is no more Streamer – the gadget that had to hang around my neck to control them and connect to devices. The Streamer is a wonderful device. I was so happy to have it. But with the new hearing aids, I don’t need it. I feel like I’m off the leash! Pairing to devices is so simple, I felt like it couldn’t be possible, but lo and behold, these hearing aids are geniuses.

Now usually when I put new hearing aids in, there’s a period of adjustment. I tend to get used to the hearing aids I’m wearing, the way they deliver sound, and it can take time to see if I like a different one. And, of course, I was already thrilled with the Oticons I already had and their terrific connectivity to the TV, my devices, etc. So I didn’t know what to expect. Wow, was I blown away.

Imagine this. We put the new hearing aids into my ears and my world litearally changed. That machine-like sound quality was gone. I no longer felt like there was something between sound and me. They felt like the most natural thing in the world, and I was immediately comfortable. And the sound from the TV, the iPad, the iPhone, etc., is so natural, it’s like there’s no hearing aid. No tinny sounds, no background noise. The technology is so superior to anything I’ve ever seen or used, it’s FUN to wear the hearing aids. (It helps that they’re smaller on my ears too.). I actually heard something strange – I hadn’t heard it before – and I asked DHH what it was and he said, “Look. Brooklyn (our sweetie princess dog) is drinking. You’re hearing her lap up the water.”

Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to mislead anyone. They can’t give me back what I don’t have. I can’t instantly hear like a hearing person and there’s no hearing aid that can give me back my ability to distinguish speech. What’s gone from my ears (the nerves that carry the sounds to the brain) is gone forever – at least for my lifetime. But these hearing aids give me more natural voices and cleaner, crisper sound. They take out much more background noise and allow voices to come through much better. Though I can’t understand the words, it helps me read lips better and I’m finding myself able to communicate with people more without help. I feel like I’m hearing the sounds of the voices of my family the way I remember them in my head.

I know many people with my level of loss move on to Cochlear Implants, so hearing aids for my loss are not a priority for most companies. They all have something, of course, and different aids can work differently for different people. But oh, ohh, Oticon! You’ve sure upped my game incredibly and I can’t thank you enough. Your Oticon OPN Exceed 1 SP hearing aids have rocked my world!

(For anyone interested in finding out more about them, this is their web site:

https://www.oticon.ca/professionals/products/hearing-aids/xceed )

For anyone out there who for any reason doesn’t want to wear hearing aids but should, please, please, try them. Rock your world. Make your life easier, richer, and safer. They don’t make you look old or weak. Not hearing does that.

NOTE: Please note that I do not work for Oticon in any capacity. Nor am I connected to them in any way. I have worn hearing aids from other companies many times through the years and right now Oticon has the best ones for me. If you wear or need hearing aids, please decide with your audiologist which ones are best for you.