If you have had the great pleasure (or unfortunate disadvantage) of spending time with me over the last few years, you know that I have a hearing loss.  I first noticed how bad it had gotten about 2 1/2 years ago.  Toad was just a tiny baby and in the hospital for RSV.  At that time there was an overcrowding in the hospital and I was sharing a room with another family.  During the night, I turned from sleeping on my right side to my left and I heard the oxygen monitor of the other baby going off.  It had been going off for about a minute, but I had not heard it until I had turned to my other side.

I realized at this point that I had a problem.  Once Toad was all mended, I went to have a hearing test.  At that time, they marked the depth of my hearing loss and told me that it was due to an imbalance of salt in my system.  There was nothing that they could do to fix it except avoid salt at all costs.  I then commenced the awful task of pretending to cutting out my salt and psuedo avoiding fast food.  Actually, I was good at avoiding most things, I just complained about it non stop.

Well, over the past year, it has gotten quite bad.  When in church, I can not hear the speakers in Sacrament meeting (I know, maybe not so bad… JUST KIDDING!) I have and extremely hard time making out a conversation when I am in a room with lots of people.  By lots I mean 8 or more.  And, I had to keep turning my head to have people talk into my right ear.  My family teased me that I needed to get a funnel to listen better!

Well, I had had it.  I figured, no more funnel jokes for me.  So, I happily made my way on over to my otolaryngologist (ENT) and after spending 2 hours in the waiting room found out the great news!  I am almost profoundly deaf in my left ear.  Oh wait, no, that’s not the good news.  The good news is that I CAN HAVE IT FIXED!!!!!!!!!!

Hearing loss runs in my family and apparently, it hit me!  I have a hardening of the stirrup bone in my ear which is causing my hearing to go away.  There is a procedure that replaces that bone with an artificial one and brings your hearing back.  I will still maintain a slight hearing loss in both ears due to irreversible nerve damage, but I am so excited to get back a portion of it!  That means no hearing aids!!!!!!!!!!  Come on!  Cheer with me now!