Here's another story from one of our lovely patients for our Now Hear This series.
Robert from Ipswich, Suffolk
Why did you decide to have your hearing checked by The
Hearing Care Centre?
 |
| I'm too young to wear a hearing aid! |
I work for Barclays and came to see Karen years ago and straight
away she spotted something wrong with my hearing. At the time I didn’t want to
hear it if you pardon the pun and so I ignored her advice and left! I struggled on for five or so years, and then
I came back to The Hearing Care Centre about two years ago and despite me
ignoring them the first time Karen was brilliant and so I haven’t looked back
since.
My problems became noticeable particularly with my job – I’m
a mortgage adviser. I talk to customers all day long and when they were facing
me I could cope but I noticed as soon as I turned away or they did, I realised I couldn’t hear them. The other
thing was, I was finding I was constantly tired from just trying to listen. In
my head I suppose I thought a hearing aid would look like a brick fitted to the
side of my head! When I finally had hearing aids fitted by The Hearing Care
Centre they couldn’t have been smaller –
at the tender age of 36 you care about that stuff. Finally at work I was able
to become much more involved within the team again. I knew I had valuable things to contribute in our team
meetings but I didn’t say anything before as I was worried I wouldn’t be able
to hear people’s responses. I found in a group situation it was even harder to
make out what people were saying, especially if several people spoke at once.
My poor Manager thought I was just being stubborn! I also found my lack of
hearing affected my personal relationships at home and also with my friends.
Unfortunately my wife and I split up, I’m not blaming my hearing entirely but I
do think it was a contributing factor. I have found now that I have my hearing aids
it’s actually helped my confidence. I used to find it difficult to make new
friends but now I can hear I don’t feel like that anymore.
What would you say to others who are unsure about having
their hearing checked?
I always share my story with people; I would always tell
them to go and see The Hearing Care Centre and Karen. When I went back again to see her she explained
the process so effectively I wondered why I didn’t take her advice before, perhaps
I didn’t want to believe how bad it was. I’m now happier and more confident and
in a new relationship too, so yes I think it’s vital you look after your
hearing and The Hearing Care Centre can help you do exactly that.
Thanks Robert, such a wonderfully personal and honest account and we're glad to have been able to help - eventually!
Regards Karen
