Can you hear me now?
Maria Menconi
When we are in our familiar home environment, we become used to certain sounds and signals and help from family so we don’t actually realize that we aren’t hearing as well as we once did. However, once we leave that familiar environment, there are sounds that we miss and that can sometimes put us in dangerous situations.
On a recent hike, about 12 of us were happily wandering down a trail in the Tucson Mountains. We were enjoying the gorgeous spring day, looking for wildflowers, admiring the scenery. All of a sudden, one of the people near the front of the line, said loudly, “Whoa, what’s that?!” We all stopped in our tracks and listened; some of us could hear a sibilant, rattling sound, but couldn’t see anything. Several folks couldn’t hear any sound. I heard some noise, but it sounded more like a hissing than a rattle. All of a sudden, the same person who called for the stop said, “Snake on the left of the trail!” Of course, all of us looked immediately where she was pointing, and sure enough, there was one large, angry diamondback! He apparently was getting ready to cross the trail when several of our hikers passed him by, which caused him to start rattling and alert several members of our group. The point is that three or four of us never heard him, even though others said that the rattle was quite loud. Without some vigilant hikers, one of us easily could have been bitten. Ask yourself, would you have heard this sound if you were alone?
If your answer to this important question is no, please consider a comprehensive hearing check by a certified audiologist. There are numerous clinics in Tucson and the surrounding areas that can provide this for you. And, since May is Better Hearing and Speech month, why not make those arrangements now? In addition to not hearing nature’s warning sounds, perhaps you are also experiencing difficulties in groups, restaurants, theaters and hearing the television. There’s no reason to lose the ability to hear, and the sooner you can arrange to augment your hearing, the less hearing loss you might experience.
One easy thing to do, right here in SaddleBrooke, is to come to the Peer Discussion for Better Hearing meetings held monthly from 10:00 a.m.-noon at MountainView Bistro building. Specific dates and rooms for upcoming meetings are as follows
Thursday, June 13, 2019 – Cactus Room
Thursday, July 11, 2019 – Cactus Room
Thursday, August 8, 2019 – Cactus Room
Thursday, September 12, 2019 – Cactus Room
At these meetings a range of information about hearing loss, assisted hearing devices and general discussion about coping with hearing loss is always available. If you have questions or would like more information please contact Jennifer Jefferis, [email protected], 360-909-6212 or Dick and Judy Kroese at [email protected], 520-360-5789. If you happen to be a retired hearing professional, an audiologist or an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, living in SaddleBrooke, we would love to invite you to join us and support us with your professional knowledge. Many of your neighbors have participated over the last several months, some with hearing losses, some with a friend or family member with a hearing loss. We’d love to meet you and support you in a comfortable environment with lots of room for discussion and problem solving. Please come and feel free to bring a friend.