SOUND CHECK SAGA

Most who have followed me blog know that this old geezer is hearing impaired.  Not deaf, but getting there.  It is something that has been of late much worse than before and am of the opinion that it is only a matter of time before sound becomes a distant memory.  Mind, the anger and embarrassment of hearing loss has been dealt with and am determined to face life with pluck.

One of the problems with living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is the lack of good ENT doctors.  It requires a visit to Honolulu to get tests and treatment.  What follows is my latest journey to deal with something that would go quickly anywhere else.

I boarded a plane in the wee hours of the morn to make it in time for appointment.  The plane was full.  I had the bad luck to have a massively large person seated next to.  It was not until the person exclaimed at how tight the seat was and inability to buckle up that I learned that what I thought was a she was in point of fact a he.  Not that I was upset at the cross-dressing, more a matter of spending the entire flight pressed up against the window, with no hope of getting out if a trip to the toilet was required.  It was with great relief that I greeted the landing in Honolulu.

The ENT office was located downtown and I made it in time.

The lady working reception was not the most friendly.  One would have thought that if one worked in an office dealing with folks who had hearing problems, every effort would be made to be heard.  I was a bit of a chore and the lady did not take kindly to my pointing out her lack of effort.  Not the smartest move on me part but the harm was done as soon as the words left me mouth.

The good doctor was very capable and in short order had me in chair with all sort of tools digging in ears.  It turned out that there were polyps in me ears.  Not small ones but rather large ones.  Using a tool that both cut and sucked, the doctor went to town on the problem.  In short order I was much put upon by the endless probing in me ears.

The doctor told me that it usually happens that the polyp could be sucked out of the ear.  That was not the case with me.  Cutting away got some but not all and it was getting to hurt a bit.  The doctor had the cheek to ask if I wanted some of the cut out growth to keep as souvenir.  How horrid.  Who would want such a keepsake?

The visit confirmed what I already knew, the hearing was not getting better.  The only surprise was to lean of the nasty growths in ears.  I left with ears sore and mind giving a think on about wearing some sort of hearing aid.

I returned to Hilo well and truly tired and made an early night of it.

Truth be told, if one is going to suffer a loss, it would be easier to deal with hearing loss, so much easier than going blind.  That is how I deal with the problem.  Not much I can do to change the outcome.  It seems to be more of a problem to others that meself.  Used to upset me but am over that.

Right, there will be some who will rail on in emails that this post was more information than one would want to know.  I am of the opinion it was a most interesting day and perhaps I should have taken the nasty growth and passed round for all to see, much like I did with me gall stones.  Talk about a party trick...