Now Hear This

Losing your hearing suddenly, even if there is no pain, is always urgent

- Charlotte Hilton Andersen

"YOU'VE LOST ABOUT 60% of your hearing in your right and it's permanent." "What?!" I stared at the audiologist.

So he repeated himself, louder this time. He thought I couldn't hear him, which I suppose makes sense given that his entire job is assessing hearing problems. But I had heard him. I was just in shock. I was relatively young45 years old and healthy. I am a fitness instructor. A wife, and mom of five kids. How had this happened? How am I supposed to live my life with one ear? I burst into tears.

Losing my hearing overnight

Right before Thanksgiving 2023, I got what I thought was a minor head cold. No fever, no pain, no cough-just some congestion and stuffiness that made my right ear feel as if it was underwater. I told people it was probably just a sinus thing as I instructed them to "talk to my good ear." I figured it would resolve on its own eventually.

It didn't. One month went by, then two, and I still couldn't hear well, but because of holiday busyness I didn't get it checked out. It wasn't until the end of January, when I went to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor for an unrelated issue, that I thought to mention it. As soon as I did, the doc looked at me in alarm and told me to make an appointment for a hearing test the next day.