I'm Getting Older by the Minute!

6/13/2012

I'm Getting Older by the Minute!

Dear Readers:

My transformation into a senior citizen is becoming more complete with every passing day.  Not only am I now eligible for social security (which I don't intend to take until I absolutely have to - besides the royalties from Wilma will take care of me for years! (I wish).

Jeff and I are just two years away from being required to use Medicare with will probably be a paper nightmare that will only affect yours truly.

Today, I was told that I would benefit from hearing aids.  Isn't that dandy?  Now I wanted the hearing test because I'm missing out on some key words in conversations.  If you're whispering to me, it's likely I'm not hearing everything.  Sure I raise my eyebrows at hopefully the appropriate time during the conversation and a few uh huhs will buy me a lot of time.  Don't get me wrong I hear "some" words; but for sure not all.  At first the fact that I didn't hear whispering didn't bother me too much - and then lately I've noticed that I occasionally respond to questions that hasn't been asked.  Perfect example, a coworker asked me about the latest Mad Men episode and I could have sworn that he said something more like admin, so I answered with a comment that had nothing whatsoever to do with the television show.  Once he repeated Mad Men again then my light bulb came on, and I was able to finish up the conversation with some dignity.  This, unfortunately, is happening more often than I care to admit.

Today I had a hearing test at Hopkins and they tell you to press the buzzer when you hear the beep and believe me I WANTED to hear the beeps which are either faint, low or high sounds.  So after the test they confirmed what I was pretty sure I already knew - I have a hearing loss - not a major one - but it's there nonetheless.  I go back in another month for a hearing aid consultation and you know what that means.  This is when they roll out the 10 year financial payment plan to "assist" you in paying for this necessity.  I'm pretty sure - nope positive that there is going to be a comma in the purchase price, although they do allow me a trial period.  And ladies get this, the kind they are recommending for me will go over my ear and they try and match your hair color.  Isn't that nice of them?

So until I'm outfitted, bare with me if I give you that blank stare after you finish talking.  I may be trying to formulate an answer that will be appropriate regardless of what I heard or didn't hear!

This unfortunate piece of hearing aid business has just come on the heels of my needing glasses.  The adjustment is minor but now affects 6 pairs of glasses (2 reading, 2 computer, 1 pair of sunglasses and 1 regular pair).  I only bought one pair of frames (and cheap ones at that); but still my lenses and one pair of frames had a comma too.

Perhaps Jeff may reconsider extending my contract this year - my maintenance costs are certainly on the rise and I can't say the same thing for the body!

Later,  P