We hear with our ears. When we begin to lose some of our hearing, properly-fitted hearing instruments can help us hear many of the sounds that go missing. That’s the good news. Here’s the not-so-good news. Hearing aids alone don’t solve a hearing problem because we...
Every person with hearing loss is unique. You are unique! No two people are alike and no two hearing losses are alike. I remember on several occasions having two patients with the same identical hearing losses when looking at their audiograms. I fit both of these...
Dear Friend of Avalon, This week, I want to tell you a touching story about one of my clients. Touching for her, her son and daughter, and for me. I hope it touches you, too. I had not seen Elaine for eight months. She had missed her last 4-month checkup in April...
It’s Tuesday and today, I seem to have very few words to share with you. This past weekend, I took two long walks with a dear friend. On Saturday, we walked in silence most of the time. On Sunday, we chatted the entire time, sharing our thoughts and stories. I...
Here’s a trick question for you: What do you hear, right now? My windows are open, so that I can enjoy the coolness of the early morning. I hear the soft breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees, the traffic noise at a distance, the mumbling voices of two women...
Abraham Lincoln’s most famous quote was, “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” When I ponder these words of wisdom, I find myself wondering how one can be happy during these unsettling times in America, and in our own community. Last...
This weekend, I was at the grocery store. I had lined up to be with one of my favorite cashiers because I love our little conversations and connection. But through our masks, the plexiglass partition, and the background noise of the store, I had no idea what Ruth was...
During the July 4th weekend, I spoke with an old friend about the state of our country. I moved from feeling frustrated and upset, wanting to blame someone, to sad and fearful because I know when I blame, it only upsets me even more. Frequently, I feel overwhelmed at...
Excerpt from “The Universal Sense: How Hearing Shapes the Mind” by Seth S. Horowitz HERE’S a trick question. What do you hear right now? If your home is like mine, you hear the humming sound of a printer, the low throbbing of traffic from the nearby...
This Saturday is July 4th. On Sunday, we have a full moon. And I feel nervous. Anxiety, irritation, and distraction seem to be more present as our society opens up, a little at a time. I see it in stores. A person walking down an aisle looking at her cell phone,...
