All I can say is "WOW"!

This might be a long post, but I have something to share with you. Many years ago, in 1952, I had either the chickenpox or measles. I don't recall which, but I was in school and missed a lot of school that winter. It was then that I began losing my hearing. I guess that was not uncommon then. Then, at age 9 or 10, I had a tumor on my left eardrum. I didn't understand why Mom and Dad were so upset about that, because at the time the word "malignant" meant nothing to me. I just remember Mom shedding tears, Dad being worried, and them taking me to a ENT who treated my ear with some stuff called "radium" on a thin stick. I had to go twice a week. I remember Mom talking to me about a "growth" about the size of a pencil eraser, and that Doc. Seward was treating it to make it go away.
After that, I could not hear well in the left ear, but the right one compensated for the loss, and life went on. At age 20, I was having drainage from the left ear, so I went to another ENT Dr. He said that infection was eroding my mastoid cavity on the left side, so I had what was called a "modified-radical mastoidectomy" which robbed me of even more hearing. But it also made my left ear "safe." I always wore earplugs in swimming and whenever water might come in contact with that ear. Many years later, I had to have another mastoid surgery and the Dr. that did that one said that I had scar tissue built up that caused my ear to be infection prone. Then he tried a cochlea implant. he hoped that would improve my hearing. Alas, my body rejected it and it had to removed. I have worn a high powered hearing aid in that ear since 2001. It helped, but since so much of the inner ear was damaged through the years, there isn't a whole lot to work with.
Now, I am losing the hearing in my right ear just due to old age, I guess. I have had some problems with that ear, too. But nothing super major. I have allergies and stuff and my internal drainage tubes (I can't spell them) don't work any more. That all works to make the hearing loss. BUT, I have new hearing aids. They were a gift from my dear brother. I went to the Beltone office and had them programmed just Tuesday and all I can say about this experience is "WOW!" I am hearing things that I don't think I ever have heard, or at least not for a very long time. I can hear the fridge running, clocks ticking, and the furnace. Birds were chirping this morning and I was marveling at how much noise traffic makes. Even the mouse on my computer makes a clicking sound that I have never heard.
Last night at choir practice I was astounded by how good we sound. I knew we were good, but I never realized that we were wonderful!
And you know that little dial on the TV that has numbers from 0 to infinity for volume? Well, usually I watch TV on about 28 to 32. Last night we watch a show and the volume was set on 17. And the commercials were too loud. How great is that!! It's like getting a new lease on life. I am gonna like this a whole lot!