The First Week

On the first evening I got my new HA's, the ride home was...almost indescribable, in a good way... Amanda joked that I was so quiet, but i was just taking in all the new sounds... I heard her voice and my own, quite clearly, and even though there was wind noise through the windows, it was ok... I noticed that whenever we'd hit a pothole or something, the low in them would make a distorted 'pop' like a bassdrum kick haha! But like my audie said, I can tweak them a little, and it'll be all good... The loudness of them was just fine, I saw I had them on 2, and it was just fine and comfortably loud. We went for lunch at TGIF's, and unbeknownst to either of us, it was a disorienting cacophony! (So I had to take them out for lunch...I tried turning them off instead, but I couldn't hear ANYTHING, so :P )

Listening to the radio in the car was a new experience; normally I've been so used to hearing pitches and such (especially guitars) in a quieter albeit clearer way, but they sounded a bit distorted and I found I had to pay attention harder to recognize the chords. AC/DC sounded kinda funny, because it just sounded like a bit of noise at first (now I guess I know why "elders" always tell you to "turn that racket off" haha), but in time and with a tad bit of tweaking, I'll train my ears again a bit, and I'll be on my way...

So far, the HA's are quite a good difference from the quietude of the last years! They are comfortable and I actually like wearing them. :) (I know you're not supposed to wear them to bed, but when I did one night, I pressed the little buttons and they beeped, and everything sounded very quiet, almost like a tiny, humming ocean; oddly comforting)... I notice how much clearer my own voice is (even if my actual speaking voice doesn't rise in volume to everyone else) and Amanda's voice and even can hear, surprisingly distinctly, people's conversations in the next aisle at the store, haha (that last part is kinda disorienting, because I really don't care to hear THAT far away hahaha)! I look forward to receiving my Music-Links soon and trying out my ipod, to see how music sounds, as a final "test" to see how everything will sound! Playing my guitars and hand-drums sound ok so far, too!

The other day was...interesting, to say the least... I was at the mall, and as I entered a bookstore, the alarm things went off! And they did it again as I left, even though I pressed the little buttons on my HAs, but could still hear a loud, HORRID, machine-y, "rerererere" noise as I got closer then passed through them. I had to go back in and show the lady at the desk, my HAs in my ears and try and tell her that they set it off. She looked at me funny then shrugged and said, "oh...OK". Kinda embarrassing. :\

Have you ever had that happen?
What would you advise (as to what to do in those situations, or what to do to my HA's)?
What is it in newer, digital HAs that cause the alarms to sound? Some kind of magnet or something?

I always appreciate readers' thoughts!

Peace,
~Justin