To be honest, wearing hearing aids can be a blessing, but there are moments when they are a curse. Moments when my brain is fried from trying to decipher conversations in loud environments. Moments when lip reading isn't enough. Moments when I can't wear my hearing aids because they're making me bonkers... literally. Moments like today.
Today, I am taking a hiatus from my hearing devices because they're making me physically ill. Imagine wearing a microphone that sends sound directly to your brain for fifteen hours a day. Not only does the device make your ears itchy and annoyed, but the sheer number of hours listening to high pitched, whiny feedback, is enough to make the toughest of the tough curl into a fetal position and rock back and forth. Being profoundly hard of hearing is not easy, but it is my normal.
So, on days like today, I take out my ears (what my family calls my hearing aids), lay in bed, rest, and do a little work from my computer. I am unable to teach on days like today because I can't hear my students, or the staff around me, which makes me feel like an outlander. Not only that, my vertigo is acting up, and don't get me started on the migraines. No, the best thing for me to do is to take naps and wait for this to pass.
For a woman who struggles with resting, this isn't a fun day at the park. There are things I have to get done: chores to do, work to finish, and dinners to prepare. Yet, I have to take these rest days. If I ignore my body, one day off will turn into three, and I'll end up getting a serious infection all because I didn't give my ears a chance to rest.
One day soon, I will be able to wear my hearing devices less. I will be able to work strictly from home and days like today will be a distant memory. But until that time, I will take these necessary health days. I will take my hearing devices off, allowing my ears to breathe, and I will be better for it. Sometimes being deaf is the only answer I have to quiet the throbbing of my mind.