What Did You Say?

With aging parents comes diminished hearing. We've been struggling with my mother-in-law's inability to hear for years now. While I do respect a person's right to choose what they want to do concerning their health, it's very sad to see her isolation from the family and the world in general, simply because she can't (or won't) hear. She did finally succumb to our nagging last summer, got hearing aids, wore them twice, and then returned them. My father bought two different sets of hearing aids but hardly ever wore them, so my patience with stubborn people who refuse to help themselves when help is available has worn thin over the years.

And now it is my turn. I've known for the past year or so that I no longer hear as well as I used to. Sometimes John and I sound like a Laurel and Hardy sketch at dinner. He'll say something; I'll answer "Huh?", and his reply is "What?" I did consult an audiologist who thought that hearing aids might help me, but with our high deductible health insurance and the incredibly high cost of hearing aids, I decided to look for a lower-cost alternative if possible.

So imagine my excitement when our long-delayed Costco finally began showing some progress recently. It was started over four years ago, with lots of digging and site preparation, followed by years of lawyers battling over NJ codes and regulations. Someone finally won (or made enough money) and our Costco is supposed to open this fall. While I'm excited about being able to buy reasonably priced pure vanilla, cheese, and giant bears, the thing I'm most looking forward to is Costco's hearing aid center. I know of at least six people who have been happy with their hearing aids (and the cost) from Costco, so that's where I'll be headed soon after their doors open, hopefully hearing better at a better price.