Hard of Hearing: My experience with hearing loss and the Lyric extended wear hearing aid

Few people outside my tight-knit circle of family and friends know that I have a hearing impairment. For better or worse, it has been a closely guarded secret ever since I first became aware of my problem around age 12. At that tender age I also realized that it’s one of the few handicaps that people still consider socially acceptable to make fun of. My problem is hereditary. My dad is hearing impaired, both his parents are, and so are several of my aunts, uncles and cousins on his side of the family. I am the oldest of five children, and four of us inherited this hearing loss. I am fortunate to have the mildest case.

When I needed to get glasses at age 8, my mom and my recently bespectacled cousin prepared me for the jeers I might receive at school. Fortunately “four-eyes” proved to be about as outdated as “groovy”, and glasses just weren’t something that people made fun of anymore. Quite a few other students in my class sported glasses, and one of my friends had the exact same frames. It was fine.

Hearing impairment was a different story. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Say “what?” one too many times, or remain oblivious to instructions that you didn’t hear, and you’re jokingly dubbed “deaf”, not only by fellow students, but also by teachers and other adults who aren’t aware of your problem. I wanted to disappear when some teachers who were aware of my disability singled me out in front of the whole class, spilling my secret and telling me that I would need to sit in the front. It’s not that hearing-impaired people like me are humorless, but it’s disheartening when people who can’t sympathize with the challenges treat it so flippantly. It’s not something I felt inclined to laugh along with. Once I was fortunate enough to have a hearing aid, I had to contend with people gawking at the flesh-colored wad of plastic in my ear—something that only elderly grandma’s and grandpa’s wore. If I forgot that I was wearing the aid and accidentally rested my ear against my hand, I’d broadcast the high-pitched whistle caused by feedback, eliciting more giggles.

Not even medical professionals were above cruelty. I remember my mother being deeply hurt, and even more infuriated, when my oldest brother’s ENT suggested that my young brother should never have children, in order to avoid sharing his hearing problem with another generation. Did he feel that the world would have been a better place had all five of us never been born? Should a condition so easily helped with ever-evolving and improving technology be sufficient reason for my brother never to experience the joys of a family of his own if he so chose?

My family never had much, and hearing aids for four children were prohibitively expensive. Fortunately there were county programs that covered the costs for us, though we weren’t able to take advantage of the latest technology or the smallest hearing aids. Looking back, I am ashamed that I didn’t appreciate the assistance and was so concerned about what my peers at school would think, that it wasn’t long before I stopped wearing my hearing aids at all. By the time I had matured enough not to care what people thought, I was too old to qualify for the program.

I completed college and worked for years without the help of a hearing aid. I made do by placing myself in the front of lecture halls and asking people to repeat themselves if I couldn’t understand them. I got used to closed captioning on the TV and simply not understanding everything said in movies or songs if I didn’t have headphones at my disposal. There were plenty of embarrassing moments, but for the most part I made do. I didn’t see fit to tell anyone about my problem, except for my future husband. I remember feeling like a nervous wreck on the day I finally decided to tell him about my hearing impairment, and that any future children we might have could end up with the same thing. Keeping in mind my brother’s ENT, I thought that maybe it was a deal-breaker for “normal” people, even if I couldn’t understand that myself. But my fears were overblown—my future husband didn’t care. We would deal with the problem if and when it manifested itself in our future children.

And so I lived for nearly fifteen years with no hearing aids at all. I was used to it, but I was also becoming increasingly frustrated. It was embarrassing asking people to repeat themselves. Once I became a mom, I relied on my husband to hear our baby cry in the night—once I was in a deep sleep, even the baby monitor wouldn’t wake me. I missed people at the door if I was upstairs. I worried that I might not hear a smoke alarm or know if an intruder had broken into the house. When I began teaching a college class, I wore myself out having to walk up to each student who had a question—even though the class size was small, the voices didn’t carry across the room.

I was very happy for my Dad when he told me he had won a free year’s supply of a new hearing aid called Lyric in a contest. My parents have fallen on difficult financial times in recent years, and paying for new hearing aids was out of the question for him. I am always concerned about my dad and my siblings who have a harder time than I do—if I ever won the lottery, setting them up with the latest technology would be first on my agenda. Unfortunately, Dad’s hearing loss is so severe that the Lyric aids didn’t provide enough boost for him. I felt awful, but Dad saw an opportunity. He asked the company if rather than accepting the other option, a free trip, he could transfer the hearing aid prize to someone else who needed it. They graciously allowed him to do so, and he offered his prize to me.

At this point in my life, I couldn’t care less what other people think of hearing aids. That I didn’t have any aids was due strictly to our financial situation. The free hearing aids were a blessing; the fact that they would also be invisible was icing on the cake—not crucial, but sweet.

I started the process with a hearing test at the audiologist’s office. I was thrilled to discover that my hearing loss had not progressed significantly, if at all, over the many years since I was last tested. One of my ears had mild loss, and the other was mild to moderate. The particular pattern of loss that my family deals with can seem more severe than it is, however, since mid-range frequencies (primarily conversation) is most affected. The audiologist measured my ear canals to ensure that the devices would fit in both ears and declared me a prime candidate for Lyric hearing aids.

Lyric extended wear hearing aids are not your typical hearing aid. They are placed deep inside the ear canal, close to the eardrum where they can create more natural amplification. For that reason, they must be inserted by a professional. Also unusual is the fact that they are not removed daily; Lyrics are worn until the battery runs out, then they are disposed of and a new unit must be inserted. They are tiny devices that resemble an earplug. They are water resistant, and as long as the fit is correct, they can be worn in the shower without worry of damage.

My audiologist inserted the Lyric in my right ear without a problem, but my left ear put up a fight. There was a painful spot (most likely originating from removal of impacted earwax) that brought me to tears when she inserted the device. We needed to allow a couple more weeks for my left ear to heal and relax before attempting to insert another device. The audiologist chose a smaller size for that ear, and although it was still uncomfortable going in, it has not presented any extended problems.

Growing accustomed to hearing aids is a lengthy process. I didn’t understand that as a kid, and I believe that is part of the reason I was reluctant to wear my hearing aid back then. Lyric comes with its own set of issues that make the process a little bit more difficult, but very worthwhile. The first thing I noticed after my audiologist inserted my first Lyric and turned it on was the ton of bricks lifted from my shoulders as I listened to her talk and heard every word she said without any effort at all. I cannot explain the feeling. I had never before realized the tremendous amount of energy and concern I had channeled into simply hearing someone talk, even at close range. I almost felt like crying.

Once I left the comfort of the audiologist’s office, though, I was a little bit less confident about the device. I realized that I was hearing everything all at once: every person talking, every office machine, the rustling of the fabric of my coat sleeves. I couldn’t listen to the radio in the car because the engine noise and the sound of the tires on the road seemed to have equal priority. I remembered the reassurances from my dad and the audiologist that my brain needed to “re-learn” hearing and it would get better. It seemed to me beyond the scope of what my brain could do, but I hoped they were right—there were times when I felt that I preferred my poor natural hearing to this artificial sounding electronic hearing. But I held on to that feeling in the audiologist’s office when I first heard her talk with my hearing aid, and I knew that I would try.

Then, there were the physical aspects of adjusting to the Lyric hearing aids. I never realized how sensitive the ear canal is; I learned that a simple cotton swab can cause tremendous irritation, even if used safely. My ears are no exception, and if anything they are more sensitive than most. They didn’t take kindly to the objects residing semi-permanently inside, and I felt that I had a mild ear infection. The ear canal will swell slightly as it reacts to the Lyric, and this is completely normal. I read that the adjustment period, which is usually about three days, can be longer for some people. My right ear took about a week, while my left ear has taken close to two weeks. The almost constant pain, though not severe, made me feel a little bit sick. I used acetaminophen as recommended, and that helped greatly…though I have to admit there were times when I wanted to take the things out!

Other Lyric users claimed that after a while they forgot they were wearing the things—their ears adjusted, and they no longer felt the object inside. That was hard for me to believe, and the initial sensation of simultaneously having a plugged ear and superior hearing was difficult for my mind to reconcile. But once the pain went away and my ears accepted the Lyrics, the sensation of a foreign object in my ear really did go away. Apart from occasional itching, my Lyric hearing aids are completely comfortable. I don’t know yet if I will have an adjustment period when my next set of aids are inserted. If so, I expect it will be easier.

It’s been about a month and a half since my first Lyric was inserted, and I couldn’t be happier. Although I didn’t believe it would happen, I truly have adjusted to my “new” hearing. My mind naturally filters out background noises, and I am once again able to listen to the radio in the car. I’m not processing every little noise I hear. When I’m in the classroom, I’m able to hear and answer my students’ questions from behind the desk. Recently, I was annoyed when the ringing phone woke me from a much-needed nap…until I realized that only a few weeks before the phone ringing, downstairs, would not have woken me, because I would not have heard it. I was more amazed and grateful than annoyed.

I no longer care about whether people know I wear hearing aids, so the invisibility factor isn’t important to me, but it’s nice. There are more practical aspects of the Lyric extended wear hearing aid that I truly appreciate. I don’t need to worry about replacing hearing aid batteries, which is not only an inconvenience, but also a safety issue—those tiny batteries are deadly if swallowed, and with a toddler in the house that is an important concern. I don’t have the stress of worrying about misplacing, dropping or breaking removable hearing aids. It is nice having the security of being able to hear all night long in case there was an emergency. The Lyric aids are very easy to adjust. The audiologist pre-programs the devices to match my hearing levels, but I can adjust the volume or turn the aids off myself with a little magnetic “wand” that I insert into my ear. 

Lyric hearing aids are wonderful devices, but they’re not for everybody. For one thing, the cost is prohibitive for many people. Currently, a Lyric hearing aid in each ear will cost more than $3,000 annually. As much as I enjoy my Lyrics, I won’t be able to afford that cost once the year is up, so I will need to seek out an affordable standard hearing aid (there is no way I will go back to nothing). Hopefully the cost will come down as more advances are made and the technology is more widely adopted. Besides the hefty price tag, convenience is another issue for some. The Lyrics, which will last three to four months at best, must be inserted by a trained professional (they can be removed at home in an emergency or when the battery goes dead). Since only a limited number of audiologists currently deal with Lyric hearing aids, the required travel may be too much. It’s a 45 minute drive for me. Although I haven’t used a standard hearing aid recently to make a comparison, I do believe I would prefer the Lyric if I had the means to pay for it.

I am so grateful to my dad, my audiologist and Lyric for restoring my hearing. I am very excited about all of the advances being made in the audiology field that will help people like me, my family, and future generations realize their full potential in a world that isn’t always kind to them.

DISCLOSURE (what’s this?): I am not affilliated with Lyric in any way. I wrote this review independently based on my own experiences using the product.

Jennifer Roberts

is the founder, designer and author of Jen Spends Less. Formerly an architectural drafter and designer, Jen cut her spending and embraced a frugal lifestyle to be a stay at home mom.

21 thoughts on “Hard of Hearing: My experience with hearing loss and the Lyric extended wear hearing aid”

  1. Hi Jen,

    What a touching story about your hearing loss and your experiences of rejection as a child. I never thought that children would see someone’s hard-of-hearing as a reason to tease, but I guess anything that renders a person different can make her a target.

    I also found equally as moving how you dealt with your hearing as you grew up, went to college, found a husband and had children. Amazing how you managed to deal with this handicap so well.

    I’m sure this post will be extremely helpful to anyone who has experienced a similar situation, especially the review of the Lyrics device.

    I hope you can somehow continue with them, or find something equally as helpful!

    Best wishes,
    Amy

    Reply
  2. Jen,

    I absolutely LOVE this review, but even more so your courage to tell your “secret” handicap. I too live with hearing loss, and struggle daily to hear what people are saying. My husband, unlike yours, does NOT understand how difficult it is and is constantly frustrated with my mumblings and what? and loud television. I’ve missed so much of what people say by just nodding in agreement and then hoping someone else heard so I can ask, “What did she say?”. I’m sure you can relate.
    I thank-you for speaking up for all hearing impaired – the ones we see and the ones we don’t. 🙂

    Reply
    • Thank you Andrea! I had no idea you had hearing loss…I can definitely relate to how you feel. Even though my husband is aware of my problem, he still has his moments when he kind of forgets and gets frustrated if I have to make him repeat himself or if I “don’t listen”. It’s something that other people have difficulty relating to if they haven’t been through it themselves.

  3. Hi Jen,
    I was searching the net for people who’ve had similar experiences to mine. Your experiences at school are very much like mine! But I didn’t get hearing aids until I was 19, and I’ve had them for about a year now.. Thank you so much for sharing your story!

    Reply
    • Thanks for reading my story! I think there are a lot of young people with hearing problems, they’re just afraid to speak up. I hope more and more people will share their experiences so that “normal” people will be more understanding and accepting.

  4. I was searching the net for people who’ve had similar experiences to mine. Your experiences at school are very much like mine! But I didn’t get hearing aids until I was 19, and I’ve had them for about a year now.. Thank you so much for sharing your story!

    Reply
  5. Wow, thanks for sharing.

    “At that tender age I also realized that it’s one of the few handicaps that people still consider socially acceptable to make fun of.”

    Stuttering seems the same way. People seem to think it’s funny to make fun of those who have the issue.

    I stuttered horribly as a child. Now, I still have to concentrate once in a while to get a word out, but it’s mostly gone. Growing up was quite miserable though. Lots of fights! Sigh.

    Reply
    • Oh, that must have been so awful for you! Yes, that’s another one that people can still be very cruel about. Now that my oldest is in school it bothers me even more to think of kids being made fun of.

  6. “Now that my oldest is in school it bothers me even more to think of kids being made fun of.”

    Yes! If I ever caught my child being cruel to another, they’d be punished for a while. Same thing for animals. Even the little ball-bugs (sow bugs) that roam our sidewalks.

    Reply
  7. I gave just started wearing Lyric Hearing Aids and I am very pleased with them. They are expensive but the quality if life they enable for me is worth it, I think. How are you doing now? Were you able to find a good, inexpensive alternative hearing aid?
    Also, do you have some thoughts on how we can lessen the stigma if deafness? That wouldn’t happen in this day and age, but I know it does.
    Thank you for posting your story.

    Reply
    • Thank you for reading, Trowby! I’m glad the Lyrics are working for you. At this point I do not have any hearing aids at all. Things came up and we just couldn’t find the funds. But, I’m hoping to get some in the coming months–we’ll be heading to England in July, and I’ll enjoy the trip so much more if I don’t have to strain extra hard to understand all the accents. My hearing hasn’t worsened over the years, so I’ve been able to make do, but I am definitely looking forward to hearing properly again.

      I think one of the best ways to lessen the stigma is for deaf and hard of hearing people to be open, honest and forthcoming about their struggles. I used to try to hide my problem, and I know many people who still do, especially younger people. By being vocal about hearing loss, we can show the world that all kinds of people have this problem, not just elderly people. When I was an adjunct professor, I told my classes upfront that I was hearing impaired, and one student in particular told me how much that inspired her. Plus, she had a sister with the same problem. If we get teased for saying “What?”, we should stick up for ourselves, not let the person get away with it. I am not so shy about my hearing problem anymore.

  8. Hi Jen,
    I’ve been wearing Lyrics for a few years now. Love them. A couple of things that you might find interesting. First, the new Lyric (I think it is version 3) is more comfortable and seems to last longer.
    Secondly, I purchased only one, for my left ear. My right ear (or I should say brain) has comprehension issues, so increasing the volume would not help that ear much. Using only one aid was not only more cost effective but it also helped with music. I found that the Lyrics altered the perception of music, and wearing only one aid allowed me to appreciate music more.
    Third, I purchase the aids from my audiologist on an ala carte basis; no subscription. I suggested $300 per aid, and he was cool with that. The last one I got just keeled over, but is has lasted about 4 months. So figure roughly $1200 per year.
    Good luck.

    Reply
    • Thanks for sharing, Berl! It’s good to hear they have been working on improving the Lyric. Comfort is a really important factor. That’s great that you are able to pay for them a la carte–$1200 per year to have an aid 24/7 isn’t bad at all, in my opinion. I’m going to be looking into aids again in the coming year. Can’t wait!

  9. Thank you for sharing your story and experience with Lyric. I had Lyrics placed 3 days ago now and I feel much like you described – plugged ears with better hearing. Feels like I have a headcold in my ears only. I pray that my ears adjust soon and I eventually don’t notice them. Besides the soreness they are truly wonderful. If the pain goes away I will defiantly stick with Lyric. They are expensive but I can work them into my budget in order to improve my quality of life.

    Reply
  10. Thanks very much for this article. I just got Lyrics about 2-3 weeks ago, and had problems with music perception and that tiny little silence that follows a high-pitched sound. I don’t know if I had a head-cold or what, but I felt non-stop pressure in one ear, to the point where I was driving one day and pulled over and took out that tool and took it out. I was also very bothered by music perception–I felt as if I’d lost my ability to hear harmonics and timbre. My audiologist is out of town for a few weeks–bad timing!–and I’m still in my trial period. So I’ve been living with the Lyric in one hear (for conversation) and regular (moderate loss) hearing in the other ear (for music).
    Nice to know that other people `get it’. I’ve actually thought about keeping the Lyric in one ear and a hearing aid in my other ear so I can hear better and hear music, too.
    Also appreciated hearing that the overwhelming input of noise from everywhere calms down–stores are horrible!

    Reply
  11. Jenn, so glad to hear your story! I’m literally going threw the exact same thing, like exact. I’m having an issue with my left ear. I’m gonna go in tomorrow as it’s my 4th day, to see if the size needs to be adjusted. I can’t even feel the aid in my right ear anymore but my left ear is super tender and I have some sharp pains every now and again with lots of
    pressure. I’m hoping it’s just a size issue or maybe it was inserted a little too deep. Otherwise, if my left felt like my right, I’d be sold 100%. Glad to hear everyone else is experiencing the same thing I am with the car being extra loud, the music being 2nd priority in the car, stores being overwhelming with noise. I am a hairstylist and I’m dreading going back to work because of the constant blow dryers and talking. Water sounds insane, chip bags will be the death of me. Ha! But thank you again for sharing your story. It gives me major hope!

    Hoping for good news tomorrow!

    Claudia

    Reply

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