Wyn Murtagh
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New Hearing Association member Wyn Murtagh is a success story.
After being plagued with problems for 10 years stemming from fluid
in the ears, Wyn is now successfully using new hearing aids, and
doing speech reading classes at the Association’s Kent Terrace
rooms.
But it was a rocky road getting there, including a horror
trip to the USA.
Wyn takes up the story…
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FIRST SIGNS
During my working life I spent many years as a telephone operator,
but as I got older I realised that it was becoming quite hard to
hear the callers, even with the phone volume turned up to high. Later
I changed my type of employment, but realised that my hearing was
deteriorating.
After a lot of nagging from my daughter, I had my ears tested
and was assured the results would be sent to the hospital and I
would hear form them in about six weeks. I appeared to fall through
the system and never heard from the hospital. Twelve months later
I tried again, and eventually was tested at the hospital and was
recommended to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in Wellington.
GROMMETS HELPED SHORT-TERM
After about four visits, the doctor
decided to put grommets in my ears (to deal with a fluid problem).
I had this done at the Home of Compassion and the result was fine
for about six months, then back to square one again. By this time
I was watching TV rather like the silent movies, until I finally
got teletext, which was great.
In 2000, I decided to take a trip to the USA to visit my son in
Boston. This turned out to be a nightmare journey, as I was totally
deaf. Luckily, I stayed with friends in Auckland for a week prior
to my flight, and I was escorted to the airport and safely despatched
on to the plane.
Then the fun began
I am diabetic, but the airline had no food for me, even though
it had been pre-arranged. On arrival at Los Angeles, I found my
flight on to Boston had been cancelled, and needless to say, I
hadn’t a clue what the airport staff had to say to me.
After examining my ticket, I found I was travelling to Boston
via Denver, arriving in Boston at midnight. I needed to contact
my son to tell him of the changes, and I wrote all the details
down and handed it to a flight attendant who coped with that. When
I finally arrived in Boston looking like a zombie after living
on fruit juice for 30 hours, my son almost flipped. I couldn’t
hear a word he said and he was horrified.
The next move was to contact a Boston hospital and get an appointment.
After three weeks, I had an ear test, and two weeks later more
grommets were inserted. These lasted just over two months.
When I returned to New Zealand, I visited the hospital audiology
clinic again and once more I was told I had fluid behind my ear,
and advised to see the ear specialist again. One of the partners
of the practice is meant to see me, but I’m still waiting
to hear from him.
I had a hearing aid made for my right ear two years ago, but now
my hearing has deteriorated to a degree that this aid is no longer
any use.
HELP AT LAST!
I finally made it to the Hearing Association in Wellington and
was supplied with a 'Mini Tech' assistive device, and
it was just wonderful to hear what people said and not have to
watch the silent movies on TV.
Lidia Dabrowska arranged for me to have a hearing test by a private
hospital audiologist, and I was hopeful this would provide aids
that would put an end to problems that have plagued me for 10 years.
The new hearing aids have been good, and there have been several
visits to get them tuned. I am also doing speech reading and auditory
training classes at the Hearing Association.
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