It's been a long time since I posted.  Last year I sold my business, and consequently abandoned blogging.  I now work as an Audiologist at SoundSkills where we assess and treat children with Auditory Processing Disorder.  It's a huge change from what I have been doing for the previous ten years, but rewarding and challenging to be doing something different!

Easter Holidays and Sudden Hearing Loss

Easter is almost only a distant memory now, but I spent some of it at the beach with the kids.  They had a really lovely time - I think it's great for the kids to get out of Auckland, and away from all the electronics they seem addicted to.  They played on the beach, made sand-castles, swam (yes they did!), played cricket in the backyard, and even had a couple of fishing trips.  Here's a photo of them in the hut they built.  I must admit that the day they built it they had dinner, and watched TV in it, so it wasn't a complete electronic holiday!

During these holidays I had a sudden hearing loss.  It was incredibly disturbing.  During the night my right ear was itchy, and I gave it a rub, and my hearing disappeared.  Not completely, but so significantly that I felt decidedly lop-sided.  I slept poorly that night, and awoke to find that the hearing remained decreased.  It occurred to me that I was going to need to call in a favour from a local audiologist to open up in the weekend to look in my ear, and carry out a hearing test!  Anyway, I had a shower, and ran lots of hot water into my ear, and eventually my hearing came good.  So, it must have been wax.  But, I have a completely different understanding now of how disconcerting it is to hear with one ear, and how worrying it is to not know why your hearing has suddenly changed.  I think that a visit to an Ear Nurse is in order!

Hearing Aid Work in Fiji

Debbie (our receptionist at Manurewa) and I have just returned from a few days in Fiji. We carried out voluntary work at the Nadi Special School. This school serves as a hub for services for children with suspected and confirmed hearing loss.

While I carried out hearing tests (and an audiologist from Phonak fitted hearing aids), Debbie carried out servicing and repairs on the hearing aids.

As there are no other formal services for hearing in Fiji we were most frequently identifying hearing loss and fitting hearing aids to school aged children. The children, families, and teachers were so grateful for anything that we did, so it was extremely rewarding.

Debbie will be pleased to tell you of all the scares I had while I was there. On one occasion I pulled out a drawer (to use for testing), and as I carried it towards the child I realised it held a black, two-inch cockroach. Needless to say, I dropped the drawer. Another time I pulled out a box (of hearing aids), and a large spider ran out at me (I dropped the box). The final time the same box was out again, and a lizard unexpectedly darted out (this time I wasn't holding the box, or it may have been dropped again!). The local Fijians found my reactions to their common critters extremely funny. It's obvious to me now - I wasn't only there to provide hearing services - I was also providing all the laughs!

Wet, wet, summer!

Well, I do recall the Met Service promising in October that we were in for a long, hot, Indian Summer. While it never eventuated, I guess it gave us something to look forward to!

This summer we've had Mithila with us. Mithilia has completed her first year of her Master of Audiology degree (at the University of Auckland), and is about to start her final year. Mithila sat in on client appointments, and contributed (under supervision) where her skills allowed. We loved having Mithila with us, and wish her well in the final stretch of her Masters Degree - writing the Thesis!

We are just putting together the final parts of our Autumn Newsletter, and aim to have that out at the beginning of March. We have an interesting competition in it, so keep your eyes out for it!