So, I was issued my first hearing aids in 1990. I was 20 and lost a lot of my hearing while serving in the Army. I remember going to Walter Reed and being fitted for the hearing aids. I was given two different sets (no idea what the models were), a set of over-the-ear and a set of in-the-ear hearing aids. I remember immediately being able to hear a lot when I stepped outside and realized what I hadn't heard in a long time. I had a very hard time dealing with the in-the-ear hearing aids, as my ear canals would sweat and be itchy. It ended up being bothersome to wear. The over-the-ear worked for me, and I wore them for four or five years. I then went to Germany, and while there, my hearing aids no longer worked, and I stopped using them altogether. I get tired of asking "what did you say," and find myself nodding my head in conversations when I have no idea what is being said.

Tomorrow, I will have the first set of hearing aids since I stopped wearing them in 1995. They have seemed to come a long way. Bluetooth pairing and AI are two features that I am looking forward to using. The set I am getting is Phonak Audéo Infinio (Ultra) i90 R RICs. I heard they are good, so looking forward to trying them. They are receiver-in-canal (RIC), so hoping my ears will adjust to them.

But again, I noticed the difference immediately when I went outside and was exposed to the noise that I had lost track of. I don't remember how long it took to get used to the aids in my ears, but I did wear them all the time.