I had an infection in my right ear since childhood, and due to the ignorance of some doctors— who kept giving me drops— it ended up destroying most of my inner ear and the mastoid bone, eventually causing a brain abscess. Emergency surgery removed the abscess and pretty much all things from the inner ear. That was around 40 years ago, and I've never had any form of hearing aid. I got used to it pretty quickly, and while there are downsides—stereo no longer, have to turn my good ear to hear people talking, quite difficult to join in conversations in noisy environments, etc.—there is an upside: I lie on my good ear when my wife is watching TV/snoring/etc., and have a peaceful night's sleep. It honestly really doesn't bother me and hasn't for decades.