Tag: NHS

Hard of hearing…

That’s me now.

I’ve been noticing having trouble hearing in certain situations for a few months now. I just wasn’t sure if it was in my head, or was it real. An incident a couple of months ago – R clearly heard someone while I could barely make out that they were talking – prompted me to get the hearing officially checked.

Today was the day. I had a hearing test done at the hospital, followed by an appointment with a consultant to discuss the results. It’s official – I have moderate to severe hearing loss, on higher frequencies, in both my ears. The hearing on lower frequencies is completely normal. I may also have mild tinnitus.

All in all, bad news all around.

The equal hearing loss in both ears indicates that it could not be because of a growth or deformity in one ear, and is likely genealogical. Which also means there is no cure. The hearing will continue to worsen, hopefully very slowly. She’s prescribed hearing aids for me (at 38!). I also need to go for an MRI, just so they can rule out any other possible reasons.

I don’t want hearing aids1. And I don’t want hearing loss. I went in hoping they’ll say that I have grossly dirty ears and need to clean them regularly. Not that I’m losing hearing early and need to wear hearing aids, and could even go clinically deaf if the hearing loss speeds up.

I’m scared. I’m unhappy. And the only person who makes me happy at these times2 is himself under anaesthesia, getting a growth on his head surgically removed :(

I’m very, very unhappy.

  1. NHS only provides big, behind the ear hearing aids. They do provide them free though. Or I could go private and get those tiny, barely visible in-ear ones. My preference: None >>>>>>>>>>>>> In-ear ones >>>> NHS ones. Can I have none please? :( ↩
  2. He’s also probably half the cause of my hearing loss – with his loud, high-pitch whining, and super-loud barking at the cat across the street. ↩

Yet another refused blood donation due to low haemoglobin :(

Last time I was refused, I’d run a 5K that morning, and half marathon the weekend before. This time I took 10 days off running and cycling (except for a 5K last evening).

Last time I was drinking 5ml of an Iron supplement, Feroglobin, 3-4 times a week. Now I drink 15ml of that supplement every day.

I’ve also increased spinach intake – both in my smoothie and in regular diet, through lentils and other dishes.

And yet, the haemoglobin count actually fell from 133g/l to 131g/l. It isn’t unhealthy, but under the threshold, 135g/l, below which NHS doesn’t accept donations.

I’m confused (and pissed at myself) – my first donation had a count of 142. My last accepted donation had a count of 136. My exercise levels have gone up substantially since then, but so has my Iron intake, both as supplement and in form of iron-rich foods.

What else could I do? :(

P.S.: If I test low haemoglobin count at my next donation as well, I’ll be struck off NHS’ donor list for good :'(