I am a hearing specialist who also happens to have a hearing loss. I was at a new product launch in Toronto about a week ago and I was fit with new hearing aids. I am kind of the guinea pig, as the manufacturer’s know I will tell them the truth about how I am hearing. I was fit with a pair of new custom in the canal hearing aids with their new S Series IQ technology.

These hearing aids are not only more comfortable than any that I have had before but there are sounds that I am hearing that I have not heard in 40 years. For example we were in the Library bar at the Royal York, there was faint music playing and I asked if the music I was hearing was inside the bar or outside in the hall as I had never heard this before.

The people I was with were amazed that I could even detect the music. We sat in classrooms all day Friday and most of the day on Saturday. I was amazed at how well I could hear and was not physically exhausted as usually by noon I would have to struggle to listen the rest of the day, this time I was totally relaxed. Friday night we went bowling, as we waited for the bus I was standing outside and heard vehicles going by.

I heard the tire noise on dry pavement for the first time in 40 years. I was not looking forward to going bowling as I do not do well in bowling alleys because they are so loud but I followed the group, when I arrived it was loud and busy but I had no problem hearing the people that I was bowling with and the noise level did not bother me.

On Saturday night we had a dinner and dance. I was so pleased that I could actually hear the words to songs that the band was singing I stayed longer than normal.

All this in 48 hours was truly amazing to me and the people I was with as they are so used to having to repeat themselves or talk into my better ear. This weekend they did not have to do that.