And my hearing is..........

I just started ENT this week. So far it's quite good. The doctors are very nice. The specialty itself is very varied. Quite a grab bag of medicine.

Yesterday, they were showing me how a hearing assessment is done. The explanation was quite detailed, and a bit over my head.

"Any questions?" the audiologist asked.

"Can you test my ears?" I ask.

I'm led into a sound proof room. The padding is such that there aren't any echoes. Now I know most of us associate echoes with caverns, caves and gullies, but you will know immediately when you're in a room without echoes. It's as if any noise you make is swallowed up by the walls. I sit in a chair and little hearing pieces are inserted into my ears. The task is simple. Little buzzes of varying frequencies and volumes will be played into my ears. All I do is give a sign if I hear a sound.

I have a classmate watching me through the glass. I ignore him completely. I screw my eyes tight. I focus until sweat appears on my brow, like the dew that kisses a can of soda in the summer heat. I've played piano all my life. I sing all the time. I should have super hearing. BAT-like hearing.

There! Was that a buzz? On the very edge of my consciousness! Was that a buzz? Why am I hearing constant buzzing? Is my mind creating noises? Focus focus focus focus focus focu..

I feel a tap on my back.

"Your tests are abnormal. One ear is hearing better than the other. I'm going to replace the right earpiece to make sure."

WHAT! I don't know what to feel. What's this mean? Maybe I should be glad that we caught this on random testing.

More buzzes.

And I'm normal. The ear-piece was malfunctioning. My hearing is normal. Not hyperacute, not asymmetric. Normal.