I have been setting on something for a bit now that I want to share and hopefully encourage others.
I was diagnosed with hearing loss at about age 4. I was given a hearing aid that didn't really help much, because the technology just wasn't there for it. As I grew older, the loss worsened, but I learned to compensate for it by watching people's lips and facial expressions.
I can never forget the jokes and people laughing at me as I struggled with this loss. I became depressed and would avoid social settings, because I struggled to communicate. I can remember sitting in a classroom trying to understand a teacher who was facing a chalkboard, then getting called on to answer a question, only to be laughed at because I never truly understood what the teacher said or misheard the sounds.
At 12 years old, I began playing drums, because I felt passionate about the beat. I could hear it and feel it more than the different notes played by most instruments. I loved that feel, the rush.
At 19, I tried to join the military. Doctors at a Military Entrance Processing Station looked at me after a hearing test and laughed, asking, "Son, why are you even here?" I left, feeling defeated again.
I was fortunate law enforcement took a chance on me. Though I struggled, I overcompensated to be able to do the job. I never let the lack of hearing hold me back.
Now comes a bit of truth: By the time I was 14 to 16, almost 50% of my hearing was gone.
A few months ago, my chief basically said I needed to get my hearing checked, so I did. That's when I found Nathan Darby of Chenal Hearing in Little Rock. I knew going in he would test me, and I feared the hearing loss would be worse -- and I was right.
Another 12 percent loss.
I felt my heart stop, and I was scared. I was afraid of what he was going to tell me. He said he was surprised I had no structural damage, which means the issue possibly is between the ear and my brain. I was sick when I was 2 years old, likely with meningitis or something similar that caused the hearing loss.
Darby said technology improvements have led to in-ear aids that can be prescribed for an individual's level of hearing loss. I had never been told hearing devices could be prescribed. Darby said if I were interested, he would order customized devices for me and asked me to come back in two weeks.
That was eight weeks ago.
I went back to Darby's office to get the new devices. He had me sit in a chair as he adjusted the settings, and immediately I could hear sounds I had never heard before.
He had Allie stand behind me and talk. I could understand her words without looking at her. What I didn't know was Darby was moving her out the door, then 30 feet down the hall, and she sounded as clear as if she were standing over me.
This is impossible!
I cried. I still cry thinking about this, because weeks later I am hearing things I never knew possible.
The first few weeks have been sensory overload. Darby said there is a 30- to 60-day adjustment period, so I have been wearing the devices non-stop in so many different environments. It's like living in a new world.
I hear so many things now. My son, he is loud. I can hear my TV without turning the volume past a couple clicks. I even can clearly hear my dogs. The first time I drove my old patrol unit, it rattled so much, I felt I needed to write it up for repairs.
I have been walking outside more, and nature sounds unlike anything I have ever heard.
The new devices connect to my phone like earbuds, so I get phone calls easier. I can listen to any streaming through my phone directly to the devices.
I have found a part of life I never knew existed, and I still cry when I hear things I never heard before.
I owe the chief a thank you for pushing me to do this. I never knew life sounded so good.
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Les Munn recently retired from Texarkana Arkansas Police Department after 25 years of service. He said he is looking forward to exploring and experiencing life -- and being able to hear the world anew.