Kestrell

Thanks to David who originally said, "You don't own it until you alter it," and to Alexx for making the tat sticker, and to Carla for the comics.

The tat is actually a very small sticker with the finder glyph from the graphic novel Finder (yes, this is another prosthetic mod based on a graphic novel featuring a character with shapeshifter abilities).
You can see a picture on Alexx's LJ
http://alexx-kay.livejournal.com/307388.html

Yesterday I went to one of the audiologists at Boston Medical Center to get fitted for my new hearing aid.

While my hearing loss is only categorized as "moderate," we all agree that hearing loss of any sort which interferes with localization for a blind person is significant. Also, I miss a lot of what people say if there is a background noise, like the TV, or running water, or the dishwasher, or another conversation, or one of those annoying people who crinkle bags or play with a beeping device while someone on a panel is speaking. Still, it's pretty clear from things the audiologists say that a lot of people opt to not get hearing aids.

Of course, one reason why a lot of people probably go without hearing aids is that they cost $1400, and health insurance tends not to cover any of the cost.
This also explains why I keep hearing TV commercials for cheap hearing aids, including
the Lee Majors bionic hearing aid commercial
https://www.getleemajorsbionicear.com/default.aspx?mid=884417&a=115739&s=CD5447-&ClickID=06_39223192_13f64784-3245-4b31-b363-79c695df8e13

Anyway, for $1400 you get a digital hearing aid with a computer chip wich is programmed according to your particular loss of hearing and a hearing aid which is shaped to your particular ear shape. You also get to choose a number of options. I wanted a hearing aid with a volume control, since I am also sensitive to noise, so I chose one with a rocker switch on the outside. I also chose the sort of hearing aid which fits over the outside of the ear, which is basically two pieces, the little microphone/volume switch part which goes outside the ear and the speaker part which nestles closer to the inside of the ear. Plus, I got to choose to have it in purple (second color choice: silver). There was a catalogue for a company called Resound which had one hearing aid called "Leaf," which was leaf green, but, sadly, it wasn't available in the kind of hearing device I needed.

The fitting part involved taking a kind of pink putty/clay which was used to take an impression of the inside of my left ear, after the audiologist put in a tiny cotton ball with a string on it, which I promptly dubbed the "ear tampon." Once the putty stuff has hardened, the audiologist pops it out and the impression, along with the specifics of your order, is sent off to the hearing aid company.

So I now have one more appt. for the medical extravaganza on June 30, when I see the otolaryngologist, the audiologist (twice--once for a hearing test and once for the hearing aid), the rheumotologist, the neurologist, and the radiology dept for a mammogram. After this, I will come home and have ice cream. Maybe even ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.