Debbie Perry

“You hadn’t had a good night unless your ears were ringing!” says our client Debbie Perry, suggesting that loud music might be one of the reasons she developed chronic Tinnitus and reduced hearing in her early 20’s. She also worked in fringe theatre, having trained at Drama School, and at one point in her early career she was even exposed to close-up gunshot.

Debbie’s hearing loss journey has taken her from despair to delight, as she talks to us about how our Marlow based audiologist Kevin Jeffery has made a huge difference – giving her hearing hope, support, and motivation.

With moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and severe very high frequency loss, Debbie started wearing hearing aids in 2001. Unfortunately, her early audiology experiences left her believing her hearing was a lot worse than it was. “My hearing was so poorly managed, and I had no idea what was possible at the time. I was left feeling that nothing more could be done”.

She felt very isolated and having completed a teacher training certificate part-time while her son Joe was growing up, she was ready to return to work, but the idea worried her. As she says: “I couldn’t concentrate or listen properly, as I didn’t actually believe I could hear. I was hooked up to so many devices to enable me to study that I never thought it would be possible to go out to teach. I had become dependent on my family and was feeling low and isolated. I really didn’t feel I was able to work, and I had stopped socialising”.

In 2014, Debbie’s husband Mike, who has always been a fantastic support, persuaded her that it was time to seek further help. So, she googled “I need help to hear” – and found our number! Although initially sceptical and nervous due to her previous experiences, Debbie soon came to realise that our audiologist Kevin Jeffery would be a positive, stabilising factor in her return to hearing.

Debbie Perry, suggesting that loud music might be one of the reasons she developed chronic Tinnitus and reduced hearing in her early 20’s.

Her confidence was also boosted by knowing that if she had any problems with her hearing, she now had someone to turn to. She found group situations at university difficult, so Kevin suggested accessories to further enhance her hearing. Initially she tried the Roger Pen, but it didn’t give her the help she needed. So, Kevin moved her on to the Roger Select which she loves and still uses for her group teaching, her own studying, listening to music and podcasts. He also recommended the Phonak landline at home and the Widex drying box for reducing moisture in the aids, both of which have become essential add-ons for Debbie.

Debbie is now very positive about her hearing. She says: “I have been so inspired by Kevin that I want to help other people too. His love of helping people achieve their hearing potential is something that has pushed me along on my own journey”. Debbie is even planning to take her studies further, focusing on the emotional side of hearing loss and the importance of “brain hearing”.

She comments: “Kevin has such a wonderful ability to listen. He is so “deaf aware” which is not something I had ever experienced before. He worked with me to gradually rebuild my confidence, making me feel that my hearing really matters. He has been so generous with his time, his experience, his advice, and his endless patience. I never take his time for granted and I am so very grateful”.

Kevin fitted Debbie with Phonak aids which worked so well for her that not only did she return to work as a teacher in 2016, but she also enrolled in further studies two years later, this time taking a Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology. Says Debbie: “When I started wearing the aids that Kevin had recommended and programmed for me, it was as if someone had woken me up and put me back in the world. If you don’t hear certain sounds for a while, you forget they exist. It was amazing!”

Debbie, who decorates her aids to remind people she is wearing them, puts it very nicely: “I believe that hearing loss doesn’t have to be a negative experience – it can be a time for learning and appreciation too. I really want people to feel they can be empowered by the journey back to good hearing. Being a client at Help in Hearing has been such a joyful and fun