As most of you know, Laura and I enjoy competition shooting with our shotguns. So it should come as no surprise that after 30-plus years of shooting, I have suffered a little hearing loss. If you ask Laura, Lucas, and Franklin, they will likely say it is much more. Opinions and selective hearing aside, I decided to get my hearing checked. As many of you know, getting an appointment with an ENT or licensed audiologist is almost impossible in Huntsville. So I ended up at one of the warehouse stores to get my hearing checked, and, it turns out, I need two hearing aids.
While that bit of news did not come as a surprise, what the technician said did. She said that the hearing in my left ear had degraded so much more than in my right ear that I should get an MRI to ensure I didn't have a tumor on that side of my brain. Yikes, talk about a gut punch! So I immediately sent the test results off to another licensed audiologist (my cousin in Utah). After asking me a few questions, he said he didn't see anything indicative of a brain tumor. He said that since I am right-handed and shoot from the right, my head makes a shadow, and the left ear gets the brunt of the noise! His advice was that if my deductible on my health insurance has been met, go and get the MRI if it would help me sleep.
The lesson here is that you get what you pay for when seeking professional help. Cheap isn't usually the best course of action, especially if it involves your health or finances. As of the writing of this post, 09/29/2022, the second quarter gross domestic product came out, it had contracted an additional 0.6% making us "officially" in a recession. While this may seem perilous to us all, there are opportunities as well. Working with a professional will not only allow you to sleep a little better but you might also be surprised how it turns out for you on the other side.
Mike
Mike Mickels is the President of CochranMickels Retirement Specialists and an avid sporting clay competitor. CochranMickels Retirement Specialists provides personalized planning and investment services to individuals approaching and in retirement. They also provide retirement and benefits training to Federal employees. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc, a Registered Investment Advisor. CochranMickels and Cambridge are not affiliated.