Hearing loss considered

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, I have lost much of the hearing in my left ear. In some ways Senior Flierl Seminary is a great environment for someone with a hearing loss. It is such a small community that every adult knows I have a hearing problem and are good about repeating if necessary. 

This has also given me some new insights.  I sometimes have trouble hearing students in the classroom, especially when rain is coming down on the metal roof. I think the most frustrating time is during church, including our daily 
chapel.The women are not allowed to sit in the front rows, (we sit in 
the back right hand side) so I can't get close enough to always hear. 
The fact that I still struggle with Tok Pisin adds to the challenge. 
Fortunately our students are trained to work in environments without 
microphones, so they generally know how to speak loudly.

There are some interesting differences in how the Germans versus the 
nationals respond to my loss. In Germany, like America, quite a few 
people have dulled hearing due to noise exposure. Several people have 
compared their experience to mine or told me about friends that wear 
hearing aids. The nationals (people from Papua New Guinea) are much more puzzled by this loss. In a culture with very few engines or music 
amplification, adult onset hearing losses are less common. Also since 
they die younger, fewer develop old age hearing loss. They are much more used to ear infections and ear drum injuries, so expect the doctors to be able to do something. Especially when I came back from Australia, they assumed I would be cured. I think some of them expect me to be cured when I get back from the US and home leave. Cure is unlikely, but I may come back with a hearing aid. I think people will be quite intrigued by one.

The Rainy Season

The rainy season has arrived!  There is a big change in the weather.  It is cooler,though not cold by Wisconsin standards.   I do enjoy using a blanket at night.    I often wear a jacket in the early mornings and evenings, but not too much during the day. I am also thankful for some waterproof, close toed shoes to negotiate the muddy paths here. The big feature of the weather is RAIN!  It often rains quite heavy for short periods of time.  However, last Saturday it did rain for 12 hours straight.  Umbrellas are an important part of  life.  Most classroom entrances have a area for you to put your umbrellas and lean them against the wall.  Outside church we stick the umbrellas in the holes in the concrete blocks that hold up the roof over the entry way.

It is interesting that there is no one uniform rainy season in PNG.  Rainy season depends on the trade winds coming in from the ocean.  These trade winds shift during the months and the rainy season comes when the trade winds come off the ocean in your area.  Being an island means there is always someplace getting a rainy season.

Another major feature is that it is overcast most of the time.  Since many people wake up at dawn, the darker sky means the dawn is less noticeable  and often people sleep longer during the rainy season.  Most people don't have clocks or alarm clocks so the sun is an important factor.  There is a bell that rings at 6 a.m. to warn the men they have 1 hour to prepare for the 7 a.m. classes.  Also, my hot water comes from a solar tank, so the amount of hot water is limited.

It is also a difficult time for growing food because there is too much rain.  The seminary will likely have to give rice to some families that don't have enough food from their garden.

Medical Adventures in Papua New Guinea (and Australia)

I am sorry I have not been posting much the last month. My life ended up taking a detour through the adventures of medical care in Papua New Guinea.

At the end of last term, I had a cold/ throat infection. After that my left ear felt full and I wasn't hearing well out of it. I assumed that it was either a middle ear infection or a wax blockage. After the Women's Retreat (for which I was a leader) I checked in with my two German friends who are doctors at the local hospital (Dr. Christa Thumser and Dr. Demaris Kneif). After some work on the ear, they realized that there wasn't that much wax in there and the ear drum looked fine. So, they gave me that name of an ENT in Lae, the nearest city.

Since it was Holy Week and I was confused about the doctor's name, it was a week before I saw the ENT. He referred me for a hearing exam with an audiologist. After a day of chasing around after the test (first try the power was out) I had the hearing test, but not the tympanogram (which is what I most needed). Finally I was told that I would have to fly up to Goroka to get that test. I decided that I didn't want to risk having the same go around of problems and made an appointment in Australia instead. Thankfully, my Boss, Pr. Franklin Ishida, gave me the go ahead.

I finally saw an ENT in Australia that was able to do the neccesary testing. It turns out to be a senory-neural loss for which there is not any medical treatment. The hearing in my left ear is quite reduced and I have fair amount of tinnitus (ringing or buzzing sounds) in that ear. Usually this sort of loss is tied in to a head injury or loud noise exposure, but can happen spontaneously, which is what apparently happened in my case. I go back to the US on home leave in two months. I will have further testing and decide whether to try out a hearing aid.

This was all quite a shock to me. I have always had good hearing and expected to not loose any hearing until into my 70s or 80s. So far the biggest problem has been hearing students in the classroom. I tell them that they have to speak up (especially on the left hand side of the classroom) but we are all getting used to the situation.

It was also sobering to have so much trouble with getting medical care in PNG when I had traveled to the referral hospital for the area. Even with access to a car and "waitskin priviledge" I spent a lot of time just trying to get what would be basic services in the U.S. I am very thankful that I was able to go to Australia and feel for the locals who do not have that option. I also understand why other internationals (and rich nationals) do almost all their medical work in Australia. I will certainly consider going to Australia more quickly next time.

With all this traveling around I missed teaching the first two weeks of the term. Fortunately everyone was supportive of my efforts to get treatment and helped cover things for me. Now I am busy teaching my two English classes, a library class, a study skills class and an elective class on International Church Issues.