Honey, I Can't Hear You!

Dear Mom, SIL, Vervel, and Serach:

So... you know how y'all complain that we don't listen? Well - apparently, it's *not our fault*! It seems like instead, it might be Daddy's fault. (Woohoo!) We seem to have possibly inherited this little issue called "otosclerosis", which basically says that as we get older, this little issue with our ears gets much much worse.

So... the next time y'all are upset that we didn't hear you call us for dinner, or to turn off the game that's on, or to get off the computer, or to take out the garbage, or to go get the baby, or whatever... well, we're sorry: We just can't hear you. It's not "selective hearing", or "ignoring", or "tuning you out"... we're just not hearing you. So next time you want something from us while the Cavs' game is on... sorry, we just can't hear you. :)

Love, OD & YW Ezzie

P.S. Hearing loss is not a joke! If you think you're not hearing quite as well as you were/should be, go get it checked out. Otosclerosis is in up to 10% of adults, more common in Caucasians, more common in women {though in our family it's all the men}, and it is very often hereditary. If one parent has it, you have a 25% chance of having it; if both do, it's up to 50%. Perhaps most important, however, is that the earlier you catch it, the more you can do to stop it. A 'simple' surgery can almost completely stop the effects, and having fluoride with calcium is a suggestion often given (please consult with your physician!).