A Five Star Review: A Poem
For more than 25 years, our client Roy was a regular visitor at our practice, which we all looked forward to as they invariably ended in laughter. He travelled extensively and always took the time to send us a postcard from some exotic distant land.
We were always able to help him out as the years and his hearing changed even. One fateful Sunday evening, after collapsing at home, he woke up in A&E disorientated. His hearing aids had gone missing and he couldn’t hear or communicate with the doctors. In desperation, his family sent us an an email which they thought would be received on Monday morning, to see if there was anything we could do to help out. We couldn’t leave Roy disorientated and isolated so that Sunday evening, we opened up the practice, managed to locate some suitable hearing aids and dashed to his hospital bed to set everything up for him.
Roy’s hearing continued to worsen and there came the time when super power hearing aids were no longer able to help him and we discussed he should be referred to a local cochlea implant centre to see if he was a suitable candidate for surgery. After such a long time as a friend of our practice, it was the right decision for Roy to transfer his audiological care to be provided by others. Thankfully, the surgery was a great success.
Never one to go quietly, Roy decided to pen to paper one last time and sent us a poem.
Thank You You've probably heard this a thousand times before Being profoundly deaf is like a dark room without a door. So many times you're in a room full of people feeling isolated & alone but every time I walked in your door & saw your smiles, I felt at home. So many years! A few minutes in your company; The conversation, the laughs have been so special, not just for me but everyone. You're not part of the equation, you completed the sum. I know when I told you my dingle-dangle had stopped, it didn't work any more You laughed, flashed a wonderful smile as you walked out the door. Robert is a very special man, but I know to live, he must sell some wares He is a truly passionate audiologist and it's obvious to all, he really cares. When I was in hospital, my hearing aids were stolen, suffice to say I was at my lowest ebb But Robert arrived to sort out my hearing beside my hospital bed. That act meant so much to me. I'll remember that act as long as I live Robert, Ros & the whole Hearing Healthcare Practice team have so much to give. My hearing finally gave up the ghost This was it, I've reached the last post It has been a struggle but I have received so much help from everyone Time to resort to a dark corner and suck my thumb? Help was at hand from the NHS, they said, ''We will help you and do our very best" I went to Addenbrookes for lots more tests I did them once and I did them again I did really well and got 2 out of 10! I now have a cochlea implant & I'm back in the light Don't have to wake up everyday where hearing is a fight Thank you Robert, thank you Ros for keeping my hearing going for so many years I now have a new start You'll always have a special place in my heart I can hear again, I feel ten feet tall (I heard what you said) God help us all! Thank you again With much love Roy