Friends of mine named their daughter, Lexie. It’s short for Siri’s counterpart, Alexis. The other “Lexie” in our lives is the nickname of my wife’s Lexus convertible. It’s also the name of the company that bought the Bose hearing aid division. Over a year ago, I purchased the recognizable Bose brand, thinking it was probably their speakers that caused my hearing problem in the first place. I wore them daily, but the most annoying aspect was the “Battery Low” voice, at the most inopportune times, that indicated a necessary change. Several months ago, they stopped working, so they gave me a full refund, strongly suggesting that I buy the new Lexie product, powered by Bose. I put it off for as long as my wife could tolerate.

I tried to get a hearing check through Florida Blue, but I kept getting referrals from out of network sources. Supposedly, this insurance policy entitles me to an allowance on purchases but couldn’t find a local source. Most of my friends were paying $4-$5 grand for hearing aids, but my original purchase was less than $800. Lexie and their B2 model, was offering a rechargeable option for $999, and I went ahead with the purchase. At first impression, they seem to fit comfortably, hold a charge, improve my hearing, and are Bluetooth compatible. I’m not ready to invest a ton of money, so I’ll give these a try until my wife begins to complain again. 

The biggest problem for me in not being able to hear is the sound of my own voice. My vocal cords are damaged, so my vocal projection is weak and gravelly. It’s a strain to speak in a noisy environment, and the hearing aids only marginally help. I hear no evil and speak no evil, not to mention pee no evil and shake no evil. These are the four issues of old age (ears, throat, tremors, and prostrate) that I face on a daily basis. I’m seeing a urologist and trying out these affordable hearing aids in an attempt to mitigate half of my problems. I’m very fortunate their are only four. The sound of a healthy stream, like a bubbling fountain of youth, will soon hopefully become a welcome step forward in my current state of troubling personal issues. Can you hear me, Lexie?