There are plenty of choices when it comes to choosing an audiologist. So to whom do you lend your ears? As someone who worked full-time, went to college full-time, and had a family with four children, convenient scheduling was an absolute must for me! Before I came on board with HEARINC, I was a patient for over three years. I was impressed that they were able to schedule my first appointment after-hours, at 5:15pm. This was above and beyond my expectation of good service right off the bat.
The first person I met with was audiologist, Shera Kile, who was kind, understanding, and informative of my options on how to best accomplish my objective to hear better. After understanding which device would serve me the best, we got down to critical questions…like, “What color hearing aid do you prefer?” Brown (to match my hair), light, soft colors, etc. Me? No, I went with ocean blue, because this girl is a leader, not a follower. I almost wish I went with pink, you know, just because it’s “fun.” I guess it didn’t really matter though; due to hearing aids being so small today, they are rarely noticeable regardless if they are fire engine red or light brown. Whether you admit it or not, you just pictured a fire engine red hearing aid sitting on the back of my ear.
Three years later, I am now a part of the HEARINC Outreach initiative, and I am proud to share my story with you. Today though, I want you to know more about Shera. I sat down with her to capture some of her world outside of audiology. Here is what I discovered:
The world of Shera Kile, beyond audiology
Shera just celebrated her 47th birthday. She indicated that she doesn’t “feel 47.” So naturally I asked…
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: I want to go live in Cinderella’s castle at Disney World, but for now I will be an audiologist.
Q: What do you miss most about being a kid?
A: Being carefree
Q: What is the #1 song played on your iPod, or Pandora, or whatever other platform they have for listening these days?
A: Luke Bryan’s “My Kind of Night”
Q: What would you name the autobiography of your life?
A: The Life and Times of Shera Lin Ater Kile
Q: Where’s Waldo?
A: Hiding somewhere in that book, but I can’t find him
Q: What does your perfect day look like?
A: Sleeping in, all three of my children at home, and playing with my puppy dogs
Q: What is a secret talent you have that many may not know?
A: I used to be a gymnast. I can still do a handstand and a cartwheel
Q: Sunrise or sunsets?
A: Sunsets
Q: You are a mom of one boy and identical twin girls, all who are now out of high school. How did you survive?
A: (laughs) One day at a time…
Q: Do you sing while driving in the car?
A: Absolutely!
Q: What would your superhero power be and why?
A: I want to fly. I could get a lot of stuff done if I could fly.
We seem to have quite a few superheros at this lair, I mean office, where we are busy saving hearing…and flying.
If you would like to meet this superhero, please stop by our office. She will be signing autographs all week during her week of published fame.
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Kiersten Troutman is the Manager of Marketing and Outreach at HEARINC. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kent State University, and is finishing up her Master of Arts degree in Composition and Rhetoric from The University of Akron. She suffers unilateral hearing loss from birth and has a true appreciation for the audiological advances made in the assistive hearing device industry. She has a passion for helping others realize that hearing loss does not discriminate with age, and has a vision to educate the public on how quality of life can often be improved simply by taking advantage of the amazing technology available.
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Copyright. Kiersten D. Troutman. 2014.
not all keep Qtips in business? Cotton swabs can cause damage if pushed too far in the ear canal or pushed too far against the eardrum. Depending on the amount and consistency of wax, cotton swabs can actually clog the ear canal, reducing the effectiveness of hearing devices. Quite often hearing aid users think their devices have failed when in actuality, it was just a bad case of ear wax. Ask an audiologist for other recommended ways for cleaning ears.
. No. Extremes in temperature can shorten the battery life. They should not get too hot or too cold. Ideally, they should be stored around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Putting them in the butter tray of your refrigerator with the butter door closed, or in your sock drawer, can be two places where you they can be safely stored.
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