Travelin' Man

Jim Joray won't let hearing loss slow him down.
Jim Joray brings new meaning to the phrase "on the go." The former systems engineer for IBM travels an average of 250 days each year with stops in an estimated 15 to 20 states. It's a lifestyle he's enjoyed for more than 10 years - beginning in March 2000 when he and his wife "moved from a home of cinder blocks to a home with wheels."

Traveling the open road in a 38 foot motor home, the couple meets people and visits places most of us can only dream about. But when Jim began to have trouble keeping up with conversation and straining to join in at the many social and entertainment venues they visited, it looked as if hearing loss was slowing down his free and easy lifestyle.

Jim initially resisted admitting that he might have a hearing loss. "Like most men I wasn't having a hearing problem," Jim laughs. "People were mumbling or talking too fast or walking away as they were speaking." In 2002, a new trip - this time to an audiologist - set the record straight. The hearing care professional identified a moderate hearing loss that limited Jim's ability to understand conversation in noise or participate in social exchange in restaurants or other noisy venues.  When Jim pulled out of the audiologist's office, he was sporting his first pair of hearing aids.  The new hearing instruments enabled him to continue to cruise along for another 200,000 miles. By 2010, he was ready to trade them in for a new model. As a former "techy", Jim knew that hearing technology had advanced considerably in eight years. He was ready to upgrade to a hearing solution "with all the bells and whistles."

"When my audiologist put my new Agils on my ears, I fell in love," says Jim. "I hear better now than I have in 10 or 15 years. Not long after I started wearing my Agils, I was walking along and started to hear this strange clinking noise. I asked my wife if she knew what it was. Then I realized it was the change jingling in my pocket. It was just a little thing but the fact that I could hear it so clearly was amazing!"

The ability to pick up sounds and locate where they are coming from is another benefit of Jim's new hearing solution. "I am more aware of road noises when we travel. I can also hear the sounds the motor home is making as we drive.  And that's a good thing. It keeps us from having a sudden breakdown on the road. Before, there was nothing more frustrating for me than having my wife ask, 'What's that noise?' Even when she would describe the noise, I couldn't figure out if something was wrong or it was just a normal engine sound. Now I can not only hear the sounds, I can pinpoint exactly where they're coming from."

For a man who enjoys attending lectures and special events, often in large venues, the ability to hear in even the most challenging and noisy situations is another welcome benefit of his new hearing devices.
"I would have trouble hearing in churches. I used to be very careful about where I sat. I would look for the audio system and position myself carefully so I could increase my ability to hear the speaker. Shortly after I starting wearing my new hearing aids, we attended a lecture by a famous writer in a huge church that seated about 2,000 people. We hadn't expected such a large crowd and because it was so crowded, I couldn't select a seat as carefully as I liked. We ended up sitting in the back balcony. Amazingly, I could hear every word. "

Determined to take full advantage of the advanced technology of his hearing instruments, Jim opted for both the Streamer accessory and the ConnectLine system. "When my audiologist told me about the Streamer and how it would allow me to link to my phone hands free with just the push a button, I said, 'This is for me!'  Now keeping in contact with family and friends is easy. " 

With the ConnectLine system, Jim can also connect wirelessly to his landline phone and TV. "I'm hooked. Now my wife isn't complaining about the volume on the TV. Since we share such a small space, I can now mute the volume on the TV or the sound on my computer when I'm playing noisy video games. With the ConnectLine system the sound streams right to my hearing aids, allowing me to hear clearly and leaving my wife in peace. "

From December through March, the Jorays make their home in Fort Myers, Florida where they enjoy the warm weather and the company of nearby children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  They also stay active with part-time employment at the local Camping World store. "I hear customers 100 percent better with my new hearing aids," reports Jim. "I no longer have to ask people to repeat what they just said."

Jim uses the retail setting to do more than sell camping equipment. "I can tell when someone doesn't understand what I'm saying. I don't hesitate to tell them I fixed my hearing problem and it's wonderful to be able to hear conversation again. I'll ask, 'Do you have grandkids?' 'Are you always saying repeat that?'  To me, it's just not smart. When you have poor eyesight, you get glasses. When you can't hear, you get hearing aids. If something can improve your lifestyle, why wouldn't you be all for it?"
Jim acknowledges that taking action on his hearing loss has made a world of difference for him, enabling him to stay more fully engaged in adventures on the road and off.

He is quick to acknowledge that he has a lifestyle that most people would envy. "Lots of people would love to travel the way we do. I tell them, don't wait, get out there and do it." Jim feels just as strongly about refusing to allow hearing loss to become a road block to enjoying life to the fullest. His advice: "Don't wait. There's a whole world of great sounds out there ready to be explored!"