I have long been a believer of the boy scouts’ motto, “Be prepared.” Maybe it’s because I am in a mothering stage of life, but I like to have whatever I may need on hand. Whether it is a snack, tissue, or nail clippers- I always try to carry any supplies I may need in my purse. I honestly don’t know how people who don’t habitually carry bags manage life.

I have a range of hearing loss items that I like to have with me because they are useful in certain situations. Sometimes I chuckle to myself as I get situated at a live performance with my jumble of hearing loss items in my lap. At most performances I like to test out various technologies till I maximize my hearing ability, comfort, and safety. It can take a few minutes to find the right combination of items for a given situation.

I thought I would share a glimpse into my hearing loss pouch that I bring along with me.

• I always carry ear plugs. If you look closely, you can see that I keep a couple styles in my pouch. Since I only need one plug (deaf left ear), I typically have one loop ear plug with a mute in it and one without so I can test the two different options to find the right degree of noise reduction for each situation.
• I bring my AirPods Pro 2 with me. I will use the hearing aid feature in situations with a lot of background noise, such as a meal at a noisy restaurant. I also use them for some loud performances as they are rated for hearing protection. I find in some situations like live music the AirPods make the sound level safe and comfortable as well as pleasantly crisp.
• I bring a remote microphone with me. I love to have this for situations like attending yoga class. I find it much easier to hear the instructor over the music when the sound is sent directly to my device. The white remote microphone, the EduMic, allows me to use a hearing loop system so that a venue’s sound system sends the sound directly to my device. The EduMic can also be plugged into some sound systems, which I why I have the cord. My black remote mic, the ConnectClip, allows me to stream my phone to my device. Both can be clipped to collars or worn with the black lanyard.
• I carry a hard of hearing button. I use this for situations where I want to notify people I may miss things, such as attending a convention.
• I have a card for my bone anchored hearing device that has MRI and security information on it. I have never needed it for airport security but I do need it every time I get an MRI.
• I always carry spare batteries for my bone anchored hearing device. My battery typically lasts 10-14 days depending how much I am streaming. It seems like batteries always choose the least inconvenient moment to die, so it is worth having batteries along.
• I keep my sunflower lanyard in my pouch also. The sunflower lanyard is a visible symbol that I have an invisible disability and may need accommodation. This is recognized by specific businesses. Within the US this is primarily useful for flying. In other countries a variety of businesses utilize the sunflower system including other modes of transportation and shops.
• Not pictured, but I also frequently bring along a battery pack to charge my cell phone on the go if I am expecting to need to use assistance programs like live transcribe, software that provides captioning as people speak.
• Lastly, I want to give a shout out for the amazing pouch. I got it from DEAFintely Wonderful on Etsy. I don’t think of my hearing assistance items as junk, but I do sometimes feel amused by the sheer amount I lug around. The pouch just really felt exactly perfect for organizing my items, sentiment included.