Thank you for posting your thoughts, Joyces. I empathize. When I met with Dr. Terry in Albuquerque she told me the truth, at last. She said that hearing aids would not help me anymore. I've also spent thousands on technology trying to find ways to increase my discrimination / understanding of what folks are saying. Even my current incredible hearing aids only amplify what my brain 'hears' as word soup. One thing that does help me is to rest before meetings, to meditate is even better - 10 minutes of silent focus on my breath set me up fo understanding at the best that my body is capable. Sheri Eberts -https://livingwithhearingloss.com/2019/05/07/seven-ways-you-can-make-life-easier-for-someone-with-hearing-loss/ has a column that is very good. She's addressed many of the issues you bring up. I consider her a very good source of information. Best, Liz