Dr. John Brein of Chesapeake had it all. A beautiful wife, two wonderful children, nice home, a sailboat and a successful medical practice united by some of the finest physicians in Virginia. And – just like that – his medical profession ended.
Achieving his medical degree as a general surgeon in 1982, from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, Dr. Brein specialized in Anesthesiology, based on the medical communities’ forecast of a shortage in this field by the year 2000. They were correct.
Completing his Anesthesiology Residency at Yale’s School of Medicine, he moved to Virginia Beach for its appealing appearance and professional opportunities.
As a contributing member of a medical practice, their group became the anesthesia group for DePaul Medical Center where Dr. Brein became Chairman of the Anesthesiology Department. Life was good.
“By the age of 38,” Dr. Brein explains, “I began to notice a loss in my hearing. It became more difficult to hear the surgeons in the operating room, mouths covered by masks and voices sometimes soft or hushed.” He told one of his friends, an Otolaryngologist, about his hearing problem and they suggested getting an audiogram done. At the conclusion of the test, he was told he needed hearing aids in both ears. In disbelief, he told his friend he had to be wrong. They both reviewed the test and the conclusion was he had a loss in both ears.
Dr. Brein purchased one hearing aid and sought the medical advice from a well-known ENT surgeon in our area. With the hearing loss moderate to moderately severe, he underwent a surgical procedure to improve his left ear. While it improved the hearing capabilities to a degree, it was clear his hearing would not return to a level needed for his profession.
At the age of 40, Dr. Brein went to a convention called Self-help for Hearing Loss. “It was part of my discovery,” says the Doctor. “I found people of all ages there. I thought I would be surrounded by those much older than me. That’s how I envisioned people would be with hearing loss. To my surprise, there were many younger people in attendance. What I realized was younger people have a self-image problem. I, on the other hand, wanted more information – as much as I could gain. I wanted to know anything and everything about this hearing loss I had. There were not a lot of answers. What I did find out is you don’t really know how much communication you’re missing and the people you’re hurting (especially those closest to you) when you don’t address the problem.”
By the age of 43, his hearing had worsened. Even with the use of very powerful hearing aids in both ears, he found himself at a disadvantage and at issue was the very safety of his patients. After advice from his attorney and discussions with his partners and family, he ended his career.
Says Dr. Brein, “The perception is that hearing aids are too expensive and not “cool” for younger people. How untrue. I got hearing aids because I couldn’t hear what people around me were saying. Not only was it frustrating for me but it was frustrating for those around me I care about. I continued to have the TV too loud, spoke at a much louder tone of voice so people could hear me (actually so I could hear me) and never realized that the sore throat I continued to experience was from my own yelling.”
As the saying goes, “When One Door Closes, Another Opens.” This was true of Dr. Brein. He was |
