Losing My Compensating Skills?

After my hearing aids died at work yesterday ( 2 beeps and 15 min later, dead batteries). I had to listen unaided for about an hour to a typical busy Monday morning. I found myself guessing what people were saying, filling in the gaps and shouting. After I replaced the batteries and powered up the hearing aids, I realized that I seem to have lost my ability to compensate for my hearing loss. Or maybe I wasn't as good at it as I thought I was. My wife says the latter is true.