I think with most of us people don’t “know” how much they can’t hear. I give the example of wearing glasses. I tried for years to tell everyone that I couldn’t see clearly and was told my vision was 20/20. After going to several Dr etc I found one that said your vision is perfect but you have astigmatism. I could pass all of the reading test but what was happening was I was seeing double or more of everything. Move forward and I get glasses. I walked out the door wearing new glasses and remember thinking…WOW I can see all of the leaves on the trees.
Now with hearing aids I did the same thing…WOW I can hear the birds. I didn’t realize how much I had been missing even though I knew my hearing was bad.
I would have gotten aids sooner but I was working doing industrial electronics. I was around large robotic devices all day and wore ear plugs so I didn’t see a reason to spend the money just to wear them at home. Well I was wrong. I kick myself for not getting them sooner.
I was missing out on so much but didn’t know it!!!
I am blessed with hearing loss. I wear mine at work and come home without them. My (2) boys are pretty loud now and all night long and it drives my wife crazy. I can hear them but not as loud. I ask my wife if the TV is too load and she said she can live with it. I will continue to wear aids part time until it bothers my family. You adopt to your surroundings my ear doctor says. You have probably learn to lip read along with other things to make up for your hearing loss like myself over the last 30-years. I live on a lake and love that I can wear my aids and listen to the wildlife like never before. I also love to take them out at night and enjoy the silence.
Everyone’s situation is different, everyone’s loss is different. Living at home alone is different then living at home with a family. The man asked if he should buy aids and wear them all the time. Based on his and speech comprehension the answer is yes. Whether others who’s loss is different or situation is different, and whether they wear their aids or not is really not the question here. I envy those that can get by without wearing their aids. This man’s loss is severe/profound, speech comprehension is poor. He admits he doesn’t hear a lot of things, and that’s only what he is aware of.
csdaly and leia…sorry for the delay in responding to your posts, you’ve both given me much to think about, thank you for sharing your personal experiences here. it’s reassuring to hear about how you’ve both been able to adjust and adapt to fit personal lifestyle choices. i sorta see myself as someone who would take the HA off at the end of the day, embracing silence again with much relief, but who knows…
thanks for the welcome, zafdor, and for explaining the terminology so clearly. i’ve been digging into the archives here, and have found a wealth of knowledge. having spoken only briefly to one hearing aid practitioner who told me the dot 30’s are suitable for me when in fact they are not, i realize how important it is to be educated about this technology and my options so that i can make an informed decision about what will suit my needs and personal preferences.
i found a link to the ear gears that someone else in this thread i think was alluding to, those might be just the ticket. i’m pretty creative and have some sewing skills, i might just come up with my own solution one day. anyway, there are so many options i don’t even know about yet, i won’t be making any hasty decisions one way or the other, as in all things, proper discernment is key.
I am blessed with hearing loss. I wear mine at work and come home without them. My (2) boys are pretty loud now and all night long and it drives my wife crazy. I can hear them but not as loud. I ask my wife if the TV is too load and she said she can live with it. I will continue to wear aids part time until it bothers my family. You adopt to your surroundings my ear doctor says. You have probably learn to lip read along with other things to make up for your hearing loss like myself over the last 30-years. I live on a lake and love that I can wear my aids and listen to the wildlife like never before. I also love to take them out at night and enjoy the silence.
yeah, aside from mere circumstantial differences between your lifestyle and my own, i can really relate to what you’re saying here. silence for me is a blessing, i love solitude and quiet hours. but i love nature too, and i do miss hearing birds, crickets and other critters, and i miss hearing my own hearbeat. i don’t miss the sound of flies or mosquitoes buzzing tho, lol. i have a few mp3 files of nature sounds…rain and thunderstorms, garden soundscape, night time in the forest etc etc that i love and listen to often. i’m sure i would be absolutely tickled to hear such sounds for real again.
Everyone’s situation is different, everyone’s loss is different. Living at home alone is different then living at home with a family. The man asked if he should buy aids and wear them all the time. Based on his audiogram and speech comprehension the answer is yes. Whether others who’s loss is different or situation is different, and whether they wear their aids or not is really not the question here. I envy those that can get by without wearing their aids. This man’s loss is severe/profound, speech comprehension is poor. He admits he doesn’t hear a lot of things, and that’s only what he is aware of.
just an aside and an fyi as if it matters, but i’m a woman. a blonde one…it doesn’t really happen often, but i find the most annoying thing about my hearing is that people who don’t know i can’t hear well think i’m stupid…just a dumb blonde. especially when i have that look of intense concentration on my face…they think i’m straining to comprehend because i’m being taxed intellectually. it’s amazing how some people don’t understand when i tell them i am partially deaf, they seem to think i’m making it up…for what purpose i have no idea, to cover for being dimwitted or something i guess. well as i said, it doesn’t happen often, most people are understanding and i have no hesitation, nor feel any embarrassment when asking someone to face me and speak up when talking.
I am a guy, but had the same sort of problem before I got my hearing aid. The thought of a hearing problem doesn’t cross most peoples mind when they are talking to a 30 year old.
I read somewhere about a guy who protected his aids with a retrofitted baloons. You might want to google this. Then again why not just wear a wide brimmed hat while your working?
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the balloon idea is genius! i was thinking today as i put on latex gloves that i could cut a finger off these disposable gloves i use all the time and cover them with that in a pinch.
ok…got some saving/financial sorting to do, i will look into getting a trial pair of some sort soon and post an update then.
many thanks to everyone, sometimes i just need to be prodded a bit to shake off the dust of old habit/complacency.
They make protective covers for hearing aids…
That are rather inexpensive $ 25 or so.
They also come with or without a lanyard so you don’t loose them.
Also, Siemens are nano technology treated for moisture etc resistence.
ok, in the last week, i’ve been round to a bunch of hearing aid stores/offices, just stopping in wherever, including costco, a chain store i can’t remember the name of now, walmart and several private practices. just picked up a few brochures, tried to get a feeling for the place, level of professionalism, competence, friendliness, atmosphere, that sort of thing.
it’s been an interesting and eye opening experience, to say the least. the way it usually goes is of course, is a brief hello and with the audi/fitter, mentioning that i’ve been hoh for at least 13 years and am only now seriously considering aids. then i show him/her my …and see their mouths drop open and their eyes widen in complete disbelief.
they all say the same thing…they can’t believe i’ve been able to cope/manage with this level of hearing loss for so long, and to my surprise a similar comment from each…they can’t believe my speech is so good, you can’t tell from my speech that i am so hard of hearing.
forgive my naivete in all this, please…gosh i’m just astounded at the reaction i’m getting. i keep thinking i can’t be as deaf as all these people think i am based on what is on a piece of paper. it isn’t denial so much as ignorance, i guess my capacity to cope exceeds my capacity to recognize how bad my hearing is. i know it’s pretty bad, but…well…wow.
last week i sent my audiogram in to that ebay seller, and after one or two emails, i decided online was not the way i would go. after researching here and reading about personal experiences, i realize that i will need extensive personal service and care, and most likely several trials before i can even possibly make a wise decision.
she offered me a better price on the dot 30s, but since i researched more in the meantime based on what hask told me about the dots probably not being strong enough for me, i said thanks but no thanks, and expected that to be the end of it. to my surprise, she came back and offered me a price on a pair of power azure az80 dvi’s that i simply could not refuse. i can’t imagine she is making any profit on these, i can only surmise that she took pity on me based on my audiogram???
before i took her offer, i made sure i could have them programmed locally. i found a local resound dealer and called the office (really close to my home…bonus!) to inquire about programming these aids. the audi/fitter at this office has over 20 years fitting experience, and the receptionist cheerfully said yes come see us, no problem, they’ll be happy to work with me even though i didn’t buy from them. the fitting fees were much more reasonable than i expected, so i decided to take a chance on these azures. i am not one to make impulsive or uninformed decisions about such important matters, and in fact, for several days after i sent the payment, i was feeling really anxious and worried.
will i love them will i hate them, will the azures be a good fit for me or not, i have no idea yet, but i do anticipate that it may take months of adjustments before i am able to accept or reject them. so to that end, i am committed to being patient and tolerant. if i don’t like them, well…i’ll donate them or sell them, i’ve decided that i will have no regrets about making this decision, no matter the outcome.
my basic understanding from what i’ve learned here and elsewhere, is that when it comes to premium level aids, it is likely that i would find any of the top brands a good fit, it seems the biggest factor towards success is in finding a good audi. having never worn aids before, i have nothing to compare to, no unreasonable expectations, so surely that will work in my favor, at least to some degree as well.
ok, i expect the azures to arrive in a couple of days, they will come programmed to my specs, but i have no delusions that i will be able to put them on and wear them right out of the gate.
if it is of interest, i will start another thread and sort of blog about my experience, good or bad…i’m not certain there’s anyone else out there as clueless as i am about all of this, but surely there will be some nugget in my experience that will help someone else, now or in the future. i’m resolved towards keeping a positive attitude, as i know this will contribute hugely towards a successful and satisfying outcome.
Some things to keep in mind. Buying aids without first trying them is definitely not the way I would have gone, but what’s done is done. Consider getting yourself fitted with a pair of custom made ear molds. With your loss ear molds will need to fit snug, to help prevent feedback, although the azures have feedback control programmed in. A product called Miracell is an ointment that you spread lightly on the molds that make is much easier putting the molds into your ears. When you first turn on your Azures after they are initially programmed it will seem like the whole world is SCREAMING at you. Be ready for it. Welcome to what you have not been hearing. Also the sound of the aids will probably be different then what you are used to. The brain will need time to adapt to all the changes, but it will, You will need patience. Wear the aids for a few days just in the apartment. Get used to just wearing them, get used to just the sounds within your apartment. I don’t recommend you immediately wear them to work which you admit is very noisy. BE PATIENT. After wearing them for a week or so start taking notes. Write down what you like or not like, then take your notes to the audiologist for reprogramming. Your is just a place to start. Digital aids can take 4 or 5 visits to the audiologist in order to get the programing the way you like it. For instance the volume at first may seem too loud, but after wearing the aids for a couple of weeks you may want it turned up louder. Remember, digital aids usually require several visits to the audiologist to get them right. BE PATIENT. And also remember that once you get used to wearing the aids you will need to wear them regularly, in order to allow your brain to adapt which it will, but only if you give the brain the chance. Good Luck. One other thing. The azures come with 4 seperate programs. each setting can be made for different listening environments. Make sure you understand what that is. Talk to you audy about them. If you decide that you like the aids invest in dry and store. I know this all seems like a lot but you have fought yourself about your loss, and now you have a lot of catching up to do. People that tell you that you don’t need to wear your aids routinely, considering your loss, are kidding themselves. i have been wearing aids for over 30 yrs. and though my loss is a bit worse then yours I am well aware of the fact that compared to what I hear with my aids, without them I am deaf.
my favorite is when i tell a new acquaintance i’m partly deaf and they look at me in surprise and say (some version of):
“wow…you don’t look deaf, i would have never guessed it.”
hask, thanks for your interest, and all your advice. i very much like and appreciate the way you just shoot from the hip when you speak.
believe me i know this could turn out to be a recipe for disaster. well except that i’m prepared for it, should it happen. i can handle it, if this turns out to be disappointing, difficult, frustrating, any or all of that…it will be ok.
it’s an experience. good bad or ugly, i know it’s not about what happens next so much as how i choose to react to it all. so no matter what, it’s all good.
last week when i was getting prices for all these different aids i thought…wow…ok well i better start saving, maybe in a year i can afford them if work doesn’t fall off too sharply. if i’m meant to get hearing aids now, then it will somehow happen. i’m a firm believer that everything happens when it should, as it should, the timing of events in my life has always been precise and purposeful, so to be for or against anything is simply counter-productive. the opportunity presented itself to me to get these now, i trust in providence that it’s meant to be, and although i have my preferences, i have no attachment to any particular outcome.
they all say the same thing…they can’t believe i’ve been able to cope/manage with this level of hearing loss for so long, and to my surprise a similar comment from each…they can’t believe my speech is so good, you can’t tell from my speech that i am so hard of hearing.
I don’t know if this has already been pointed out to you, but you have been lip reading…unconsciencly. We all do it to a certain degree.
Cajabu, I’m just reading this thread for the first time. Do you get a trial period w/ the newly ordered ? I know you say you are cool w/ the outcome, whatever that may be…but I’d like to see you experience the best outcome possible for an experience in the hearing world. Most of us here have lost part, in some cases close to all, of our hearing.
I experienced sudden hearing loss in December '07. Went to sleep one night hearing and awoke close to deaf. Already had hearing loss in rt ear, but suddenly my very good ear had no response to sound and the other, the rt one, had lost most of what it had. I did regain some over a period of months and seeing and then ear specialist. I’d already learned to lip read a bit since many episodes of ear infections in childhood had given me “practice” in not hearing. This continued thru my adult life, although I did start having tubes put in my ears when necessary and that helped immensely.
AAR, after 3 audiologists and trial and error, I got my HAs. In the interim I felt as if I needed to wear big sign front and rear “deaf but not dumb.” Was wonderful to hear birds sing again, to enjoy music again, to not require subtitles for videos and especially not to have to keep telling family, neighbors, friends “remember, you have to face me and stand close for me to hear you.” I was exhausted from trying to process speech day and night. I was beginning to just avoid social contact because communication was too difficult or impossible in many cases.
Have had a few ongoing issues w/ battery life and also phone use causing problems w/ the HAs, so today I was back to audi. She had talked to someone she knows at Phonak and they said definitely send them in for repair. Hated to part with them and now feeling lost w/out them. I do have a Radio Shack “personal amplifier” which I use w/ Bose earbuds for conversation and Bose headset for news and videos. Not the same as the HA but better by far than nothing. A real bargain combo for around $130 versus the over $7,000 for my HA. Like you, my insurance doesn’t cover the cost of HA. However, I have one life to live and I’m making the most of it. Besides, all the people I come in contact with and especially my family benefit from my being able to hear them. Saves so much frustration!
Then there’s the real issue of safety. Not only in the house but especially when out in traffic. Just crossing a street is much easier/safer when you can hear. Yes, can be done deaf, totally deaf. Can be done blind, totally blind. But when there is a choice…I’ll take it.
Best of luck. You’ve started on a whole new adventure. BTW, my audi started me out w/ only half the volume that I’d later have…just to break me in gently because I’d been so long w/out hearing. Glad she did it that way.
thanks for your kind wishes and thanks for sharing your story…omgosh, i can’t imagine dealing with so many ear infections and other problems your whole life, i’m really lucky in that i’ve never suffered more than one or two mild ear aches that i can remember. and wow…how scary and frustrating the experience of sudden deafness must be, how difficult it must be to learn to accept such a thing happening for no apparent reason. bravo to you, you have my deepest respect and high fives for coming thru something like that with your wits intact, i’m sure i would have been reduced to a puddle for…i won’t even venture a guess how long.
i believe this seller offers a 30 day return policy, stated in her auctions. i found her to be really trustworthy, reasonable and professional, so i feel pretty confident that she would uphold this policy with no questions asked.
i am happy to report that after the first day wearing these hearing aids, i absolutely love them…no way are they going back. i’m truly amazed and surprised that i feel this way about them right out of the gate, i expected to find the first few weeks a struggle. not that i am kidding myself into thinking there won’t be some difficult/frustrating moments to come. i do believe she activated the acceptance manager in these aids, so they will power up slowly over a period of 3 weeks to optimum settings. i’m quite glad of it too, so far, so good!
oh and yeah…if i can wax philosophical for a sec…i do feel like i’m on a new and exciting adventure, funny you should say that, because just last nite i was writing in my journal about that very thing, and the synchronicity of getting hearing aids on/at easter…new beginnings, rebirth and all that.
i hope you get your hearing aids back soon, reliably fixed and better than new. i am just beginning to understand how/why you would feel lost without them now. it’s nearly 1:30 am and i can’t sleep, more accurately…i don’t want to sleep, i don’t want to take them out yet!
gee i wonder what it sounds like outside at night around here…
Northern Virginia
crumb i’m such a sucker for it then, lol.
