Ears to be unstopped

[bohemian]

Another hearwarming story.

we can imagine what it will be like in the new world!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-50690345/moment-baby-daughter-s-new-hearing-aids-are-turned-on

 

 

[Qapla]

I saw something about this on TV. It was amazing to see the face light up when she first heard the voice(s) for the first time.

 

I will have to say, I am looking forward to when I can hear right again. If/when I can afford the hearing aids that I had demonstrated when I went for my hearing test it will be nice to hear what people say without them having to repeat or shout what they say.

[Cushi]

Absolutely beautiful 🙂

[Sheep]

On 12/8/2019 at 6:13 PM, Qapla said:

I will have to say, I am looking forward to when I can hear right again. If/when I can afford the hearing aids that I had demonstrated when I went for my hearing test it will be nice to hear what people say without them having to repeat or shout what they say.

Oh my, you too? I have been gradually losing my hearing for several years. Then, in 2014, I had passed a point of hearing loss where the provincial government (Quebec) kicks in and pays for one hearing aid. But for someone who is still working, the government covers the cost of the second one too. Well, I am officially retired, but since I still work once in a while on a replacement basis I am still considered "employed." That means I get both hearing aids free.

 

However, this doesn't mean all is perfectly rosy now. The hearing aids themselves work properly, and they do help to a certain degree. But they are nowhere near what the natural ear can accomplish. (Jehovah knew what he was doing when he made ears.) You need to try hearing aids out in several different situations to get an idea what individual models can do for you.

 

So, does the government in Florida help out with the cost at all? That would help you out a lot.

[Old]

15 hours ago, Sheep said:

 

So, does the government in Florida help out with the cost at all? That would help you out a lot.

      That would scream of socialized medicine, un-heard of in this great land. Even the greatly flaunted Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids. You pay 100% for hearing aids and exams.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Old

[boodles]

My husband's hearing aid is on a payment plan. They are expensive, though.

[Sheep]

31 minutes ago, Old said:

      That would scream of socialized medicine, un-heard of in this great land. Even the greatly flaunted Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids. You pay 100% for hearing aids and exams.

Okay, sorry. I don't know how things are done in the US of A. We're spoiled here by the governments, federal and provincial. (I hope that doesn't offend you Americans.) What I mentioned above is the way the Quebec government helps out; I'm not sure about the other provinces.

[Old]

1 minute ago, Sheep said:

Okay, sorry. I don't know how things are done in the US of A. We're spoiled here by the governments, federal and provincial. (I hope that doesn't offend you Americans.) What I mentioned above is the way the Quebec government helps out; I'm not sure about the other provinces.

We are the poor cousins. Since the US sends aid to other countries perhaps Canada might consider sending aid to the US poor?

 

[Sheep]

Just now, Old said:

We are the poor cousins. Since the US sends aid to other countries perhaps Canada might consider sending aid to the US poor?

Okay, I'll mention it to Mr. Trudeau next time I see him.

 

(Interestingly, Justin Trudeau is also the official Member of Parliament for the area of Montreal where I live!)

[bohemian]

I get free hearing tests and free hearing aids in the UK.  There are private clinics too and the aids can cost from £500 to over £2000 a pair!

[Cherie]

60 Minutes or a similar tv show had a segment about hearing aids being drastically

reduced in price in one year. That was in August. I'm holding out until then.

[Qapla]

Most of the hearing aid businesses here offer free "hearing screenings" (exams) - you can get insurance to cover the cost of hearing aids but it costs almost as much as financing the aids ... and most of the hearing insurance coverage I have seen do not cover the "premium" aids that have the technology needed to "correct" my hearing.

 

There are some organizations that will help people with hearing aids if you are in the right income bracket - but it is not easy to qualify. Then, if you do qualify, you only get the "basic" aids. The basic aids mostly just make all sounds louder. That is not what I need. Due to the type of hearing loss I have I need the highly technologically-sophisticated models that can filter out the sounds I do hear while boosting the sounds I have trouble hearing. 

 

Seems the more "channels" the aids have, the better and more expensive. I was told by more than one business that the ones I need cost between $5,000 and $6,500.

 

While it is true that there are supposed to be less expensive models that will become available "over-the-counter", they will not be the technologically-sophisticated ones that work for my hearing loss.

 

I tried a pair of the less expensive models and all they did was make things louder but I still had trouble understanding what someone behind me or looking away said. With the very expensive ones I was able to test I could actually hear in a busy store with all sorts of background noises - even when the technician turned to face away and walked behind me.

 

I keep waiting for the price to come down or for some "refurbished" ones to be available at a reasonable price. I just had a screening a couple weeks ago by the same place I went last year (they offer a free yearly exam) and he told me there is no appreciable degradation in my hearing from last year - so, since he knows my situation, he did not try to pressure me into aids I cannot afford and said he would keep his eyes open for a "deal" or some refurbished ones.

 

In the mean time - I still speak loud because I cannot tell I am doing so ... my family still has to repeat stuff ... I miss what is said if I am not "paying attention" ... I listen to the TV with a headset at night so I don't keep my daughters awake since they have to get up around 3AM for work.

[digital_dreamer]

Love that video. Saw it when it first came out. Cute.

I’ve had a half dozen aids through the years since birth. They have a 10 year life, more or less, depending on the environment you live or work in. My last pair were $6000 and I’ve never paid a dime toward any of them. If your hearing is bad enough to effect your ability to get employment, Vocational Rehabilitation services in the U.S. of A. will provide them and make sure you are employed! Of course, as a good Christian witness of Jehovah, I’ve been gainfully employed since a teenager and paid my taxes. So, no one should be stumbled or call me a free-loader. 
 

How well the aids work will really depend on the capability of the audiologist and fitter. Hearing aids have gotten far more complicated with all their digital processing features and adjustments that some fitters are ill-equipped to make something work well for you. Even if it does seem to work for you, you can still be missing out on vast improvements, because the fitter lacks sufficient training in the software setup and fine tuning or because of a lack of clear communication between wearer and fitter. I was so disappointed with my last fitter that I purchased my own programmer and downloaded the software to make my own adjustments. One of our better decisions, as I’m speaking for my twin brother who did the same.

 

Old joke in our family: When I was a kid, my mother would tell me something and asked, “Did you hear me?” I always replied, “Yes!” After not getting the expected results, she wisened up and asked, “Did you understand me?” ...”No!”

Edited December 11, 2019 by digital_dreamer

[Jeanie]

5 hours ago, digital_dreamer said:

Love that video. Saw it when it first came out. Cute.

I’ve had a half dozen aids through the years since birth. They have a 10 year life, more or less, depending on the environment you live or work in. My last pair were $6000 and I’ve never paid a dime toward any of them. If your hearing is bad enough to effect your ability to get employment, Vocational Rehabilitation services in the U.S. of A. will provide them and make sure you are employed! Of course, as a good Christian witness of Jehovah, I’ve been gainfully employed since a teenager and paid my taxes. So, no one should be stumbled or call me a free-loader. 
 

How well the aids work will really depend on the capability of the audiologist and fitter. Hearing aids have gotten far more complicated with all their digital processing features and adjustments that some fitters are ill-equipped to make something work well for you. Even if it does seem to work for you, you can still be missing out on vast improvements, because the fitter lacks sufficient training in the software setup and fine tuning or because of a lack of clear communication between wearer and fitter. I was so disappointed with my last fitter that I purchased my own programmer and downloaded the software to make my own adjustments. One of our better decisions, as I’m speaking for my twin brother who did the same.

 

Old joke in our family: When I was a kid, my mother would tell me something and asked, “Did you hear me?” I always replied, “Yes!” After not getting the expected results, she wisened up and asked, “Did you understand me?” ...”No!”

Michael, can you give me some additional insight on hearing aids?  I just recently experienced what the doctor classified as sudden neural hearing loss on my left side (from a virus).  I did a trial of the Phonak hearing aide.  I thought I would love it.  I had all the bells and whistles.  During my trial I was so disappointed.  I spent 2 hours in one appointment to work on just being able to understand a phone conversation with clarity.  At 2 hours, I tapped out.  It never did improve.  We were on the phone with Phonak and their audiologist as well.  The hearing aide made my hearing more distorted than without it.  But, after your comment, I think it may be beneficial to see another audiologist and see if it was the specialist I was hearing or if I am just not able to tolerate a hearing aide.  It has been a learning experience to say the least.  Also, my insurance only paid about 300.00 toward a hearing aide, so I am looking up vocational rehabilitation services now.  Thanks for the tip!

[Qapla]

My hearing is not sufficiently degraded to qualify for Gov't assistance

[McKay]

On 12/11/2019 at 8:36 AM, Qapla said:

My hearing is not sufficiently degraded to qualify for Gov't assistance

"That's right!! Your problem is you aren't working hard enough. You need to rely less on the government and pick yourself up by your bootstraps and get a second job! Why should my tax dollars go to pay for someone else's hearing aids?!"

 

--This is literally what I've heard people in the US say about government health care.

 

"This is such a horrible predicament we're all in. I can't wait for Satan's world to end. He's such a cruel ruler."

 

--Literally me as I'm typing this.

[Sheep]

On 12/10/2019 at 7:57 PM, Qapla said:

Most of the hearing aid businesses here offer free "hearing screenings" (exams) - you can get insurance to cover the cost of hearing aids but it costs almost as much as financing the aids ... and most of the hearing insurance coverage I have seen do not cover the "premium" aids that have the technology needed to "correct" my hearing.

 

There are some organizations that will help people with hearing aids if you are in the right income bracket - but it is not easy to qualify. Then, if you do qualify, you only get the "basic" aids. The basic aids mostly just make all sounds louder. That is not what I need. Due to the type of hearing loss I have I need the highly technologically-sophisticated models that can filter out the sounds I do hear while boosting the sounds I have trouble hearing. 

 

Seems the more "channels" the aids have, the better and more expensive. I was told by more than one business that the ones I need cost between $5,000 and $6,500.

 

While it is true that there are supposed to be less expensive models that will become available "over-the-counter", they will not be the technologically-sophisticated ones that work for my hearing loss.

 

I tried a pair of the less expensive models and all they did was make things louder but I still had trouble understanding what someone behind me or looking away said. With the very expensive ones I was able to test I could actually hear in a busy store with all sorts of background noises - even when the technician turned to face away and walked behind me.

 

I keep waiting for the price to come down or for some "refurbished" ones to be available at a reasonable price. I just had a screening a couple weeks ago by the same place I went last year (they offer a free yearly exam) and he told me there is no appreciable degradation in my hearing from last year - so, since he knows my situation, he did not try to pressure me into aids I cannot afford and said he would keep his eyes open for a "deal" or some refurbished ones.

 

In the mean time - I still speak loud because I cannot tell I am doing so ... my family still has to repeat stuff ... I miss what is said if I am not "paying attention" ... I listen to the TV with a headset at night so I don't keep my daughters awake since they have to get up around 3AM for work.

It sounds like your hearing is a lot worse than mine. And yet...

 

On 12/11/2019 at 8:36 AM, Qapla said:

My hearing is not sufficiently degraded to qualify for Gov't assistance

That surprised me! Things don't work in Florida like here in Canada, at least in the province of Quebec. The provincial government here only pays for a "basic" hearing aid, with none of the bells and whistles. (But if your hearing is that bad, you wouldn't be able to hear those bells & whistles anyway.) That means that if you want—or need—the more expensive models, you're on your own. The government will not pay any part of the price of those. It's either all or nothing.

As with you, my hearing loss doesn't require just more volume, but also has to aim at restoring the specific frequencies that I've lost. As with most cases, I am lacking the high frequencies that help distinguish between the consonant sounds. For example, there is only a small difference between the sound of a "B" or a "D" (perceived at about 350 hertz), and a smaller difference between a "P" and a "T" (1,500 hertz). But especially the "S", "F" and "TH" can only be distinguished with the very high frequencies (around 5 or 6 thousand hertz). Fortunately, the government sponsored hearing aids here can target the frequencies I am missing. So that's why my hearing aids are a help to me. However, the problem still lies when there is lots of background noise, and my hearing aids can't distinguish between the voice of the person I am speaking to and the other noises around me. That can be frustrating when you can hear everything at once! But the price range you mention are about what I would need to help out with that. Sorry to say I can't afford that, especially since two hearing aids work a lot better than just one, and therefore double the price.

 

That's the reason my hearing aids—the "basic" model—only help in the most ideal circumstances. It has to be quiet. That's hardly ever the situation I need when I'm trying to talk to someone after the meeting in the Kingdom Hall. There are, however, some "tricks" you can learn to help out in less than ideal circumstances. I have learned only a few of those "tricks."

 

Hearing aids can help a great deal for some people. But in some cases they can help only if the person can afford it. That's a limitation that some people have to live with. Let's face it. The only real improvement will come with Jehovah's Kingdom. And that won't cost us anything.

[Jeanie]

On 12/11/2019 at 8:36 AM, Qapla said:

My hearing is not sufficiently degraded to qualify for Gov't assistance

John, another posted in this topic about Voc Rehab.  I am not sure about in Florida, but I looked it up and in Kentucky you don't qualify based on income.   At least that is how I am reading it.  They pay for the first 1000.00 if it effects your work.  One hearing aid is 3000.00 so if I can get a discount, I will gladly take it.  It might be worth looking into.  I am definitely going to be making some phone calls next week to see what I can do for myself.  

[Qapla]

I just had a call from one of the places I went ... they are offering $2,800 off the price of a pair of aids - even with that discount, it still takes the monthly payment out of my current range of ability that I had to pass.

 

On the positive side, each year that passes brings new technology to the aids without seeming to raise the price ... I keep hoping they will add true BT to the aids by the time I can get them.

[digital_dreamer]

On 12/11/2019 at 6:26 AM, Jeanie said:

Michael, can you give me some additional insight on hearing aids?  I just recently experienced what the doctor classified as sudden neural hearing loss on my left side (from a virus).  I did a trial of the Phonak hearing aide.  I thought I would love it.  I had all the bells and whistles.  During my trial I was so disappointed.  I spent 2 hours in one appointment to work on just being able to understand a phone conversation with clarity.  At 2 hours, I tapped out.  It never did improve.  We were on the phone with Phonak and their audiologist as well.  The hearing aide made my hearing more distorted than without it.  But, after your comment, I think it may be beneficial to see another audiologist and see if it was the specialist I was hearing or if I am just not able to tolerate a hearing aide.  It has been a learning experience to say the least.  Also, my insurance only paid about 300.00 toward a hearing aide, so I am looking up vocational rehabilitation services now.  Thanks for the tip!

Jeanie,

Several things need to be said:

1. It would be hard to assess your hearing needs without a audiogram. Some aids are better suited to certain hearing losses.

2. It’s unfortunate, but the reality is that 2 hours is not enough time for the brain to adapt to hearing changes. Two weeks is more like it, or even longer.

But, I would say that if you were hearing what sounded like distortion that was uncomfortable, then adjustments were seriously needed. But, it’s hard to say just what was needed without more specific details on what the distortion sounded like. That’s what the fitter is there for.

 

I’ve used a number of brands through the years and the one I’ve become fond of is the one you tried, Phonak. Some do not like Phonak and prefer Widex, for example. However, Phonak makes a Naida SP (Super Power) or UP (Ultra Power) model that is very respected among the those with profound hearing loss like myself. Additionally, since my hearing is practically non-existent from 1.5-Khz and up, I benefit from frequency shifting, where the upper frequencies are shifted down and compressed into the audio range I’m able to hear. Obviously, this creates unnatural distortion, but that’s better (to me) than not hearing the sound at all.

 

It seems that my previous post has touched a nerve among some who feel I’m somewhat unworthy. That’s quite alright, as I’m used to that attitude, even among the friends, particularly brothers. I’ve been through that for most of my life. Hearing aids don’t “fix” my disability and allow me the same privileges as those with normal hearing. Imagine driving or sitting in the vehicle out in service and never hearing or understanding a conversation and no one engaging you in a conversation all day. That’s with hearing aids and that’s been my experience for decades. Most people just think you’re quiet or slow. Or don’t care. Sad, but true. But, my experience with sisters is generally good. They take an interest and are perceptive. Brothers, not so much.

 

Below is my audiogram:

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by digital_dreamer