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Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 4 hours ago | Replies (1519)Comment receiving replies
Hello there—I am Anne and my hearing loss began somewhere near my 60’s. At first, I worked with adult college students tutoring English and I begin asking them to speak up. I thought they were perhaps shy and uncomfortable addressing me. Little did I know, nor did they that my hearing them was the issue. Oh yes, , we unknowingly dealt with it. It wasn’t until I was retired and well into my 60’s that I realized my hearing was an issue for me. At first, I tried hearing aids and did not do well adjusting to having to wear them and turned them back in! I wasn’t going to pay such an outlandish price if the didn’t help me. It took another year before I decided to try again. Well, here I am at 86 and literally hear nothing but perhaps at times, only certain levels of sounds without them in my ears. I have stopped attending church as I only hear the ministers sermon in bits and pieces —the music but no scripture readings. I go back for coffee and it is over whelming the voices coming into my ears from every direction. Holy moly! If I want to feel sorry for myself keep going. It is beyond frustrating. I try to be social with friends but find I’d rather not go to restaurants to visit and have social time. I run on a different track mostly. Phone conversations are hopeless, although I may get bits and pieces being relayed to me. I find I’m nearly a hopeless case. The best thing I have going for me is I can laugh at myself and sometimes it’s pretty funny (not that I don’t get it) but what I think I get. I often remember getting so tickled at my mom and what she thought she heard, not laughing at her (I hope) but laughing with her. Paybacks! Mercy. That’s my experience and I believe I could write a book on the effects of hearing loss in a person’s life. Tough going.
Replies to "Hello there—I am Anne and my hearing loss began somewhere near my 60’s. At first, I..."
Have you considered a cochlear implant. Medicare will pick up the cost if you qualify.
I am so sorry to hear about all your frustrations. I relate to them, but I was much younger when I was going through them. I'm thankful for all I've learned from other people with hearing loss. I'm sad that the healthcare pros who work with people who need hearing help are lax in providing them with information that can help more than simply fitting a pair of hearing aids! Some are wonderful at counseling, but many simply won't take the time. Here's where my beef lies:
1. Hearing assistive technology that goes beyond hearing aids is extremely important.
2. That technology does not automatically come with those expensive hearing aids.
3. A component called a 'telecoil' that is included in some hearing aids can connect its user to public address systems in worship centers, performing arts facilities, meeting rooms, etc. It can also connect you to your computer, to other personal audio devices, etc. BUT, the providers/sellers of hearing aids don't take time to tell people about this option. Further, they don't activate it in the hearing instruments they sell unless asked to do so. It has to be activated.
4. Unfortunately, many public venues do not have the 'connecting link' that works with those telecoils. WE HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE SOUND SYSTEMS. THEY ARE A RIGHT UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. But they don't have to be provided unless they are requested.
5. People with hearing loss can't advocate or educate on things they don't know about.
6. The push right now is for BlueTooth. BT costs a lot to add to hearing instruments. Telecoils cost no more than $15 and are usually there but not turned on. Go figure. We need both.
7. Seriously, nearly everyone with progressive sensorineural hearing loss can benefit from the available technology. The secret is bringing the sound from a PA system directly to the ear without background noise. BT and telecoils both do that, but BT is focused on cell phones, TVs, etc. It doesn't work in those larger places.
8. Check the HLAA website when you have time to learn. There is so much information there. It's there because 'we the people with hearing loss' have put it there.
I encourage anyone who is struggling with life due to hearing loss to go to a cochlear implant center to learn if a cochlear implant can help you. CIs are covered by Medicare. They have come so far in the past decade it's unbelievable. I use both a CI and a hearing aid. It has been a very positive and remarkable journey. I feel blessed.
The best teachers are those who know from personal experience Are you open to learning?
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Annie, the blue tooth hearing aids should solve all phone problems. It’s the main reason I have them. Now it works for TV also.
In church the pastor is very loud and clear so no problem there unless a speaker doesn’t speak clearly and strongly and if that’s the case I just hear pieces. In larger class/meeting rooms I have a problem as the sound seems to get lost over distance. Sometimes I use my phone as the receiver/microphone and it bluetooths to my hearing aids and I can hear better.
Just meeting with a few people like at a restaurant table I do fine because the distance is short and their sound volume is usually good.
I’m like you though in that some things I just don’t go to or I get up and walk out because I just can’t hear and put together what they are saying. One of my biggest problem is going through a drive through. These kids like to talk in a very fast higher tone (I call it a chirp) and they use no sylables and just string the words together. My brain don’t decipher that very well. If I have someone in the car with me I’ll ask them what did they say and they will tell me so obviously I’m the problem. Usually I will just repeat the order and say thank you and pull around to the window. Bluetooth or nothing else helps “the chirpers” 😁.
I hope this helps,
Calvin