Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others

Thx for all the info. Seems like a good option. Do you have a certain worker that you like the best?

@ejoyces! I have had great experiences at the Costco in Hillsboro. And the Costco/Kirkland batteries are great.

@mari, I will look for his card and let you know.

@mari, Thanks for the info about Costco. We finally have a Costco. What is the best source for hearing tests? Does Costco hav clinicians available where you are? Thanks for the info...have some joy today. Chris

There's usually one tech who does tests and actually sells the aid that's best for you. That's why, if the tech at your store isn't a good match for you, you should try another Costco if there's a second one within a reasonable distance. FWIW, you'd probably make two trips not long after buying an aid(s) in order for the tech to fine tune them for you after you've worn it/them for a few days. I went back once last year, then (same aid) this year three times: for a new test after my aided ear went really bad plus had the aid adjusted to handle the new loss, once to activate the telecoil and pair it with my new IPhone, once to buy the mic and have it paired with my aid. That's five trips over the period of a year, and three of them were after a huge downturn in hearing.I was able to "pair" every trip with some other trip I needed to make to Salem, so I actually never made a special trip.

The Bernefon Zerena that I bought cost just over $1,600. The mic I bought to pair with it (sends sounds directly to the aid in your ear) cost just under $200. The Costco tech told me a year ago that recruitment in my bad ear would make an aid useless/bothersome. She offered to fit a second one for that ear and let me wear it for a week, but I trusted her advice and didn't do that. In contrast, the first audi at the CI clinic told me that I had failed the test for a CI in my useless ear by only 5% (depends upon hearing in your "good" ear). She recommended that I toss my Costco aid and buy two "better" ones from her clinic to the tune of $6,000--and then come back for a repeat test in six months. If the test then proves that I qualify for a CI, I'd have spent money for aids that might need to be replaced. Yikes! The second audi I saw, for a consult on how to live with the new loss/distortion/recruitment said that the Costco tech was correct in the aid she had sold me as well as the fact that an aid for my bad ear wouldn't be satisfactory, due to recruitment on top of not much hearing to aid. That really reinforced my trust in the Costco tech. Of course, I'm really glad that I didn't follow the swell advice of the first audi at the CI clinic!

Biggest downturn at Costco is that they don't have a way, at least at the Salem store, of taking messages if the phone's busy when you call.

I found that the FREE hearing test at Costco (no charge even if you don't buy an aid) yielded the same results as the one that cost over $300 at the CI clinic. Every Costco hearing center has at least one tech who does tests and recommends/adjusts aids. The Costco center has soundproof booths, same as the ones elsewhere, and the tests are done the same way. Printed results were very close--and my hearing, thanks to Meniere's is different from day to day, even minute to minute.

What did you want stem cells for? (BB from NYC!)

I called all over LANGONE MED CENTER, DR. LEDDIE looking for dr. that did stem cell for hearing. After 3 hours - it does not happen.

13 emails in one day each separate by group members So frustrating and time intensive Please group them again

I agree. I participate in a number of online discussion groups (and have for many years). This is the only one that does not group messages. It's not just a matter of the inconvenience of having lots of separate messages. Much more importantly, when messages are not grouped into threads, users lose the flow of the discussion, which discourages participation .