Dissapointed with House Ear Clinic

First, love your ear-bling. I spent years trying to get patients to go a little nuts with their hearing aids because why would you be as frumpy as possible with something that costs that much and is on your ear every day?

ABR can measure brainwave from the cochlea through the brain. ABR isn't very precise, but it is/should be pretty darn objective; if you have hearing, there's a brainwave. Yes, this technique IS sometimes used to figure out if a person is faking or exaggerating (and yes, people do this, for a variety of reasons, as crazy as that may sound). However, I imagine the motivation was mostly to figure out what the heck the hearing loss is on the left. Is there any bone conduction info for the left? If the loss is sensorineural, a BAHA wouldn't help the left. Also, given that you've had a skull fracture, they may be concerned that there is neurological involvement which would make a cochlear implant not the best option.

Willknit is correct in saying that "noise" refers not to an audible sound, but to electrical activity. It makes it very hard to get useful results. If you could actually fall asleep, that would be ideal, but some people are still pretty active. Of course, it probably doesn't help that your experience has been so negative; makes it hard to feel relaxed!

I'm inclined to think new AuD's are a bit more able to relate to younger people, more up-to-date on the research (and not just their own research), etc. On the other hand, if someone is going to drill a hole in your head, you want them to know their way around a cochlea! Hopefully you can find someone who can help you. Good luck!
 
NaidaUP said:
Seems silly that they think you would waste time and money to fake it. Doesn't make sense.

Here in UK. People faking hearingloss for compensation is huge business. They do a simply test where they ask people what are the saying, pat, mat, bat. They all have the same lip movements.

Hope you get things sorted. ;)
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See, I can understand it being a huge problem in countries that have universal healthcare, or free CI's, BAHA's, etc. But we would be paying out of pocket, minus what our insurance covers, so WHY would I be faking? It's going to cost us a lot of money in travel, appt's, the actual surgery, follow-ups, equipment, etc. On top of what were already spending on my right ear, which is about to reach $4,000 for this year alone. Yeah, faking is definitely not for the middle class in the US, lol.


LK said:
First, love your ear-bling. I spent years trying to get patients to go a little nuts with their hearing aids because why would you be as frumpy as possible with something that costs that much and is on your ear every day?

ABR can measure brainwave from the cochlea through the brain. ABR isn't very precise, but it is/should be pretty darn objective; if you have hearing, there's a brainwave. Yes, this technique IS sometimes used to figure out if a person is faking or exaggerating (and yes, people do this, for a variety of reasons, as crazy as that may sound). However, I imagine the motivation was mostly to figure out what the heck the hearing loss is on the left. Is there any bone conduction info for the left? If the loss is sensorineural, a BAHA wouldn't help the left. Also, given that you've had a skull fracture, they may be concerned that there is neurological involvement which would make a cochlear implant not the best option.

Willknit is correct in saying that "noise" refers not to an audible sound, but to electrical activity. It makes it very hard to get useful results. If you could actually fall asleep, that would be ideal, but some people are still pretty active. Of course, it probably doesn't help that your experience has been so negative; makes it hard to feel relaxed!

I'm inclined to think new AuD's are a bit more able to relate to younger people, more up-to-date on the research (and not just their own research), etc. On the other hand, if someone is going to drill a hole in your head, you want them to know their way around a cochlea! Hopefully you can find someone who can help you. Good luck!
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Thanks about the ear bling! I love blinging them out!

I don't believe there are any bone conduction results for the left ear, I don't think it's ever been tested. I think they're just assuming the loss in the left ear would yield similar results (as far as conductive vs. sensorial), since the trauma was experienced in the same day. The only difference between the two in treatment is that the reconstructive surgery didn't work on the left. I know I can hear via bone conduction on the left, as when they use the tuning fork on that side on my mastoid bone, I can hear it.

Yeah, my Mom is dead-set against not using the new docs here in town. She's very much a "use the best we have access to". I've talked her into looking at docs closer than Stanford (the 5hrs away that my Audi recommended). Were going to do some research and calling around, compile a list, and see if my Audi can recommend anyone on that list when we pick up my FM system next Friday.

Oh, and I do know people fake it or exxaggerate it, but it's just sad that they would think I'm faking, when I have been deaf for SIXTEEN years. Pretty sure I would have been caught by now! Lol! My pediatric records should be enough to de-bunk any doubts, I had surgery to restore my hearing for goodness sake! House Ear didn't have these records, but they did know of the surgeries and injury.
 
Actually, I'm guessing House Ear doesn't think you're faking it (although that audiologist sounds....not good). But your own audiologist might be interpreting their testing that way.

Personally, my experience with ears is that they're extraordinarily complex, we have no absolute understanding of every little detail of what's going on inside, and the more data we can accumulate, the closer we get towards taking the right steps...which you really, REALLY want if someone might be drilling a hole in your head. So I tend to be pro-testing. But that's me.
 
I understand the need for testing, but ignoring results that are right in your face? Annoying.

Have an appt next month at University of California at Irvine :)
 
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