hohpolice

I avoid gatherings as much as I can. I find it unbearably painful. I can't function in a noisy environment at all. Its like I'm getting kicked in the head constantly. I do, however, have a really neat gadget with my new ha's. A remote control with an off button! I wear Siemens Life 500's with the epen remote. Awsome feature, volume control, different programs for different things such as lecture, music, private conversation, etc.
Without them, I'm the same as sallylou, can't really carry on a conversation unless its one on one, facing each other, quiet room.
FxAvatar, look into your own hearing. I can't believe the difference. I'm hearing sounds I've never heard before. For example, certain birds.....its amazing!

Deafness

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FxAvatar

I have checked into getting some medical coverage, since I lost mine when I got laid off and I just got pasted the waiting time at my new job, I have asked them to get me the details. Since this is my first time looking into hearing testing (I know, in a family with a history of hearing loss.. dumb to have not tested my hearing since 6th grade).. I have read a few things from the earlier posts and many of the acronyms throw me, should I start at my general practice doctor or what? Also, has anyone ran into issues with getting coverage with medical inc with HoH?

quirkylibra

I agree, you should worry about yourself. Sometimes people just need time to see the way things really are. In high school, when I got my hearing test results and got my first hearing aids, I went through a phase were I started to deny a problem. Change is scary and some people try to avoid it. At some point, she will realize that she is hurting herself by ignoring her problem. Seeing you succeed is much more likely to affect her than you telling her what to do

quirkylibra

I would go straight to the audiologist if you do not have medical coverage. If you are going to apply for insurance, def do that BEFORE you have your hearing tested. I was denied coverage 3 times before I got some. Now I have coverage, but it isn't any good to me because I have a pre-existing condition. Anyway, if you can get some through a job, I don't believe that they can deny you I have actually considered just skipping a few nights of sleep per week to get a job with benefits

FxAvatar

ya, see, I am debating on trying for solo insurance, since this job is a temp job right now. My luck, I would get accepted, then dropped, then the next would say.. sorry, pre-existing. It happened to a friend of mine with diabetes. Before he was cut, they covered everything, now, he is lucky to get some of the meds covered. It was a major rant I will not go into..

sallylou

I second quirkylibra's recommendation. I started with the audiologist even though I have insurance. I didn't see the point of wasting time and $ with an ENT. I knew that my hearing loss was hereditary. I picked a highly qualified audiologist instead of going through the ENT.

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intrepid.mind

tinitus is annoying.. I have it... sound like a sirun in my ears

sallylou

intrepidmind, do you have hearing aids? My hearing aids mask the tinnitus. Of course, each person is different. There are some threads on AD specifically about tinnitus and you might want to check them out.

Welcome to AD, intrepidmind.

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FxAvatar

Got my audiogram today, Light to Moderate with very little loss in speech recognition is the results. He deferred me to a ENT to look into why I am having random dropouts in sound, and a check back in a year or if things get worse. I am below the normal hearing levels, but not to the severe, so he felt a HA would not be useful to me yet. Not sure where that lands me between hoh or hearie, but it looks like I get to make a appointment with a ENT

melissa

I'd say it makes you HOH, but that's just my opinion- go with whatever you're comfortable with. Glad you're able to see the ENT to look further into things.

hohpolice

I really don't want to bring up the health care issue, I know you guys are battling with it, but my ha's cost $4700 here in Canada. They are paid for. Plus, all batteries, adjustments, visits, etc., paid for. I get new hearing aids every 5 years....paid for, for life.

Bottesini

See, you have come up with an advantage you have over the US.

You are now adjusted fine. Go out and argue politics and oil in the regular threads!!

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ms_redcat

That's hilarious!

lovezebras

Not all ha's are paid for in full in canada..that's a great plan u have or coverage from ur province...in canada u get 500 paid towards hearing aids every 5 years and fm system thru Assistive Devices Program but that's it which is great cuz it's something...

sallylou

LOL@Bott.

Better wear your flame retardant suit.

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LDNanna

Fx, did you check with your states Vocational Rehab? Many will pay for your aids, audio, ent as long as you need them for work. It would be worth looking into for your next visit since this one is all set. Now take Bot's advice..... hehehe

FxAvatar

I will have to check into this. Right now, my employer is fighting me on getting medical coverage so i am thinking about just paying for it on my own. Drawback to private insurance right now is that they do not cover nearly as much as the group ones do. I should know in a few days to a few weeks. I really hope they get this fixed for us in the US, but I doubt it with as many fingers that are in the cookie jar.
As for now, I am in a holding pattern, I have not had any more drop outs of sound, and once I get some coverage or another hearing loss spell I am going to see a ENT. I have talked with my family about my hearing test. So far, it has been not well received as I expected. Mom says not to worry about it as it happens to everyone in the family and my interest in ASL is way to early since I can still hear something. While my brother and sister-in-law don't seem to know what to think other then they too seem to feel ASL is not worth the investment in time.
Good news is that one of my friends on the other hand is interested and is helping me study and is going to try and teach her kids as well as we both muddle through it. I figured it would be a up hill battle with the family, after all, I am the 1st to really do anything about it.

sallylou

Be a trail blazer. Go forward with your plans. Get a hearing test and learn sign language. If you're family is not interested, that's their decision. Family members may later view you as a role model and follow you. If not, it's their loss.

Be sure to hang around AD and get support here. I'll look forward to hearing about your progress.

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hohpolice

Sorry guys. Free. Did I mention free? It ain't a provincial plan either, duh. Free. Look into it. Oh, and the better than the US comment? Really, get your head out of the sand and ask someone other than an American how they feel about America.....I can't believe you said that. Do you really feel that superior to think I was making an anti-american statement? I was just saying that there are options when it comes to getting very expensive items that will benefiet your life. I thought $500 for glasses was expensive....

Bottesini

Do you have a little hostility going on? Do your supervisors know?

I would not trust you to give a speeding ticket.

All I said was a joke to try to cheer you up, but I guess you are into your ingrained patterns.

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hohpolice

You know what, that was wrong. Really, go out and ask someone who isn't an American what they think of you. Did you know that Canada was in the first world war AND second world war BEFORE the Americans would enter? Probably not...it goes on from here...Superman...Canadian...BasketBall....Canadia n...surprised? We study world issues, not "we are the center of the world" issues.

hohpolice

Well careful with the jokes. Would you tell a racial joke just because it was funny? You were dissing my country!
Again, you mention ingrained patterns. Profiling police?
Come on, I'm not here as a police officer. I am not here as a Canadian or other. I am here for deaf issues! Please relax.

sallylou

Relax, hohpolice. Bott made a joke. It wasn't a joke at your expense either. It was meant to be funny and invite you to join in on discussions in other threads. I don't know why you're so defensive against imagined insults. No one here has insulted you in any way.

If you venture into other parts of this forum, you will see that we have some very popular Canadian ADers here.

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hohpolice

I'm not upset. Letters don't describe emotion. I am the greatest of kidders. Im good. Thanks for giving a second on Bott's advice. Peace. I'll keep it in context as best I can.

KristinaB

When I first got the new HA's when I was in my late 30's, I was amazed at sounds I had never heard before or had forgotten. The funniest thing I mentioned to the audiologist when I had the check-up after first getting them, he just about cracked up when I mentioned that a flushing toilet sounded like Niagra Falls, then adjusted the aid a little. I also had never heard a frog before.

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Taking life one day at a time.

dogmom

FXAvatar,
we have no routine medical insurance and are waiting on some <non-urgent> medical things, too....
but anyway, I am new hoh and happen to have been re-learning ASL w/Deaf friend since before we discovered this.... but my folks don't see it as something to take any steps w/such as learning ASL either.....mom <in her late 70's> has hearing loss too and says, don't worry about it....while I am not "worried" in the way I think she is referring to, I am taking steps forward, such as the ASL, and getting more involved in d/Deaf community here locally. So I will someday be less "signing impaired"

CJB

I think that's great dogmom. The worst is that you have another language under your belt and a whole new group of people you can communicate with.

dogmom

CJB - no "worst" there -
Over the years I have been happy to have used what I did know as I came across Deaf people as i was running errands, etc., and it was very useful to be able to go from verbal English only to usually PSE....or sometimes the little bit of ASL that I did know. One of the first time I had such an encounter and the store clerk's face just lit up w/her smile as she saw me fingerspell VERY ungracefully "banana" as I was looking for bananas in store. I had been walking up to ask her as she was kneeling down working on shelving and when I got up close I saw the HA's, so I tapped her on shoulder gently and asked - SIGN YOU? and then we proceeded to have the conversation about the bananas and some other things I was looking for, although I imagine my signs looked pretty sad-

CJB

I love running into store people that know even a little bit of sign. Even if they can finger spell then that means automatic communication cause all they need to do is finger spell into my hand and I have no problem understanding what they're saying.

dogmom

CJB
I think patience is very important in this regard, and being open to things. Having LD has helped make me very patient and to learn new ways....I think sometimes people who have had automatic acceptance, who have not ever had to do anything "differently" many times do not have the perspective to have patience.