I "need" hearing aids

I

InnocentOdion

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I went and had my hearing checked the other day. Turns out I have 50% hearing loss in my left ear and 20% in my right!

Basically, the lady I spoke to said I need hearing aids. It wouldn't bother me if there wasn't such a long waiting time on them and getting them privately in this country is expensive! Does anyone happen to be a millionaire with £500 to £1500 to give me? :D

Looks like I'm going to have to put my university course on hold or go into something else! I need good hearing to go into 'teaching English as a foreign language', and to rely on if someone says 'worm' or 'worm'. Right now I couldn't tell if they said 'war' or 'were' or 'worm' or 'warm'!

I'm thinking of going into Deaf Studies. I'd learn BSL. Either way I've just wasted three years of my life because I'm Hard of Hearing and Hard of Hearing teachers of English are 'useless'. :rl: :pissed:
 
Do you guys not have any assistance program of any kind? Like shriners or lions club or something like that?
 
having hearing aids is no guarantee that you'll be able to distinguish those sounds, anyway. fortunately your hearing loss is pretty mild so you should still get quite a bit of help from HA's anyway. what initiated your hearing loss, if you don't mind my asking?

i wouldn't suggest putting your career plans on hold unless you found out you had a progressive loss. i do and i planned on having a career in piano pedagogy, until recently when my hearing stooped so low that my BTE (the most powerful one that Phonak has on the market) can't even amplify things enough for me to hear the piano unless i pound on it. having a CI is my next option, but CIs aren't designed to let you hear music.

i don't know what the assistance is like in the UK, i dont even know much about hearing aids/costs in the first place, so sorry about that.
 
Don't know about any support group. :-/ I'll have to check up on it.

I would be able to continue my university course with the university, but I would struggle and at the end of it, I would almost definitely not get a job teaching, so I'm thinking it'll be an extra year of another course which I -can- do. I don't know what brought on the hearing loss at all. It just... happened. They don't know how why or where.
 
InnocentOdion said:
Don't know about any support group. :-/ I'll have to check up on it.

I would be able to continue my university course with the university, but I would struggle and at the end of it, I would almost definitely not get a job teaching, so I'm thinking it'll be an extra year of another course which I -can- do. I don't know what brought on the hearing loss at all. It just... happened. They don't know how why or where.
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I am a teacher. I teach special education. Do not let a hearing loss keep you from a career. I didn't, I functioned on very very little hearing for the last 20 years. Just be positive. Get some assistances from your unversity.

Good luck,
Valerie
 
kimpossible said:
having a CI is my next option, but CIs aren't designed to let you hear music.
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Other CIers, correct me if I'm wrong...

I disagree. Some people who have CI never really listen to music in the first place because they can't hear it enough (prior to implant) to enjoy it, so they weren't exposed to music as much as you. I think if you have very good auditory memory, the CI will help you hear music better than HA. It may sound strange at first, but over time, it will start to sound "normal".

Some people compared Cochlear to Advance Bionics. They would say AB is better for music because they have a specific music program. I know a blogger, Allison, who is a music frantic, got the AB specifically because of that. However, she had the Auria then Harmony. I'm not sure about the Freedom. From what I've read and heard, the Freedom also has a music program, and has 4 different programs that can be adjusted to your liking.

So, other CIers, Please correct me on this...none of my friends really listen to music as well as I do so I can't really compare.
 
LadySekhmet said:
Other CIers, correct me if I'm wrong...

I disagree. Some people who have CI never really listen to music in the first place because they can't hear it enough (prior to implant) to enjoy it, so they weren't exposed to music as much as you. I think if you have very good auditory memory, the CI will help you hear music better than HA. It may sound strange at first, but over time, it will start to sound "normal".

Some people compared Cochlear to Advance Bionics. They would say AB is better for music because they have a specific music program. I know a blogger, Allison, who is a music frantic, got the AB specifically because of that. However, she had the Auria then Harmony. I'm not sure about the Freedom. From what I've read and heard, the Freedom also has a music program, and has 4 different programs that can be adjusted to your liking.

So, other CIers, Please correct me on this...none of my friends really listen to music as well as I do so I can't really compare.
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You are correct. I wore HA for 27-28 years. I can't stop listening to music. It sounds very normal. I did chose AB because of music program.

In order to understand and apprepriate music again, you really have to train yourself. It takes time, but well worth it.
 
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