Help for Hearing Impairment

spugzbunny

Summer - good to 'hear' you have an appointment! Ah lol! I hope they find a fix for you as i find it's the not knowing that got you down! You should moev to Reading - you can't beat a same-day appointment! I don't know how I would have coped with all of this if I hadn't had such excellent help from audiology!

Hear-Hear

Oh Unity,

Half the battle is being positive. I'm sure the whole purpose of the post by c0c0nuts was to inspire confidence in others. Read that post again. They denied all knowledge of what I had suggested c0c0nuts should ask for, and then relented. Can you imagine how many other people were seen that day, that week, that month, who didn't have the information to ask for something, or who would have backed down at the first sign of negativity.

Just tell them what you you want, and what you expect, and keep repeating it until they nor only "hear" you but actually "listen" to you. There's a big difference !

Good luck with your appointment. Before you go, re-read what c0c0nuts has written, and see how pleased he/she is !!

Unity

Hear-Hear wrote: »

Oh Unity,

Half the battle is being positive. I'm sure the whole purpose of the post by c0c0nuts was to inspire confidence in others. Read that post again. They denied all knowledge of what I had suggested c0c0nuts should ask for, and then relented. Can you imagine how many other people were seen that day, that week, that month, who didn't have the information to ask for something, or who would have backed down at the first sign of negativity.

Just tell them what you you want, and what you expect, and keep repeating it until they nor only "hear" you but actually "listen" to you. There's a big difference !

Good luck with your appointment. Before you go, re-read what c0c0nuts has written, and see how pleased he/she is !!

Oh Hear Hear, I know what you are saying - but I am now so beaten down by everything. I have asked and asked and you know from previous posts the replies I've received. I am truly sorry for appearing negative to others who might contribute to the thread and sincerely hope that they will have better luck than I've had.

I've had the second hearing aid since August last year and still no sign of my tune-up. When I went back because I was having problems they said I needed the wax taken out of my ears then they would do a tune up. This wax was vacuumed last year, but despite informing them - no appointment. I know that when I do get another appointment they will say wax has built up again and I'll be back down the list.

Unfortunately I have quite a few health problems to cope with - added to these, the latest is a new chemo-prevention medication which has bad side effects. Everything from nausea and diarrhoea, through to joint pains and extreme depression so I am rock bottom. The time when I could do with the support of others I am reluctant to go out because I just can't hear.

I'm sorry if I appeared to be a dog in the manger this is a personal battle really and one I don't feel I can win on any level. Hopefully things will get better, but I shouldn't have made my comment and I apologise, I'll go back and delete the post.

Hear-Hear

Please don't feel a need to apologise Unity. I can't imagine the pain of the things you have to contend with right now, and the purpose of my post was only to provide you with something positive to try to help you move forward with.

A hearing impairment can be so very very isolating. When and if you are ready at some stage to ask for a satisfactory solution, and in the knowledge that others have pressed hard and succeeded, it may well influence other positive changes in your life.

spugzbunny

Unity - I have no real advise other than to back up what hear-hear says. You should keep asking for the treatment and support you deserve. I just wanted to say that we are here to listen to any of your moans and you should never feel bad for feeling down. If there is anything I can do to help please let me know! I really hope things start to look up for you and don't ever forget that there is always light somehwere at the end of th tunnel - there just might be a few doors you need to open along the way. (sorry that's a bit cheesy isn't it!!)

Savvy_Sue

Can I just say that the RNID's One in Seven magazine often has helpful articles on particular aspects of hearing loss, as you'd expect really. But may be worth a subscription. The latest one my mum lent me had articles on getting used to hearing aids (persevere!), among others.

moneypenny2k

I come from a family that has history of hearing loss, basically the hearing nerve degenerates from teenage years onwards and gets progressively worse. I've been wearing a hearing aid since I was 26 and two hearing aids since I was in my late 30s. I'm now 51 and my hearing seems to have stabilised over the last 5 years or so at moderately severe. My hearing loss seems to affect the consonants so that I hear things but can't make sense of them. I describe it as constantly doing the crossword. Very wearing.

I'm currently wearing 2 Oticon Sprints which I've had for a couple of years. I've got an appointment in August to be fitted with new aids to try and improve my experience. Apart from the lack of sense, I suffer with not being able to tell what direction noise is coming from. The Sprint has given me some directionality but not much. Also the 'background blank out' effect where people are talking in the background and it stops you hearing what is in front of you.

It's vitally important to me to be able to hear well as I'm a teacher. I'm b*ggered if my hearing is going to beat me and if I'm gonna be doing this job I need the best I can get. Besides, it's good for teenagers to see hearing impaired people doing 'responsible' jobs.

I'm being seen by the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital in London so I guess I've managed to get on the books of one of the better Audiology departments in the country, the payback is waiting times. Takes a while to get appointments.

My question is, I'm presuming that the hospital are loosely tied at least to Oticon, what is there available on the NHS that it's worth asking my audiologist for? Any new models that I can ask about? What are people's experiences?

Thanks for reading.

Hear-Hear

moneypenny2k,

If your PCT's preferred supplier from the NHS catalogue is Oticon, then you should certainly insist on upgrade to the current NHS/Oticon model - the Oticon Zest. It's fairly old technology now, but leaps and bounds ahead of the Oticon Spirit range. They are now consigned to history.

Waiting times remain a problem for the free NHS hearing aids, regardless of how good or bad your own local area performs. But you might want to consider the wait that you have had a good omen. The new NHS contracts to tender have now been signed off. The new catalogue was due to be effective from 01 April 2010; it is now 01 August 2010. You may well get something pretty amazing after 01 August ! Your PCT will have a much wider choice to offer after that date. You may of course get the same old same old, if your local PCT is budget-constrained.

What is more inportant is that you see the right audiologist who has the power and authority to provide you with the best solution for your own personal needs from the full range available to him/her, and who will offer you at least one face-to-face follow-up appointment to adjust the aids to suit your specific requirements.

stoneyboycool

summerof0763 wrote: »

your a wealth of knowledge lol.where do you get all your info from?
i have sent my letter of complaint,so await to see what happens,now waiting on one of daughters to phone audiology,had enough of this hearing aids like hearing underwater,and g/kids keep telling me am shouting at them,poor wee mites,i feel bad!!
my h/aids that am wearing are starkey radius 12p bte,anyone got info on what "better" ones i can ask for,had these since dec,tweaked,tweaked and more than tweaked,but i have to admit "i cant hear" argh!! constantly asking people to repeat themselves and a total danger outside,tia

I would ask about Phonak Naida. I've found them excellent compared to Radius 12P

summerof0763

stoneyboycool wrote: »

I would ask about Phonak Naida. I've found them excellent compared to Radius 12P

as a matter of interest as you are obviously profoundly deaf,in what way is the Phonak Nadia better?
i am at audiology dept on 21st of this month,and hopefully i can get this sorted.
i want to be reasonably clued up on what i am asking for.