Great to hear, Gary! Hang in there! It's a lot for your brain to process after all these years, so give it time! I know you're anxious ... who wouldn't be ... but enjoy every small victory! We are all pulling for you!
Great to hear, Gary! Hang in there! It's a lot for your brain to process after all these years, so give it time! I know you're anxious ... who wouldn't be ... but enjoy every small victory! We are all pulling for you!
Just for a bit of encouragement, the brain is an amazing thing. When I had cataract surgery back in 2013, because of astigmatism, they put a lens in my right eye that allows me to focus at close distances and another lens in the left eye that focuses much further out. I can't explain how it does it, but the brain functions in such a way that I can now see clearly without glasses. Before the surgery, my vision was 20-400 and now it is 20-25 uncorrected.
Just give it time.
Just give it time.
It takes a while for the brain to reprogram itself. My loss is not as bad as yours, but if I have issues with one of the aids I have to send them in for repair and the VA was nice enough to give me a spare set to use in that instance. Unfortunately, the hearing loss is progressive because of the nature of the injury, and the first pair is not programmed like the second pair.
When I have to use the replacement pair it's a whole new world out there, and then in about three weeks, you don't notice the difference because the brain has adjusted itself.
Give it the time it needs and you will appreciate it.
I'm still trying to figure out the new smart phone I got a few days ago. Teresa is a big help in that regard, as she has the same model. The reason I got one is that Kim, my audiologist told me about apps that I can use with my implant. They let me adjust the volume and from what I gather it also will input the signal directly to the outer sound processor. Kim also tells me that I'm going to be fitted for a hearing aid that will be more compatible with my implant and there are apps available that assist with hearing aids as well.
Sounds are still somewhat tinny, but they are becoming more recognizable, and things that are perhaps ordinary to most, (the sound of tires on a vehicle, rattling of keys, and even the scratch of a fountain pen) are new to me.
So I'm making progress in my hearing.
Sounds are still somewhat tinny, but they are becoming more recognizable, and things that are perhaps ordinary to most, (the sound of tires on a vehicle, rattling of keys, and even the scratch of a fountain pen) are new to me.
So I'm making progress in my hearing.
Excellent news. Perhaps you will also have the ability to "tune people out" with one of those apps.
Very happy to hear this. So many of us take so much for granted.
My sister's hearing has deteriorated terribly over the years (she's 75 now, and wears two hearing aids), and it's sometimes hard to talk with her on the phone. She puts it on "speaker-phone" and still has to hold it close to her ear.
Luck.
Hey, I do that same thing sometimes myself! (I think I need new or better hearing aids.)
Sadly my hearing ain’t so great. I have damaged it from years of listening to loud music in my cars. And other things such as lawn mowers and stuff. I am sure if I am still here in 10-15 I will need a hearing aid or something. I used to never think about losing my hearing so I didn’t do much to protect it. Now I wish I had.
The technology surrounding hearing aids is pretty impressive now. Bluetooth capable with different apps.
I can tune in an internet channel like Pandora while driving, turn down road noise and turn up the volume of the internet channel.
If the wife wants to sleep while in a hotel, I can mute the TV, use the Tunity app to capture the screen and then the audio will bluetooth to the aids while she hears nothing. Same with a TV in a bar or restaurant. If they have it muted, the app will send the audio to the aids.
Also has location capabilities. I can tune the aids up to 10 businesses or home. When I walk through the door of a favorite restaurant, it knows where I'm at and automatically resets the aids to restaurant mode and the hearing level I've selected previously in a set up mode.
There is more options, but those are pretty cool.
I'd give it all up for normal hearing though. Do what you can to protect yours.
I can tune in an internet channel like Pandora while driving, turn down road noise and turn up the volume of the internet channel.
If the wife wants to sleep while in a hotel, I can mute the TV, use the Tunity app to capture the screen and then the audio will bluetooth to the aids while she hears nothing. Same with a TV in a bar or restaurant. If they have it muted, the app will send the audio to the aids.
Also has location capabilities. I can tune the aids up to 10 businesses or home. When I walk through the door of a favorite restaurant, it knows where I'm at and automatically resets the aids to restaurant mode and the hearing level I've selected previously in a set up mode.
There is more options, but those are pretty cool.
I'd give it all up for normal hearing though. Do what you can to protect yours.
Similar threads
