Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Adventures in hearing aids



Just sharing the latest
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "ME " <>
Date: Oct 29, 2012 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
To: "" <>

I schedule an appointment.  I really don't want another thing to carry around :)  phone, laptop, etc...

On Mon, Oct 29, 2012 at 1:18 PM,  <> wrote:
There is a remote control that is available for the aids that gives fast program switching and volume control. I'm glad the headaches are better . It may take a while to adjust to the aids but the trial period is only one cycle or 28 days. The remote would give you more flexibility and is only $200.00. I understand that the highs are bothering you and that is not what you are getting from you old aids. We could make a program that would absent of the highs for you to use when you wanted too.



-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Mon, Oct 29, 2012 12:26 pm
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
HIM, Help me understand how I'm not being flexible?  My inflexibility is probably due to misunderstanding of everything in this world of digital aids.  I guess in essence I want to "play with all the settings" and understand how they affect me in various settings.  

I ask about features like "quick reset to the default program" so I don't waste the time (~5 secs) everytime I need a change from tcoil back to normal.  

I think like an computer engineer and speak/act that way to and can be misinterpreted.  The complete lack of control and having to in my mind, waste your time, playing in a "quiet" environment is detrimental to the fitting process.  Again my opinion.  I would love a way to work these aids in my environment.  Is that even a remote possibility?   

I've been also using the deaf community for their thoughts on my scenario.  Some told me suck it up and deal with it, others said try different audi's, most said spend the time to learn what your aid can do because a lot of Audi's aren't you.  Not trying to be condescending here, so please don't take it that way.

I've been using them all weekend, went to a conference in atl and had a very hard time hearing at specific times.  Speech just seems much harder understand add in noise event the restaurant program doesn't seem to help everytime.  

I'm trying get examples of where highs or tinny sounds cause me problems.  I thought emailing the examples that you might have some way of isolating the sound and determine the range that may need to be adjusted.  You never responded to it, and that left me a bit chagrined.

In my world, your computer is making a bad noise, first I identify the moving parts, clean\adjust\remove one at a time and note if the sound is better\worse\no change.  I feel I forced you into shotgun mode instead of following my own intuition.  

I didn't realize we had such a short time with the phonaks, I specifically asked about 3-6 months trial period based on a large number of people who've made the Ana-digi switch.

On the good news front, the headaches are less frequent and usually start in areas of high pitch environments.  I have heard some things that i'd not heard before but they really were trivial but neat some the less.  

I would like to make an appointment with you and have you print out the settings of the aids currently and the settings that are available.  You could even email them to me, I would be fine with that.  

I'm sorry, I know I'm demanding but I take it very seriously, akin to someone missing a leg wouldn't settle for a prosthetic that's 2 inchs short.

I need you to help me understand what I can and can't do with D-aids.

That curmudgeon, Pete :)





On Mon, Oct 29, 2012 at 6:41 AM,  <> wrote:
ME, it is not that I don't want to work with you, its that nothing available is going to give you everything you want and you don't seem to be very flexible. We only have 28 days to be able to return the aids to Phonak and if those don't work , there is nothing else to try. You may want to wait until something happens to the aids you have , and then you won't have the mental comparison to the ones you have.
-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:21 am
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
okay, if you feel like I'll never be happy then i guess we should end our relationship.  I really did like you and you've spent more time explaining things than others. I'm trying and sharing my experiences so that maybe something will click with you or your partner would help. Like the sounds I"m sharing to hope that you could identify the sound frequency as where we need to make adjustments while might sound normal (from the recording) to you are unbearable to me at the moment.  I'm using technology to help assist in configuring technology.

I'm still trying the aids, just disagreeing with some of your assessments.  If it's a one way communication how are we going to develop that relationship.  I'm not trying to be combative, I'm just trying to hear clearly as possible or get to a point where I can adapt.  The main problem with the left ear was static at random times in quiet scenarios, other than that i only feel like very minor changes would be needed.  The right ear definitely needs to be adjusted but since highs are over-powering.  I try to be respective of your time as much as possible but I want to learn what you are doing so I can better relay to you the changes. 

Since we don't seem to be on the same page, I guess we should end, choice is yours.  I'm willing to keep trying but if you are that convinced i'll never be happy I won't waste your time.

On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:53 AM,  <> wrote:
ME, that is as close as we are able to do. If you are that unhappy , bring the aids back and just keep what you  are happy with. I am convinced that you aren't going to be happy with anything that is available commercially and I really don't understand why you are happy with what you have except that is what you are accustomed too.



-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Thu, Oct 25, 2012 12:54 am
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
1.  Actually, your old aids should give you headaches.
Nope, never did and even during the "fitting window" as some audi's call it.  As i also said it could very well be a coincidence but 3 days running seems unlikely that it isn't
2. The high frequencies are getting stimulated more which should help the understanding but the only thing that would give headaches is the output.

If the highs are too high what would the side-effect be?  For me, it seems to be pain and excessive ear tiredness.  I'm hardly wearing them at work unless i have to talk on the phone or someone else because of the highs.  Speech has not cleared up in any shape or form, it's worse still.  Comprehension is definitely down but i've stayed true to what i said no matter how bad I want to, i've not put the analogs back on.

The static issues are hearing are the high frequencies . If you will notice you just get the "static' when you hear the S ,Sh, T, ed and Ch. That can be cut down a bit but you do need them.

I disagree you 100% on the static.  When the entire aid sounds like a radio static.  I should have mentioned that no one was talking at the time.  Attached is a similar sound.

Music sounds more natural with my aids off then my aids on, even with the music program.  I don't even bother wearing the aids now when listening to music.




On Oct 24, 2012 11:48 AM, "" <> wrote:
Actually, your old aids should give you headaches. The output in them is much greater than what you are getting now. The high frequencies are getting stimulated more which should help the understanding but the only thing that would give headaches is the output. The static issues are hearing are the high frequencies . If you will notice you just get the "static' when you hear the S ,Sh, T, ed and Ch. That can be cut down a bit but you do need them.



-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Wed, Oct 24, 2012 9:47 am
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
HIM, Please order another dalia microP. The one in the left ear has had a number of static issues that resolve themselves.  The left ear sounds better than the right but both still need adjustments.  i've had headaches fro three days now, only when wearing the aids, is this normal?
On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 5:20 PM, ME  <> wrote:
HIM,

This maybe purely co-incidental but 30 mins after wearign the aids, I got nauseous and got a really bad migraine.  None of my triggers were present the only change was the hearing aids.

here are sounds that are very painful to my ears. one is the tapping of a ring on a desk, one is snapping fingers, one is someone clapping one is the sound of rushing water to a sink.  The snapping fingers one, (the whooshing in the backgroup is "white noise" generators courtesy of my employer).  keyboard typing aren't bad but aren't good either.  

The music program is great but I cannot hear any vocals, on the normal program its the reverse.  Maybe this will change with time.

I've promised myself, that I will not put the analogs in at all, but may take out the digitals to "rest" my ears.  The sound is overwhelming on the high side, and still seems muddy, i can't help but wonder if it's the highs that are making everything else muddy?

T-coil is good, but how can I have high gain as the starting point, I'm constantly having to turn it up everytime i'm on the phone.

Another silly question, is there a shortcut key to get back to program 1 so I don't have to go through 3 programs to get back to the beginning?

  
On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 8:28 AM,  <> wrote:
All are good questions and I'll be glad to explain them when you can come in . We have found you a totally analog aid from Resound and it should give you what you have had but it is a super power aid and we will have to adjust the output to something you can tolerate. I'm sorry I missed you . Let me know when you can come again.



-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Sun, Oct 21, 2012 1:17 pm
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
I'm not sure I fully understand it, but I've been suggested a few things and one of them was a retest aids on, and aids off.  Another was the real ear thing.   I'm not sure I understand it,  and how it works. Could you explain it in laymans terms, and why you think it won't work?

How many programs can one aid have? Can each program have a different fitting formula?

Is there a model that we could try regardless of cost to cut everything out of the range of my hearing aids, and slowly add them back in? so I can hear the subtle changes?  

I keep seeing you link the aids together, what does that do?

Should I abandon my views, and let you drive?




On Sun, Oct 21, 2012 at 12:38 PM,  <> wrote:
Yes , we have real ear but I don't see how that would help in what  you are trying to do.
-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Sat, Oct 20, 2012 9:06 pm
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
Just missed you friday, at 12:30.  

I've put the analogs back on for now since we couldn't get them adjusted.  I've been reading about "Real Ear"  is this something you have access to?   
On Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 6:04 AM, <> wrote:
That's fine. Come by when you can .I'll be there until 1:00pm today or anytime Monday. HIM
-----Original Message-----
From: ME D.  <>
To: '' <>
Sent: Thu, Oct 18, 2012 9:58 pm
Subject: RE: Hearing aids
The changes we made this afternoon, is confusing me.  It seems the sound is all over the place at times, warbling or fading in and out, if you will. Almost like, if turning my head slightly the soundscape changes immensely.  Is this the aid compensating? 

Also the left one had several bursts of static for no reason at all.

The t-coil is a little better but still but I think I’d rather reset the volume back to the default on the right aid.

Is it possible for  you to send me/print me configurations each time we make a change?  I know you said you can store them, but I’d like to keep a copy. So I can write notes.



From:  [mailto:]
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 2:56 PM
To:
Subject: Re: Hearing aids

ME, the other hearing aids are here. Call and make a time to come in and we will be glad to see you. HIM
-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Mon, Oct 15, 2012 9:35 pm
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
HIM,

Thanks for seeing me today.  I'm really impressed with the level of service you're providing me so far.  Unfortunately, after getting into the real world environment the phonak's that we tried isn't gonna cut it either.  The sound was fuller compared to the starkey model.  And I guess is closer over all to what i'm looking for, however they seem very prone to excessive feedback. the starkeys did too. 

 I noticed that the phonaks seemed muffled and no matter what setting I had them at.  They didn't seem to clip anywhere near as much as the starkey either.  Music was okay, speech never really cleared up enough for me to feel comfortable wearing these.  I'm hoping that we can get closer with the next pair that you ordered today.  I'm not opposed trying the more expensive aids, but the problem would just be the affordability of them.

What would it take, if it's even possible to, to profile the aids now, and match them to a digital aid with as many channels that it takes?  Is this a pipe dream?

I'm remaining cautiously optimistic for now, 

On Thu, Oct 11, 2012 at 5:25 AM,  <> wrote:
This Friday is a day off for me because I have to work at the Exchange Club fair. My partner Becky will be in the office until 1:00. I will be there next Friday until 1:00 if that will work. HIM
-----Original Message-----
From: ME  <>
To:  <>
Sent: Wed, Oct 10, 2012 7:34 pm
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
HIM, I apologize, I haven't made it in.  been one of those weeks, would friday@ 3 work for you?


On Mon, Oct 8, 2012 at 8:09 PM, ME  <> wrote:
Okay, Will do.  I'll try to get my audiogram from my other audi, that I haven't been real impressed with.


On Mon, Oct 8, 2012 at 8:06 PM,  <> wrote:
I will be at a health fair tommorrow from 2-4pm but call in the morning and see what would be a good time. In the ear aids would be fine and we can get the same strategy (NAL-R) and they work together ( talk to each other and the telephone can work like a surround sound and go into both ears at the same time.)I look forward to seeing you.
-----Original Message-----
From: ME
To:  < >
Sent: Mon, Oct 8, 2012 7:30 pm
Subject: Re: Hearing aids
Excellent, It will be easier for me to come by since I'm on one aide right now.  Is there a time better than others or would an appointment be necessary?  I'm also curious about ITEs as well.
On Mon, Oct 8, 2012 at 6:40 PM,  <> wrote:
We should be able to help you within your budget. The new aids can use the NAL-R formula and do have a great T coil. The pico forte was a good boomer and we think we can find it in the Phonak OK or the Starkey DP7 depending on the gain level you need. Call and come by when you can.


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