Sunday, January 09, 2022

Hearing Aids Report #1

 


I've had my hearing aids for almost a week, but I must admit that I skipped wearing them Friday and Shabbat. 

In all honesty, the first few days I wore my hearing aids, it was a relief to take them out at night. My ears had begun to hurt. Besides that, I had to keep checking where they were. I had discovered that they had "exited" where they should have been. Of course, bli eyin haraa the part with the battery was still behind my ears and under my scarf.

Friday morning I had gone to swim in the Ariel Pool and forgotten to insert earplugs. That's another new routine I must adopt, earplugs for swimming to keep my ears dry. So I just decided to take a break from the hearing aids. On Shabbat there was no real need to wear hearing aids. My study group was "cancelled for corona," and I haven't been to shul for almost two years. We also didn't have guests. My husband speaks loud enough. Besides that on Shabbat I can't turn off and on hearing aids, so they'd use up a lot of battery power. My ears definitely needed the two day break.

Sunday mid-morning I reinserted my hearing aids, and my ears felt better, though they still seem to pop out, though less. I made an extra appointment for tomorrow to check them out. One of the reasons I chose Medton Hedim is that they had promised I could nudge as much as I felt I needed.

Besides all that, you want to know:

Do I really hear better with my hearing aids?

  1. I keep lowering volume when I have them in, the tv, my phone...
  2. Suddenly I hear strange sounds. For some peculiar reason when my husband takes something from plastic bags from the kitchen, and I'm in the den, I hear what sounds like someone's grinding glass.  And even worse are the sounds that come out of his phone. I can't make out what's being said, but it sounds louder than the television. And this is when I'm in a different room.

  3. Inexplicably, one battery finished before the other. Due to the "magic" of Bluetooth communication before the hearing aids and my phone, I was notified that the left one was about to go "empty." So I changed that battery for a new one. So now the left is full, and the right at half.
  4. Pre-hearing aids I always had to make the TV louder or I couldn't understand what was being said. I'd ask my husband: "Can you really hear that?" And he'd answer "Yes." Suddenly this evening I saw him grabbing the remote and pressing volume. "Are you really making it louder?" I asked in shocked surprise. He was, so I guess my hearing has improved.
Do you have any questions for me about my experiences with hearing aids? If so, please ask in the comments.

4 comments:

Miriam said...

Batya, Avraham said it takes a month to get used to them. The sound has to be adjusted by computer. Did your hearing aids come with a little brush to clean the part that fits into your ear when you take them out.

Batya said...

Thanks
I have a special cloth for that. Until I get a better phone he can't do it long distance.
Does Avraham say my report sounds normal?

Anonymous said...

Dear Batya,

Regarding your hearing aids, when I read your first post, i was excited. I am deaf also - having a lot of hearing problems.
I had sometime ago, gone to see a specialist, here where i live in Canada.

Even though the initial test was free, the cost of having to buy was something that i could not afford to do..

Way too costly for me who lives on a small pension which B"H, i am grateful for, it is way too costly.

And when I was told how i would have to get new batteries etc; (as to how much i used them..etc;) I decided against it.

Also I thought the world we live in now, better to hear less :).

You do need them as you are younger and involved much in learning etc;

Now reading your 2nd write up, I am glad I do not have to use them.
Besides I hardly step out, especially now with this corona etc;, and i am way past 80.
I had nothing to offer you regarding your hearing aid, though your write up on them helped me. So thank you Batya, hope someone helps you regarding the hearing-aids.
Thank you for your blog which I enjoy coming too and reading.

Hashem bless you and yours.

nonee

Batya said...

nonee,
Here in Israel they are subsidized pretty heavily, at least one pair every 3 1/2 years. There are also places that give them for free, certainly for the elderly. Some of my friends have gone there.
I'm looking forward to a new phone which will be attached via bluetooth
It's nice not having to have the tv on loudly.
Enjoy in good health