Hearing Aids Report #4 Data Usage Warning aka Good News-Bad News

You may find it helpful to read my previous articles about life with hearing aids, updates #1, #2, #3 plus mask-tying advice for avoiding COVID and loss of expensive hearing aids.

It has been awhile since I've written one of these reports about living with hearing aids. You probably thought that I had figured it all out and written all that's important; I sure did.

Recently my phone has been nudging me with these Data Usage Warnings, and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I hardly use any apps, just one game, which isn't very addictive. I even changed "providers" hoping that would help. It's now saving us money, thank Gd, but the warnings retuned.

I began to suspect that the "good news," one of my favorite things about using my hearing aids could be the cause. So I went to the phone shop that had recommended the new company and told the helpful young man working there that I had one of my "dumb questions." 

"Could my use of Bluetooth to hear my phone straight into my ears via the hearing aids be using up all the data?" I asked him, hoping/praying for a negative reply. 

I really enjoy being able to hear things clearly and not bothering others. Well, you probably guessed it. The "bad news" was that my suspicion was correct. The Bluetooth uses up a lot of data. 

Next year when I start negotiating with a "provider" for our cellphone service I'm going to have to try to triple the usage in the deal. 

And to think I had to replace a wonderful phone just because its Bluetooth wasn't compatible with my hearing aids.

Hearing Aids Report #3 Be Prepared & Not Cheap

 

Hearing Aids case & batteries

You may find it helpful to read my previous articles about life with hearing aids, updates #1 and #2, plus mask-tying advice for avoiding COVID and loss of expensive hearing aids.

This post will have three topics, which I hope you'll find helpful. The first topic concerns us hearing aid-wearers all.

Be Prepared

As per Murphey's Law, one of the first times I left the house wearing my hearing aids, figuring I wouldn't be gone long, and since I wasn't far from home, I didn't take the kit with spare batteries. Yes, I got the battery model and not the rechargeable. That's what was recommended for Sabbath observers, since a new battery is supposed to last longer than a newly charged hearing aid. 

Obviously you guessed it. Almost half the time I was out, I was forced to listen to low-battery-warning rings in stereo. Since I didn't have my case with me, I couldn't take them out, either. But the good news is that even as they kept nudging that it's time to change the batteries, they still magnified the sounds. I should have at least checked the battery percentage which can be done pretty simply on my phone. Yes, they're connected via Bluetooth. Volume can also be adjusted very easily on my phone.

Hearing Aid Expenses

After purchase of course, which I'll talk about later, I have to buy batteries. They can certainly add up in terms of expense, and as I noted above, they rarely last as long as you were counting on. I asked around and was told that it's cheapest to buy them in large quantities online. Just as I was about to bite the bullet and put in my first order, one of my sons told me that he found a whole bunch of packs in a home he was renovating. The former owner has no need any more... Once we ascertained that they're the same size I need, he passed them on to me. I checked them out with the audiologist, who said that even though their date had passed, they seemed OK. He also told me what to look out for as a sign to throw them out. So now I'm set for the next few months.

Facebook Hearing Aids Support Groups

When I had my third meeting with the professional who tested and fitted my hearing aids he mentioned that I'd probably enjoy being part of hearing aids support groups on Facebook. Some are even specific to the brand Oticon, which I have. I quickly whipped out my phone and opened Facebook. Then I searched "Oticon hearing aids support," and suddenly there were a slew of groups to join. There aren't too many notices per day. Usually I ignore them after a quick read, and sometimes I even chime in with some advice. Hah! Me the expert! But to be totally honest I'm shocked at what American have to pay for hearing aids, thousands of dollars in many cases. People even get second hand hearing aids, which I find pretty sad, frightening and pathetic. 

Here in Israel we're all members of a "sick fund," and once we're recognized as needing hearing aids, they highly subsidize one pair every three and a half years. I paid just a few hundred dollars for the pair. And I have friends who got theirs for nothing from special "funds." They were new, not second hand.

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I hope this has been helpful and am looking forward to your responses in the comments. Hoping to hear from you....

Hearing Aids Report #2

I guess everyone knows by now that I sport hearing aids. A couple of weeks ago I wrote Report #1, so now here's Report #2.

The deal here in Israel is that we "try out" the hearing aids for just over a month. If they are disastrous we can return them and won't be charged. During that time we are scheduled for a couple of appointments to help us with the hearing aids. 

A couple of weeks ago, when I really wasn't feeling comfortable with them, I was given an extra appointment. I kept the one for today which I had scheduled earlier on, and I'm glad I did.

At my first Medton-Hedim appointment I made sure that I could ask for extra appointments whenever I felt the need. That was one of my conditions for choosing them over the competition. And BTW there's lots of competition. I'm sure that some of the other places also give good service, but not all work with my kupat cholim, sick fund. I chose them, because a neighbor recommended them, and I trust his judgement.

Today my main question concerned what I felt was the short life of the batteries. I had been expecting them to last much longer. As we discussed my use of the hearing aids, it ends up that my favorite thing, listening to music, Torah classes etc. is what uses lots of battery power. It may be worth using my old headphones sans hearing aids at various times. The Bluetooth headphones are easy to charge.

I was wracking my brain to think of something else to report when I felt the hearing aids sort of "moving around." They don't always stay in my ears properly. So I mentioned that to the technician. He quickly took a look and said:

"You may need larger buds/tips/plugs/domes." 

So he took out a different size and replaced the ones I had been using. He was right. They are better. They stay in place, so I hear even better than before.

Honestly I was surprised, but I'm glad that the staff knows their stuff. 

There was no need to make another appointment, though I was told that I'm always welcome to call and they'll fit me in.

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.

Hearing Aids All The Rage With The Senior Set

I've been enjoying multifocal glasses which double/triple as sunglasses for a number of years, and now I've gone "hi-tech" with hearing aids. 

If you look really, really carefully you can see a pale wire entering my ear from under my scarf. 

After too many years of saying "What?"  "What? I cant hear you." or missing out on important information or just tuning out, since what's the point....

Yesterday I finally got hearing aids. As I type this, I'm in shock that my gentle taps on the keyboard actually make noise. It's a whole new world out there for me. Since I got home, I've been lowering the volume on the television, my cellphone etc. 

Last year when I sort of mentioned to my doctor that I thought my hearing had badly deteriorated she disagreed, since I could hear her. But this year I insisted. So many of my friends who seemed to hear much better than me have begun wearing them. It was embarrassing at people's homes having to raise the volume on their TV's. Now I can easily raise or lower the volume of my Oticon hearing aids via my cellphone. 

To be approved for hearing aids and a subsidy to cover much of the cost, I needed a hearing test which I did in a clinic in Ariel University. Then I needed to be examined by an ENT Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to make sure that my hearing loss wasn't due to a curable illness. Finally I went to the Jerusalem branch of מדטון הדים Medton Hedim. It had been recommended by a neighbor; there are many different places I could have gone to.

At Medton Hedim I had a more detailed hearing test plus a talk with the "technician," or whatever he is. Then my Kupat Cholim, sick fund had to approve their subsidy. I paid much less than the "real" price. The subsidy is for a pair of hearing aids every three and a half years. Then I can get new ones if needed at the lower price. I paid less than I had paid for my latest multifocal eye glasses about a year and a half ago. They had also been discounted by the sick fund.

Yesterday was the day. I was taught how to insert the hearing aids and care for them. I set up the app on my phone to control the volume via Bluetooth. There's a lot to remember. Just like after getting new glasses, I was told to keep them in from now on except for sleeping, bathing, swimming etc. Of course there's a follow-up appointment in a couple of weeks, and I can always call to ask questions.

When I left the office, I was amazed by the sounds I hadn't been hearing. Then I went by lightrail to the other end of Rechov Yaffo to buy earplugs in the Speedo store. The good news there was that my points --really thanks to friends who use my membership when buying in the Ariel Pool branch-- covered the price of the earplugs. 

Next I have to get another new phone, because the Bluetooth in the one I bought recently isn't compatible with my hearing aids. One of my descendants will certainly enjoy that recently bought phone.

The joys of growing old....

Baile Rochel Tries A "New" Art Medium

 Since, as my sister says: 

"We're from a family of artists."

I'm always on the prowl, the intrepid searcher, for a new art medium which will make me feel like one of the clan. Luckily my cheerful, optimistic disposition hasn't given up the fight against PTS post traumatic stress from all the times my horrendously unsuccessful attempts to draw and paint got me nothing but clear unmistakable mockery and criticism.

Thank Gd, a few decades ago I discovered photography and more recently mosaics which are art forms, art media, requiring no drawing at all. Jackson Pollock got away with splashing paint all over the place, but early in his career he showed that he could produce stunning realistic images. The same goes for Picasso. They didn't go abstract because they couldn't draw.

A few weeks ago I found myself signing up for a two session Pottery Workshop. There were two things going for it. One is that the price is subsidized, though I'm still not sure what it will cost, and secondly I envisioned myself producing a beautifully designed and molded mug for my morning coffee to be photographed for my daily #morningcoffeehaiku and #cinquains. 

The Art Center is a short walk from my house, but of course I got there ridiculously early and helped the young woman in charge set the room up. As the other participants showed up, I realized that they were young enough to be my granddaughters. I had even been at the weddings of the parents of two and am friends with their grandparents. But I'm used to being the oldest... Of course I was also the only one masked, since I don't know...

We finally got started an hour or more after I had arrived*, and my eyes were shooting poison arrows at the teacher. While we had been waiting everyone was chatting, and some were noshing. The leader kept asking me to participate, but I was embarrassed to say that I'm waiting for my hearing aids to be ready. They weren't even at the age of reading glasses. I could barely hear them, so I kept tuning out.

I understood the instructions, but deja vu nothing I tried to form looked like it was supposed be. The clay I rolled into strings looked like a snake that had feasted on a few mice, rather than the perfectly identical diameter strings I was supposed to produce. After trying to make some sort of bowl, similar to others, I gave up. My attempts looked like the awful "worst in the group" blobs of my childhood memories.

I squished it all together and decided to go in a totally different direction, a "plate" for the Passover Seder. 

"A Seder Plate?" my classmates asked.

"No, just something to place the matzah on." I answered.

"Maybe you should make it more perfectly round" they gently suggested when I was almost finished.

"No, hand matzah isn't usually perfectly round," I replied with the confidence of a true artist.

The teacher has taken all of our "pottery" to dry and then bake in her special oven/kiln. Next week, Gd willing we'll get to paint our art before being baked again. 

*Gd willing, I'll expand on this in the future, since this story is long enough.

Visiting an Old Age Home in Jerusalem

Yesterday I went to visit a friend who now lives in an old age home in Jerusalem. I was with a couple of other friends. We followed "google map's" directions to find it, although we took a detour to pick up some cake.

At our age, we know that, should we live so long, we could end up in such a place in another decade or so. Our friend can no longer take care of herself, live independently. I remember her talking about if she reaches such a stage, she'd like full-time care in her own home, but for various reasons that couldn't happen.

Our friend still has enough of her brain cells to converse and praise her new home. She likes the fact that all the cooking and cleaning, maintenance etc are done by others. All she needs to do is smile, eat and cooperate, which is fine for someone as friendly as she is. She enjoyed the cakes we brought her, insisting that they don't serve such desserts. It was clear to me that some of her "report" wasn't totally accurate, but it's what she wants to and is able to believe to stay happy. When we all posed together for a picture, she quickly pushed away her "walker," which was a good sign of her awareness. She doesn't like to appear infirm.

Of course the place has ramps and elevators. In the large lobby of the entrance floor there was a musician entertaining residents. When we didn't see our friend, we asked a staff member where she could be found. Then we easily found her on a different floor/department. She was very happy to see us.

PS The old age home didn't "smell," so that means that the upkeep and the residents are well taken care of.

New Glasses, Been Too Long

I finally got new glasses, and I shouldn't have taken so long about it, since my old ones were very crooked. Not only did they make me look like some nutty, eccentric old lady, but since they're multi-focal and turn into sunglasses, neurologically bad for me.

As has been my custom for probably close to ten years, I went to Michlelet Hadassa, the Hadassa College. It's located in the center of Jerusalem, a few minutes' walk from Zion Square.

You've all heard the saying "time is money," and that's a reason I go there for prescription glasses rather than to a private store.

The vision exam is very time consuming in Michlelet Hadassa, the Hadassa College, because you're examined by both a student and a teacher. Sometimes that necessitates repeating the whole process. In their optician shop, where you choose your frames, you also deal with a student and a professional. It's like bringing along your entire family. Everyone has an opinion and advice. I helped a woman by reminding her to notice some decoration on the side of the frames. Most people only pay attention to the front view. I ended up hating the decoration on the side of my old glasses; I felt it looked cheap. But I hadn't noticed it when I chose them. The woman was very grateful and didn't take those frames.

To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the selection available, though I loved the prices. At NS150 for my new frames, barely $40 or even less, I found frames that were fine, though not my dream ones. Lenses also cost less than in the stores. Quality is good, as is service.

About the service...
For the very first time since getting prescription glasses, a good twenty plus years, I didn't have a "wow, now I can see so much better" reaction when putting the new ones on. It was the opposite, especially for reading.

I immediately complained/reported it. The staff was very attentive and understanding. They didn't say that I'd adjust. They took back the glasses and told me to make an appointment with a "professor." At the reception desk, they told me to return later in the evening, which I did. The senior teacher re-examined me and found a couple of problems with the prescription.

A week later, I got a call that the new glasses were ready. They are better, but I was still unsure. The woman, not a student, in the optician shop told me that because my old glasses were crooked, I should give myself a few more days, up to two weeks, to try them out.

They seem OK. I wore them all day yesterday without any problems. Now my old computer reading glasses don't seem so great. They had been perfect before I got my new glasses. I may just go to a neighborhood optician to get new lenses in those frames, since it's just a matter of getting relatively simple lenses. I'll see what she charges, of course. Getting old isn't cheap.

Beauty Routine at My Age?

One of my friends of "similar age" goes to a lot of lectures and seminars about good health and looking young. Then she reports to me about what we really should be doing. Grrr... I'm too lazy to change much.

Since, bli eyin haraa, I'm pretty healthy, the only major health issue I have is my weight, too much of it.  It's no secret that I'm looking for a super easy, non-stressful way to lose weight. I think that lots of people would like that. Actually, if I could figure it out, I'd be a gazillionaire.

To lose weight, I have to do two basic things. One is to stick better to the eating routine, very little carbohydrates and none of those high calorie desserts or treats, which worked so successfully a few years ago.  And the other thing is to reduce food quantity, which doesn't have to be by all that much. I already exercise "enough," though more physical activity would be better. And since I'll be getting a salary from "teaching" until the end of August, I don't have a busy schedule. More to do would help the weight stay away, as long as I remember to pack meals and snacks. Too much idleness increases the appetite.

As you can see,
my bathingsuit has
sleeves and covers me up.

Actually there are two conflicting things when it comes to busy-ness and weight. If you don't have much to do, eating becomes a too frequent activity. That's no good of course. But if you don't eat frequently enough, every three-four hours, just a simple snack like a few nuts, no sugar yogurt, a fruit etc, your metabolism can go down causing weight gain, and also, when you finally eat, you may be so hungry that you eat too much and lose control.

But the recommended Beauty Routines that really turn me off. Every single one requires slathering something on your face, which then requires very careful cleaning. Now I'm going to admit something you may not believe. I don't put any creams and stuff on my face, with very few exceptions.

Before going to the outdoor pool in the morning, I will use a good sunscreen and even wear a cap with sun-visor plus dark glasses for some of my exercise in the water. aka Water Aerobics And if I know I'll be in the sun for a very long time midday I put on a hat and sunscreen whenever possible. I keep a hat in my bag that will give me some protection.

But I don't cream my face daily, nightly or even weekly. Besides lipstick, I don't wear make-up at all. I really like like the feel of cream or any other gop on my face. Periodically, I also find that soaps sting. I just prefer some water and a hot shower. Then I can scrub it clean with my towel.

From what I hear from friends, if you use any of the recommended creams, to make your skin look younger, you then must use special cleansers nightly to clean your face. To me that's just too many chemicals, and unnaturalness on sensitive skin.

What do you think?

Looks are So Deceiving: Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Senility...

Far from their native New York, in Arizona and Florida, two former neighbors are in very similar conditions. As I've written many times, my father is in a "memory care center," since although he can still walk around, feed himself and enjoy company and all, he can no longer "take care of himself." And our former next door neighbor in Great Neck, Ruth, who had also been a neighbor in Bell Park Gardens, Bayside, is in Florida, also needing care. Her daughter Lisa writes about what they are experiencing.

Looking at photos like these, you wouldn't have a clue that something was amiss or missing in his brain. Even though he can walk around, for safety uses a "walker," feeds himself and carefully wipes his face with a napkin, he can't be left on his own.

Apparently there are dozens, if not hundreds of types of dementia and in many cases, they are combined. Nothing about old age is simple. And people don't die from dementia as a primary cause. If they aren't in a proper setting with readymade food and caregivers, they can die of starvation, malnutrition, not caring for injuries or taking too few or too many medications.

In actuality, dementia only affects the brain, not anything else. And of course there are other people of his age who "have all their marbles" but are incapable of moving around independently...

My Parents' New Home

Clare Bridge, Tempe, AZ

My sister found them a place where they could still live together.

Getting old, or is it "Old Age isn't for Sissies," Nor is Watching It

That's true, but even harder than growing old, feeble, incapable and demented is watching someone else in the process.

At my age, it's pretty rare to still have two living parents.  And both of my parents are alive, but I can't say alive and well.  They haven't been on their own totally independent for years.

At one point my mother seemed perfectly well, and she was my father's caregiver.  Now, she's in much worse shape, mentally and physically than my father.  The differences in order and speed of deterioration are more varied than the wondrous development of a tiny baby  into a crawling infant, walking toddler, curious preschooler and eventually, G-d willing, an independent adult.  As a mother of five, and also a grandmother, I have a very good grasp of how children grow and develop.

Dr. Yael Zeigler, my Bible teacher at Matan loves to show the chiastic structure of Biblical verses and history.  I see the chiastic structure also in life.  I can compare my parents' decline with my grandchildren's growth and development.

Many people say they'd rather die than find themselves senile and dependent, but what happens is that among the things many demented people forget is that very sentiment.

"Old age is not for sissies"

Yes, Bette Davis (or whoever really said it first) was right, but old age isn't for the poor either. It's very complicated. We younger ones can try to "prepare ourselves," but we have no idea of what will cease to function first or at all.

The good news is that my family is blessed with elderly people, meaning that we come from a good gene pool. The bad news is that everyone needs some help, and not everyone can afford it.

It's easier to afford lots of kids. Cribs, carriages, clothes and toys can be used for lots of babies, and elder siblings help with the younger ones. But many of today's elderly can't be on their own, or they shouldn't be even if they are.

Recently, friends and I lucky enough to still have parents find ourselves in very difficult situations. Our children look at us dreading what our old age will be like.