ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: leapyrtwins on June 25, 2008, 09:44:54 pm
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I had a true BAHA moment this afternoon and just wanted to share it.
I was in the drive thru at my bank when I realized I had to call my office and check my voicemail. As I was listening to my messages with my cell phone held to my "good" ear, the bank teller spoke to me and I actually heard her with my "bad" ear! For a moment time seemed to stand still while I realized that this was something I haven't experienced in an entire year :o
This seems like such a small (and silly) thing, but to me it was huge. Sometimes it's the little things in life that make you grin ;D
I just can't say enough about the BAHA. Amazing!
Jan
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Way to go Jan *she leans over and jealously whispers in Jan's left ear*
I'm already tired of reminding everyone when I am on the phone it is worthless trying to talk to me. I have BAHA envy ;)
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I have BAHA envy ;)
So does Steve ;D
Don't you just hate that whole someone trying to have a conversation with you while your good ear is plastered to the telephone? I found this to be one of the most aggravating things about being SSD, and even though I mentioned this to my children at least a million times, they continued to do it! AAAHHHHH ::)
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Work is even worse than home. Since I spend a good part of my day on telephone triage, my good ear is glued to the phone. You would think with my eye sewn mostly shut, people would be able to guess by reason of deduction, which ear doesn't work. They still try to talk to me on my deaf side, but are even worse about trying to carry on a conversation with me when I am on the phone.
Lately, I have given up trying to stop them before they waste their breath giving me instructions I can't hear. I wait until I am off the phone, then look at them and say, "If you were talking to me while I was on the phone, I didn't hear a word you said. If you need me to do something, you need to repeat the whole story." Occasionally, they decide it isn't worth repeating and they do whatever it was they needed themselves. I may never let anyone at work know when I get my BAHA. ;)
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Jan-
Isn't that something? I forgot what it was like to hear the phone and the bank teller. Or my friends who INSIST on talking to me when I'm on the phone!! With the two older kids, I think they wait till I get a phone call- then they have a million questions! Oh, i could go on forever ;)
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I can SO relate and SO MUCH have Baha envy! I can hardly wait! Your story remimds me when they put the test unit on me. I couldn't stay focused on the conversation with the office assistant because I kept turning around looking at the other people that I could hear from the other side. Cool! 8) Such simple things that we take for granted. Great story! I am still Baha-n-vious! :P
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Jan -
I have to say I have BAHA evny too. It's going to be a looooong wait. I wish I could borrow a demo until then -- maybe the docs should rent them -- now that would be a great idea!!!! What a money maker too. Hey! Maybe Lori can get James to learn how to make them in his garage -- do I have great ideas or what?
Wendy
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Jan -
I meant to say this in my previous post -- I'm so happy for your that your BAHA is helping things return to "normal" It's the little things in life we sometimes forget or don't notice until we lose them. When, if we are very lucky, they return they seem like miracles, don't they?
Wendy
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Hang in there, Bucko. Your time is coming - and very soon, too! Bet you are delighted ;D
Wendy -
you are so right. Miraculous is a good descriptive for the BAHA.
Lori and I have contemplated renting out our surgical tools, we'll have to add demos to the list. Big market there, I'll bet ;)
Jan
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Jan:
Congratulations on your exciting BAHA moment. Tomorrow's my day to get the processor and hopefully the beginning of many happy, BAHA moments.
Linda
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Jan:
Great 'BAHA Moment' story.
I guess I'm one of the very few ANers that doesn't really have BAHA envy. I completely understand why many AN patients opt for a BAHA unit and I respect their decision but I simply don't feel a need for one at this time.
Of course SSD is a decided inconvenience but I seem to cope fairly well. Perhaps part of the reason stems from the fact that I was basically deaf in my 'AN ear' for some time (5 years, at least) before my diagnosis and subsequent surgery. My SSD came on so slowly that I guess I just adjusted to it and by the time I realized that I couldn't hear out of my left ear I was used to it and had already established certain adjustments to accommodate the SSD.
Don't misunderstand, I would love to hear out of both ears. I just don't want to deal with the hassle and expense necessary to implant the BAHA unit. Perhaps if I were still working or much younger (like you) I might feel differently. I could still change my mind at some point in the future, especially if my 'good' ear ever begins to fail me.
Anyway, thanks for the post. It was both entertaining and informative, as usual.
Jim
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Jan-
CONGRATULATIONS on your BAHA moment!
I still have some hearing in my right ear preserved (it is as clear as with the good ear) but the doctors "promise" me to lose my right ear hearing after the T3 surgery.
It sounds great that BAHA makes life that easier!
Hrissy
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Ok, I'm in with the envious ones. I'm so happy for you and look forward to my own BAHA moment eventually. As is turns out, it's a good thing the BAHA was backordered for me or I probably would have had a geyser of CSF out of an opening like that. I've been pretty much SSD for a number of years now, but really am looking forward to not having to say "what?" all the time. Plus, my lip-reading is awful.
Congrats on the great news,
Tam
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Jim -
The BAHA isn't for everyone and it's wonderful that you have coped with being SSD so well. I'm not a good "coper" by any means, so I'm very thankful the BAHA even exists.
And thanks for referring to me as "much younger" - hearing someone say that is almost better than experiencing my BAHA moment ;D
Jan
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I have BAHA envy ;)
So does Steve ;D
I am perfectly happy with my plain old ordinary hearing aid that just clips over my ear....Steve
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Jan~
OK, that story would maybe push me over the edge into checking a BAHA out...IF it were another time! As I have said before, I have had enough "elective" surgery and the subsequent baggage that came with it, to last me for a while... ;D
K (still enjoying good health & PICC-less-ness)
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K -
I totally understand - and I'm not here to "sell" anyone on the BAHA :) No commissions or royalties for me - honest :D
I just wanted to share my enthusiasm and let those who might be interested know that it's a very good option for SSD by giving an example of what I've experienced since getting my processor. I encourage Transear users to do the same. We're all here to help each other and without others sharing their BAHA thoughts with me, I might not have decided to get a BAHA of my own.
Nice to "see" you back. Hope you enjoyed Branson. We missed you! :-*
Jan
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Jan~
I was completely serious - that story would make me consider one! ;)
Branson was OK - great to see my Girly and she had a great time. We have already signed her up for next year AND my middle one! I am still unsure about sending a little one off that long & far, but she is DYING to go - been counting the months! The main reason we did it is b/c we can get our FULL deposit back until March 1st but the waiting list is getting longer and longer each year and we want to make sure we get in! I would recommend this camp to ANYONE - it is an AWESOME, Christian experience for kids!
K
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K -
I know you were serious, but you have lots of time to think about it - and if it's all you do is think about it, that's perfectly fine with me. One of the reasons I stick around here is to give people something to think about. If it helps them, great. If it doesn't, I hope that at least it's not too annoying ;)
Glad your girly had a wonderful time and I think the younger one will be fine next year if she's with her sister. I wish my kids would be comfortable doing something like this. I think my daughter would love it, but my son suffers from anxiety disorder and can't even spend the night at a friend's house next door so I don't see sleep away camp working for him :( I've been hoping he'll outgrow this, but at his age I don't really see that happening. He may surprise me, though ;)
Jan
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Guess my last BAHA moment was in April when i attended a advanced IT class in San Franisico normally I sit in the front of the class but this time I sat towards the back and I could hear without having to strain or cock my head!!! Last not so good BAHA moment was about 2 weeks ago and I forgot i had it on and was out in the feed lot feeding the livestock and my Arabain mare who is very nosey tried to eat the unit.....close call for sure.....
David
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Jan~
I didn't make it the whole night at someone's house until I was in 9th grade!! I went to camp at ACU the summer before my Senior year and EVERYTHING changed! I was planning to stay at home & go to the community college and everything...after that week, NOTHING could stop me. I was on the go all the time and never looked back. I even moved to Houston for my 1st job and didn't know a sole!!
There's hope!! Again, I would recommend this camp -- it is INCREDIBLE and the counselors have a lot of training in helping kids overcome homesickness!!
K
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David -
Great BAHA moment - I'm hoping other BAHA users will share some of theirs.
I can't help but wonder if you have insurance on that processor. Although I don't know if it would cover "eaten by horse" :D LOL
K -
so it sounds like I should just push my son out of the house more and that might do the trick. It might also give me a little more "me" time. I'll have to work on that suggestion. Thanks for making it :)
Jan
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Another BAHA moment - just yesterday.
I was sitting at my desk at work when I started to hear a strange noise every once in awhile. For a moment I actually stopped what I was doing and thought "what the heck is that sound?"
Turns out it was me. I had the hiccups and I was hearing myself :D
Jan
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Hi Jan -
How really funny!! Once again, one of the little things making things brighter!
Wendy
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I had a BAHA moment the other day - my 5 year old sometimes forgets I can't hear on the right side (heck, my husband still forgets...) - anyway, she had some very important secret to tell me and whispered it in my AN ear. I reminded her that I couldn't hear her - so I thought she'd come around to the other side - instead, she moved my hair out of the way and whispered into my BAHA processor - and I heard her - it was crystal clear! I don't remember what she said, but I'm sure it was very important! :D
Lori
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Hi Lori -
Kids do hte darndest things! I'm sure your BAHA moment cracked you up, I know it did me although I found it very touching and sweet at the same tiime. Just adorable.
Wendy
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Lori~
Who needs ears when you can whisper in a BAHA???
K
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K -
Exactly! If I didn't need the ears to hold up my sunglasses - I might just have them removed! :D Trying to lose weight before the beach, you know! ;)
Lori
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My first BAHA moments have been my being able to hear my husband enter the back door. He's retired so there's many trips in out of that darn door. I can't count the times he's scared the living daylights out of me because I didn't hear the door and didn't realize someone was in the house.
Linda
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Nice moments, guys!
Lori your daughter is so sweet - I miss the "little kid" years - seems all my 2 do these days is yell and talk loudly ::)
Linda -
how freaky was it hearing your husband come in the door? I find that my BAHA brings me back to the little things I don't remember hearing for the past year; things I thought I'd never really hear again.
Today I took my kids to an ortho appt., and I could hear a mom and her daughter whispering to each other on my "bad" side while we were sitting in the waiting room where I was trying to read. In the past, the whispering would have annoyed me - this time it just amazed me and made me smile ;)
I find that since I have my BAHA, I'm not as grumpy as I was when I was SSD.
Jan
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Hi everyone! I too have a BAHA, unfortunately I am NOT using my processor as it rubs against my scalp. I am waiting for an extended abutment which is taking forever to get it approved by insurance. Anyone else have these problems??
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No, I've never heard of that. You would think insurance would cover that - I mean, you can't use the processor if they don't. I hope that doesn't take forever to get cleared up.
Do they just have to attached the extension to the abuttment already in there, or do you have to have the one taken out and the new one put in?
Lori
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luv2teach -
this thread is supposed to be about good BAHA moments - but it's okay, we hijack threads all the time around here. I'm probably one of the biggest hijackers ::)
Sorry to hear that you can't wear your processor. Has this been since day one? or did this just happen over time?
I've never heard of a processor rubbing against the scalp before. Dare I ask it? Did your doc just not do the surgery correctly?
Jan
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Hi :
Sorry I wrote under this topic but I didn't know how to start a new topic.
Evidently the skin has arose around my abutment, so there is VERY little clearance between my head and the top of the abutment. There is no room for the processor so it rubs and has constant interference.When I was wearing my processor, the skin around my abutment was constantly inflamed and irritated, so I quit wearing it. There is no surgery require to change the abutment, as it simply screws in. Since this has all occurred(almost a year now!), I have read up on the net and wonder IF it was the fault of my surgeon. Oh well, can't change that now!! I am looking forward to hearing with it hopefully this fall before school starts again!
For a good BAHA moment, I have a very good friend, also a special ed.teacher who absolutely loves her BAHA!
sorry again for putting in a not-so-good moment :(
luv2teachsped
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Hey, no need to apologize for not sticking to the topic. I was just teasing you ;)
We constantly jump around on any given topic - and, honestly, I'm one of the worst "offenders" :D - feel free to do so again.
As for the abutment extender, I figured it just screwed on, but I'm glad you confirmed that. Much nicer than another surgery ;D
The skin around my abutment was originally really sunken, but rose a little over time. Guess it didn't rise too much since I can wear my processor without any problems. I'm not a doctor, so I can't really comment on whether your issue is a surgical "mistake" or not - I just wondered since I've never heard of this. At the time my doc did my BAHA surgery he'd done over 200 - I'm sure he's done more since - but he never mentioned this being a problem so I'm naturally curious about the odds of this happening.
Hope your insurance company agrees to cover the extender soon and that you're "good to go" before school starts.
Jan
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I have a couple of "moments" to add...my little boy whispered something in my deaf ear--I told him I couldn't hear him and he came around and told me again. Not 5 minutes later, my girl comes and does the same thing!!! Turns out they were playing a game (I didn't know about it of course) called, "let's see if mom really is deaf". Can you believe that? ::) They are characters when they're together.
My favorite BAHA moment is and always will be........actually being able to locate the phone when it rings!!! No more spinning around!! I'm already dizzy enough!! ;D
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Luv2teach -
Sorry I'm just getting back to this - still trying to catch up from being on vacation!
Anyway, I sometimes have a problem with the skin around my abuttment trying to grow up and over it. I use a steroid cream called clobetasol that keeps that from happening. I don't use it a lot, but sometimes when I feel the skin getting a little too close to my "snap", I'll put it on before bed and then wash it out good then next morning in the shower - with my trusty toothbrush (not the same one I use to brush my teeth! :P) and some Dawn dishwashing soap.
The only time I had a problem was when I had to go out of town unexpectedly and forgot to pack the cream and my toothbrush - the skin swelled a bit and I wound up with an infection that required a course of oral antibiotics. Needless to say, I make sure the cream is always handy. Maybe that might help you in the future. You should ask your doc about it.
Hope this helps. Better late than never, right?
Lori
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Most recent BAHA moment - happened earlier this week.
Some colleagues and I rented bikes to ride around Lake Calhoun and some other nearby lakes in Minnesota.
On the bike trails other bikers, runners, and walkers, pass on the left. It was a pleasure to actually hear them saying "on your left" as they rode, ran, or walked past me ;D
Being SSD on the left, I don't believe I would have heard them without my BAHA.
Thanks again to my incredible neurotologist!
Life is good!
Jan
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Hi Jan,
I can imagine how incredible you felt being able to hear what was going on on your deaf side. I hate telling everyone "sorry I didn't hear you -- your on my deaf side" or constantly asking people to repeat themselves. I'm sure after a few months, you actually begin to forget what it's like to be able to hear on that side. Regaining that hearing through BAHA must feel like opening a gift you've wanted for a long time. I'm so very happy for you and of course, I have BAHA envy! Congratulations on another great BAHA moment!
Wendy -- just biding my time until BAHA can be mine!