ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: Jeanlea on January 01, 2010, 08:34:32 pm
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I am now fully convinced that my TransEar does make a difference in my hearing. I had to go without it for a month. As far as my hearing goes, I didn't think that I would really miss it. Was I wrong! By the end of the month it was driving me bonkers not having it. My daughter said that I was saying, "what?' much more than usual. In the classroom it was much more difficult for me to hear anyone that was not directly on my good side.
When I finally got it back (Christmas shipping and snowstorms caused the delays) I was walking into the grocery store with my cousin on my "bad" side. He said something and I could tell that the sound was coming through the TransEar! I can lay on my good ear and still hear the TV now. People don't have to listen to me say, "What?" hardly at all now.
TransEar is not like having regular hearing, but there's a noticeable difference when I don't have it. I'ts been so long, that I can't even remember what "normal" hearing is like now anyway. I'm just happy to have some hearing back.
Jean
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TransEar is not like having regular hearing, but there's a noticeable difference when I don't have it.
Jean -
it's so great to hear that your TransEar works so well. Although I'm a confirmed BAHA user, I know it's not an option that everyone who is SSD is entirely comfortable with. It's wonderful to know that there are options for all of us.
My BAHA isn't like regular hearing either, but IMO it's the next best thing. I'm glad you feel the same way about your TransEar.
Jan
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Jeanlea,
I am happy to hear the Trans Ear works so well. Someone from this forum from a few years back got one when they first came out and had nothing but trouble with it. I went to the website and it looks like they ahve made many improvements. I lost most my hearing 5 yrs ago with middle fosa surgery and will undergo Translabe on the 13th for regrowth so will be completely SSD. I intend to look inot the Translab once I am back on my feet. BAHA sounds great too, but I don't like the diea of something permanent being bolted into my head. ??? The Translab site said it really helps with directional hearing. Is that so?
patti ut
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Patti,
Sorry to hear that you have to have surgery again. I've had my TransEar for just about three years now. I had an older version in the beginning. It was version II from the very first one. In the meantime I was able to upgrade to the newest version. This one has much better speech recognition. I can't say that I have any sound directionality. (Scientifically speaking, I don't know if it's possible since all the infomration goes to the same side of the brain.) However, I am able to more easily hear sounds coming from my deaf side which is helpful. I chose the TransEar because it's the least invasive for me.
Jean
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I've been using TransEar for 2 years now, and I really like it. It definitely helps my speech recognition, and just knowing when people are talking to me. But I have to say that it really hasn't done anything for directionality, though I didn't expect it to.
Katie
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Hey, THANKS for the good posts! Always good to hear the positive side to things too!
I'm only 8 weeks post Middle fossa and my hearing was there the 1st couple days (so it seemed), but I ended up with delayed paralysis, AND some additional brain swelling. My hearing is now gone (although it still feels like some swelling.........gotta give it more time). In the meantime, I've been reading up on BAHA, and Transear.
I have too many sugery issues, and way too many medical bills currently, so that would probably stir me in the direction of the Transear 1st.
Thanks for posting this info. Glad to hear it overall helps you out!!
(interesting how you say even if you lay on bad ear you can hear some TV.....last night I was on my bad side, rolled onto my back, sat up quickly in bed and said to my husband "what is that noise?" he giggled a little and said "the same you asked about last night....the humidifier running") See, I'm still totally new to this, but hate it ;)
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Denise,
I may be the one you were referring to that had all the problems several years ago. Now a few years later (3 this week, to be exact), I now know that the vast majority of the problems were because of the audiologist, not the device. Yes, a few wires broke back in those days. They've redesigned them and they are FAR better - haven't had the new model's wire break yet, and I've had it since May of last year (nearly 8 months). The key is to either get a very good and very flexible audiologist who's willing to work with the company and get it right, or find a provider that's already experienced (with good results) with the TransEar.
The new model is much better for speech recognition than the original (I went from the very first model (full shell) to the high frequency model just last year, and the difference was almost instantly noticeable. Like Jeanlea, I hate to be without my TransEar most of the time. On weekends when it's just my wife and me, and I'm perhaps doing some work outside or something, I may leave it out. But when I'm with a group or out around town it's in my ear. There really is a differnce, though it SEEMS so subtle that it isn't noticed often time. Just get used to it for a few months, then have it need repair and be without it for 2-3 weeks, and it's instantly obvious how much difference there is.
Sorry to say, 3½ years after sudden SSD (overnight at age 57), I also still can't tell what noises are sometimes. I particularly don't enjoy hearing noises once the lights are out and I'm trying to get to sleep. I often can't tell what they are and it's frustrating trying to figure it out. It took me more than 2 years to finally let go of the belief that water was running through the pipes and wondering if the water heater had broken, or someone turned out the outside faucet or something - I can hear the noise from the refrigerator at the other end of the house out in the kitchen when it's very quiet at night - and it sounds just like water running somewhere in the house. I still have to ask my wife, "What was that?!?" at times. It's usually something I would have recognized easily back in my pre-SSD days. But I've learned to live with it, and it's really not much of a bother anymore (except perhaps to my sweet wife who has to put up with it without complaining :) ). A nice, patient spouse is a wonderful blessing with SSD.
Chris
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What model did you buy?
Mei Mei