ANA Discussion Forum
AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: Andy on May 29, 2007, 06:10:39 pm
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Hi all,
I wanted to write a bit about my TransEar experience for anyone interested.
Two weeks ago I went to my audiologist for a hearing test and a ear mold. Hearing test of course came out just as expected- 100% deaf in my left ear. No surprise. Today I went back to the office to pick up the device. My audiologist put it in my ear, all the way in, and it hurt. It felt like she was sticking a qtip in my ear and hitting my ear drum. She later took it out, sanded it a bit, then reinserted it. It was a bit better the second time, though it's still a bit uncomfortable. I guess I have to get used to it.
Now for the good stuff. Does it work? When she inserted it, I expected something to happen. Unfortunately all that happened was I felt something big in my ear. I was not able to detect any sound. I tried to turn up the volume, but still nothing happened. I've now had it in my ear for about 7 hours. I'm getting used to it and have noticed that I actually can hear things if I put them close to my ear, but very vaguely. I'm hoping that with time these sounds will become more audible. I will try to write a bit about my experience each day. So far so good.
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Day 2
Putting the device in the ear was easier today. I am getting somewhat used to it and I don't mind it as much. I do, however, need to go back to get it re-fitted since I cannot open my mouth fully with it in place without feeling discomfort. It touches a sensitive part of my ear and it's sometimes painful.
I still cannot hear "better". If I place something that makes noise close to my ear and close my other ear, I can hear it, but it's so quiet that it's not even beneficial to have this device. I am still in high hopes that the sound I hear is going to get louder with time. What I've read is that it usually takes about 5 days or so. We'll see. There is a volume control on the TransEar, but when I turn up the volume, it feels very uncomfortable in the ear, so I leave it in the middle setting.
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Hi Andy - If it hurts when you open your mouth, then you should have it filed down before the sore spot gets worse. It also sounds like it needs to be reprogrammed, sometimes it takes several visits before you get the desired settings and fit.
I tried the TransEar, but am in the small percentage that it does not work for :(
Good luck and keep us posted!
Cheryl
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Day 3
In the morning I went to see the audiologist for a refitting. She reshaped the ear mold and after inspecting my ear, asked me not to wear the device for 2 days. My ear had a sore spot which she wants to let heal before wearing TransEar again.
I'm a bit hesitant because I don't think this is a new sore, as this is the same spot that was hurting when the device was put in on day one. I think it's just a spot in my ear that is not supposed to get touched. I mentioned that to the audiologist, but she seems to think otherwise, that it just became sore spot. I tried the newly fitted mold and although it feels a bit looser in the ear, it still seems to touch that sensitive area. I'm hoping that she's right and that after 2 days of not wearing it, it will fit better. I'll write more about my experiences in day 5.
Thanks Cheryl. I think I've read all of your TransEar posts. :) It was nice to read up on someone who has used this product and could comment on it. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Your posts and few others are actually the reason why I'm writing my experiences. I'm hoping someone can benefit from them.
Can you clarify what exactly does reprogramming of the unit do? My audiologist did say she programmed it, but didn't explain the different settings that she can use. I think she wants to wait about a week or two before making any changes. ??? I don't get any bad feedbad from the unit (not really getting much feedback at all actually). I think my ear mold goes in too far in. I wonder if I would have a better result if it was shorter, but more snug in the outer area. :-\
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Andy, It takes a few days and helps wonders for a sore spot to heal. I had two that we could see on the outer cartilage area and these were mildly red in the space of 1-2mm. But, those small areas really stung. I had another sore spot inside the canal. No one could see it but it hurt the same way. This area is very sensitive and a small irritant feels like a whole fireplace.
I couldn't assess how much I was hearing until the fitting issues were all settled. Reprogramming is possible with the in-office software that TransEar provides.
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Hi Andy,
This is a good idea to report on a daily basis how your TransEar is working. There are times I wonder if mine is doing any good. Then I have a day like today. I forgot to put it in went I went to school. (I'm a teacher.) I definately felt like I was only hearing on one side. I don't feel quite the same with the TransEar. I think that because my hearing in my good ear is 100% it does a good job of compensating. That means that the hearing I gain from my hearing aid seems minimal. It's a good supplement to my good ear. I do get more sound on my bad side with the TransEar.
I currently have two programs, but I'm not sure what other programs could do for me.
Hope that your sore spots heal quickly and you notice some small gain from the TransEar.
Jean
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Thanks for your daily journal. I went to the audiologist today and got my impressions taken along with a hearing test. I was expecting the deep fitted impressions to hurt and it felt like a q tip was in my ear.
It felt deep but no pain or feeling whatsoever. I have heard others refer to it being painful so I was pleasantly surprised. She took 3 impressions to ensure that they had enough impressions. Also, she didn't use a bite plate for the impressions. She had me open my mouth very wide during the impressions. She seemed confident that there would be no added benefit for using the bite plate for the impressions.
We will see how that turns out.
She said that the nerve damage could be why I have no feeling deep in the canal.
Wouldn't that be a blessing to get this thing and feel no discomfort?
I get mine in a couple of weeks so we will see what happens.
Also, regarding discomfort, that was her only concern regarding the device. She said that it would take some getting used to. She recommended not wearing it for long periods of time initially if I do experience discomfort and to really honor how I am feeling so that I don't overdue it.
This could be very exciting! I am clinging to my faith that this will work.
I will keep you updated.
If it doesn't work, she is going to pick up the $150 return fee so there is really nothing to lose.
Take care,
Mary
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Andy keep journaling I find it fascinating. Mary you too.
It was determined I was not a candidate for the transear and after reading both your posts I would agree. I wonder if TMJ has any bearing on how well the unit works or how comfortable it is?
My impressions hurt it felt like a qtip that went to deep. I am in the process of getting a bicross.
Michelle
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Notes on Days 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9!
Okay, so now it's day 9 and today was my first full day of wearing TransEar since the audiologist asked me not to wear it for 2 days. Here's what happened:
On Day 3 the audiologist asked me not to wear again for 2 days, so didn't wear it since 10am or so.
Day 4- Per docs orders, didn't wear
Day 5- Per docs order, didn't wear
Day 6 (Sun)- Went to swimming pool for half a day, so I only wore it in the evening. It felt loose in the ear and uncomfortable because I noticed that it still is touching some sensitive area in my ear. Decided to call audiologist on Mon to look in my ear and to get it refitted.
Day 7- Called audiologist in morning, but next avail appt was on next day Tues at 8pm! Didn't wear it since it still bothered me when I put it in.
Day 8- Saw audiologist at 8pm. Didn't wear it all day. I told her that I feel that it goes too far into my canal and I asked her to round off the end of the part that goes into the ear canal. She did and what a difference! I was actually able to put it in all the way without the pain. She looked in my ear and thinks that the sensitive area is a scar tissue which was swolen last time she looked in. All I cared about is that I was able to put the unit in all the way and it, for the first time, it felt comfortable. It's still a bit lose on the part which she trimmed last time, but I'm not worried about it too much. In about a week or so, we are scheduled for a meeting to see if the device is working out for me. If it is, she is going to order another piece that she trimmed and will ask them to create a new mold based on our new findings (that everything was fine on the original mold, but it was just a bit too long). I hope I'm making some sense to you, though I know that I'm not being very clear. So I left her office with my Transear in my ear and wore it for whatever was left of the evening. I was able to pick up music sounds from my car radio when I closed my good ear.
Day 9- Wore it all day, nice and comfy. I feel that I can hear better with it. At least I feel that I can understand my wife better when she talks to me. It's definitely not a big difference, but it's something. If you want to know what I am able to hear and how loud, do the following:
Get a hold of an Ipod or other music player with headphones. Play a song, any song, without putting the headphones in your ears. Turn up the volume to 80%. Close your good ear with your finger or ear plug. Take one of the headphones and place it so that it touches the bone behind your bad ear. You should be able to hear the music through the vibration of the headphone. It worked for me (before i got the transear). I used the Ipod earphones and pressed hard against the bone.
If this worked for you, you were able to slightly hear the music. You can't sense that it's coming from the bad ear or good ear because the way you can hear it is like it's coming from inside your head, not really the outside world. Anyway, that's kind of what I'm experiencing the transear to be doing. I'm able to hear the sound, but it comes in very faintly and it doesn't feel like it's coming from an outside source.
Hopefully you are still awake after reading my nonsence.... It's after midnight now, so I'm a bit tired. Hopefully this makes some sense to you, if not, just reply and I'll try to explain better. I'm hoping that the device will begin to work better for me with time... I'm still not 100% convinced if it's worth the investment.
and finally... Thank you all for the positive responses. I'm glad someone is reading this : )
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Hi Andy - Happy to hear that it's finally comfy and you are now picking up some sound. From what I have been told by my audiologist and Transear and my own experience with the device, you will notice subtle differences, nothing major and it should be enough that when you are not wearing it you can distinguish a difference.
And yes we are reading this, so keep posting :)
Cheryl
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Hi Andy, I've found that there are subtle differences with my TransEar also. It seems like it does so little until I don't wear it. That's when I really notice the difference. I have been lucky with the comfort of mine. It fit perfectly since day one. I wore it all day when I got it. I typically wear it from when I get up until I go to bed. I take it out when I'm around water, like kayaking.
Jean
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Day 10
I wore it the entire day once again. I will have to agree with Cheryl and Jean that all you get is a subtle difference. That's too bad. I guess I was expecting a little bit more than that : (. But, on the brighter side of things, it really does make a difference when I take it out. What it seems to do for me is it helps me understand words being spoken to me a bit clearer. I did't really notice much hearing improvement with the device in my ear, but certainly when it's out, it feels like something is missing. I am still hopeful that since I have not worn it for any consecutive period of time, it will still continue to improve as my brain adjusts. Today's going to be another day when I will wear it all day (I'm reporting on day 10 on day 11 morning). I'm waiting for the moment when my typing will take on an entirely new sound. : )
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Andy, what volume level do you set your Transear at? I heard nothing at 2 1/2 to 3, but did at 3 1/2 to 4. Are you noticing a difference between program 1 and 2?
Cheryl
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Cheryl- No difference between two programs. I find that my volume level works best between 3 and 4. 1 and 2 do nothing for me and 4 seems to be a bit too much (very noticable vibrations in the ear, but not necessarily louder sound), so I try to be somewhere in between 3 and 4.
Here are some pictures of my TransEar:
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar1.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar2.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar3.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar4.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar5.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar6.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~galas/TransEar7.jpg)
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Andy:
Thanks for your diary entries and photos. Those who have concerns about correct wire length should look at your photos, as your microphone is perfectly positioned. I note in the photos that the are some sharp angles on the canal portion, no doubt left from the work done by your practitioner. It would be a good idea on the next visit to have the sharp spots rounded over by ever-so-gentle sanding, preferably using the paper that we provide with each TransEar. In the long run it will be more comfortable.
Finally, I noticed that you lost the hearing in that ear in 1995. That means that your brain is not used to processing input except from the good side, so I would anticipate that your brain will need to "rewire" itself to understand what is going on with the new data it is receiving. That will occur over a longer time period than for someone with a recent loss.
Rick
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Day 11
Wore it all day. I have not noticed any improvement in hearing today. Thanks to Rick's posting, I am now not worried so much that it's not working too good for me. It it perhaps the fact that my brain will take longer to get used to this device- Thanks for the post Rick!
In regards to the not-so-smooth edges, they are only temporary. My audiologist has been trying to get this thing fitted for me, but we've been sanding it in the wrong place. All we needed to sand was the very end of the mold, since it had a sharp edge to it. She will place an order for a new piece since when she was sanding this one, she sanded right through that little ventilation tube which allows your ear canal to breathe. We're leaving it as is for now to see how this device is working out for me.
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Andy, I know your hearing was damaged a long time ago but just to show you how different we are...My brain understood useable sound from day one and before all of the sanding adjustments were done. My SSD was only 10 months old. Pre-surgery I had been using 35% of the AN side for hearing.
As for settings I always use progam 1 and volume set between 2½ and 3. I've never wanted more than that, too much gain and too much vibration for me.
I am enjoying your posts.
Thanks for the photos of your wire. I do need to get mine changed out for a medium.
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Andy,
Thanks for posting. I didn't see this until this evening. Thanks to Boppie.
I have wondered about the level of sound with mine. The last one I had produced no sound. The one before that I could hear sounds and even speech, admittedly not as loud as I would have expected. I kept the one before this at 3.5 most of the time. If I pushed down on the part the iis pointed on the outside of the ear it seemed like it pushed the inside tip against what ever makes me hear. I couldn't walk around with my finger on my ear so I didn't get much benefit from it. There was one time in my car with my deep voiced son behind me that I could hear very well with it. The tip vibration is what caused the most problems.
I have a voice enhanced phone that I can put behind my dead ear and hear perfectly. Maybe Panasonic will come out with a new aid. Wouldn't it be funny if Boppies short ear cord was the secret of her success?
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Day 12
I wore it pretty much all day. Once again, not much change from the day before. I have noticed that I can understand people a little better with it in.
Also, when I press on the ear mold part in from the outside, I can hear a bit better, which leaves to believe/hope that once we get this thing fitted again, I will have a little bit better results than I'm getting now.
Since I'm not seeing much change from day to day, I will write you guys again when something does change. For now, to summarize, I am able to hear speech through TransEar only if I close my good ear, close my eyes to concentrate (as it is a weak sound), and press the mold part a little into my ear for a snug fit. Another benefit I've noticed is that I feel that I can understand people better. Without TransEar, I can hear people fine, but sometimes have a hard time trying to figure out exactly what they are saying. I find myselft asking "What?" a lot- driving some people crazy. TransEar has helped a bit in that respect.
I'll keep you posted of any changes. Til then...
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Thanks Andy for posting the pictures and to Rick for letting us know that is the proper position for the Trans Ear. Now I'm sure that I'm wearing mine in the right place. I keep mine on program one and the volume at about 2 3/4 to 3. When I wear it it seems like I'm receiving no benefit. But when I don't have it in I do notice it. I knew it would not be the same as my regular hearing before I got it though. All in all, I'm happy that I have it.
Jean
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I guess I'm still deciding whether it's worth the investment. I knew that it wasn't going to be as good as the good ear was but, like you put it Jean, it does feel like there is no benefit when you're wearing it (until you take it out). I was expecting just a bit more out of it. Perhaps my brain is still adjusting to it and I'll have more benefit down the line. We'll see...
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Andy,
Thanks for all your postings on TransEar and particularly the one about holding the music player with headphones and placing one of the headphones so that it touched the bone behind the bad ear. It worked for me and I could faintly hear the song.
My audiologists has ordered TransEar 270 for me and I am patiently (sic) waiting for it to arrive. She tried a smaller hearing aid, CIC (Completely in Canal), but I could not hear anything with it. It did seem to make my tinnitus quieter and hopefully TransEar will do that also. How long did it take for your TransEar to come in and how are you doing with it now?
Also, thanks for posting the pictures with the TransEar. I have read most of the postings that Rick has posted and think it was super nice of him to answer your post.
Jean in Mississippi