ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: leapyrtwins on March 29, 2008, 10:41:19 am
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Ok, I'm finally at the point where I'm running on my treadmill and hope to be running outdoors very soon - if it would just stop snowing here ::) I use to love to run in snow, but that was prior to my AN when I didn't run like a drunk. Now I'm leery of icy patches on the road.
Anyway, I'm thinking it will be great to be able to run outside with a BAHA since I'll be more aware of cars. But then I've read a few posts about BAHA users not wearing their processors when golfing, working outdoors, fishing, etc., so now I'm not so sure this will be such a great idea.
Does anyone currently run with their processor attached? If so, does it jostle or have the potential to fall off? I'd hate to lose such an expensive item or have it damaged when it hits the pavement :o
I think I read somewhere - maybe the Cochlear America website - that there is a "safety" feature for a BAHA similar to the safety cord that is on a treadmill. Has anyone heard of this? Has anyone used this?
Thanks,
Jan
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Jan,
I have run (admittedly, a VERY short distance) with my BAHA on - only on the treadmill though. The processor actually snaps on there pretty firmly, so I don't think it would fall off. The only time mine got knocked off was when I was trying to reach for something at the bottom of the chest freezer in the garage and the top didn't stay open and whacked me right in the head. It was a pretty hard knock - right to where my BAHA is (which I then had to fish out of the bottom of the freezer...).
It does come with a safety clip though. It's a little piece of fishing line-looking stuff - you loop one end around the little hook thing on the processor and the other end has a clip you can attach to your collar (or knit hat). I used it the first few times I wore mine, but I haven't needed it lately. I know what you mean though, about not wanting to lose the thing! Imagine my reaction when I had left mine on the nightstand and my 2 year old came walking out with it in her sticky little hand!! :o
Steve, add fishing line to the list of needed items for BAHA newbies...
Lori
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Lori -
I used to be a runner - in my former life - prior to kids, prior to gaining weight, long before my AN, etc. I'm desparately trying to get back there, but I've been doing more talking about running than actually running ;)
Now that my surgeries are done - at least I hope so - I'm at the point where I have no more excuses other than lack of time, which I'm just going to have to make.
The fishing line sounds interesting, I'm sure Steve will think so, too ;D Maybe he could somehow incorporate it into my knit hat so I can run in the winter. I'm telling you, we need to market these things!
Jan
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Well I was wondering how well they were secured, but to be safe I won't be wearing mine while riding.....
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Jan
While running, the car sounds will still all go into the good ear!!, plus you will get distracting wind noise. Mine has come off several times and gone back for repair 3 times. Now that the warranty is up I only use it for special occasions.
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So tell me since you only use it for special occasions would you have the procedure if you had the option? It seems from your post you are dissatisfied with your BAHA.
David
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Not dissatified!! Excellent hearing in good ear. Function well w/ one good ear, as a Dr. and police reserve. The BAHA is a luxury I can afford and deserve. I would do it again.
Sam
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Jan
While running, the car sounds will still all go into the good ear!!, plus you will get distracting wind noise. Mine has come off several times and gone back for repair 3 times. Now that the warranty is up I only use it for special occasions.
I'm with Sam .. my sense of direction can actually be worse with the BAHA on! (because it improves my hear so spinning my head around does not help me locate the sound) ... even if it stays on .. if your pushing yourself running and you get all sweaty ..you get the BAHA wet or worse, you wipe you head and *pop* the BAHA goes flying.... plus wind noise ... Why take the chance ???
I treat it like my good shoes .. Do I wear my good shoes Fishing, yard work, runnning , shoving snow ..etc .. Nope ... do I wear my good shoes to work (office) , Church?, family dinner's, out to eat ??? .. Yep!
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Well without any device at the moment my sense of sound direction is, well terrible, not sure it could be worse, so all it can do is get better....
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I don't have a BAHA, but I do have a TransEar. I don't wear it when I run because I get way too sweaty, even in the winter. I have gotten in a lot of running outside, but today it's SNOWING again! I started out running a half mile and gradually added more distance. My longest run so far has been 7 miles. I'm running in a half marathon on May 3 so I have to keep going!
Jean
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As I live in the south and humidity being nearly always high and sweat is a minute by minute thing I wonder how well the BAHA will hold up?
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Man, you guys are really bursting my bubble here :'(
So are you also going to tell me that I can't swim with it either LOL
I was SO looking forward to running with my BAHA. Guess I'll have to do some serious thinking about this issue once I finally get the processor - about 2 months down the road now.
But, Sam, it's great to know that you don't regret getting the BAHA and would do it all over again. I feel the same way currently and so far I've only gotten past the surgery ;D
BAHA Jan
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See, Sam knows a cool thing when he sees it. 8)
I have just gotten a hearing aid. It is on the 60 trial, of course, but I can tell already that I will be keeping it. I really don't hear much with my left ear without it; now I am discovering all sorts of noises that I have been missing out on for the last two years.
I have already noticed that even walking with it in can be a bit strange. If I put my hood up, or wear a hat, it gets upset. I think I would turn it off if I were running; but then again, I'm not likely to be out running. :P
I assume with a BAHA you can carry it with you, and pop it on when the occasion calls for it? I think saying "excuse me, let me attach this device to my head first" would be a great way to brighten up a conversation. :D
Steve
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Steve -
congratulations on the hearing aid. I know that a lot of people have said that they got used to SSD, but personally I've been hating it for the last 10 months. It's great that there are solutions out there for both our "situations". It must be incredible to hear things you've been missing for two years!
I'd imagine, like anything new, it will take a little time to get used to. I'm currently in that stage myself.
I have a habit of putting my glasses or my sunglasses up on top of my head when I'm not wearing them and the abutment kind of gets in the way. And just the other day, for the second time, when I was pulling my shirt over my head it got caught (I know, some people never learn). Thankfully I didn't do any damage; I guess the calcification process is moving in the right direction :)
I'm curious to see what kind of issues I'll come across when I'm able to attach the processor. I just love having some adventure in my life; keeps things interesting!
Jan
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My BAHA doesn't like my sunglasses either. I have to have them just right or it starts making all sorts of lovely noises!
I did learn one important lesson today though - DO NOT have it on when the dentist is drilling your tooth! Makes your whole head vibrate so much it feels like it might fall off - and I mean your head, not the BAHA! Right in the middle of his drilling, I had to reach up and take the processor off!
We learn something new and exciting every day though... why does it always have to be the hard way?
Lori
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Huh - we all really need to find some better hobbies... ;D
Deb - B minus 29 in NJ
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So, Lori -
did you borrow a little advice from Steve's suggestion above and say to the dentist "excuse me, let me take this device off my head" ? Or did you just pull it off really sneaky like, when he wasn't looking?
Just curious. I'm trying to educate myself on BAHA etiquette so when I get my Divino, I'll be prepared for all these situations ;D
Jan
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To heck with etiquette - I was afraid I'd have to pick my head up off the floor!! I don't think Miss Manners has a chapter on BAHA use in civilized society!
I actually just reached up and took it off. He stopped drilling because he thought he'd hurt me or something. I said, "no, you're good but my head is about to vibrate off it's axis with this hearing aid on so just don't plan on talking to me on that side until you're done". He just went back to his drilling, but I'm pretty sure the assistant was wondering where the heck I pulled that thing out of!
And the novacaine was interesting. Not only was my AN side numb - but so was the good side! Good excuse to have a milkshake for lunch though!!
Lori
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I don't think Miss Manners has a chapter on BAHA use in civilized society!
Hey, I think you've just had another great idea!
We could write a BAHA etiquette book - LA David could help us - and market it through the ANA.
Naturally it would be included in our Dawn, toothbrush, cakebox string, etc., kit for BAHA users ;D
Jan
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Hey Jan
I'm not a BAHAer -- yet. But it does pose some interesting scenerios. I'm still trying to figure out this Frankenstein thing. Perhaps the modern day monster in "polite" society. I still haven't figured out your swimming dilema. Were I to have a choice of swimming or hearing someone in the passengers seat (probabaly a mumbler anyway), I'd take no BAHA swimming any day. Actually I've dealt for the most part with SSD for the past 23 years. Swimming would always win.
Have a good evening
David
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David -
when I saw you had posted I thought you were going to thank me for volunteering you once again. First it was to keep the calendar, now it's to help Lori & me write a BAHA manners book. I manage other people at work, so sometimes I get a little carried away and try to manage other people. Sorry!
Anyway, I was teasing about swimming with a BAHA. Although you can get the abutment (commonly referred to as a screw by some of us) wet, the device (aka a processor) is basically a small battery-operated hearing aide and has to stay dry. It's not waterproof and I'd imagine getting it wet would "fry" it.
I know that Steve likes to refer to the BAHA as a Frankenstein thing, I prefer to use the term "bionic" - makes me feel better. Kind of the way I like to refer to my AN, not my "tumor" ;)
Jan
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Jan
I'm kinda old fashioned. I just rely on the "what?" But I am staying in touch with new developments. I'm just still trying to get over this Frankenstein swimming thing. I need to get in touch with Mel Brooks. He did do something with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder like that. I think.
David
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Yes, but I believe it was pronounced "Fronkensteen". :D
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Anyway, I was teasing about swimming with a BAHA. Although you can get the abutment (commonly referred to as a screw by some of us) wet, the device (aka a processor) is basically a small battery-operated hearing aide and has to stay dry. It's not waterproof and I'd imagine getting it wet would "fry" it.
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I'm definitely not a "runner", but I am a "walker". Prior to my AN surgery last April I was walking 4 miles a day. I'm currently trying to get back to that goal of 4 miles in one hour. I'm assuming from what others have posted that I shouldn't plan on wearing the processor if it might get damp from perspiration. Is that right?
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The processor doesn't actually sit up against your head - it attaches at the little metal part, but the rest of it - the inner workings, I guess - are actually not touching your head, so there's some air flow around it. I've worn mine on the treadmill and it didn't get wet. If I were doing a really hard workout and sweating a lot, I'd probably take it off. In the package of goodies that come with the processor, there is a small jar of "Super Dry Aid" or something like that - can't remember the name..it has those little dessicant beads - like the package in the vitamin bottle that says "DO NOT EAT THIS". You're supposed to put the BAHA in that every night to dry up any moisture that may have accumulated in there.
Jan, I think we might need a pretty big cake box to put all these nifty items in!! We could be on our way to making our first million dollars. Well, it would be my first anyway - i won't speak for you also! ;)
Lori
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Well there is a product that is used in the rough service electronices field that seals motherboards,etc from moisture, I've used it on computers and such that I have installed in rough\harsh conditions for some time, and it works well, when i get my BAHA I may well spray a protective coat on it as I live in the South and it is humid much of the time and I know I will forget to take it off when I go outside which is very often.
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Lori
You are very right. It is Fronkensteen. You all are raising my BAHA curiousity. Is this covered by insurance? I've been SSD for so long that I just fatalistically accepted it. I'm anxious to see what you think David.
BTW -- does this work if you have a hearing aid in the "good" ear?
David
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Well my understanding is that some insurances will cover it, mine covers all of it so that is a positive, far as good ear and hearing aid I would told as long as you had a working ear then it would.
David
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Just to update everyone, saw the doc today and he said "YES" I can run with a BAHA. Of course he's never done that before since he doesn't have one, but I have lots of confidence in him and if he says I can, I'm very optimistic that I can. Yeah!!!
Lori -
You know, you tell me such fun things every day about the BAHA - a little package of goodies with my processor - I mean, how cool is that 8)
Steve is going to be SO jealous!!!
And for the record, I'm way behind on my first million - and what I did have went to the divorce lawyers - a nice $85,000 chunk :( But it was definitely worth it ;D
LA David -
I think more and more insurance companies are covering the BAHA these days. Some of them will tell you no until you push the issue though, so don't do anything without checking with them first.
It is my understanding, from conversations with my doc, that you can wear the BAHA if your "good" ear has a hearing aide. When he and I discussed which processor I wanted to have he told me there are two different "strengths". The Divino, which I will have, is the "weaker" of the two; I think the stronger one is the Intenso ??? Anyone we decided that the Divino would work for me and then I asked him what would happen as I age and potentially start to lose hearing in my "good" ear. He said that I could wear a conventional hearing aide in my good ear and swap my Divino for an Intenso to make up for the diminished hearing in my good ear.
I think the main requirement of the BAHA is that you be completed deaf in your "bad" ear.
Jan
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As far as I know, as long as you have a functioning cochlea on the good side, you should be good to go, even with the hearing aid in the good side. The BAHA works through bone conduction, so it doesn't actually have to go in your ear the way normal sound would to a hearing external ear.
David, I think most insurance will cover it as long as it's billed as a prosthetic hearing device and not just a regular hearing aid. I'm sure as they get more popular, more companies are going to have to cover it. A good audiologist will know how to work things and what documentation to provide to your insurance. They're used to playing games!
Jan, you'll get a whole box of fun trinkets - a little toothbrush to clean the processor with, some batteries, a handsome carrying case and even a little thing that allows other, hearing people to try it out - you have them plug their ears and attach your processor to this little plastic thing - they hold the plastic thing up to their head and they can get a sense of what it's like. I'm not sure how you're supposed to plug both of your own ears and hold the thing to your head, but since I get to use the real thing, I'm not too worried about it! How kind of them to throw in a few things - seems the least they can do after you've just spent a zillion bucks on it! And funny you mention a large chunk of your million going to your divorce lawyers - that's where mine went too! Like you said, it was worth every penny!! :D
Lori