Hey!
So, I know I haven't posted in a while. I have been busy with boyfriend/now ex, school, work, and cheerleading.
So, I have definitely been having some trouble with my audi. I don't like him, he just doesn't seem efficient and he doesn' explain ANYTHING. I got my left ear re-tested and he also tried something new with competing noises in the background while doing a sentence test, which I did NOT do well on at all. My speech discrimination has gone down as well as my left ear which got re-rested to make sure. So, I went audi "shopping" and I *think* I may have found one. The only reason why I was maybe going to stay with my current audi, that I don't like, was because I could traid in my UNA with them and get better ha's. I went to this place called Advanced Hearing Aid Clinic and the secretaries were SO nice! One of them that helped me the most and booked my appt asked for my ha and said she would call phonak herself to see if they could still trade up for me, she took my ha to write down the serial # on my ha and she actually waited til she gave it back to me to talk to me. The people at my audi office are not that considerate! She called me back around noon the next day and told me that phonak said they are willing to do a FULL refund - the earmold for my current UNA phonak hearing aid and trade up to another phonak aid. I was really looking into the exelias! I'm so excited!
On the hearing front...it was an OK weekend...I turned my ha off a lot this weekend because I was at a cheerleading competition. I did wear it for my 2nd run thru performance but it fell off my ear when I tumbled, which sucked. So, I need to figure out a way for it not to fall off...hmm i dunno. I also dropped alcohol on my ha this weekend by accident! I freaked out! I dried it off tho took the battery out and then after i was sure it was dry i turned it on and it beeped and worked! Thank god! Anywho that's enough babbling from me! I'm so tired from all the driving! Goodnight!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A little ignorance
As I waited at the Dr's office to pick up some stuff I was trying to think access wise how I'd rate them. I now would give them a 2/10 for access for people with "disabilities". They don't have an e-mail address or TTY for people who need an alternate way of getting hold of the secretary or the doctor, and the phone line they do have is automated so I had to repeat the selections a few times because I didn't understand what was being said. The room is set up weird so that the acoustics kind of suck. Also the aisles of chairs ar pretty narrow... which was kinda blah. I don't mind too much some of the downsides because my doctor is a sweetheart, she's so nice!
When I went this afternoon to the office I went up to the desk that is blocked by one of those 2 way plexi glass things. With a hole in the middle to talk through. I had to go on my tippy toes to be able to go closer to the hole in the plexi glass to be able to hear the secretary better, and then when I asked her to repeat herself (for like the 5th time) she gave me the dirtiest look ever. I don't get why people cannot be polite. I work at a bank and I am always polite even if the customer is yelling at me for something that is out of my control. All I asked was if she could repeat herself because it's hard to hear someone through plexi glass and a room full of patients who are coughing, talking, etc. I just would like a little more respect and courtesy from people...is that too much to ask?
When I went this afternoon to the office I went up to the desk that is blocked by one of those 2 way plexi glass things. With a hole in the middle to talk through. I had to go on my tippy toes to be able to go closer to the hole in the plexi glass to be able to hear the secretary better, and then when I asked her to repeat herself (for like the 5th time) she gave me the dirtiest look ever. I don't get why people cannot be polite. I work at a bank and I am always polite even if the customer is yelling at me for something that is out of my control. All I asked was if she could repeat herself because it's hard to hear someone through plexi glass and a room full of patients who are coughing, talking, etc. I just would like a little more respect and courtesy from people...is that too much to ask?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
new audiogram AND new hearing aids...soon i hope lol
So, I went to a different audi and my hearing dropped in both ears. My left went down and the other audi I saw said I should maybe get another hearing aid and have two instead of one. So we are looking at exelias but with Canadian Hearing Society they want to charge me 150 for the Service Plan, 695 dispensing fee, and 2795 for ONE exelia, and a 70 dollar fee, minus 60 so ir would be 3650, and for 2 exelias it would be 6445 for both hearing aids and the service fees and stuff... that is ALOT more than my regular audi charges...The exelia for ONE at my audi would only be 2 something but i can tade my UNA in for a full refund and the exelia for ONE would be brought down to 1740 which is a lot better! I would only need one ear mold if i need to get another ha and then the full cost of one ha which is still alot better than the full cost of 2. I don't have a service fee cuz i already go to the audi and i never had to pay for an audiogram or new tubing or adjustments...i think my service package was maybe 50 bucks if that cuz i honestly don't remember paying for any service plan
Freq. R L
250= 50 45
500= 50 45
1000=35 30
2000=35 35
b/w =35 40
4000=50 35
b/w= 50 35
8000=50 40
the b/w is in between the frequencies but the audigram was a bit confusing.My MCL is 60dB in both ears and my SRT is 35 in my right and 25 in my left. My speech recognition was 95% in my right and 92% in my left which was interesting to me seeing as my right is my worse..so that confused me a bit..but their were 2 diff word lists... My tympanometry was really good she said.Oh she also looked at my audiogram and thinks considering my loss she thinks it's a genetic sensorineural loss
I think I am definitely going to go for 2 hearing aids as opposed to the one, I want to hear equally..and now that I am not it's frusterating ...I'm still doing well with hearing sounds..just speech really stinks...
Halloween I went out on a haunted walk of downtown tour where I live. We also went into a haunted museum and some weird stuff happened...which was cool..my friend almost peed her pants because she was so scared. Anyways we were walking outside and for 1.5 hrs I probably asked her to repeat herself at least 50 times. Now, I am not depressed or sad that I lost more hearing, that's life...I just cannot wait until I can hear better with new hearing aids. It will be a relief and I finally chose a color and that would be the phonak exelia clear ones:) Also my school will be getting me a new receiver for the new hearing aids too if mine don't fit/I'll need a second one anyways for the ha for my left. :)
Freq. R L
250= 50 45
500= 50 45
1000=35 30
2000=35 35
b/w =35 40
4000=50 35
b/w= 50 35
8000=50 40
the b/w is in between the frequencies but the audigram was a bit confusing.My MCL is 60dB in both ears and my SRT is 35 in my right and 25 in my left. My speech recognition was 95% in my right and 92% in my left which was interesting to me seeing as my right is my worse..so that confused me a bit..but their were 2 diff word lists... My tympanometry was really good she said.Oh she also looked at my audiogram and thinks considering my loss she thinks it's a genetic sensorineural loss
I think I am definitely going to go for 2 hearing aids as opposed to the one, I want to hear equally..and now that I am not it's frusterating ...I'm still doing well with hearing sounds..just speech really stinks...
Halloween I went out on a haunted walk of downtown tour where I live. We also went into a haunted museum and some weird stuff happened...which was cool..my friend almost peed her pants because she was so scared. Anyways we were walking outside and for 1.5 hrs I probably asked her to repeat herself at least 50 times. Now, I am not depressed or sad that I lost more hearing, that's life...I just cannot wait until I can hear better with new hearing aids. It will be a relief and I finally chose a color and that would be the phonak exelia clear ones:) Also my school will be getting me a new receiver for the new hearing aids too if mine don't fit/I'll need a second one anyways for the ha for my left. :)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Hearing from those who cannot hear themselves
Alicia Magliocco Speaks of her
experience on campus as a
partially deaf student
By: Jenn Burden
Having disabilities that can't be seen makes life on campus a little more difficult for students like Alicia Magliocco.
Magliocco, who is in her second year of the law clerk program at Algonquin, is just like any other student. But spend a little extra time with her and you would soon become aware of all she has to deal with.
Walking the halls of the college can be a challenge because Magliocco's disability isn't noticeable by looking at her-she is partially deaf. She said people don't really act accordingly as they would if the came across someone in a wheelchair.
"I hardly ever hear people say excuse me" said Alicia. "I've had people knock into me on purpose for not getting out of the way."
Alicia, who developed tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears) and a hearing loss at the age of 16, now relies on a hearing aid to hear what so many of us take for granted.
"A lot of people get pissed off because I don't understand them." she said.
She can't go to certain places on campus, such as The Observatory (school pub, pool tables, and lounge), because of the acoustics of the room. The openness of the Ob, the number of people, and the amount of metal that echoes throughout the room, makes it extremely difficult for Alicia to hear anything specific.
However, she has taken advantage of the services offered at the college by the Centre for Students with Disabilities to help her out.
Alicia uses the Phonak Smartlink SX Fm system , a device which her teachers can wear around their neck so that she can understand them without having rely so much on lipreading while they can move freely around the classroom. The CSD provided her with the system and it's hers to keep.
Unfortunately, Alicia said many of her teachers don't use the system properly. The system is designed to be worn around the neck of the teacher on a lanyard so that it moves with them. She said some teachers just leave it at the front of the class and walk around the room where the system can't pick up anymore and Alicia can't see them. For someone who relies on lipreading and visual cues to understand, this becomes difficult.
Rod Delcourt, who teaches Alicia legal accounting, has worn the system on a couple of occasions and said it doens't impede on his teaching style. " [The system] helps," he said. "I'm a little movile in the classroom...It allows me to not be in front of her."
Delcourt said Alicia doesn't always bring it to class however. "She's not nervous or self-concious about asking her profs to wear it, " he said. "She decides that day whether or not to use it."
Alicia also had help of note takers for her classes. "I have one professional note takerand the rest are student note takers," she siad. Ramla Ali, 20, who is in the same law clerk program as Alicia, is one of her student note takers.
Ali said the CSD provides her with special carbon papaer that allows her to take the notes. The CSD also gives Ali a $25 gift certificate to the First Class Bookstore on campus for each course she takes notes in for Alicia.
Alicia would like to see more information about students with disabilities at student fairs and for teachers to be more aware educated and understanding of certain disabilities. She would just like people to be more aware.
"You never know if someone has a problem,"she said.
This was an article that was written for my school newspaper . Their are 8 deaf/hoh students.
Stats at my college:
Students who use interpreters: 6
Students who use computerized notetakers 3
Students using fm systems: 12
Students using a peer notetaker : 32
experience on campus as a
partially deaf student
By: Jenn Burden
Having disabilities that can't be seen makes life on campus a little more difficult for students like Alicia Magliocco.
Magliocco, who is in her second year of the law clerk program at Algonquin, is just like any other student. But spend a little extra time with her and you would soon become aware of all she has to deal with.
Walking the halls of the college can be a challenge because Magliocco's disability isn't noticeable by looking at her-she is partially deaf. She said people don't really act accordingly as they would if the came across someone in a wheelchair.
"I hardly ever hear people say excuse me" said Alicia. "I've had people knock into me on purpose for not getting out of the way."
Alicia, who developed tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears) and a hearing loss at the age of 16, now relies on a hearing aid to hear what so many of us take for granted.
"A lot of people get pissed off because I don't understand them." she said.
She can't go to certain places on campus, such as The Observatory (school pub, pool tables, and lounge), because of the acoustics of the room. The openness of the Ob, the number of people, and the amount of metal that echoes throughout the room, makes it extremely difficult for Alicia to hear anything specific.
However, she has taken advantage of the services offered at the college by the Centre for Students with Disabilities to help her out.
Alicia uses the Phonak Smartlink SX Fm system , a device which her teachers can wear around their neck so that she can understand them without having rely so much on lipreading while they can move freely around the classroom. The CSD provided her with the system and it's hers to keep.
Unfortunately, Alicia said many of her teachers don't use the system properly. The system is designed to be worn around the neck of the teacher on a lanyard so that it moves with them. She said some teachers just leave it at the front of the class and walk around the room where the system can't pick up anymore and Alicia can't see them. For someone who relies on lipreading and visual cues to understand, this becomes difficult.
Rod Delcourt, who teaches Alicia legal accounting, has worn the system on a couple of occasions and said it doens't impede on his teaching style. " [The system] helps," he said. "I'm a little movile in the classroom...It allows me to not be in front of her."
Delcourt said Alicia doesn't always bring it to class however. "She's not nervous or self-concious about asking her profs to wear it, " he said. "She decides that day whether or not to use it."
Alicia also had help of note takers for her classes. "I have one professional note takerand the rest are student note takers," she siad. Ramla Ali, 20, who is in the same law clerk program as Alicia, is one of her student note takers.
Ali said the CSD provides her with special carbon papaer that allows her to take the notes. The CSD also gives Ali a $25 gift certificate to the First Class Bookstore on campus for each course she takes notes in for Alicia.
Alicia would like to see more information about students with disabilities at student fairs and for teachers to be more aware educated and understanding of certain disabilities. She would just like people to be more aware.
"You never know if someone has a problem,"she said.
This was an article that was written for my school newspaper . Their are 8 deaf/hoh students.
Stats at my college:
Students who use interpreters: 6
Students who use computerized notetakers 3
Students using fm systems: 12
Students using a peer notetaker : 32
Monday, October 20, 2008
New HA
I am so exited! My Phonak Una which was thought to have enough power for my loss and such was working great up until about 2 months ago when it started having to be cranked up. So, I got the volume adjusted and did some other tinkering to it. Not long ago I went in for more adjusments and added t-coil and again I am turning up the volume and even with my ha on I am still having a pretty hard time understanding speech, the TV is just getting plain annoying, as is the telephone and the t-coil in my opinion doesn't go loud enough. So, I figured if I am having probs now and my work doesn't cover a new ha for another 4 years that I might as well trade in my Una and go for a better HA. So I have decided to trial the Phonak Exelia! I have heard good things and bad about it but you don't know until you try it. An audi I know has mentioned to maybe get the Exelia SP and just skip P since my loss is progressive. I have an audi appt tomorrow at CHS (canadian hearing society) so I am going to talk aobu it tomorrow. OO btw my grandparents are purchasing my new ha for me since I definitely can't afford it even with the trade in!
.....Now the only decision...what color to choose lol
.....Now the only decision...what color to choose lol
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Follow-Up
So I had more tweaking done to my ha..my audi upped the gain and such and I finally got new earmolds and filters on my mic covers lol. We talked about the exelia and if I want to trial it, it will cost 1795 I believe it was for the one exelia with the trade in of my una. I get a 2 month trial and If i don't like it I get my una back or we can just keep trialing until I find a diff ha that is a bit better..
OH and we added t-coil hahaha
OH and we added t-coil hahaha
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Audis and Oldies
I have an audi appt 2morrow. I need new tubing and a convo with my audi to let me trial the exelia M or P whichever he thinks is better. I asked if they had it in office and they said they would prolly have to order it and then she said my audi wanted to talk to me first about it. I hope he let's me trial them, I don't see why he wouldn't. My una just isn't doing it for me anymore, and I recently found out that it doesn't have noise cancellation/reduction...which would explain why I've been having more of a routh time since my hearing decreased a bit. My audi usually works with older clients and I don't think he is very used to younger ppl and their needs, which are of course different from older clients. They also don't have up-to-date equipment in their office. I am going to their new office tomorrow which is closer to my house, bonus!, so we shall see what's new there. I also have an audi appt at CHS (Canadian Hearing Society) they work with younger people and have many audis, slp's, ASL classes, and such all in one office so I think that would be more convenient. They are a bit cheaper as well with some of their products and such because of donations and funding. Anywhooo I shall give u the update on my audi appt 2morrow:)
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