Body Worn Hearing Aids

This is an example of
body worn hearing aids

I remember when I was a kid. I did try body worn hearing aids. I think it was a worst hearing aids to try this out. It didn't sound right to hear. I was getting a lot of feedback noise. It wasn't comfortable to have this device on your chest to wear it all day long.

After I tried this body worn hearing aids for few weeks, my parents decided to put me back to analog hearing aids. I have worn Siemens analog hearing aids for 28 years.

I am glad that I tried this body worn hearing aids. I am a person like to try these hearing aids, hearing aids gadget to feel how it feels using it. I love the technology gadgets to use.

Analog Hearing Aids vs. Digital Hearing Aids

Analog Hearing Aids

My first hearing aids at the age 3 was analog hearing aids as Siemens. I only wear Siemens hearing aids for a long time because this is a brand that work with my hearing loss. The color was beige and big. It was heavy for my ears, but I had to wear them. When I  reach to my teenager years, I got a small beige hearing aids.

Digital Centra Hearing Aid

In 2006, it was time to start wearing digital hearing aid for my first time of my life being as a hearing impaired person. It was a challenge to try my first digital hearing aids. My audiologist decided to use Centra Siemens Hearing aids. I was happy that I can pick a different colors than using beige color again. I picked orange transparent color. I love this color and it is fun to see them. For my next hearing aids, I will pick a different color to have more fun.

Between Analog vs. Digital

Analog wasn't helping me with my speech and I was missing a lot what I was hearing out there. I work in loud noise area. I had to hear all the background noise and trying to understand what people were saying to me. It didn't have any programs that you can use that your audiologist can program from your hearing loss range.

Digital hearing aids were an amazing for me. I wish I started these digital hearing aids when it first came out, but I didn't. My audiologist put 3 programs in my hearing aids. I have a regular setting that hear everything, background reduction, and t-coil. The most important things to have is noise reduction for my job. It changes my life to hear all the clear sound, hear speech clear, and helping my communication with my friends, at work, and home. I know digital hearing aids will keep continue with advance for the future. I can't wait it will get even better for our hearing loss.

FM System in the Past and Present

I used FM system mostly when I was in school and now at home. When I was in Elementary and Middle school,  I used Telex Fm system. It is old brown little box that have a neck loop and instructor have a brown box with a microphone. I remember when I was in school, I didn't like them to wear. I felt like I didn't want to hear instructors' voices.

When I was in college, I was using Phonic fm system. This fm system was update than the brown little box. I still have a neck loop and instructor has a microphone to use for me to hear instructors' voice. When I was in college, I changed my mind that I want to hear instructors' voices and learn something in class.

Today, I have my own fm system called Phonak Smart Link. I use this fm system when I watch TV since I can  hear the TV through my hearing aids. It does help me to hear the TV clearly than mumble when I was TV. I love all these hearing aids technologies that will help us hear better. I can wait for more technologies to come.

Voices, Sign Language, and Lip Reading

When I was living in Tampa, Florida, I went to special education for hearing impaired when I was in Elementary to Middle school. I had to use my voice to build my communication with my speech. We couldn't use any sign language in school. I did a lot of lip reading when I was in school. I do still lip reading today at work, home, and going out.

I learned sign language on my own when I read lip. I do pick up sign language and read lip at the same time. Since I haven't been near deaf person with sign language, I am forgetting some signs. I can pick up quick to learn by lip reading too. I know some of my friends want me to learn sign language. I might learn again one of these days.

What type of hearing loss and degree lost I have?

My hearing loss type is sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. What is a sensorineural hearing loss? My inner ear from my brain to hear the sound and speech is damage. I noticed that I can't understand speech sound especially hear high frequency sounds in the vowel letters. I always have trouble understand children, women, and foreign people's voices when I try to hear them. I have to lip read people lip to understand what they are saying even the sound doesn't sound right.

At the age 3, my degree hearing loss was mild to moderate through my early stage. I did lost some more hearing when I reach to my teenagers years. I went to moderate hearing loss. I didn't take my hearing test for a long time and found out that I lost some more. Today, I have moderate to severe hearing loss (very close to severe). I hope I won't lose anymore.

Since I am hard of hearing person, I also follow same way the normal hearing people do to protect hearing. The only way I can protect rest of my hearing what I have left, I have to follow these steps by low the volume down, turn to the left, get away from loud music, and use my Zune player for little while.

My Beginning Days to Start Talking

I came long way to start talking after my parents found out that I have a hearing loss and wasn't talking.

Sherri who is in the blue dress in this picture was my tutor. She worked with me for few years to work on my speaking and speech before I went to school. We had a special preschool class to help me to talk since I didn't start talking at age 3 when I worn my first hearing aids.

I had to go speech therapy when I started at age 3 years old to 18 years old. I had trouble saying and hear with ch, sh, s, k, th sounds in the high frequency of my hearing loss.

I always have trouble with my vocabulary words and reading skills from my hearing loss. I had to work very hard with my speech and improve my communication with people. When I don't understand what people are saying to me or read something, I have to ask someone to make this information clear so I can understand.

Today,  I am starting to read more online with articles and web sites. I am working to build my vocabulary words when I read from the Internet. I always like to learn new things if I don't understand or something new that I love to learn. I do still have trouble with my skills, but I have to work harder to understand.

Hearing Loss at Birth

When I was born, my parents didn't know that I have hearing loss. They told me that I wasn't talking, crying, or getting any response from them. They decided to take me to see ear doctor and audiologist to find out. I had a lot of tests and they found out that I had hearing loss. I started wearing hearing aids when I was 3 years old.