Everyday I get emails from readers with different questions and situations.  Out of all of them, probably the story that I hear about most is how difficult it is to maintain relationships with friends, relatives, co-workers, ect.  For those of you out there that are not familiar with the challenges of hearing loss, here's a link to another publication that did a story on it.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/vernonmorningstar/lifestyles/43002652.html

Recently, I contacted a few of our local news organizations to see if they were planning on 'featuring' any stories on hearing loss in May.  May is National Hearing Month.  So far, I still have not heard back from any of those that I contacted.  I can understand that they are all pretty busy these days with the political, financial and jobless news, but when you have hearing loss, you deal with a lot of these major topics everyday in that you are constantly trying to figure out ways to stay ahead of the game and in the hearing world. 

The above story gives a little more perspective on this topic. 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2009 Tami Klink

I am continually impressed with this organization.  They are one of the few that really do take the time to address a variety of subjects pertaining to hearing loss.  Here is the link to their latest newsletter. 

http://www.cdhh.org/hearing_loss_articles_main.php

Wisconsin is quite lucky to have CDHH as a resource for all of those dealing with hearing loss.  Feel free to contact them should you have any questions.  If you have a resource similar to CDHH in your state and would like to let others know about it, feel free to post the link in the comment section.

Have a great week!

Copyright 2009 Tami Klink

Don't Miss the Holiday Open House at UniversaLink at CDHH   Wednesday, December 10 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM or 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM     Curious about what devices are available to help you or a loved one hear or communicate better?  Join the staff at UniversaLink for some holiday cheer and find out what's new in Hearing Assistance Technology for 2009! 

• See live demonstrations of new equipment as well as some UniversaLink staff favorites
• Receive special one-day discounts on all holiday items, ASL novelties, books, DVDs and gift items
• Get information about the Wisconsin TEPP program and how it can help pay for equipment you need
• Learn about other programs and services available at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Register by December 8 and you'll also be entered into a special raffle!

Light refreshments will be provided.  Please RSVP before December 9 by calling 414-604-2200 or emailing universalink@cdhh.org.   We hope to see you there! Can't make it to the Open House?  Visit the UniversaLink catalog online at www.cdhh.org and find great holiday gift ideas for your friends and family!

The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is located at 10243 W. National Ave. in West Allis, WI.  I highly encourage anyone with hearing loss to go to this open house and see what is available for you!

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Getting a few questions on this little gizmo, so I've gone to the 2 sources that I know the best to answer your questions!  Thanks to Williams Sound and UniversaLink at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, WI.

The Pocketalker is really an amazing and versatile little gadget used by those with hearing loss.  It is a nice piece of equipment for those with hearing aids as well as those that have opted for whatever reasons not to have hearing aids.  It enables you to do many things a lot easier than you normally would when it comes to hearing what is going on.

I know people that have gotten this and for the first time are now feeling that they can confidently be with a small group of people and hear most of what is being said.  I've also seen people recently that have gone to the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing UniversaLink store and are now able to watch TV at home with their families and spouses in peace!  They no longer have to turn the TV volume up to the point where it is too loud for their non-hearing challenged family members to watch.  No more watching TV in separate rooms!  You would not believe how much of a negative impact this alone has had on families and marriages.  When you are in 2 separate rooms, you really miss out on the conversation with family members or spouses regarding what is going on with the show that you are watching.  Not to mention the fact of having couples in their beds at night trying to watch TV only to end up having an argument on how loud the volume is...

So, for those of you out there, I've included 2 links for you to check out this product.  The first one is going to take you straight to the owners manual from Williams Sound.  It's in English, Spanish and French.  Sorry, I could not find any other languages for those of you living in Japan!  Here's the link:  http://www.williamssound.com/files/PKTPROman.pdf

The second link is going to take you to the UniversaLink website where you will find 2 versions of this product.  They are the Pocketalker Pro priced at $164.95 and the Pocketalker Ultra (a sleeker version with external tone control) priced at $179.00.  John Kinstler is a pro at UniversaLink and if you give him a call or send him an email, he will be more than happy to help you out!  Here's the link:  http://www.cdhh.org/catalog.php  If you are using a TEPP voucher, by scrolling down on the website page, you can find out how to tell if the Voucher will cover something that you are looking at getting.  For those of you wanting to know more about the TEPP Voucher program, please click on TEPP in the tags area located on the right hand side of this column and that will take you to more information from other postings.

So, with Christmas coming up, think about someone in your family that might really like this!  There is a 5 year warranty and at UniversaLink, you can always 'test drive' a product to make sure it's a good fit for you.

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has a newsletter that is sent out via the mail to those interested in receiving it.  It's called InfoLink.  The following includes some of their lead article from the Fall 2008 edition.  If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, just give them a call at 414-604-2200 or send them an email via their website at www.cdhh.org

While this may not come as a shock to many who have lived or worked with hearing loss on a daily basis, according to a recent survey of adults conducted by Cochlear Americas, hearing loss can significantly impact relationships - including marriages, friendships and business relationships.

Individuals with hearing loss often report feeling ignored, neglected or disconnected from those around them, which can lead to resentment, anxiety and social withdrawal.  But, it's important to note that the negative impact of untreated or under-treated hearing loss is not only felt by those with the hearing problem. 

Spouses, friends and co-workers also report their feelings of frustration and sadness over the communication breakdowns that can erode a relationship over time.  With more than 30 million Americans currently dealing with hearing loss and most Americans waiting seven to ten years before seeking help for their hearing loss, there are a lot of relationships in jeopardy.

Some results of the survey by Cochlear Americas include:

1.  50% of the survey respondents said that 'significant hearing loss causes less intimate relationships between those with hearing loss and their family and friends".

2.  44% of respondents believe that there is no remedy for their hearing loss.

3.  60% of those living with someone with hearing loss want that individual to get treatment.

4.  47% of those who did seek treatment did so at the urging of their family or friends.

Wow!  Pretty serious stuff!  Let's see if I can break this down a little bit more for all of you.

Item #1 - I can't tell you how many people I've heard from that are going through separations or divorce which in a large part is due to their not being able to 'admit' or 'be responsible for' their hearing loss.  I know of people that have been married for 20 or more years that have a spouse that has finally decided to throw in the towel because of their frustrations with living with someone that doesn't hear well.  Stubbornness?  Denial?  You bet!  But, having been in the mindset that my hearing loss really isn't that bad, I can also relate to where they are coming from.  The last thing that anyone wants to do is admit that they are not 'perfect'.  With the culture that we live in, once someone sees that you have a deficiency or are not 'normal' in their view, they tend to categorize you as pretty much non-existent.  This causes those of us with hearing loss to become defensive, withdraw and start finding fault with those that we do live and work with.  After all, why should we be the ones to change the way that we do things?   Even if you have taken the time to let those around you know of your communication style (face me when you talk, don't talk to me from another room, ect.), our friends and family tend to go back to their old ways of communicating and then get ticked at us for not hearing them correctly.  It's a lot of work and it would be so much easier to shy away from these situations.  But, before we know it, we are alone on the island and have lost our 'team'.

Item #2 -  I'm not sure if they really believe there is no remedy or they are just too scared or intimidated to take that first step.  As stated in the article, most people do wait on average 7 to 10 years to get treatment for their hearing loss.  Why?  Well, again we don't want to admit that we may have a problem.  And, this is costly stuff to fix!  Most of us have insurance that won't cover the cost of hearing aids or audiological evaluations.  If you ask someone to spend on average $6,000 for testing and 1 hearing aid, their initial response is going to be, "are you nuts"?  These days, that is the price of a pretty good vehicle.  And, they will now be responsible for taking care of and using that hearing aid everyday.  There will be some days where the aid 'doesn't work' in that if you throw in weather conditions, tinnitus or a host of other things, you feel like your ears are plugged up and you really don't hear very well.  And, you have to carry batteries, cleaning equipment, go back to the audiologist for tube changes, ear mold updates, ect.  Who wants to deal with that?

Item #3 - Most of the people with hearing loss are tired of the nagging from their families to go and get treatment, but as stated, 60% of them finally take that step.  Unfortunately, the other 40% don't and this is where you have the greatest percentage of failed marriages and careers.  It takes a lot of irritating suggesting from friends and family to finally get your butt to the audiologist.  And, then you have to let them know that yes, I do have a hearing problem.  The initial reaction is usually something along the line of "I told you so".  So, once again, you have lost more positive image perception of yourself and now you have to deal with the question of what the heck am I going to do now?  In a lot of ways, taking that first step means that you now have a lot more work and cost to deal with.  It was so much easier to be in denial...

Item #4 - You've finally taken that first step and now the people close to you in your personal and work life want you to do even more.  They want you to 'fix it'!  They have no idea how it feels to go in to an audiologist and pick out that first hearing aid.  So many questions, concerns and the price!  You get the ear molds done, wait about 10 days and go back to be fitted with the hearing aid.  You turn it on, they program it and oh boy are things loud and muffled.  The audiologist tells you that you are going to be spending a few weeks letting your auditory nerve learn how to process the sounds that you have not heard in a long time or in my case, never.  You will have a sore ear from the new earmold for a few days, headaches from all of the noise and be more mentally tired than you have been in a long time.  This is a solution? 

Those around you will be bragging to others about your newest acquisition.  Just what you need.  More attention and questions.  They will also be wondering how you still can't be hearing all that is going on even though you've gotten a hearing aid.  There is no magic pill to make our hearing 100% perfect.  That's probably the hardest part for our friends, family and co-workers to accept.  And, for us, we are actually a little disappointed that all of the money and time that we've spent is not fixing the hearing problem to the degree that we had thought that it would.  You will have good days and bad days.  But, after a few weeks, things will start to get a little easier.  You are going to be tempted to put the hearing aid in a drawer or it's little pouch just because things seemed so much easier without it.  Don't give in to this!  You alone are responsible for your decision to be proactive and wear the hearing aid.  Once you start to 'take a day off', that day will turn into a week and before you know it you are back in the same situations that you were before you got the darn thing.  Complacency is much easier than action. 

So, hang in there!  Get up every morning and put your hearing aid in.  I know it's a pain in the butt, but look at the alternative and I think you'll agree that it's a small price to pay to be a part of this world! 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

I'm still getting a lot of questions on where to go for more information on different topics regarding hearing loss.  So, I've compiled all that I know of in one column for you.  Feel free to click on the links.  Special Thanks to the Wisconsin Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in obtaining some of this information!

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA):  www.asha.org/default.htm

ASHA is the professional, scientific and credentialing association for more than 127,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists and Speech, Language and Hearing scientists.  Click on 'The Public" for resources.

Audiology Online:  www.audiologyonline.com

Source of news, information, training and education offerings (live E-seminars, recorded courses, text-based courses) from many manufacturers of hearing aids, cochlear implants, batteries, ect.  Many courses are free!

Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CDHH):  www.cdhh.org

Provides comprehensive programs and services that enhance communication and promote independence.  Located in West Allis, WI.  Also home of the UniversaLink store where TEPP vouchers can be filled out and used for telecommunications equipment as well as many other D/HOH equipment needs.  Audiology Services are also located at the center.  This includes complete audiological evaluations, hearing aid fitting & selection and different classes for effective communication alternatives.  They can sell you any brand of hearing aid that you are looking for versus some 'Hearing Aid' stores that are restricted to selling only one brand.  This means that you will have several choices to find the best hearing instrument for your type of hearing loss and lifestyle.

DAWN (Disability Advocates Wisconsin Network):  www.dawninfo.org

Provides current information on state disability issues, state budget, legislative activity and national disability issue links.  Hearing aid legislation is currently included in their "Take Action" box.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance (DHHA):  www.dhha-wi.org

Provides opportunities for leadership and personal growth within the Signing (Deaf) community while respecting culture, language and a visual environment.

Deaf Bilingual Coalition (DBC):  www.deafbilingualcoalition.com

Promotes the basic human right of all deaf infants and young children to have access to language and cognitive development through American Sign Language (ASL).  National organization website at www.dbcusa.org

Deaf Empowerment (DE):  www.deafe.org

Provides services among Deaf and HOH individuals in the Fox River Valley area of Wisconsin.

Hearing Healthcare:  www.healthyhearing.com

Helpful information on hearing aids, hearing loss, cochlear implants, tinnitus and more.

Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA):  www.hearingloss.org

Has lots of information on hearing loss as well as a link to all State chapters. 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD):  www.nidcd.nih.gov/index.asp

Provides research information, health information and topics, news & events including information on communication methods and devices for people with hearing loss.

PACER Center:  www.pacer.org

The mission of PACER Center is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents.

Postsecondary Education Programs Network (PEPNet):  www.pepnet.org

A National network of regional centers providing resources, information, in-service training and expertise to enhance educational opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.

Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI):  www.svri.uwstout.edu/

Provides solutions to positively impact the future of persons with disabilities and others in the community through education, research and services.  Archived newsletters and publications from SVRI may be available on their website.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA):  www.fda.gov/default.htm

Provides consumer health information.  Enter topic in "Search" engine.  For example:  Hard of Hearing, Hearing Loss, Deafness, ect.

Wisconsin American Sign Language Teachers Association (Wisconsin ASLTA):  www.wiaslta.org

Site for information for the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Sign Language Teachers Association.  ASLTA is the only national organization dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching of ASL and Deaf Studies at all levels of instruction.

Wisconsin Association of the Deaf (WAD):  www.wi-deaf.org

Site for information on State Chapter meetings and events.  National site is www.nad.org

Wisconsin Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (WisRID):  www.wisrid.org

Site for State information and events.  National website is:  www.rid.org

Wisconsin Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH):  http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/sensory/

Lots of information on everything from state programs to getting an interpretor for an event.  There are also regional offices located through out the state.

Dizzinews :  Is a vestibular disorders discussion group.  To subscribe, send an e-mail to:  majordomo@samurai.com  Leave the subject line blank.  In the body of the message type:  subscribe dizzinews

Meniere's Discussion Group :  www.menieres.org

Support and Information on Menieres as well as online discussion groups to join.

ParentDeaf-HH:  A list serve for the discussion of parenting issues faced by parents raising children who are deaf or hard of hearing.  Parents, educators and professionals are invited to subscribe.  This discussion list is sponsored by the American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) to provide a forum for parents to share their questions, concerns, successes and failures with others.  To subscribe, send an email message to listproc@list.educ.kent.edu.edu  Leave the subject line blank.  In the body of the message type:  subscribe ParentDeaf-HH and your real name(not your screen name!).

SayWhatClub:  www.saywhatclub.com

An on-line group of over 200 late deafened and hard of hearing people who provide support and encouragement to each other through e-mail.  If you'd like more information about joining the SayWhatClub, contact:  info@saywhatclub.com 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

For those of you interested, we will hold our next meeting on Thursday, October 9, 2008 here in Wales.  Our speaker this month will be Tricia Chirillo from the Audiology Services Department at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, WI.  She also happens to be my Audiologist!

Tricia will be talking about the causes, detection, advocacy, testing, equipment available and solutions when it comes to hearing loss.  So, bring any questions that you may have and she will do her best to address them.

If you are interested in coming, here are the details on the meeting.

Location:  Wales Community Center - 216 W. South St. Wales, WI

Time:  6:30pm - 8:00pm

We currently have 32 members that are in our group now.  And, we just recently became an official Chapter with the Hearing Loss Association of America.  There is no charge to attend and you don't have to be a member of HLAA.  Family members, friends and co-workers are also invited to be a part of our meetings.  After all, they are the ones that live/work with all of us and probably need all of the help that they can get! (ha)

See you on October 9th!

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, WI is seeking Hearing Peers to join its Toddler Communication Group on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:45a.m. - 2:00p.m.  The Center is located at 10243 W. National Ave. in West Allis.  This is a Total Communication group which uses sign language and speech simultaneously to help d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing children develop age-appropriate language skills.  Hearing Peer Models are children with normal hearing, speech and language development who participate in toddler communication groups and who will interact and communicate with children who are deaf or hard of hearing of a similar age.

Children must be age 20 months - 2 1/2 years old and must have typical or advanced language skills.  Some use of sign language is preferred.  All potential Hearing Peers must be screened prior to joining the Toddler Communication Group to ensure they meet the requirements of a Hearing Peer Model.  For more information about having your child become a Hearing Peer, or about CDHH's Birth to Three Program, please contact Chris Kometer, Child and Family Program Director at 414-604-7213 or email at ckomter@cdhh.org

This is a great opportunity for your child to interact with his peers as well as learn a new way of communication.  CDHH is a very safe environment with great facilities for children.  And, it gives all of those stay at home parents a chance to do a little errand running while your child is having fun!

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Last Spring we all worked together to try and get this darn thing passed.  It was held up by the Committee Chair who we have since found out has his campaigns contributed to by the Wisconsin Insurance Industry.  A sad story once again on just how the people that we elect choose to use their power. 

We are trying to get the Insurance industry to provide some coverage for children so that those that are hearing challenged or deaf can have the opportunity to be fitted with hearing aids and cochlear implants.  It's a very common fact that if you try to improve a child's hearing at an early age, they will be much more successful in school which will enable them to succeed as adults in ways that would not have been an option for them if left untreated.  Imagine being told that your child has a hearing loss and then finding out that the Wisconsin Insurance Industry will not cover the equipment needed to enable your child to hear and function like his peers!  It is very sad to see that they would rather have children go on disability rather than allow them to live a normal life. 

On September 18, 2008 there is going to be a presentation by Alicia Boehme at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, WI.  It's entitled, "Let Kids Hear!  The Fight for Hearing Aid and Cochlear Implant Legislation".  It will be begin at 6:30pm.  Alicia is an Advocacy Specialist with Disability Rights Wisconsin and also the parent of a child with hearing loss.  Come find out why the 2008 bill did not pass out of the Wisconsin Assembly, why this bill is so critical to the lives of children with hearing loss and what YOU CAN DO to ensure that this bill passes in 2009.

To register, call 414-604-2200 (voice), 888-742-7651 (TTY) or email mstranahan@cdhh.org by Sept. 15th.  Interpreting and child care must be requested at least one week in advance.  The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is located at 10243 W. National Ave. in West Allis, WI.

Since we own our own business, we recently got our renewal notice for our health insurance from Humana.  Keeping in mind that our policy will not cover any of my hearing services (hearing aids, testing, FM system, ect.) and the fact that my family is very healthy, we still received an increase of 24% on our premiums.  When you are paying a $5,150 per year deductible, this gets quite expensive to also be paying over $700 a month (new premium) just to avoid being in a situation where you are now financially doomed due to a major medical event.   I wonder how much money they are giving to our elected officials....

Have a great week!

One of the most frustrating things for a person with hearing loss is trying to watch TV with others that have normal hearing.  Most of us can't understand the speech, miss out on the punch lines of jokes (people tend to lower their voices when they get to the punch lines!) and have to constantly ask those around us to turn up the volume.

We recently spent a week at my fathers' home down on Lake of the Ozarks.  My Dad has hearing loss and has no problem wearing hearing aids.  But, like me he also likes to have the luxury of taking them out yet still be able to hear certain things. 

While we were down there, I saw that he had a TV listening system.  I've never tried one of these and thought 'what the heck'.  So, I gave it a try.  Keep in mind that I didn't have my hearing aids in, so that automatically means that I would normally have the volume at the more than halfway point on the television.  This usually causes my family to go somewhere else in the house to watch a show since it's just too darn loud for them. 

The TV listening device that I tried is called TV Ears.  The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Universal Link store in West Allis has this in their online catalog.  There is also a website for the company.  Both of these links are  http://www.cdhh.org/khxc/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=catshow+ref=Infared+Systems Go to the left hand columns under categories and click on TV listening systems.  Then click on Infared Devices.  This will take you to the TV Ears information and pricing or for those of you wanting to go to the company website for TV ears  www.tvears.com

If you are close to West Allis, I'd recommend that you go there since you will definitely get better customer service as well as technology support vs. the phone or email with the tvears.com website.  Price seems to be a bit lower also at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 

From what I can find out, there seems to be 3 different types of this device.  For those of you with LCD or Plasma TV's, you will need to upgrade to the power stacker model.  Dad has the original one.  I was pleasantly surprised in that it is recommended for people with mild hearing loss.  Both of us have moderate to severe loss.  But, I was able to turn the volume down on the television to the lowest setting and even tried muting it and was still able to hear what was going on in the program with no problems.  There is a volume control on the 1.6 oz. headset that you wear.  The headset was very comfortable once you got used to something going from your ears to beneath your chin.  The ear molds were very soft and I really could not find any 'sharp' areas which caused me discomfort. 

The quality of the sounds were very good with speech clarity being excellent.  Remember, for those of us with hearing loss, the louder it is, the more trouble we have actually understanding the speech.  I did notice that if I was near a fluorescent light, there was some buzzing in the background.  But, once the light was turned off, the buzzing disappeared.  It has a range of 900 sq. feet.  The set-up is very simple.  There are 2 cords that connect to the TV and electrical outlet with a 6' reach. 

The headset can be charged in 1 hour.  I'm not sure how long the charge lasts.  But, I didn't have any problems while watching TV for about an hour.  It was actually kind of fun to turn the volume way down on the TV and have my family ask me to turn it up so that they could hear! 

According the TV Ears website, audiologists both recommend and sell these devices.  I would definitely check out the pricing if you are going to acquire one of these through your audiologist.  You can get a basic set for $89.00 at CDHH Universal Link Store.  Online at the TV Ears website, it is $99.00. 

So, on a score of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best, I would give it an 8.  If you have any products out there for the hearing loss population that you'd like me to check out, send me an email and I'll try my best to do it!

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Are you looking for a great place to have a family vacation as well as volunteer to help others that are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing?  There is a really neat place in Rosholt, WI that few people in the hearing world know about.  It's called the Wisconsin Lions Camp.  Their website link is:  http://www.wisconsinlionscamp.com/

Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of activities during the weekend of August 15 - 17, 2008.  You would be working directly with children while their parents are attending educational sessions on site.  This is an excellent opportunity for Interpreting, Education or Speech-Language Pathology students, parents and families with older children with hearing loss, or anyone with experience working with children who are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

All volunteers must be able to commit to helping throughout the entire weekend.  Food and Lodging are provided and volunteers may bring their children, if space is available, for a fee.  If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Kerry Malak at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, WI  She can be reached at 414-604-7200 or by email at KMalak@cdhh.org  

The Wisconsin Lions Camp is set on a beautiful lake and their facility is absolutely fantastic.  They have cabins for the guests, pontoon boats, limited medical facility and for those of you interested start taking applications for their youth and adult camps in early Spring.  The cost for camp are very minimal and some are picked up by different organizations.  So, check out their website and think about taking this opportunity to not only help someone, but also enjoy a weekend in a great setting.

 Have a great week! 

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is the fourth and final column on Communication in the Workplace.  If you missed the other three just go back to the previous columns to catch up on what we've talked about so far.  You've made the list of all of the problems that you are having when it comes to hearing and being able to do your job.  Now what?  Here are few ideas for you.  If any of you have any other ones, feel free to post them in the comment section.  There are always new things coming out for those of us with hearing loss and we need to get the word out to others!

Here are a few that I know of.  If you need more information you can always type what you are looking for in your search engine and learn more.  I am in no way an expert on any of them.  Some of them I have and use and others I have not yet looked into.

Hearing Aids - I've written a lot of this subject.  If you click on the tag at the bottom of the columns, it will take you to the columns that I've put comments or information in about hearing aids.  Bottom line is, if you have a hearing loss you really do need to go and check these things out.  I know that they are expensive and most insurance won't cover the cost.  But, if this is going to enable you to keep your job as well as your relationships on a positive note, they are well worth the investment.  Once you get them, you are going to have to be patient and take the time to become used to them.  It's going to change the way you hear things and let you hear things that you have not heard in a long time or as in my case, never before.  It's a frustrating as well as humorous thing to go through.  Oh, the stories that my family could tell...

Assistive Listening Devices - Some education and training is going to be needed once you get these.  Employers would be looked upon very favorably if they made this into an all office thing.  John Kinstler and his staff at the UniversaLink store at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing now go to workplaces as well as some homes to facilitate this.  It's a great service.  Feel free to contact them and set up an appointment. 

Visual displays - For some meetings the use of CART (Computer Assisted Real-Time Captioning will be a big help to those with hearing loss.  Margo Lucas is our CART person for our Southern Wisconsin Lake Country HLAA meetings here in Wales.  She would be happy to answer any questions you may have on obtaining this service for your company.  She can be reached at SeeingtheWord@wi.rr.com or by cell at 262-442-6676.  CART enables those in meeting situations to read what the conversation is as it is being spoken on a screen.  It is the same technology that is used by Court Reporters.  In our case, Margo provides the equipment.  This is good for training programs, video conferences, televised education programs and videotapes.  It's interesting to see how many normal hearing people also like this service since some of us 'learn' better by reading instead of listening.

Alerting Devices - I'll never forget the first time we drove up our driveway at night after installing the alerting devices for the telephone, doorbell and smoke alarm to see lights flashing all over the house.  Kind of looked like a 70's disco!  But seriously, these alerting devices are just another way for a hard of hearing person to 'see' if the phone, doorbell or smoke alarm is ringing.  I can be in room where there is no phone and be alerted by the flashing light if it is ringing.  And, if there's someone at the door, they no longer think that I'm ignoring them.  For those of you that need a little extra help from an alarm clock, those are also available with flashing lights or a 'bed shaker'.  Believe me, you will wake up!  And, no more worries about being late for work or having to rely on someone else to get you up in time.  In an office setting, it takes the stress out of having to work hard to hear the phones or even the fire alarm.

Education about Hearing Loss - Most people who are hard of hearing know very little about hearing loss.  Why would normal hearing people be any different?  Education via your computer searches, audiologist, Hearing Loss magazine (a part of your membership in the Hearing Loss Association of America), and even your friends with hearing loss is an ongoing process for all of us.  Take the time to try and educate those around you so that they are on the same playing field as you when it comes to positive communication strategies.

Coping Strategies Training/Education - You need to be able to tell people what to do in order to communicate with them better.  You need the opportunities to practice doing it.  And, you need feedback on how well you are doing with it.  Where do you get all of this?  From my own personal experience, I've taken the speechreading/lipreading classes at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis through Pam Bergum.  You can contact her at 414-604-7209 or by email at pbergum@cdhh.org  They have many classes available based on your particular needs.  She can come to your workplace and get all of the employees involved or meet with you one on one or in small groups.  You will need to be able to identify the causes of your communication problems, solicit behavior changes from those that you communicate with, remind them when they inevitably forget and model the communication behavior you desire from others.  Believe it or not, these classes have been both humorous and very informative and even after thinking that I knew all that there was to know when it came to lipreading, found that there were a lot of bad habits that I had developed over the years that in hindsight caused me to have negative communication experiences.

Manual Communication Training - People with profound hearing loss as well as those that will most likely become deaf can certainly benefit from sign language classes.  These are also available at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and can also be found on DVD at some libraries.  I used to know American Sign Language, but over the years have 'lost' it since I was not using it everyday.  In the work place setting, if the people that you are working with are willing to learn some of the signs, it would be a great help to you.  For those of you in the normal hearing world, there is a big misconception out there that if you are talking with someone that is hard of hearing that means that we know sign language.  Most hard of hearing do not use sign language.  The Ddeaf and Hard of Hearing cultures are two very different things.  So, don't make assumptions!

Counseling/Therapy - Let's face it, if you are just starting to experience a hearing loss after having had normal hearing most of your life, this is a very devastating thing to adjust to.  I'm lucky in that I've had it all of my life and don't know what it's like to live as a normal hearing person.  So, I've never had a problem accepting it.  But there are those out there that truly feel that this is the end of their world as they know it.  In these cases, employers would be very wise to offer some counseling and/or therapy.  Most company insurance plans cover the costs and it's a win/win situation for both sides considering that this will enable your valued employee to continue doing the great job that he had done for you over the years.  It's very frustrating to see how some employers gradually 'get rid' of the hard of hearing employee.  It doesn't have to end this way for either of you if you are both willing to take the time and figure out what needs to be done to keep the relationship positive in the workplace.  Try and put yourself in their shoes or better yet think about what you would do if it happened to one of your family members.

Relaxation Training - Stress, muscle tension and fatigue go hand-in-hand with hearing loss.  This can lead to a decline in job performance.  Check and see if there are yoga classes, relaxation classes, ect. offered through your employer.  These can be a great help in helping you to see the signs of when you've had too much for one day and what to do about it.

Cochlear Implants - Froedert Hospital has a really great Cochlear Implant program.  Our co-leader Jim Savageau had his first one at age 50 and is now checking into getting his other ear done.  I'm not good on this subject since it doesn't apply in my case.  But, if you have questions on this subject, Jim has volunteered to answer them by email.  He can be reached by phone at 262-367-9057 or email at jsavageau@wi.rr.com  Jim also attends a support group at Froedert if you are interested in learning more about that.  Cochlear Implants have enabled those that were classified as being deaf the ability to join the hearing world.  John Kinstler down at the UniversaLink store is another cochlear implant expert.  It is really amazing to see what both of these gentlemen have been able to do to enhance not only their lives, but also those around them.  It was a big step for both of them to take and I've really enjoyed watching their progress. 

Hopefully, these last 4 columns have helped you on having a more positive experience in the workplace.  As I learn more I will pass it on.  Let me know if there's a particular topic that you are needing more information on and I'll try my best to get a column up on it.  Who knows, we might all finally get the hearing world to the point where having a hearing loss isn't such a big deal anymore....

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is part three of four on Communication in the Workplace.  The final column will be posted in the next few days. Here's a little homework for you.  It may help you to start your journey on making conversations in the workplace a bit easier.

We will go over the impact of Noise, Lighting, Behavior, Location, Distractions, Not using Hearing Aids, Not using Assistive Listening Devices (ALD's), Telephones and Alerting devices.  Look around your workplace and think about where you are having conversations as well as problems understanding them. 

Noise - This is a big one!  Are you having to deal with any of the following:  Voices of people talking, electronic equipment sounds, mechanical equipment sounds, echoing sounds, telephones ringing or construction sounds.  How might you minimize them or get yourself into a more quiet situation? 

Lighting - Is the lighting too bright or dim?  Is it shining in the person's eyes that you are trying to talk with?  This can make lipreading/speechreading more difficult for you. 

Behavior - Is the person looking at you when they are speaking?  Are they paying attention to what you are saying or are they distracted by something going on around them?  Are they repeating what they said when you are asking them to or getting frustrated with you and refusing to expound upon the subject matter?  Are they speaking too rapidly or softly?  Do they have a foreign accent?  Is that rather big mustache or beard getting in the way of their lips?  All good things to notice!  Once you figure out what the other person is not doing to help you out, you can now start 'retraining' them.  Don't get frustrated!  It's going to take efforts from all parties involved to finally get it into the normal hearing persons' behavior pattern to communicate your way.  Bad habits are hard to break!  And, to be honest here, normal hearing people don't even think about these things.  So, here's your chance to facilitate change.

Location - Are you trying to talk to people that are behind office dividers/cubbies?  Can you see their face at all times?  Is there too great of a distance between you and the other person so that you can't hear or see what they are saying?  Do you have to twist around just to have face to face contact with them and in the process lose the first few sentences of what they are talking to you about?  When someone comes up to you from behind and starts talking, you are probably not going to hear all of what they say.  Ask them to get your attention first! 

Distractions - Are there lots of things going on when you are trying to have a conversation at work?  People walking by and greeting both of you?  Sudden sounds or movements?  Lights flashing?  You will have to take charge of where these conversations are taking place if at all possible.  Look for the opportunity to hold the conversation in a private office or where there are the least amount of distractions for all parties involved. 

Not using Hearing Aids - Are you wearing hearing aids to work, but find that the background noises are just too distracting to the point where you are turning the volume down or the hearing aid off?  If you are, it's time to go back to your audiologist and get another program put on them.  All aids have switches on them that can have a minimum of 2 different hearing programs on them.  I have 4 on mine and when I push the toggle switch, a series of beeps tells me what program I am on.  You can have one for 360 degree hearing or everything around you and one for just the sounds that are coming at you from the front.  Don't forget to have them put the t-coil program on also!  These programs will help to eliminate the many background noises that are not allowing you to hear what is being said.  Of course this now means that you are going to have to get in the habit of pushing the toggle switch to go to the program that works best based on where the conversation is being held.  But, after you've done if for a few days, it becomes a habit and you don't even realize that you are doing it.

Not using Assistive Listening Devices (ALD's) - With the TEPP voucher program available in many states (see column on TEPP) there really is no reason for anyone to go without the many Assistive Listening Devices that are out there and approved for use by the program.  Many of the telecommunication devices can be used for other areas of listening.  Your TEPP provider will be more than happy to work with you on it.  If you want additional information on the provider here in Wisconsin, go to the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing UniversaLink website at www.cdhh.org  John Kinstler is there and he is a master of figuring out what will work in your situation.  It is also very possible that your employer will pick up the costs for this equipment in your workplace.  Let them know what you need and then send them to the website.  This enables you to have your own devices at home and additional ones at work.  If you are lucky enough to have a conference room set up with an induction loop system, you can use the t-coil program on your hearing aids to hook up to that.  This makes your hearing aids the receiver of all sounds within the looped area.  Kind of like a personal sound system.

Telephones - I used to hate these things!  I'd get on the phone and have to constantly ask the caller to repeat what they were saying.  Add in an accent and I was really in trouble.  I have a Clarity C4230 telephone.  It has speaker-phone, answering machine, caller ID, call waiting, a cordless handset and is compatible with my alerting devices that I have plugged in around different areas of the house and office.  These also work with the doorbell and once the grandkids come can be used in the room that they are in so that I won't miss anything that is going on.  A godsend!  A side-note here - No pressure Jeff and Lindsey to have kids yet!   And yes, the TEPP voucher program paid for all of it.  After all, I've been paying the additional charge on my land-line phone bill for years.  I might as well take advantage of the program.

Alerting Devices - Does your workplace use amplified phones, TTY or the telephone relay service?  Did you know that if you are using the telephone relay service there is no additional charge for this?  All that you have to do to access someone with the telephone relay service is dial 711 (at least in Wisconsin) and tell the operator that you wish to call a certain number.  They will then make the call for you and as the person is speaking, type the conversation so that you can read it on your TTY or CapTel phone.  This is a great service and many people don't know that there is no additional charge to either party for it.  Are there visual or tactual alerting devices in the work area?  This can consist of flashing lights when an alarm sounds or the telephone rings.  On my phone, doorbell and smoke detector, they are all connected to one alerting device that is plugged into a wall outlet and will flash a light on a lamp or a strobe light connected to the alerting device in the wall socket.  Takes a lot of the stress out of my life!

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

So, you've had your audiological evaluation and you've decided to do something about your hearing loss.  Now what?  There are things that you can do to save money in this process.  Or at least to keep you from wasting your money and ending up with something that really is not going to help you with your hearing loss problem.

 The number one thing that you will need to do is to watch out for all of the scams out there.  Unfortunately there are companies that are capitalizing on the baby boom population in that they are coming up with what I call a quick fix.  This may sound good initially, but in the long run really won't address what you need in order to facilitate a solution to the hearing problems that you are having.

It's important not to waste money on hearing aids or what they say is equal to a hearing aid that doesn't give you a noticeable improvement in your hearing ability and lifestyle.  The most important thing that you are trying to do is to understand speech!  There are many products out there that say they will help with hearing, buy many are not effective.  Don't be taken in by the claims that they make.  One of the ways that some of these companies get by with their 'truth-less' advertising is that they claim not to be a hearing aid.  This gets them out of having to comply with the FDA regulations.  They may claim to be similar to hearing aids.  They may claim that you will hear whispers from across the room.  That's a clue for you as a customer that they are flying under the FDA's radar and therefore do not have specific things that they have to comply with.  If they were working within the FDA parameters, they would have to be regulated by the FDA, undergo testing to actually prove that they are what they say they are, obtain licensing, use real audiologists and testing equipment to perform audiological evaluations, incorporate safety, quality and health standards, ect.  Most mail order or over the counter products do not meet these specifications.

Most of these products go for the people that are still in denial of their hearing loss or those that don't want or think that they need a hearing aid.  They also go for the angle of being able to save you lots of money.  Bottom line is you get what you pay for!  So, check out the company.  You can go through the FDA website, your local Better Business Bureau and even use your search engine on your computer by typing in the product or company name and see what comes up.  There are also several websites for hearing loss that have message and chat rooms on them where you can ask others in your same situation if they have heard any 'reviews' on the product.  I know that this all takes time, but if you are really serious about hearing better, it is certainly worth checking out your options.

Look at your insurance policy and see if the audiological exam or hearing aids are covered at all.  Beware of insurance companies that will add a hearing aid benefit for an additional cost.  Most of these will only cover around $500 of the cost of hearing aids.  So, in the long run they really aren't worth the additional premium that you would pay to have it.  Read the fine print!  Also, don't forget about applying for your TEPP voucher with the State of Wisconsin Public Service Commission.  For more information on that, please go to my column entitled TEPP Voucher.  It has all of the information on it to get you started.

To all of the Veterans out there, if you can prove that your hearing loss is the result of your service (being around artillery shells, testing of atomic bombs, flying in fighter jets, ect.)  It's possible that the VA will provide hearing aids for you.  Contact your VA to see what the process is and keep in mind that it will take a few calls and probably some documentation as to where you served as well as what you did to get the ball rolling.  None of these services are really publicized and you'd be amazed at how many Veterans we have of all ages that just don't think about how their hearing loss may have started.  Just because you are around very loud noises, does not mean that you will immediately see a loss of hearing.  Sometimes it takes years for the damage to become apparent.

The Wisconsin Department of Vocational Rehabilitation is also a great resource for hearing aid support.  Every State has one of these.  You can go on their website for the application form.  They are willing to work with anyone that is either currently employed and needs to have hearing aids in order to perform their job adequately as well as those that are unable to find a job due to their hearing loss and would like to once again join the workforce.  Again, there is a protocol that you will have to follow and it can be frustrating in that it takes time, but if it's going to enable you to hear and not jeopardize your financial situation, it's worth it!

There are a few civic organizations out there that also have programs to help with hearing loss.  The Lions International is one of them.  And, you can also check my previous column on Sertoma out of Madison, WI.  Ask your audiologist if they know of any programs that you may qualify for.  Again, if your audiologist is hesitant to help you in this area, find one that will.  There are some out there that will not let you know of your options because this would mean that they will lose your business if they are not affiliated or approved as a vendor with these programs.  Sounds like a really crappy thing to do to someone, but I've personally had this happen and I consider myself pretty educated on this subject. 

I know that this will sound silly, but even though I've had hearing loss for most of my life, I'm still learning about it.  It's very easy to become complacent and not continue to educate yourself.  And, let's face it, we've all got better things to do!  Most people who purchase hearing aids have very little understanding of hearing loss or hearing aids.  This is not a time to think that your questions are stupid and not worth asking.  For many, they just want to find something that is not noticeable when they wear it and they are also looking for the most inexpensive way to do that.  Neither of these will get you what you really need.

One of the best ways to start this whole process is to talk to people that have hearing aids.  You will run into people that have had bad experiences.  For some reason, these are the people that will freely talk about all of the negative things that have happened to them.  This of course is not a good way to keep you positive about the situation.  By going on the hearing loss websites such as the Hearing Loss Association of America or the Hearing Exchange, you will find chat rooms and message boards where you can ask some of the questions that you may not yet feel confident enough to ask your friends or co-workers.  It's a great way to get your feet wet and remain anonymous.  It's also a good way to find some positive feedback and encouragement to continue on your journey to better hearing.

If you are looking at joining one of these organizations, I would recommend the Hearing Loss Association of America.  Their website is www.hearingloss.org  This is what our local hearing loss group is affiliated with.  As part of your membership, you get a really good magazine every other month that addresses different topics dealing with hearing loss.  We also have hundreds of local chapters with 6 of them right here in Wisconsin.  If you would like to know where those chapters are, feel free to email me or post a comment and I will get back to you.  Our chapter (Southern Wisconsin Lake Country HLAA Chapter) meets in Wales on the second Thursday of the month at the Wales Community Center.  We started in April and hopefully by the end of the summer we will be an official chapter.  We've got a little paperwork to complete yet.  But, there are around 30 of us that have developed friendships and are learning more and more about our situations.  A really great group of people that range in age from 28 to 93.  I am very honored to call all of them friends!  And here I thought that I was the only one in the area that couldn't hear very well....

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Based on the number of you that are emailing me with questions on the TEPP voucher, I've gone on the State of Wisconsin Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing website and gotten the following links for you. 

As you know, the TEPP voucher will help to pay for telephone equipment for the hearing impaired, deaf and blind.  Depending on the degree of your loss, this can range from $125.00 all of the way up to $7,200.00 in equipment once every 3 years.  For those of you that have used TEPP before, you can also check the status of your eligibility (has it been 3 years yet?)

If you want to see as well as try out the latest equipment, I would recommend the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing UniversaLink store located in West Allis, WI.  There is a list of other vendors in the State on the TEPP website, but I've found that they are the most helpful when it comes to being able to see what is the best fit for you and your situation.

Link for TEPP program:  http://psc.wi.gov/consumerinfo/assistancePgms/tepp/tepp-ind.htm

Link for TEPP Voucher application:  https://tepp.wipfli.com/voucher-application.asp

All funds are via the Public Service Commission for the State of Wisconsin.  We all pay into this fund via our landline telephone bills.  All residents of the State of Wisconsin are eligible as long as you have a verifiable hearing loss, deaf or blind.  This is not a welfare based program!  So, don't think that you won't qualify.  We all know how expensive it is to stay in the hearing world.  This is one program that can help everyone with hearing loss.  Now, if we could just get the insurance companies to help us to pay for our hearing aids.....

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

How many of you have wanted to take a class that will help you to communicate better with others that are Hard of Hearing or Deaf?  How about those of you that are dealing with your own hearing issues?

The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has communication classes available for all of us.  I'm including the link to the schedule of classes.  As all of you know, they are just one of 8 centers in the United States that service, educate, advocate and participate in the issues involving loss of hearing.  We are very lucky to have them in our area.  Yes, they are a non-profit organization in that you can rest assured that they will not be using high pressure sales techniques to try and get you to buy things that really aren't useful in your situation.  That's the part that I like best about them!

Here's the link for those interested in signing up for classes.  If you have any questions about any of the classes, please don't hesitate to call or email them.  Also, for those of you looking for lipreading/speech reading classes, Pam Bergum teaches these at the center also.  I will include her email if you would like more information on them.

Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Class Listings:

http://www.cdhh.org/calendar_classes.php

Speech reading/Lipreading Classes - Pam Bergum (Educator)

Pam will also hold classes at other locations depending on where the "clients' are located.  So, if you can't get down to the Center in West Allis, let her know what is more convenient for you!

email:  PBergum@cdhh.org

Periodically, I will be letting you know of any upcoming events at the Center.  It's one of the many 'gems' in our State that I feel does not get enough attention.

Have a great week! 

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

As we all know, this past week has been full of situations where we all relied on being able to hear what is going on with the weather and flooding.  For those of us that have hearing loss, we needed to work pretty hard to stay informed.  Closed captioning on the television is a godsend in that we can actually 'read' what is going on and make a plan if it is going to affect us.  But, for those of us that are in our cars, away from our televisions, ect, we have to go to visual cues or in a lot of cases have someone with us that can alert us to things that we need to take action on.  Nothing like having to depend on someone else to let you know if you should be heading for your basement or taking shelter in a public place...

We had our Hearing Loss Group chapter meeting in Wales last night while the storms were coming and going.  Luckily our spouses also attend these meetings with us, so it was just a matter of turning on the television in the room and making sure that someone was paying attention to it during the meeting.  But, as I looked around at all of us I couldn't help but feel that once again we were in a situation of which to some point we felt we did not have control over.  At one point the lights went out and the frustration level grew for me since this now meant that I needed to rely on my husband to let me know what was going on since it was totally dark outside.  Being a very visual person, this meant that I was now at a disadvantage since I couldn't actually "see" what was happening. 

I've found a pretty good video complete with closed captioning from the Ready.Gov website.  If you don't have adobe flashplayer on your computer, you will need to download it in order to see the closed captioning.  It also is available online in text format for those of you wishing to print it out.  It pertains to all people with disabilities, so some of it may not apply to you.  But, it's a good precurser for making sure that you are ready for many situations.

Here's the link:  http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/disabled.html  

One of the big problems with all of the rain that we've had is the humidity associated with it.  This tends to make our hearing aids 'sluggish' in that we feel like we have something blocking the sounds going into our ears due to the elevated moisture in the tubing.  There are many 'drying' kits on the market for your hearing aids.  Some are pretty expensive and others are not.  It all depends on your preference.  There are also some available at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing UniversaLink store in West Allis.  Their website is www.cdhh.org 

I know how hard it is to give control over to people around you that can hear.  But, sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and do it.  It doesn't make you look stupid or inadequate.  And in the long run, safety is the top priority.  But, after you get all of the mess cleaned up from this past weather system, take some time to sit down and make a plan on just how you are going to be on top of things when the next situation happens where you may need a little extra help on knowing what is going on out in your world.  It sure beats sitting in the dark and not knowing what's coming next....

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Got my new hearing aids today.  For those of you that are interested, they are the ReSound Azure AZ71 BTE's.  Let the hearing games begin.....

While at the audiologists office, we tried an 'open fit' which means that instead of an ear mold in your ear, there is just a very thin tube that is attached to a very small tulip shaped ear-piece.  Unfortunately, my loss is not agreeable to this set-up in that I will have too much feedback.  So, we moved on to the ear-molds that had been made from impressions a couple of weeks ago.  I had my hopes up that maybe I could go with the open fit in that this would have allowed the natural sounds that I do hear to be processed normally, but I went to the appointment today with my only goal being able to hear better than I ever have.  So, I quickly let the internal frustration die and move on to the more positive.

With the new ear molds in place (boy, are those things tiny compared to my old ones!), Tricia ran the program for the aids on her computer with me being hooked up via wires.  Lots of strange machine sounds and then, WOW!  Brain went into overload as I'm trying to process what all of this noise is.  I've been mentally prepared for this for the last few weeks in that I tried to remember just what a shock it was 5 years ago when I went to the digital aids.  But, no matter how well I thought that I was prepared, this was more than I expected.

I guess that I looked pretty shocked because Tricia (my audiologist at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) asked me if I was OK.  The sound was so intense that I had tears in my eyes.  Part of me wanted to yank the darn things out and go back to what I knew as hearing for the past 5 years.  But, the rational part of me waited it out and told my brain to calm down and start getting to work.  Amazing what an office sounds like!  I thought that I was hearing wind in the background to the point that Tricia put me in the testing booth (soundproof) to see if we could figure out what I was hearing.  It was the ventilation fan coming through the air ducts. 

So, we got back to the fitting room and she did a little more tweaking.  My husband was sitting behind me and at one point yawned.  I quickly turned around to see what the heck he was doing and that's when we both realized that my world was about to change as I took another giant leap into the hearing world.  Since this was the first time that he has been with me for this part of the process, he was also full of questions for me mentally, but the deal that we made before the fitting was that there could only be one person talking to me or else I was probably going to get all goofed up.  His reward for this was a trip to Bakers' Square for pie.  Yes, I'm married to a guy that can eat like a horse and not gain any weight. 

I'll be going back to see Tricia in 3 weeks for any more adjusting that I may need.  It will take me at least a couple of weeks to learn how to process all of these new sounds.  At that time, we'll hook up the FM system and I'll have more adjusting to do. 

On the way home, we stopped at Bakers' Square and just happened to come before the noon rush had begun.  Brian parked the car and I went on in.  Usually, I wait for him, but I wanted to see if I could understand the hostess and actually get us a table on my own.  Upon entering the restaurant, I was assaulted with all kinds of noises.  Kept taking deep breaths and telling my flight instinct to knock it off.  I got seated, ordered coffee and began to assess my surroundings.  By the time that Brian got there, I was full of questions for him.  This is where you really need someone with you when you first venture out with your new hearing aids.  Otherwise, the curiosity of just what those sounds are will drive you nuts.

As Brian was taking his spoon and getting some ice cubes out of the water to put into his coffee, I was exercising great restraint by not taking the spoon out of his hand and hitting him with it.  The noise was almost unbearable and I just wanted all of it to stop.  Very common reaction to new hearing aids.  When we first arrived, there were probably 4 other tables with patrons at them.  Within 15 minutes, the restaurant was over half full.  Who said that all of the older women are supposed to meet for lunch on Thursdays?  Hearing all of their high pitched voices chattering away and greeting each other was definitely a sound that I'm not used to.  What was even more noticeable was that I was actually understanding what they were saying instead of looking at it as background noise. 

We made it home and by 7:00 PM tonight, the hearing aids were out and I was done.  Took a Tylenol at 5:00 PM and that wasn't helping so, enough of all of the new sounds for one day.  I'll keep you posted on the new noises in my life and just how long it takes me to figure out what in the world they are.  And, trying to come up with silverware that doesn't "clink".  Until then, "Hears" to Life!  :)

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

If your husband or wife has a hearing loss, it can be a major negative factor in your relationship.  We all know how tough it is to communicate in a relationship, but for some of us, there are even greater challenges when we have hearing loss.

If you are married to a HOH person, you have life experiences that are unknown to those married to normal hearing spouses.  Some of the most common frustrations are:

     My spouse calls me from another room

     My spouse can hear what they want

     My spouse is always asking me to make phone calls for them

     My spouse never wants to go out

     My spouse walks away in the middle of a conversation

     I have to wake my spouse up

     I have to tell my spouse that someone is at the door or the phone is ringing

We'll start with the first one.  My spouse calls me from another room.

I know that there are days when both my husband and I feel that we spend a lot of it walking into the room where the other one is because one of us started talking and the other one (usually me!) doesn't hear what they are saying.  I have to say that from a personal point of view, I really hate it when someone talks to me from another room.  This means that I have to drop what I'm doing and go see what they want.  But, my husband also does this when I call to him from another room since he knows that there is no way that I am going to understand his reply unless he's in the same room as I am.  So, it works both ways.  I guess that we could make more of a concerted effort to stop trying to have conversations from different rooms, but the natural flow of thoughts and talk sometimes make us forget to do this.

My spouse can hear what they want.

I have heard so many people say this about their spouses.  Here are a few reasons why your normal hearing spouse may think that you really do have selective hearing.

I know that on some days, I definitely hear better than others.  There are a number of reasons for this.  The most important one is the fact that the environment is different.  This can be attributed to weather, outside noise, how tired we are mentally and just plain losing our train of thought because we are not focused on the current conversation and instead thinking about something else.  Those with normal hearing have an amazing ability to tune things out that don't interest them and focus on what does.  They can do this even when the thing that they are focusing on is nearly as loud as the environmental noise.  We on the other hand, have a hard time differentiating the different sounds and thus tend to listen to whatever noise is occurring no matter if it has anything to do with the conversation or not.

When I got my digital aids 5 years ago, I had a very hard time having a conversation in the office with the computer on.  The noise of the fan made it totally impossible for me to understand what was being said.  People with normal hearing don't even notice the fan on a computer.  Another example for me is if I am having a meeting early in the morning, I'm pretty good at 'hearing' everything.  But, if I've been in conversations all day, by afternoon I'm missing a lot.  Mentally, my brain has shut down and it's exhausting to try and keep up with all of the words.  For those of you with normal hearing, communications is effortless.  You don't have to work as hard to differentiate the words and sounds.  The sound just flows into your ears and your brain processes it.  Kind of like breathing!

My spouse is always asking me to make phone calls for them.

Guilty as charged!  I don't know how many times I've asked Brian or one of the kids to make a call for me.  I know that I've used my email much more in the past few years because it's so much easier to communicate that way.  I don't miss any words and I have a 100% understanding of what the other person is communicating to me.  The same goes for the many INTERNET chat rooms.  Hopefully with my new aids (getting them on May 29th!), I will be able to answer the phone easier.  Especially my cell phone.  Until then, text messaging is a godsend!

My spouse never wants to go out.

I've also done this.  There are a couple of reasons why a HOH person may prefer staying home.  The most obvious is because we can't understand the movie, TV, conversation, play, lecture or whatever the social event is.  The hearing spouse must be aware of this situation and sensitive to it.  Imagine spending an evening chatting with friends, but you didn't understand most of the discussion.  How boring and frustrating that is!  Imagine further that you had to PRETEND to understand (bluffing); sometimes you had to respond to questions that you didn't really hear about topics that you really weren't clear on.  These are my evenings from Hell.  It is not a nice fun, relaxing evening.  By the time that I get home, I'm ready to tune everything out and commiserate with myself on how once again I spent the evening not really knowing what was going on and tried my best not to embarrass myself or my family by saying the wrong thing. 

So, what's the answer to this one?  Well, here's what we do.  When we are going to a social event, my husband and kids know that I will initially "test the waters" to see what the hearing situation is and if it is not good for me, they can find me on the fringes of the group.  I do this so that people will come to me and I at least have some control over the noise in the environment by seating myself away from the worst part of it.  My family knows that this can also cause some of the other attendees to think that I am being snooty.  But, for those that know me well, you can find me in a corner with my chair against the wall waiting to hear the latest and greatest on your life!  The HOH person is the one ultimately responsible for figuring out what will work best.  This is not the job of your family, friends or spouse. 

My spouse walks away in the middle of a conversation.

What happens here is that the HOH person thinks the conversation is over.  The normal hearing spouse can't possibly understand why we think that!  This can become a very big misunderstanding and cause hurt feelings in more ways than one.  I tend to wait for a few seconds to see if someone is done talking and that is my cue that the conversation is over.  But, there are plenty of times where I think I heard the final sentence only to find out later that I missed the ending.  It's all in how we (HOH) perceive words and voice inflection.  So, if we start walking away and you're not done yet, don't be afraid to get our attention again.  But, be prepared to go back over parts of the conversation that we misunderstood so that we are both aware of what the conversation really was. 

I have to wake my spouse up.

We used to have this problem all of the time.  I would mentally wake myself up (no clue how I did this!) before the alarm was supposed to go off only to lie there waiting for it.  Lost out on a lot of sleep doing that !  Now, they have these great alarm clocks that 'shake' the bed.  It looks like a normal alarm clock, but has an attachment that you place under the mattress on the side that the HOH person is sleeping on.  The funniest reference that I've heard to this little contraption is when a lady who had just purchased one, started telling some normal hearing people that she knew about her alarm vibrator.  You can only imagine the looks that she got for that comment!  Seriously though, the vibrations from these things are like a small earthquake.  You won't oversleep!

I have to tell my spouse that someone is at the door or the phone is ringing.

Again, there are products out there to 'fix' this.  You can check them out by going to the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing website located at www.cdhh.org  Go to the UniversaLink section.  And, as most of you know by now, the State of Wisconsin has a program that will pay for some of these things if they are being used for telecommunications.  I've written about it in other columns.  It's called TEPP voucher program.  The Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has those vouchers if you want to go there and do it.  They will then notify you when your voucher has been approved so that you can go back and pick out your equipment.  We also have them at our monthly Hearing Loss Group meetings. 

In conclusion, we all need to try and come up with the 'right' communication techniques when dealing with HOH.  It will initially take some work on all of our parts, but keep in mind that many of the things that we say to each other are worth hearing and if that means that we have to repeat some of them, so be it.  Besides, many of the things that my husband  or kids say are worth repeating!  Redundancy rules.....

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink