I'd love it if you could come to Fremont, CA

I personally think you've made the right decision to let VR get you your hearing aids. That is what is best for you...and that's important right now. Oh - before I forget - my VR rep gave me two books that I found to be helpful: Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids - A Bridge to Healing by Richard Carmen Coping with Hearing Loss - Plain Talk for Adults About Losing Your Hearing by Rezen & Hausman. As for insurance companies. I don't understand why they do the things they do. I think it's great that you sign so well! I know I'll get better at signing as time goes on. It sounds like the Deaf friends you have will help you through this time in your life. I've not made any Deaf friends yet, but I do go to Deaf events. In August there was a silent picnic that invited SCC, WSU, and local high school students taking ASL to attend (to provide them with an opportunity to use their ASL). There are silent meetings at the food court in the mall the 2nd Friday of every month. I've been going to these to give me a chance to use my ASL. I'm still at the point where I'm real nervous when I start talking to people in sign language, but I keep going to I can get over my fear. I think I understand how you feel about being stuck in the middle between hearing and not hearing, but it sounds like your handling it a lot better than I am. I get angry with hearing people who forget that I can't hear. I don't mean acquaintances, I mean my husband, daughter and close friends. They talk to me when they are in another room - or with their head turned away from me - or their mouths covered up. I keep reminding them what I need, but they keep forgetting. I feel like they don't care. (They have also told me that they don't want to learn ASL). I looked online and discovered a huge support group for people who are hard-of-hearing. The website is www.shhh.org. I've only just found this website - and don't know all of the advantages to it yet. For instance - I don't know if it has good information to help people like us who are going deaf. I think I'll look at the website more closely after Thanksgiving. I better run. I have a LOT of cooking to do! Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Heard from Voc rehab today and they had been with me through this insurance mess,  they are going to over look the insurance this time because they have outstanding proof that I more then qulify for the hearing aids.  my VR counslor took all he had to his suppervisor and she said yes they will get them for me. But now the insurance saying they will pay but will not send the letter to me or voc rehab. I really do not trust them@ all.   My audi says I should tell voc rehab that my insurance will pay a portion. I do not want to prolong this any further I think I should let voc rehab do what they do.  The thing that bothers me the most is that my Insurance will pay for me to have  gastric bypass surgery. how crazy is that.

My sister also had the stapendactomy but she has to keep going back for revisions, I rather just wear the HAs instead  and yes we have A Voc Rehab here as well I have been approved to get hearing aids throught them because my insurance was giving me a hard time , first they say thay pay then they told my audiologist  thay they would not pay for digitial only analog and even then only a  small portion of that.  now after I have been aproved by voc rehab, my insurance say they will pay. I do not trust my insurance @ this tim and I can not aford to pay for my hearing aids  but I have to contact voc rehab and tell them what the insurance said I am afraid that I may end up paying for them myself or go without.  right now I am @ a loss what to do. Voc rehab wants something in writting  but insurance wont give anything in writting to me or them.

My sister had otosclerosis in both of her ears. She also had the stapendectomy surgery performed for both of her ears and it helped her to hear better with the hearing aids - she explains it to me that she went from having profound hearing loss in both of her ears to moderate hearing loss in both of her ears with her hearing aids.

I paid $900 for my first hearing aid (just one "in-the-ear" for my left ear). The first hearing aid is the old analog type. It didn;t work well enough for me at work or in restaurants (or other noisy situations), so I went to the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR). They paid for my second hearing aid ($3000) which is digital "in-the-ear" and has technology to amplify vocal range and mute sounds in other ranges. It has four programs: automatic (that can tell by itself when I'm in a noisy or quiet environment and adjust accordingly), two manual (one for noisy environmnents and one for quiet environments), and one extra one that I could have been modified with a T-coil to talk on the phone. I chose that program to be  modified to allow me to hear music. An audiologist said there is newer technology out now that is even better than my digital. BVR said if the doctors think the new technology will help me perform work and engage in social activities - then BVR may pay for the new technology. I don't know if you have BVR in your state. (It might be called something different.) It wouldn't hurt to see if you'd be eligible to get the new technology hearing aid. But it couldn't hurt to see if the newer technology works for you. I do understand about feeling lonely. I get as frustrated in conversations as others do. I get so very tired trying to listen all of the time. I read a book about coping with hearing loss that says people who can hear don't have to focus all their attention on conversations. They're able to listen to a few words and be able to keep up with the conversation AND figure out what everyone is talking about. People who have a hearing loss can't do that. We have to listen completely - and that is mentally tiring. Sounds like you're learning ASL, too. I hope you find it to be as freeing as I do. I think it's wonderful that the other nurse stepped in to help you get the information from the doctor. I've never had anyone step in like that for me. I'm sure you appreciated her help. AND - I'm guessing your experiences have contributed to you being a fantastic nurse!