In my last post I mentioned that I had surgery to have a bolt embedded in my skull. That's right, I did! Since about 2010 I have been losing my hearing. Loss accelerated this spring sending me to a different ENT specialist. He determined that my hearing loss was caused by having perpetual ear infections, mastoid surgery at a young age, loss of use of my Eustachian tubes, which an age thing, I guess. After much testing I found that I was a good candidate for the relatively new "Bone Anchored Hearing Aid" or BAHA. This is cutting edge technology for the hearing impaired. A titanium "bolt" was surgically embedded in my mastoid bone behind my left ear. After it heals for 3 months, allowing the bone to incorporate around and with the bolt, I will be fitted with a super duper electronic hearing aid that will snap onto this bolt. There are no plugs or tubes going into the ear. I will hear thru my cochlea thru a process much like sonar. The audiologist and the Tympanic Membrane Specialist (that's the ear drum) have told me that having this device will retrain my brain to hear again. Amazing! I tried the conventional hearing aids, but having the plugs and tubes in my ears was not letting air into the ear canal, thus causing the infections, or at least aggravating the inner surfaces. Now I have to keep all moisture out of my ears, but that't the least I can do. Even sweating was causing problems, so no more tubes and plugs.
March 14,2016 is the big day for the fitting of the device. I have it at home, have read all the literature and am excited. It will be nice to be able to once again hear my grandchildren, and be able to sing with my choir and quartet.
Hasn't technology come a long way from those ugly pink buttons Grandma B used to wear in her ears, and still couldn't hear me!
Until next time,
Peace,
JE
I'm a hearing aid guy. I don't have the same problem as you with infections. I hope the solution works well for you.
ReplyDeleteToo many sirens and too much artillery makes for bad hearing. I sport a pair of government issued blue tooth hearing aids - I can hear better and talk on my phone through my ears at the same time. Glad you explained your baha bolt - I had visions of a bolt acting as a lightning rod ;0).
ReplyDeleteWell I have to tell everyone that I have seen the so called "bolt". It is actually very small and looks similar to a snap that you use in sewing. I am so excited for you my friend and am praying that this works very well for you.
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