Back in the spring of 2018, I got my first pair of hearing aids. They were truly fantastic. I hadn’t realized how bad my hearing was until I got them, and it was a whole new world to me. It was life changing to me. Those hearing aids were everything to me. I had to go back for a few adjustments, which is normal.
In 2019, I had issues with the hearing aids. I was at the hospital in labor when they quit completely. I was on maternity leave for two weeks, and called the audiologist I was seeing at the time and took my hearing aids in to get looked at. She took them, shipped them back to the manufacturer, gave me some loaners. The manufacturer could not find an issue with those hearing aids. They ended up sending me a brand new pair. Ever since that period of time, for 2+ years now, I have had nothing but issues with those hearing aids. I have taken them back in countless times, had wires replaced, had the programs adjusted, had them cleaned, and was told nothing was wrong with them. I couldn’t hear with the right Aid at all, and the left one I got to the point where I was keeping it turned all the way up and still couldn’t hear through them.
Back in the spring of 2021, with a lot of encouragement from my husband, I decided to pursue a new hearing aid. My husband had taken his grandma to an audiologist to get her a pair of hearing aids, and while he was there asked the doctor there about my hearing aids. He told her all about the troubles that I was having, and she told him that these hearing aids I had may not be the best fit for me. He was told that I might qualify for Vocational Rehab services, and to check that out.
At that point I began to do a little more research on all the different types of hearing aids. I had no idea there were so many types and so many options. I learned quickly that the audiologist I was seeing only carried one brand of hearing aids, while most other places carry multiple brands and types of hearing aids so they have something for everybody. I called the audiologist, and suggested that maybe the hearing aids I had were not working for me because they weren’t what I needed and I needed to try something else. I asked her, again, to take a look. I was reassured that the aids I had were “the best fit for me” despite me telling her the one wasn’t even working and they were clearly not working for me at all like they should be. I realized at that point that my hearing aids may have been the best aid that they carried, but it was certainly not the best aid for me.
After that phone conversation I decided to reach out to Voc Rehab to see if they could help me at all with new hearing aids. Hearing aids can be quite costly, so even if they could help a little bit that would be great. I worked with the most amazing lady, and I had a consultation with a different audiologist. My hearing had changed a bit in the three years since I had gotten my hearing aids. I was recommended a new type of hearing aid, and vocational rehab came through for me in a big way. They paid for 100% of my new hearing aids.
Last Wednesday, I finally got to go and pick up my new hearing aids and I am in LOVE. There is no comparison from the old ones to the new. The old ones do not even hold a candle to the new ones. I still have to go back for a couple of small tweaks but the hearing aid is just phenomenal.
My husband and I went to a social gathering on Saturday evening, and that was my first chance to really test the new hearing aids. As I have spent the last three years with hearing aids still struggling to keep up with conversations, I was very anxious about how it would be with the new ones on Saturday. This was the first conversation in 3+ years that I didn’t have to ask people to repeat themselves constantly. My husband is used to repeating for me and helping me keep up, and he didn’t have to step in once. It finally felt like I was part of the conversation!! I am very excited to move forward, getting the tweaks worked out and having fully functional hearing aids that are working for me.
Tiffanie Talks 