New Hearing Aid- Unitron Max 6

I got my new hearing aid on Friday.

First impressions:

• My audiologist Beth Muller is just plain awesome for more reasons that I can post here. She is great.
• The sound is louder than what I had before and I don’t feel like I am straining to hear something.
• The balance with the cochlear implant is much better. My CI doesn’t overpower the aid like it did before.
• There is a harmonica sound when there are loud sounds. I am not sure the reason for this yet. When I whistle, for example, it sounds like a chord instead of a pure whistle. I do not like this.
• Overall, I am hearing better and I am not sending out feedback whistling from my hearing aid all the time.
• Very Satisfied! (I am sure we can fix the harmonica sound with an adjustment)

Still Training my Ear

A few months ago, I had my speech processer remapped. The last one I had gotten before leaving Brazil was not a good one for me, the impulses were too strong and it was uncomfortable to wear the CI even after trying for weeks. I’d given up wearing it for a few months, as my natural hearing had strengthened to the point that I could get by.

Now I am wearing it, but not turning it on all the time. I sometimes turn it off to hear from my right ear better, and forget to turn it on. The mapping is much better, but I took a few steps back from not wearing it for a few months. I am just getting back to hearing speech with great concentration using my CI.

I am trying to balance my hearing and use both the hearing aid and CI, but the CI usually overpowers the hearing aid.

I will also get a new hearing aid in a few weeks, a unitron max 6. It is a very, very strong hearing aid. I am pretty much at the upper limit of sound amplification, but at least I won’t have to wear my aid on full power all the time. This will reduce the feedback and squealing I get from my current aid.

Sorry for the long delay between updates.