Getting new hearing aids fitted

Several years ago, I got my first NHS hearing aids. After one of them go a fault, I was offered some newer Oticon Spirit 3 hearing aids, with "thin tubes", which were rather nice, in that I no longer had to wear earmolds, making them a LOT more comfortable.

About 3 or 4 years on, I was finding I was, once again, having problems hearing people, so I went back to the audiology dept... where I was told "it's time we retested your hearing". So a couple of weeks later, I went back, had my hearing tested (no change to my hearing loss... about -40 to -50dB at higher frequencies), and discussed what the options were.

I opted to go back to wearing earmolds, and I was offered a pair of new Oticon Spirit Zest aids. These are one of the current NHS "standard" hearing aids, and seem to be getting good reviews from those for whom they are suitable. Gone are different programmes for "omnidirectional" and "unidirectional", there's just the one programme, and the HA works it all out for you.

I have my other 3 programmes set for Loop, Loop with Mic, and Loop (Telephone).

Anyway, what I thought I would do it to explain how they set up digital hearing aids. I'm not talking about when they test your ears (and make you press the button when you hear the beep), but when the program up your aids.

The first thing they do is to fit tubes to the earmolds, and then onto your hearing aids, then plug a thin wire from the PC into the hearing aid, so the PC can "talk to" your HA. Tey don't fit the HAs just yet

They have a special little "test rig" that hooks over your ears. On that are several microphones, 2 that just listen next to your ears and 2 that listen down a tiny tube. The first thing they do is to calibrate this, so the ends of the tubes are clipped adjacent to the other 2 mics, then the computer makes a loudspeaker play a load of "hiss" noises. What this does is calibrates the sound the tubes hear against what the other mics hear.

Next, they slip the tiny tubes (I'm talkin 1 or 2 mm thick) into your ear, and fit your hearing aids, with tubes and earmolds on top of the tube.. The thin tube now hears what your EAR hears, via the heraing aid, and the other microphone hears "the world".

Now, the PC knows what your hearing is like.... after all, that why they made you press the button when you heard the tones. So it does an initial setup of the hearing aid, and makes the loudspeaker make "hissing" noises again. It can now compare "the world" to "what you are hearing"... it SHOULD be the opposite of how bad your hearing is, but due to inexact levels from your hearing aid's microphones and "loudspeaker", it won't be quite right.... but it now knows HOW "not quite right" it is.

The PC makes more adjustments to the programming of your hearing aid, and tests it again, until it's happy it's got it right!

Now, all that there's left to do is to remove the little tubes, take off the "test rig" from your ears, and say goodbye.

That was a couple of weeks ago. My brain is STARTING to understand what the Hearing Aids are doing, so they don't sound QUITE so wierd, but I'm expecting it to take another few weeks before I'm starting to "understand" what they are doing.... (If you've never had HAs before, then you should allow up to 3 moths of CONSTANT HA USE to get used to them!)

OMG, so much has happened

It's been AGES, so let's work backwards......

This week I am in Milan, giving yet another training course. I'm in a hotel which is about 25 to 30 km from the office... that's about 6 miles. I had big problems finding a hotel... this one is "ok", but is in the middle of an industrial area, so quite a walk to a restaurant... no restaurant here, although they can get pizzas delivered.

The course finishes on Thursday afternoon, and I fly out on a 6pm plane. Luckily the office is only about 10 minutes from the airport, so there's not a huge panic... and Milano Linate airport is quite small.

Last weekend, we moved from our bedroom into M's which had been vacated (see below... the DISadvantage of telling a story backwards!!), so that after 16 years, we can finally redecorate our bedroom. Our bedroom has had the paper stripped from the walls, and the carpet removed. While I am away, D will hopeful be able to paint the skirting board... I guess next weekend we'll be buying paper and carpet.

Last week, I was in Amsterdam... you guessed, giving training. The hotel there was 5 mins walk from the station and the office... and the train only took 10 minutes to get to the airport... now THAT is convenience for you! That hotel had a pleasant restaurant (2 evening meals) and there was a Burger King next door (salad on the other evening!)

2 weekends ago we (the whole family) took M up to Clitheroe. M is having a gap year, and is working for a Christian charity up there. He's definitely fallen on his feet there: he's living in a huge house (42" plasma in living room :-) ) with 4 others, and they and all the other people involved are lovely people. He will be helping at the skatepark, and also helping out with the recording studios and music side of things (plus other tasks) at "The Grand" when it opens.

The Grand is being refurbished with funds from a local family's trust (I'm talking something like £1.5 million!!), and will be an amazingly hi-tech venue for teens etc when it opens: recording studios, theatre / performance area, cyber cafe etc etc etc. Clitheroe probably doesn't realise what is about to hit it... but it's going to be an amazing facility for the local community to have!

On the Sunday, we went to a "welcoming" service at one of the local churches: it was a beautiful place, which demonstrated that an old church CAN be modernised to be bright, warm and very welcoming.... and with a very pleasant congregation to boot.

3 Weekends ago (Fri-Sat) I collected M from a training course he was on, up near Bakewell, to take all his, erm.... ah, yes, "possessions"... (almost said "junk" :-) ) to Clitheroe.

About 5 weeks ago now (the last week in August) I flew over to San Francisco & stayed in Santa Clara to attend a training course.... a 10 hour flight, and boy does the 8 hour time difference screw with you. Luckily I went over 2 days before the actual training, so had time to partly recover (plus of course time to visit San Francisco!!). And of course, just as I was used to the new time zone, I had to return home. At least on THAT flight I managed a few hours sleep.

Next week, I get to GIVE that training course (over in Amsterdam!).... I only got the training notes a week ago, so you can probably see that I won't have MUCH time to prepare for it :-(

Oh, and SOMEWHERE down the line, about 2 weeks ago (when I was away from home), young C fell off his bike, and now has his arm in a cast!!!!

The good news is that, the week after next, I'm working in the office... well, no, not QUITE right, I will be helping to move some (training) servers and plan for an office move... we are moving to Theale, which is another 20 to 40 minutes away (kinda depends on which way I go, and what the traffic is like). To be honest, I am NOT looking forward to the move: perhaps, after 12 or 13 years of working where I am, I need to "consider what opportunities life presents"....

We're painting the roses red, we're painting the roses red....

Ok, now with that tune, you sing "we're clearing the garage out, we're clearing the garage out...."

There is a great feeling of satisfaction to (a) clear out everything from the garage, putting it on the driveway & lawn; then (b) give the garage a good sweep out, and then (c) put some of the stuff back again, but much more neatly. The rest of the stuff sits on the lawn until the following day when (d) you take the *junk* that was in the garage to the tip.

The only problem is that the following morning you wake up with aches in places you forgot you had!

Yes, it DID all fit in the car in one go... THAT is one of the many reasons that I have an estate car! Guess where I'm driving after lunch :-)

Meal or no meal?

Meal or No Meal?

Yeah, it's Mort's fault....

Why not Simpsonise yourself?

Another catch-up

Erm, what HAVE I been up to?

Well, I had a few friends around on Saturday evening for a BBQ.. it was clear, then it rained, then it cleared up again. The Gazebo and flying tarpaulins worked a treat. The food seemed to be enjoyed (especially the ice-cream!). Mum and brother N were able to come down from "up north", so it was really great to see them. Even nicer was the pressie they had got me.

Late on Friday night Mike & I went along to collect the 2 copies of the new HP book (one for him, the other a birthday pressie from him to me!). I've now read it all, and can categorically state:

• there is much fighting
• magic is used
• many people die
• many more people do not die
• the book has a LOT of pages!
  
• ITS ONLY A STORY!

I reckon it's amazing how one (set of) books can not only bring so much pleasure to many people, but can also persuade so many kids to actully experience the FUN and EXCITEMENT of reading a book!

And to the anti-HP brigade I say: it is a story, a piece of fiction, based in a "fantasy world", but a world with good morals, where friendship is important, and good can overcome evil.

Shame a few of the "yobs" out there don't read it and take note!

Will it blend?

Found this website and spent FAR too long looking at the videos:

www.willitblend.com


(my favourite was the iPod!)