Nancy Allen.- Baha Volunteer

Offline

Location: Connecticut

Who Has Hearing Loss: I do

Hearing Loss Type: Conductive

Hearing Loss Cause: Chronic Otitis

Device: baha

I am a bilateral Baha wearer with moderate to severe conductive hearing loss. My hearing loss is the result of a lifelong battle with Cholesteatoma affecting both ears. After many surgeries to remove the disease and subsequent reconstruction, as of today, my ears are disease free. If you have found this web site, chances are, you are a fellow sufferer and are well aware of the challenges it presents. Chances are, you have already read the many stories of struggles posted by fellow patients of not only trying to get your disease diagnosed, but trying to find a surgeon with the skills to do something about it. With a few names changes, to protect the innocent, my story mirrors theirs. So, instead, to quote my childhood otologist, "let me tell you a funny story"... A few years ago, my sons' physcian announced that my son's eyesight was bad and he needed eye glasses. My son was not at all pleased with this assesment and reported that he could see "just fine" which was in direct contrast with the results of his eye exam. I set out to explain to him that even though he could "see" his brain was not getting all the information that it needed his eyes to provide. I paralleled it to my Baha use. Explaining that the brain gets information from our ears and eyes not just for the obvious use, but for other reasons as well such as balance and body orientation. When our brain does not receive this information it begins to look for other ways or paths to receive it and this becomes tiresome, frustrating and exhausting. It causes unneeded stress and anxiety. I asked him to think of a toll plaza at the entrance to a bridge. When only one toll booth is open, there is alot of traffic. Cars are trying to get over the bridge, but they can't because there is only one toll booth open. They start trying different routes but that does not matter since there is only one way over the bridge. Everyone starts getting angry and frustrated because of the traffic caused by only one booth being open. Just like the brain when it can only receive a small amount of information from limited hearing. Then, someone opens up the other toll booths and all the cars can get over the bridge with no traffic. No one is frustrated or stressed. A sigh of relief! All the toll booths are open! It is like that everytime you put your Baha on. It is like Cochlear opened all the toll booths. All the information your brain needs is able to get in without causing any stress, frustration or "traffic". For me, every morning when I put my Baha's on, I breath a sigh of relief. Today, all the toll booths are open.

Baha user, bilateral Baha user, Cholesteatoma, chronic otitis