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Eric’s Story

Getting the most out of my hearing aids

My story is about the wonders of technology and the audiologists at CHC who know all about innovation.

In 1987 I was diagnosed with permanent and progressive hearing loss. A friend of my wife who is profoundly hearing impaired highly recommended CHC so I called to make an appointment.

The service and understanding I received during my initial visit reassured both my wife and myself that we had come to the right place. A thorough evaluation determined that I would benefit from binaural aids (one for each ear). As a professional in both computer and electronic sciences, I had an understanding of the equipment that was offered to me. The hearing aids were analog aids with just a volume control, but they were state of the art 20 years ago! I adapted quickly and wore them with great success for several years.

Given the progressive nature of my hearing loss, my analog hearing aids eventually began to lose their original benefit. I started to have a hard time understanding people at work and on the phone. I discussed my problems at length with my CHC audiologist who took the time to listen to me and really understand my lifestyle and the kinds of hearing issues that I most needed to resolve. After considering a number of options, I was fitted with a digital computerized hearing aid. (As my hearing loss progressed, technology thankfully marched forward!) I was given the opportunity to test the aid before making the purchase and was thrilled with its performance. After additional fitting and programming, I was again back on track to a normal life. In fact the following year I was able to conduct a two-day seminar at Penn State University, fielding questions from the audience!

With all the challenges posed by my progressive hearing loss, CHC has come through for me again and again. I recall when my audiologist fitted me with 3-channel hearing aids (so much smaller and smarter!). I was in a rush to get these aids ASAP because we were to visit our daughter at an out-of-state college for Thanksgiving and we needed to leave the next week. CHC was able to squeeze me in for an appointment to conduct extensive testing and programming on each of the hearing aids. Despite the time crunch, my audiologist’s focus was on my satisfaction and delivering optimal performance.

And optimal performance I got! The sound clarity was great as well as the fidelity. I was able to listen to the radio and have a conversation at the same time. But the real test was coming at the college where we would meet up with our daughter and her friends for Thanksgiving. We sat down for a nice turkey dinner at a local restaurant and had a wonderful conversation with our now grownup daughter and friends. This was the first time in 4 or 5 years that I was able to hear and understand my daughter in a normal adult voice. It was by far the best Thanksgiving I ever had.

Today I’ve progressed to even more powerful aids and with the help of my audiologist at CHC, I am enjoying my retirement and our grandchildren in ways I could not have imagined 20 years ago.

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