Let's play a Game: Do you know how old my Hearing Aid is?

[NKato]

This is slightly related to another issue, but I'll take a picture and show you what it looks like:

Now, go! Guess how old this model actually is.

The guessing game ends tomorrow, by the way. Post your guesses while you can! I will follow up this thread after I've visited the Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center in Seattle tomorrow.

 

[JBWill]

I'm gonna go with ~20 years old based on the fact that I saw people with similar ones when I was a child.

 

[GrammarGestapo]

23 years old?

 

[Black Sunder]

I thought you said you were deaf NKato?

 

[GrammarGestapo]

I thought you said you were deaf NKato?

legally, yes. He can't hear without it.

 

[NKato]

legally, yes. He can't hear without it.

And I have beyond profound hearing loss in my left ear that eliminates hearing aids as an option. I can only hear somewhat decently in my right ear with a hearing aid. However, it is not good enough to make out most words, and I can only follow songs if I have the lyrics shown to me.

 

[WarrenPeace]

I'll go 19 years.

 

[MammonLord]

1994!

 

[Montoya]

6yrs

 

[Eliyahu]

8yrs

 

[Derkerter]

Edit: Remembered that my friend changes his about every 5 because they stop working as well., so I'm going to say 5 instead of the original 12.

5 years

 

[Feral Oxide]

an even dozen

 

[CaptainRichard]

A few years back, I worked on (and "acted" in a few scenes) on a short film that was written and directed by a guy named Anthony Faust, who is hard of hearing. He might be legally deaf, but I never asked. We just always had to face him when talking so he could read our lips. Anyway, despite his handicap, he's pursuing his dream of being a movie director and started working on a feature film earlier this year. The short film that this screencap is from ended up winning Best Screenplay at the 2011 World Music and Independent Film Festival. You can watch the trailer for it here: http://www.thinkoutsidetherock.net/

Nkato, I know that you do get frustrated with people from time to time when they doubt your abilities, but keep guys like Anthony in mind who aren't letting anything hold them back and being successful with what they want to do. You've got this!

And yes, that's me in the prison tower with a shotgun. ;)

 

[NKato]

A few years back, I worked on (and "acted" in a few scenes) on a short film that was written and directed by a guy named Anthony Faust, who is hard of hearing. He might be legally deaf, but I never asked. We just always had to face him when talking so he could read our lips. Anyway, despite his handicap, he's pursuing his dream of being a movie director and started working on a feature film earlier this year. The short film that this screencap is from ended up winning Best Screenplay at the 2011 World Music and Independent Film Festival. You can watch the trailer for it here: http://www.thinkoutsidetherock.net/

Nkato, I know that you do get frustrated with people from time to time when they doubt your abilities, but keep guys like Anthony in mind who aren't letting anything hold them back and being successful with what they want to do. You've got this!

And yes, that's me in the prison tower with a shotgun. ;)

But do you have a guess for how old my hearing aid is? :P

 

[CaptainRichard]

6 maybe?

 

[Chairman Meow]

Considering I could only find a few pdfs mentionting a similar looking model (390PL) being still available in 1999, Im guessing... 18 years or so?

 

[SPRNinja]

Have i ever mentioned to yall that I speak NZ Sign Language and have spent quite a bit of time hanging the deaf community? ;)

 

[Chairman Meow]

Have i ever mentioned to yall that I speak NZ Sign Language and have spent quite a bit of time hanging the deaf community? ;)

Uhhh..

 

[WhooptyWoo]

Brand new.

 

[NKato]

Time's up. I just returned home from the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center (HSDC) in Seattle.

The first version of my hearing aid hit the market somewhere in 1972. The Hearing Aid Museum's website isn't very specific about it, though. I acquired the hearing aid in the late 1990's, and have been using it since. I think I acquired it in 1999, so that makes it close to 16 years of active use.

The model itself is actually as old (possibly even older) as I am. The Oticon 390 PL BTE (Behind The Ear) model.

And my hearing aid is busted. HSDC says they can send it to Starkey to have it repaired/refurbished, and the bill is expected to be about $250ish, which the HSDC has offered to pay half of with their funding grant. That's nice of them. I won't have the hearing aid back for a couple of weeks.

But I still need to think about getting a new hearing aid. A hearing aid that has had 15 years of service under its belt is impressive, but the age is showing.