Oh, sakrt, it's a mess out there. I was born in 1954 (hate typing this stuff on the internet - year, age, personal info - because I worked in the computer field and what we say can be hacked and used). The doctors back then did not have any idea that a baby could be born with a hearing loss. They attributed what I displayed as something else. I wore HAs since @1963 and it was my father who realized I had a hearing loss, not the doctors. It was my father who just went to Sears and brought home a HA. Dad correctly diagnosed the problem. I kind of understood it and couldn't be mad with the docs. The knew what they knew. My father was able to look beyond it all.
I spent many years dealing with good doctors (ENTs) and bad a few doctors. I learned that most HA dealers are like used car salesmen. I remember seeing the Miracle Ear commercial that was an obvious lie (it blocked out background sound and I knew at that time it was impossible) and the FCC actually made them remove it from tv. I was cynical early in life. I went with my mom, who was taking care of an elderly lady who needed a HA, to Miracle Ear (I was probably in my 30s by then). The salesguy walked out talking baloney. I was angry and mom, who was a little over 2" shorter than I, grabbed me by my arm
. I don't remember what was going on in my head other than being angry. I started attempting to help people avoid being taken advantage of well before that. I continued after but people see what they want to see.
Free Speech: When a company owns a website, they control the contents of what is put on it. The mods here monitor what we say to ensure we follow their procedures for posting. If we go against it, they have every right to remove it - we don't own what we say and it doesn't fall under the right of free speech. If you want that, pony up and we'll create our own website with procedures and guidelines to users who want to use it. But, man, what a hassle.
Yup, because of the tight controls by the CI companies (authorized to do business by the FDA) truth is buried. I knew enough before surgery - years before but more when I finally was going under the chopping block again, that the results were unpredictable. I also knew ... hmmm... from someone who wrote research results that there were things he/she couldn't write. Then I knew all research results could be skewed for anything. It's not the happiest place to be. Ignorance is bliss.
Yes again, I called and still do, what I hear as sounding like ducks quacking (others call it robotic and R2D2). We went for a long walk yesterday and I asked, "What's that sound - geese?" Honestly, it was funny. She said I was hearing cows. When I knew that and associated that sound with a cow, THEN I understood it was a cow when I heard it again soon after. That's how people relearn sounds.
How many times will I begin a paragraph with "yes?" But I'll do it again
.
Yes, I've spent years educating people on various things I know and they don't - age and being literate do that to you (or can). I fought with success to get domestic partnership benefits at some companies (the sequence is totally out of order but so is my brain right now). Mom had my sister and I at the march against the war in Vietnam. I was 13 (I think). My stepmother was teargassed in Dupont Circle (D.C.). It was the life I led. We do the best we can and look - we have this great website that's allowing us, so far, to maybe bore people with what we're saying. People here have been darn receptive and from other countries. It's so cool! It's all we can do is keep on trucking and having conversations like this - online. I don't know that we'll make a dent in the fact that there's little to no truth in advertising but people should be somewhat shakin' in their boots.
Moving on ... I had to see a therapist (oh boy, more info about me) because the hearing has driven me a bit bonkers. The tinnitus adds to it. I know what you're going through is real and heaven forbid I negate what you're saying. Someone may have suggested punching the guy out. The alternative is to do what we're all doing here - getting the word out.
I'm sorry to do this but I have to leave the computer for the evening. I go in peace. I go with hugs to you. I'll be back and we'll pick this up. Nice making your acquaintance. Lets see if we can make a difference.
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