His first hearing test
Carl lived with his hearing loss for years before receiving his first hearing test. “My hearing was never checked and I just didn’t think much of it, and simply dealt with it,” he says. In 1980, he joined the U.S. Army as a mechanic, but never told anyone about his hearing loss. “I had to constantly ask people ‘what did you say’ over and over again,” he says. It wasn’t until 1986 that he received his first hearing test and was officially diagnosed with single sided deafness. He was given a crossover hearing aid, but quickly found it was too loud, especially for his position as a mechanic. “In just a few weeks I found that it was over loading my good side, and I never wore it again,“ he explains.
Trying a bone anchored hearing system
Years later, Carl’s audiologist suggested he try a new technology - a bone anchored hearing system (BAHS). They gave him a BAHS to try on a headband and as soon as he put the processor on, there was a huge difference in his hearing. “I could hear things on my left side that I couldn’t hear before,” he says. Once he returned the demo processor, he began his journey to have a bone anchored hearing system surgery.
“I really researched the units that were out there and was very logical in reviewing all the facts. I looked at all the data and the Ponto 3 SuperPower was the best option for me,” he explains.
A new world emerges
In 2017, after concluding that insurance would cover the cost of his BAHS surgery, Carl had abutment surgery. Three months later, Carl’s Ponto 3 SuperPower was programmed and activated, and a new world emerged. The day of his activation his wife was able to stand on his left side, and he could hear her speak. “I could understand her without saying ‘what or excuse me,” he says.
Today, Carl no longer has to go to meetings early to find a good seat so he can hear his co-workers, and he can hear his granddaughter clearly. Using his Oticon Medical Streamer he is able to connect to his iPhone®* and when listening to music he says he gets ‘the full range of music’.
“I really want to thank Oticon Medical for a great product, and my wife and daughter for putting up with my many ‘excuse me’ and ‘what’ during the years.
* Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.