Ponto questions

[neetze1]

I will be testing a Ponto next week and I have a few questions for those of you that wear one.  (I should have thought to
ask the audiologist some of these today when I had my office visit.)

1.  How long should you wait after having translab surgery to have the ponto surgery? (I did ask this one but she wasn't sure, I had my surgery in mid March.)

2.  I am fairly certain my insurance will pay for it initially but--will they normally pay for a replacement in the future?

3.  My hearing is very good in the other ear, will this make it worse?  I hear fairly well in most situations and wouldn't want to make it   worse.

4.  I would say I have difficulty in the normal settings that all SSD people have but I guess I can get used to it.
     Is there any reason why I should not do this if my insurance will cover it?

Thank you!!

[CHD63]

Hi there .....

So glad you are exploring getting a Ponto.  I have been wearing mine 10-15 hours every day for nearly two years and love it!

To answer your questions .....

1) I had my abutment implanted at the same time as my translab surgery two years ago tomorrow, with no difficuty whatsoever.  For those who are doing this post-op, I do not know of any specific waiting time.  Many doctors put it in under local anesthetic and it is placed in good, solid bone, not directly on the translab surgical site.  You need to check with the doctor who will be doing the abutment implant for his/her protocol/guidelines.  In most cases, it is a relatively simple out-patient procedure.  The wait time comes following the implant, to allow for osseointegration to take place with the titanium post and your bone before attaching the processor.

2) I do not know about future replacements yet for sure, but since it is considered a necessary prosthetic device, it is my opinion that my insurance will cover needed processor replacements, as well, if medically indicated or it stops working.  Oticon Medical has a warranty that you need to check, also.

3) I have above normal hearing in my "good" ear and still do.  The Ponto receives sound from your deaf side and conducts it to your hearing ear so it should have no effect on the hearing levels of your good ear.  Your audiologist should program your Ponto to your specific hearing needs.  Hearing is a brain-thing so it all depends on how your brain accepts these additional sounds.  I am finding that even two years later, my hearing seems to be continuing to improve.  I am assuming it is because my brain is still adapting.

4) I can think of no reason not to get a Ponto, unless you have some other underlying medical condition that could be affected by it.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk.

Clarice

[neetze1]

Thank you Clarice for your answers.  I really appreciate it.  I am looking forward to testing the Ponto.  Unless it doesn't work,
I can't think of a reason not to have one (unless it's not covered by insurance).  I wanted to have the post installed when I had translab
surgery but Dr. Luxford (HEI)would not do it.  He said I had to wait.  I really am not sure why--I think he was implying that I would appreciate it more if I experienced being SSD first.  Does the post hurt at all? 
Are you able to wear a hat with it on in the winter?  Are you able to hear better in a noisy restaurant?
Thanks again.
Anita

[CHD63]

Hi Anita .....

Each doc seems to have his/her own protocol when it comes to implanting the abutment.  Dr. Friedman did not hesitate a bit when I brought it up as a possibility before my surgery.  That being said, it really is fine to do it later, as well.

My post does not hurt at all, but I am aware of it being there when I lean my head back against a high-backed chair in just the right spot.  I can wear hoods with no problem in the winter, but because of the placement of mine (I've had both retrosigmoid and translab surgeries on that side so he had to place it a bit farther back and up than some.) I have not found hats to be very comfortable (with the processor on, that is).

As for noisy environments, if someone is speaking to me on my deaf/Ponto side, I have to close off my good ear with my finger or turn around to the other side.  In restaurants, I have found if I cup my hand around my good ear (to block out sounds from behind), I can hear someone across the table better.  To tell you the truth, many of my friends (with normal hearing in both ears) have difficulty hearing in noisy restaurants.  Again, it is a brain-thing to sort out unnecessary noise from what one wants to hear.  And then there is the tinnitus, that really cranks up in noisy environments, for me.   

Clarice

[neetze1]

Clarice,
I have the same problem with noisy places or loud music and tinnitus.  It seems to think that it must be heard above all else!
I am glad to hear that the post is not painful. 
I realize that nothing will be as good as normal hearing but I am hoping this will get me close to it.
Thanks!
Anita

[PamJ]

Clarice as you described your hearing and covering your good ear to be able to hear on your deaf side is exactly the same as me I thought I was the only person who did this.  I had a translab 2 years ago and my BAHA 8 months ago but I keep getting a 'fullness' sensation on my BAHA side do you ever get this I also have continuous tinnitus

[CHD63]

Hi Pam .....

I think that sensation of fullness in the deaf ear "goes with the territory" so to speak.  Our brains are built to receive and process sound from both ears.  When one is shut off, I think the brain perceives it as fullness, for some reason.

I'd be curious to see if tinnitus has any relation to that sensation of fullness.  I have constant tinnitus, that I work very hard to try to ignore during my busier times of the day.  Between doing that and maintaining balance when walking, it's no wonder we AN people experience fatigue!

Clarice

[PamJ]

Hi Clarice thanks for your quick reply.  I'm going to join a tinnitus group so hopefully I learn more from there.  Besides constant tinnitus and fullness feeling in my ear I can feel my cheek if that makes sense it's stinging but I do have facial palsy wearing off slowly so hopefully it's only that because I can't find anyone else who has this