BAHA Blues

[Don]

 I have to train people who know me not to come up to my left side and to try to whisper comments in that ear at activities like I said I think you can buy miniture traffic cones and If I can find one I think I will wear it over my left ear? Its even more depressing when your eye is gooned on the same side as you are gun shy on that side? It erodes my levels of confidence, I used to participate in all sorts of radical activities and it sure crimped my style. For example my off road racing days are over. The desire is still there in fact I can still feel weightless when cresting a rise and want so much to do it on a motorcycle again, but I gotta deal with the Osteoporosis first will be starting a regime of once a day injections to the stomach on Tuesday for a year this new med is suposed to build bone mass, we shall see so if you here about a guy competing on bikes in his 60's that will be me if it works, I know I will be faster than before as after all I have been through not much scares me?

[nancyann]

RIDE 'EM COWBOY - YOU GO 'JOHN COREY' !!!!( Nelson DeMille's hero character)
BABY BOOMERS RULE !!!!

[Soundy]

Don ...I'll be watching for you on your bike

As for sleeping with good ear down ...I don't... I sleep on wedges almost sitting up because
if I sleep flat I get bad headaches ... I don't bend at the waist sideways enough to sleep on
my side

People around me alot like family have harder time remembering I can't hear on right side than people
I am around less often... I think you hit the nail on the head... I don't look different unless I am
wobbling off somewhere ...people I am not around as much make an effort to make sure they are on my
left side and will ask me if they are talking loud enough... family just sees me as mom /wife and not as
having a problem...

I got choked the other day and a coughing fit brought on a head ache that while not boo hooing tears
were streaming down my face... my husband asked what was wrong and I just said it hurts... he said it
has been 8 months should I be over it yet... he and a few others don't understand that there are things
that I may never be over... headaches are one ... and we know there will never be hearing in right ear again...
I had no answer that the kids could hear so I locked myself in the bathroom (presently only one  ) with a good
book and told them all that if they needed to go we had 126 acres and they could find a friendly bush...I
may never finish redoing the second one... 

[Don]

 Sleeping with wedges? Tell me about it I now have to have a couple of pillows at my feet to keep em elevated as I now have some mystery condition that causes em to swell?They look like toes glued on a loaf of bread if I dont? wonder what will go wrong next? I have found that the best thing for people like us to sleep in is a LayZBoy! I would love to motorize mine and ride around in my flannel Beaver Cleaver bathrobe all day!

[Soundy]

I have my wedges and then a roll type pillow under knees because if I don't my lower back hurts
from sleeping upright... we got new furniture about a month ago ...the girls and I picked everything
out ...husband didn't even go look before delivery...included is an oversized recliner for my
husband    wink wink    but I had other plans for it when we picked it ...and have used it on
bad nights...we just let him think it was purchased for him  'cause he is such a great guy 

[Soundy]

I learned today... well yesterday since it is now tomorrow ... or thirty eight minutes into today ...

Heck... on the 4th of March I learned that our insurance has a Wellness program that offers discounts on
things not normally paid for by their policy... not insurance more like using your insurance card as a coupon
at participating places...have 6 providers of hearing care givers with in 100 miles (the limit they will accept my card)
and none do implants of BAHA screw... they have traditional hearing aids... but they say they could order it
and send to a surgeon... it takes 25% off cost of device but guess what?





























they charge from $800 -$1000 to order it for you .... bahahahahahahahahahahhahaha


a friend said she would organize a fundraiser for me at school... I am not to the point of that yet... last
year our Girl Scouts raised over $6000 at a spaghetti supper for one of our girls that had cancer... sadly
she passed away ... they say turn about is fair and I have earned it ... I don't volunteer for me or to earn
something... I do Scouts (cubs and girls) because there is a need for something for the younger kids to do
around here that runs year round... I honestly don't want them to do it ... the thought is enough...
insurance and the ropes I am jumping thru are making me mad enough to find a way to get this done

[Soundy]

About the time I hit post I thought to myself that I shouldn't use my bahahahahahahahaha laugh
when talking about BAHA...

I am toooooooo tired... and alarm sounds in about 4 hour ... ain't insomnia grand???
Good Night

[leapyrtwins]

Soundy -

personally, I kind of like the bahahahahahaha laugh    I was amused 

I just had BAHA surgery yesterday and all I can say is push your insurance company.  Most people, medical people and insurance companies included, don't know what a BAHA is.  Yesterday preop both the doc and I had to explain to the others involved in my surgery what a BAHA is, how the operation is performed, why I needed it, etc.  Find out if your insurance company cover Cochlears (if they do, they should cover BAHAs) and also point out to them that BAHAs are covered by Medicare (or Medicaid ? I forget).  My doc's office first requested coverage for me in October and it took until February to get an answer from my insurance company.  I got the "royal runaround" but was persistent and it finally paid off.   Don't give up. 

And, if you have to go the route of a fundraiser, let us know.  I can't speak for others, but I'd be happy to contribute.

Jan

[Soundy]

I doubt it will come to a fundraiser... just a royal pain to be put through the hoops ... I did tell
my husband that I am picking out 10 of the calves in the field and naming them all BAHA... I figure
10 would cover devise and Co-pay... he called a couple Down Payment when he was looking
at trucks

Waiting to hear back from insurance after giving them the code that was posted

[lori67]

Soundy,

Will your insurance cover Vanderbilt or Baptist Hospital in Nashville - because I know they do BAHA's there?  Your doctors should be able to write a very convincing letter to the insurance company stating why this is a medical necessity.  My audiologist told me he has to do it all the time because most insurance companies deny the initial request, but he said he's never had an insurance company deny the second request when they appeal.

Where there's a will - there's a BAHA.  Keep fighting - it's not only for your hearing - it's for the poor cows! 

Lori

[Soundy]

My FIL told the girls when they were little bitty that every calf born on this farm had
the same name... MONEY..
 
Insurance will cover both Vanderbilt and Babtist... They cover St Thomas where I had surgery
too but only cover what they want...

I did learn yesterday that there is a BAHA clinic in Columbia which is alot closer to me ... waiting to
hear from them and see if they can work with my doctor and see if insurance will pay for it
through them...

[leapyrtwins]

Soundy -

am keeping my fingers crossed about the clinic in Columbia.

Good luck,

Jan