Old Fashion Hearing Aids....

ButterflyGirl said:
I didn't know what it was called but you know the one that carried our hearing aid box in and it had straps from it to go around our body.
I will have to look up on the internet to see what it is called.
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Oh I know what you mean now, yeah I don't remember what it's called, I had my in the center of my chest with straps on them to hold the box on my chest...
 
sequoias said:
I had one of those things when I was a kid in 1980's. Those things were a hearing aid brick. I remember going in the other room and I can hear the speech teacher talk to me thru the walls. It can pick up sounds wirelessly thru the walls away from the teacher. It's interesting device but old. I do remember sometime accidently hit the cord and it come off unplugged, oops.
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LOL, same here Seq..
 
R2D2 said:
I wonder if they do Barbie hearing aids these days? Or maybe Ashley and Kate?
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Barbie is known as perfect doll for gay people in 1960's and there's limited edition hearing aids with Barbie that can purchase in 70's and 80's.
 
R2D2 said:
I wonder if they do Barbie hearing aids these days? Or maybe Ashley and Kate?
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If they had these back in the old days, I'll be happy to wear it! LOL
 
^Angel^ said:
Oh I know what you mean now, yeah I don't remember what it's called, I had my in the center of my chest with straps on them to hold the box on my chest...
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Yes that one. Actually it was called a pocket with harness straps.
I found this link that I thought you all might like to read.

http://deafness.about.com/cs/hoth/a/bodyaids.htm

Growing Up Deaf - Body Aids

Remembering Body-Worn Hearing Aids

Today, body aids are a distant memory. Only deaf people born before the '70s can remember those bra-like white harnesses and the big, bulky, radio-like hearing aids that sat in the harness pockets. (Today's cochlear implant speech processors are worn much the same way, but the manufacturers, mindful of the body aid experience, have developed behind-the-ear style speech processors).


Limited to Body-Worn Hearing Aids

Even after behind-the-ear (BTE) aids became available and I started pestering my family to get them for me, I continued to wear powerful body aids. Didn't have a choice - my hearing loss was too severe to benefit from BTEs at the time.

As the years went by, I endured the body aids. I was forever being asked, "Is that a radio?" It WAS very much like a radio - in fact, my grandfather used to borrow my hearing aid batteries to use in his radio! In school, I was embarrassed and self-conscious of the bulge on my chest that showed through my clothing.


Physical Discomfort from Body-Worn Hearing Aids

It also hurt to be hugged when wearing the body aids. Those things would press against my chest, painfully. And the cords! The long cords were easily seen snaking their way out of my clothing up my neck to my ear. Every time the cord got caught on something, the ear mold would get pulled out of my ear.


Freedom from Body-Worn Hearing Aids

How did I finally stop wearing body aids? I was about 11 years old and in gymnastics class in my hearing (public) school. I wanted to go on the parallel bars. The teacher told me, "You can't go on the parallel bars. We are afraid you will break your hearing aids." I was forced to sit on the sidelines the entire class while the other girls exercised and learned the parallel bars. The humiliation was more than I could take.

That night I announced to my family, "I am on strike. I refuse to wear these body aids anymore." And I didn't, even if it meant being totally deaf. My family rushed to the audiologist and got me my first set of BTEs. Fortunately, by then the technology had improved enough that I was able to hear with the BTEs.

Ironically, I do not wear hearing aids anymore. I stopped wearing them when I found I could no longer benefit from the aids I had. Because insurance will not pay for new hearing aids (most insurers won't pay), I decided not to get new ones. What was the point? My hearing just kept getting worse and I couldn't afford to keep upgrading.
 
Thank you ButterflyGirl, I should have said bra-like hearing aids :giggle: ...


Aww no pictures?....
 
Awww DM you were a cute little girl.
In that third picture your hearing aid was really a big one. I bet it was a bit heavy on you, wasn't it?
 
ButterflyGirl said:
Awww DM you were a cute little girl.
In that third picture your hearing aid was really a big one. I bet it was a bit heavy on you, wasn't it?
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LOL thanks :lol: .. oh yah it heavy and it hold up on my shoulder and back to make stay up not bring it down lol :lol:
 
ButterflyGirl said:
Awww DM you were a cute little girl.
In that third picture your hearing aid was really a big one. I bet it was a bit heavy on you, wasn't it?
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in third of picture that wear hearing aid? nah it is fm system lol :lol: .. I start hearing aids at my age 4 yrs old
 
Here's the picture of the old body-worn hearing aids. I still have this thing and I just took picture of it. IT was sitting in my dresser for a while and I thought I remembered I have it and said why not share with you guys of what it looked like. This is 1980's technology and it's named Phonic Ear.

P1290021.jpg
 
DeafMonkey said:
JA4.jpg
JA5.jpg
fmsystem1.jpg
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wow too big hearing aid than I was in 1960 and 1970 time... :shock:


awww you look cuteeeee....


I know I have a picture of me and hearing aid somewhere in my house. I will look when I'm home from work.
 
sequoias said:
Here's the picture of the old body-worn hearing aids. I still have this thing and I just took picture of it. IT was sitting in my dresser for a while and I thought I remembered I have it and said why not share with you guys of what it looked like. This is 1980's technology and it's named Phonic Ear.

P1290021.jpg
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Ahhh I have done that before in junior school from grade 7 then grade 8 new fm system blue not white .. I use heavy fm system from my age 4 to 11 then 12 yrs old small of fm system for short time from age 12 to 13 from grade 7 and 8 then in high school none of them fm system just my hearing aids that is all :lol:
 
Liebling:-))) said:
wow too big hearing aid than I was in 1960 and 1970 time... :shock:


awww you look cuteeeee....


I know I have a picture of me and hearing aid somewhere in my house. I will look when I'm home from work.
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:giggle: Thanks :lol: yeah it is big Fm System lol I use fm system from my age 4 till 11 yrs old for only in school :lol: .. for home wear hearing aids :lol: .... I never forgot that I bring my FM system to home almost everyday then leave it at school for only :lol:
 
sequoias said:
Here's the picture of the old body-worn hearing aids. I still have this thing and I just took picture of it. IT was sitting in my dresser for a while and I thought I remembered I have it and said why not share with you guys of what it looked like. This is 1980's technology and it's named Phonic Ear.

P1290021.jpg
Click to expand...

That's the FM system I had at school in the 1980s and I think I even dragged it to university with me too. It worked so well that my hearing co students used to copy my lecture notes as they were so good. The lecture halls were huge so they had problems hearing. I even remember that cream plastic bracket thingy on the top. Memorieeees!
 
When my daughter used her HA (1 year old) she would have no problem in the kindergarten, but as soon as she was in the car, she would take them off!!!

It's funny how she would take it apart in like 5 parts, and I could only find 3 to 4 of them later..... (Until 1 year later when I found the last part again.)

Glad to say these days are over.... She's now only chewing on the cable... :)
 
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