Hearing aids and health care

Just thinking and wondering what would happen if both of my hearing-aids died today and I can't afford to buy them anytime soon. I need those hearing-aids to communicate with my family, friends and co-workers. Its a necessity, not cosmetic or anything. Most insurances do not cover at all or only cover partial. I have other bills like everyone else including those who are "able" who don't have any disabilities to spent money on.

While I am against socialist concept of health care and prefer to have the flexibility to get the insurance we want through our employment or other means. There should be a way that the government can work with the employers to provide health insurance for ALL employees. Those who are unable to work should be able to get health care through the government.

Its one of those thoughts I have been thinking lately. The only hope—for the doctors, for their patients, for all of us—is for the doctors to assert a moral principle. Individual freedom and personal choice, rooted in American values, provide principled health care, moral health care, and the best health care. That is why United States have the best in the world. The only problem is that "lack of funds" by those who needs medical attention.

Today, we need to define, understand and establish health and medical ethical boundaries. Both morality and politics must be discussed before the relation between political rights and health care can be appreciated. If the government controls everything, do we think it will be more responsive to the needs of individual patients? We should look at the public education as an example.

However, as you can see, public education have not been doing so good lately in the United States. Other countries are gaining ahead of us in educating our kids.

Now, I have Multiple Sclerosis to deal with and my financial picture is not very pretty.

Tomorrow: The Columbus Speech & Hearing Center

Great Communicators luncheon presenting Cal Ripken, Jr.
When? May 6, 2009
Location: Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio 43215
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Contact: Tammy Sebastian
Phone number: 614-261-5413
Email: tsebastian@columbusspeech.org

More information go to Columbus Speech & Hearing Center's website

Hearing loss affects all forms of relationships

A survey indicates that 48 percent of the respondents feel that their marriages have suffered because of their spouses' hearing loss. About 57 percent feel their spouse is reluctant to get his or her hearing checked and 46 percent feel that denial is the number one reason their significant other is hesitant to get his or her hearing checked. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Also, communication disorders are among the most common disabilities in the United States.

Regardless of if its marriage or any other relationship, one of the most critical challenges facing persons with hearing loss is their ability to access verbal information. To many, hearing loss is a hidden disability that is often unnoticeable, it can create significant barriers to communication.

With me being hearing-impaired, background noise can make it difficult or impossible to understand what person may be saying and the amount of background noise that would simply be annoying or distracting for me.

Thankfully, my wife and I have a great communication relationship. She wishes that I teach her more sign language so she can communicate with me when I am not wearing my hearing-aids. I am completely deaf without them.

Old Deaf culture and New Deaf culture

Last night, my wife and I were watching the movie called Hallmark’s Sweet Nothing in My Ear, I realized something and told my wife that I am seeing the "Old Deaf culture and New Deaf culture" in this movie. I believe this movie is accurate in many ways. I was watching carefully of one character who played the deaf grandfather in the movie and he has portrayed many of the "old" Deaf culture individuals' attitude while today's Deaf culture is little different. The deaf grandma who was probably the most wise character in the movie did every well explaining pros and cons of Deaf culture. The "old" Deaf culture didn't have to deal with today's technology while today's Deaf culture is dealing with it. Oh yes, there was one character in the movie who played the hard-of-hearing psychologist who both signs and speaks which is very much how I am in real life except that I am a professional accountant.

The key phrase in the whole movie comes down to is this: "to help him (Adam) have a better life". Of course, everyone was doing this for Adam from each of the characters' own perspectives. Yesterday, I posted about Nebraska's billboard promoting an Omaha school for the hearing impaired is drawing fire from the Deaf culture who lives in the area. Some deaf people saying they’re insulted by the sign’s message which means the Deaf culture is still struggling for self-recognition. The billboard was aiming at kids who are hearing-impaired (or deaf) more than parents.

I have no problem with the billboard that was sending a message to hearing-impaired/deaf kids because they all have that 'right' to do whatever they want with their own body. No one else should tell them what to do. That's the MAIN issue about parents placing kids to have cochlear plant by giving them a choice.

This movie have portrayed very well because at the end, we noticed the 'father' have confessed that like many others are 'selfish' to do what they want for the child. Both deaf and hearing. Not just hearing. I am having the same issues with deaf as well for not allowing one person who has the right to do whatever he/she want with their body. They were making decisions based on what is best for themselves but not for Adam. Its not about hearing culture or Deaf culture but rather a freedom to choose. We are free, but our freedom does not mean we can know for SURE what is right and what is wrong. Until we know we can maintain our integrity only by admitting our own ignorance, we can be truly humbled by the fact that ONE individual has the right more than anyone else whether to obtain a cochlear implant or not.

Today, I am having issues with experts like AG Bell telling parents what to do. Its very tough for parents to find the "right" path for our disabled children when they are not getting ALL of the information about deafness.

We have to remember that the "parents" have the greater burden of making decisions for the family. Not the grandparents, friends or even Deaf or hearing cultures. We also have to remember that being "parents of children with disabilities" are NOT easy and we work much harder than parents of "normal" kids. They are facing a much greater trial more than anything other than facing a child who is dying or have died.

With technologies available today, many people with disabilities will NOT reject the "cure" of medical intervention if they will help make their lives easier and live in a society so that they can have a decent life. The Deaf culture will reject the cochlear implants but accept any other technologies that will help them. We should be looking at ALL aspects of what can HELP our children regardless how we think should be the right way. They are the ones who are living their lives and we are NOT living their lives. We are helping them living their lives and we want to enjoy life without us placing our own agendas what would be "best for them". We want the BEST for them to bring them out as who they are and how they can actually enjoy life independently however they can cope with. We cannot place restrictions on them because we "think" or the "experts think" what is best for the children. Parents are likely to have a very good gage of their child's functional limitations and what the child is like as a person however, without proper education in understanding "fully" of the disability, parents of disabled children will not necessarily have the best interests of the child at heart any more than the average parent. Therefore, with that thinking, disabled children are particularly vulnerable to suffering at the hands of their parents who are willful in their own ignorance on agendas.

My deafness which I was born with, is not an illness nor a disability but rather I can't hear. Looking back. I was very healthy and was able to do anything that a "normal able" people could do but hear. I am hard of hearing (completely deaf when not wearing hearing-aids) so I was able to hear almost "normal" and I am thankful for today's technologies.

I was able to do many things ever better than "able" people until later in life that is, when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis on April 22, 2002 (which is 6 years ago tomorrow). Living with Multiple Sclerosis, I am prone to live with chronic pain. The main thing I need to remember is that "my will" has the power to control my thoughts. I am more into in thoughts than I am into feelings but I have both which helps me make decisions based on logical analysis and reasoning rather than feelings. I am doing what is BEST for me because this is my life.

Its not about us or them. This is about "what's best for ME" so we need to put ourselves in a child's shoes to figure out what is BEST for the child regardless how I think or feel.

Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act

Site with information: Explanation

The Bill

Provide a tax credit of up to $500 per hearing aid, available once every 5 years, towards the purchase of such hearing aid, available to:
1) individuals age 55 and over, or
2) those purchasing a hearing aid for a dependent.

Health Coverage for Hard of Hearing

Karen, my fellow blogger wrote in blog about an issue that effected me over the years. You can read more about it at her blog: Insurance Companies Don't Cover Hearing Aids--Let's Change That This blog is geared for citizens who lives in Illinois.

For the longest time, in Ohio, most health insurance companies do not cover hearing-aids. Last year or the year before, it was added to my health insurance but only up to $1,500 lifetime and other conditions.

Mine costs almost $6,000 for two. I had to take a loan out so interest was added. My insurance only paid about $900 while Columbus Speech and Hearing was nice enough to allow me to pay the differences between my loan and insurance that was remaining in payment plan.

While there were good coverages for people who needed wheelchair and similar devices. My daughter had a nice non-electric wheel chair that was covered by my insurance.

I know many health insurance do not cover vision but I have vision coverage through my work which I am thankful for.

On February 3rd of this year, I wrote in my blog titled: Attending a movie with new hearing-aids where I explained my experience in purchasing the hearing aids.

When I first purchased my hearing-aids over the summer in which I waited for ten years to do because I could not afford them. I worked with Columbus Speech & Hearing's accountants and my insurance company to figure out how much I need to get a loan.

Once I was told what I need to get a loan for (we got this information from my insurance company), I got the loan and paid for my hearing aids. It turns out that my insurance company didn't tell me a tiny detail about how much I had to pay. Therefore, in turn I have to pay the difference so I worked with Columbus Speech and Hearing that we would pay as much as we could until it is paid for (i.e. $25 a month). They accepted after many confused attempts in communication with support staff, the administration didn't realized I was in a bind until they received my email about my problem. They quickly resolved and changed the procedure to make sure that their staff go through proper procedure through administration to resolve anything that could not be solved.

I was pleased because I have been going to Columbus Speech & Hearing Center for over 25 years and even supported them by donating money from my paychecks. Now, that I feel better and love supporting Columbus Speech & Hearing Center.

A few years ago, a mother of a deaf child was lobbying in State of Ohio to have insurance companies add hearing-aids as part of the health insurance coverage in Ohio and I don't know what happened. I can't find my notes so I will have to do some research and find out what's going on with that.

Deaf Community, Disabilities Communities and .....

diversity. Today, deaf community is more socially diverse and more accepting of other deaf people who may be different. I want the deaf culture to be around longer but it is vanishing quickly by some extremists. Currently, there is strife going on within the deaf community regarding cochlear implants. Like many deaf people, I view those who had cochlear implants are STILL very much part of the deaf community. Some extremists say that they are no longer part of the Deaf culture.

Where does that put me?

I am not totally deaf. I don't have cochlear implant. I have hearing-aids and to many deaf, they view me as "hearing" because I can communicate like hearing people. There are those who say that I am not part of the Deaf culture. Wait, I know ASL and I am not really part of ASL just because I not totally deaf?

I have Multiple Sclerosis and I belong to various groups that are part of "Multiple Sclerosis" community.

Regardless if I am deaf or not. Or I have Multiple Sclerosis. There ought to be a better understanding of the diverse needs and challenges of various disabilities. There is no "one size fits all" disabilities.

Just rambling some thoughts today. :)

Exercise is an important investment for me

Exercise helps with weight control, strengthens muscles, keeps bones strong, battles stress, enhances sleep and improve better moods.

I want to be careful because starting with a burst of enthusiasm to exercise and only to see that initial momentum evaporate within over time. When I start something new, I am filled with tremendous optimism and feeling ready. I have to remember that this surge of energy will inevitably end and I need to prepare for that moment.

So how do I stay motivated and stay on track with my goals?

I really believe that this all comes down to good planning, understanding realistic expectations, and a proper attitude. Part of staying motivated is being realistic about what I can achieve within the timeframe I have set up for myself.

I have Multiple Sclerosis and as I said earlier in my blog that I am going back to swimming. Swimming improves cardiovascular fitness. I am not sure if anyone knows that I have type 2 diabetes. Swimming is a great physical activity for people with diabetes. When swimming, muscle cells more efficiently absorb blood sugar which lowers blood sugar levels.

So another goal of mine is exercise regularly if I want to live longer because the glucose control benefits from exercise can last for hours and days. I have to keep swimming for the rest of my life in order to control my diabetes. Also, I want to lose about 20 to 25 lbs by getting to down the weight I was back in year 2000.

I have set up my swimming plan and diary. Now I am shopping for bathing suit and goggles. I have made an appointment to get ear plugs so I won't have wet ears after I swim since I wear hearing-aids.

Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime. In the past, swimming have helped me develop my life skills such as sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal-setting, and an increased sense of self-worth. I want to get those back in my life. Oh yeah, BETTER SEX drive.

I have decided not to join the Masters Swim Team that is located at Ohio State University. My wife and I have decided to have a family package at the local YMCA here in Columbus. We can use any of the branches. For me, I will swim at the downtown YMCA before I go to work in the mornings. The family will use one of the two nearby branches. YMCA also have Masters Swimming and I can get the same benefits through them.

Growing up deaf while Understanding English

My wife and her kids who are hearing are catching on why I speak differently and why my english could be off.

From birth up to until I was about 4 years old, my family didn't know I was deaf until I had a hearing test in a famous hospital in Boston. I could hear loud noises but I could not communicate or even talk normally. As soon as they found out that I have a major hearing loss, my grandparents got me a new hearing-aid and I actually remembered the first day I actually HEARD anything including my mother's voice and of course a TRUCK outside the hearing-aid store. My first hearing-aid was a Zenith.

Then before attending deaf school, I was in speech therapy and then soon, I was able to talk basic words but not really having a converstation. Soon, I started attending the Boston School for the Deaf for 7 years which was an oralism school (now closed). I was not to learn or use sign language. Therefore, for 4 years or so, I had to learn how to speak before I learn to understand the english language.

I really wished I learned the english language, even through sign language because I wanted to communicate effectively. Today, even though I can hear and can communicate effectively. My grammar will always be off and words I say will always be off the mark.

In "person", I am mildly reserved and low-key person because I am usally afraid of saying something wrong grammar or speech. I am not big on small talk. I usually prefer in-dept discussion about important issues rather than small talk.

After years of thinking, I wished I learned the english language or even really communicate before I was 4 years old. I did wished that I learned sign language so I can be ahead on my "communication" skills regardless whether I can or cannot speak at the time. Its the communication that is very important and I have missed out ALOT and I had alot of "catching up" to do when I got older. The major challenge facing kids with hearing impairments is communication.

Along with my deafness, I had to struggle with the conditions that affect the development of my communication skills within personality and intelligence. Today's experts says that "Age of onset plays a crucial role in the development of language". It took me YEARS to catch up with I noticed deaf people with sign language didn't have that much of a difficulty.

I don't care what the expert says. My experiences speak for themselves.

Now... please keep in mind.... this is NOT my parents' fault nor my families. I blame this on the "so-called" experts on deafness who really didn't know it all like Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired. My family were relying on the experts and they said oralism was the way and speaking was the most important part of my education whether or not I understood english well enough.

My mother have done so much for me and I could NOT asked for a better mother. She did the best as she could as she listened to those around her. I had the best care and I have the best love that a child could have. But, I didn't really understand "relationship" and I could not understand the communication was an important part of all human relationships.

What can parents of deaf children do for their kids? Make sure they can communicate effectively so they can have a "normal" relationship. I have learned that many children with hearing problems will face both experiential and language deficiencies. My speech is so good that no one will ever know that I am deaf but if they listened to my grammar, they will figure me out.

I will say that I am jealous of those deaf people who grew up with sign language and learned the english language later because today, they are better communicators than I am. They are more advanced in grammar than I am. Does not matter how well I can hear. I will never be good in speaking and I will also never be wonderful in sign language. I will always be stuck between the "hearing" and "deaf" world.

The deaf culture population represents about 10% while people like me are 90% of the population. It would be very nice to be part one or the other.

As this moment, I am more acceptable to the hearing world because there are those who don't care how I speak. There are those deaf who would care how good I sign. If I don't sign that good, I am not considered deaf.

This is a TOUGH world out there.

Now.. battling with Multiple Sclerosis is another battle and a different ball game. LOL

Advocacies for people who have all types of hearing loss

I noticed that over the years that Hearing Loss Association of America and National Association of the Deaf have worked together on many issues. I didn't see AG Bell worked with them.

Am I the only one seeing this?

Deaf Parents of Hearing Children

I just thought of something that I have been thinking over the years. I know alot of deaf parents who have deaf and/or hearing children and I do know for a fact that deaf parents encourage their children to part of their world which is the "hearing world" while at the same time, be part of the Deaf culture because they do have some connection with the deaf because of a relative like a parent. I don't think I met one deaf parent that tells their children to avoid the "hearing world".

Just thought that I wanted to share.

Being Parents of Children with Disabilities...........

is NOT easy and we work much harder than parents of "normal" kids.

I have been thinking (again) because I am always a thinker. I think through my sleep. I just "think". Anyway, I am a parent of two disabled children. My daughter Kris was diagnosed bi-polar,somatic illness, and borderline personality disorder and had been in and out of the hospitals. For the longest time, we wanted her to go to Buckeye Ranch to get the best treatment but they kept sending her to other hospitals until one day, it was decided that she would go to Buckeye Ranch which was a wonderful place that help patients with severe emotional and mental health needs. This placement was the BEST decision because my daughter came out of the hospital understanding her disabilities and how to cope with her disabilities in this world. She is now a senior in high school and on a honor roll. She also have a part-time job working to save money. She even got accepted to attend a local college in Columbus which she will study next fall. She is now learning to live independently by learning how to manage money and how to take care of herself. My ex-wife didn't help very much with Krista so my wife who knew what to do with disabled kid since she has one of her own. My wife did the bulk of the work to get my daughter treated properly. With her help, we were able to get Krista help what she needed.

My step-daughter who is 26 years old has cerebral palsy and mental disability who still lives with us. She is currently working/attending at ARC. The Arc is the world’s largest community based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an array of services and support for families and individuals and includes over 140,000 members affiliated through more than 850 state and local chapters across the nation. The Arc is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Its very tough for parents to find the "right" path for our disabled children and often we rely on the "experts" answers. My wife Carole and I are thankful that we have alot of experiences and knowledge in disabilities to know what and where to look for help. We don't organzations that are "narrow-minded" of treatments like AG Bell's agendas. We looked AT ALL aspects of what can HELP our daughters regardless how we think should be the right way. They are the ones who are living their lives and we are NOT living their lives. We are helping them living their lives and we want to enjoy life without us placing our own agendas what would be "best for them". We want the BEST for them to bring them out as who they are and how they can actually enjoy life independently however they can cope with. We cannot place restrictions on them because we "think" what is best for them.

Parents are likely to have a very good gage of their child's functional limitations and what the child is like as a person however, without proper education in understanding "fully" of the disability, parents of disabled children will not necessarily have the best interests of the child at heart any more than the average parent. Therefore, with that thinking, disabled children are particularly vulnerable to suffering at the hands of their parents who are willful in their own ignorance on agendas.

Last month, I talked about my mother who helped me become independent dispite of my disabilities. When she found out that I am deaf, she got me hearing aids and found places for me to get my education. My mother later admitted to me when I got older that she often "questioned" herself whether she was doing the "right thing" for me as a parent. I told her, "Mom, you were following your love and experts on how to get the best care for me and I love you for that. You are the greatest mom. It was a good decision for me to attend to a deaf oralism school because I am not really "that deaf" to learn sign language." After private speech therapies, she send me to a deaf school that practices oralism communication which was not an issue for me because I am not completely deaf. However, there were many students there who were completely deaf who were frustrated because they did not "advance" as I did simply because they were being trained more on lipreading and talking more than getting actual education about english, math, science and many other subjects. Which is why the government announced that oral deaf education has been a "dismal failure". If the deaf kids communicate according to their deafness, they would not be far behind in education. Over the years, I see them got angry at their parents and educators for not bringing them the best FOR THEM. Which is why you see some "deaf extremists" out there. They are just angry and speaking up as much as they can educating the public about deafness. There are many deaf bloggers who wrote so many negative thoughts about AG Bell.

My wife and I talked often to make sure we are doing right for our girls and the directions they are going and seeing how happy they are, I think we are going the right dirctions. Its not about how we think they should live, but rather how they need to live according to their abilities. They ARE ABLE according to their own abilities. Sometimes unorthodox is needed to get out of the traditional agendas and get the "right" care for each individual disabled child.

I love reading parent bloggers of disabled children. Most of my bloggers are parents whose children are autistic or deaf. There are others and I am still reading.

Understanding deaf world from my perspective (I am venting)

I am frustrated, sad and confused. Ever since Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing issued a contoversial letter, I have been getting flashback of my past when I was attending deaf school near Boston. Growing up deaf, I often got confused why adults during in the 1960's and 1970s (mostly parents and educators often have ties to AG Bell) believed that sign language was bad and oralism was better (even for a deaf person who can't hear?). I have attended deaf school that did not permit sign language but I am alittle different because I am not completely deaf and I can hear with the help from technology. I can speak almost normal and I can hear almost normal and I even know sign language (not as good as I used when I was younger).

Over the years, I have been watching deaf Americans have engaged in civil rights movement when they were fighting "oralism" which was in fact a controversial teaching method that had been dominant in deaf schools since the 1920s. Oralism discouraged sign language in deaf schools, forcing deaf students to read lips and learn to speak. Today, the public are more accepting towards sign language and many of them are learning on their own free time. Since, the Deaf culture have became very strong politically, deaf people are more integrated into the hearing world than ever. In 1864, one of my favorite Presidents of all time, Abraham Lincoln signed the charter for the Washington, D.C. based college for the deaf.

In the 1800's two "hearing" educators have disagreed how deaf people should communicate:
Thomas H. Gallaudet chose to use the manual method to educate the deaf students because he saw a barrier between the hearing world and the deaf. The primary language used on the Gallaudet University Campus is American Sign Language (ASL). Educators who were deaf led efforts to establish a National Association of the Deaf (NAD) which advocated the use of sign language.

Alexander G. Bell, the telephone inventor, argued that sign language was barbaric even though he was fluent in sign language. He was a very strong advocate of oralism for deaf students. His thinking was correct of trying to get deaf people more involved in the hearing world but his methods were wrong. He was very oppressive of how deaf should behave when it came to oralism, speech and forbidding sign language. This is where Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing got their agenda from.

Over the years, the United States Government got very wise and studied. In 1964, Congress issued the "Babbidge Report" on oral deaf education and concludes that it has been a "dismal failure." In 1988, another Congressional Report published, "Toward Equality: Education of the Deaf" that recommended ASL be used as a primary medium of language instruction with English as a second language. Also recommends that ASL be included in the Bilingual Education Act.

Of course, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing were not happy with Congress and they even fought harder to make parents of deaf children not to accept the Deaf culture and keep them away from the Deaf culture.

In today's society, I thought we are done with racial issues and this is happening right now that the mainstream public are not even really seeing that is happening. Ignorance will always lead them to much harsher problems down the road.

Right now, I thought I am okay with my deafness, actually I am but rather I am upset about some people's attitude towards the Deaf culture. I want to focusing on Multiple Sclerosis which is my more constant battle than my deafness. I know many deaf people who are hurt by this and I don't know what to do for them.... except to speak up and educate which I am doing now. I don't think I can do more but I pray that other Deaf people will keep striving for acknowledgement of AG Bell's errors.

I hope this will be my last venting post about the controversal issue started by AG Bell.

Companies would not have to worry about ADA Restoration if

their past actions didn't cause us (people with disabilities) to worry about our future.

Here are some examples:
1. Wal-Mart versus Orr

2. Wal-Mart versus Bradley

3. GM argued that Carey did not have a “disability” and was not protected by the ADA (muscular dystrophy)

4. "United's shifting explanation of its reasons for withdrawing the job offer undermines United's credibility and suggests that the company simply did not want to employ a deaf line mechanic,"

More to come later. If you know of any cases, please share.

Attending a Movie..................with New Hearing Aids

Back in July, last summer, with one hearing-aid dead and the other one is aging and slowly dying because it was about 15 years old. My wife said it was time for me to get the latest hearing-aids models available in which I will be able to hear much better, especially at work at meetings.

Hearing aids I never had before, latest techololgy that brings in "digital" which basically means "complete computer" hearing-aids. Digital hearing aids transforms analog sound into a digital signal and process the sound to maximize the speech information I want to hear (customized), while minimizing the amplification of sounds I do not want to hear.

The model I bought was "Sumo DM" which offered me a new identity-based fitting strategy to give me the best starting point for a fitting. The Identities make the instrument easier to accept by offering four unique sound processing strategies to match your needs and preferences, in other words, customizing what I want to hear and not to hear. With that, my hearing-aids are providing me consistent access to speech and excellent sound quality which I could not hear in the past.

Friday, I went into Columbus Speech & Hearing Center to get my hearing-aids adjusted (this is where I bought my hearing-aids). The audiologist customized my hearing-aids (this is the third time) to "Soft Speech level" so that I can hear anyone who has soft voice, especially at meetings. I will probably need one more customization after testing out at public meetings. My wife and I are planning to attend the 11 AM service this morning.

Anyway, back in July, I told them I would try testing my hearing-aids at movie theatres in which I love to go but unable to hear everything. So, my wife and I decided to go to a movie to test my hearing-aids and we saw "I AM LEGEND". I was able to hear almost every word and was able to enjoy the movie.

After the movie, my wife asks, "Now can we have a date once month of dinner and movie?" And then she "winked". I asked, "Would I get lucky after the movie?". She responded, "Maybe" with a big smile. LOL

Back to at the time of puchasing my hearing-aids. When I first purchased my hearing-aids over the summer in which I waited for ten years to do because I could not afford them. I worked with Columbus Speech & Hearing's accountants and my insurance company to figure out how much I need to get a loan.

Once I was told what I need to get a loan for (we got this information from my insurance company), I got the loan and paid for my hearing aids. It turns out that my insurance company didn't tell me a tiny detail about how much I had to pay. Therefore, in turn I have to pay the difference so I worked with Columbus Speech and Hearing that we would pay as much as we could until it is paid for (i.e. $25 a month). They accepted after many confused attempts in communication with support staff, the administration didn't realized I was in a bind until they received my email about my problem. They quickly resolved and changed the procedure to make sure that their staff go through proper procedure through administration to resolve anything that could not be solved.

I was pleased because I have been going to Columbus Speech & Hearing Center for over 25 years and even supported them by donating money from my paychecks. Now, that I feel better and love supporting Columbus Speech & Hearing Center. In fact, I might attend their "Great Communicators" event in May in which Cal Ripkin, Jr will be speaking.