While in Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne in June 2024 for 4 1/2 days, I was given an IV with ceftriaxone. I left the hospital with a midline in my arm and a supply of the drug to do home infusion.
When I arrived home from the hospital, the first thing I did was to use the toilet. The flushing sounded so quiet. The next day I had my hair cut by my rather boisterous stylist. She seemed softer in her speaking. I realized that my hearing was muffled.
The muffled sensation went away after several weeks, but I do believe I suffered diminished hearing from the drug. That is not a common side effect of ceftriaxone, but there are cases of people realizing permanent hearing loss.
I got along pretty well, but during my Bible study group discussions this past year I had trouble hearing folks as we sat in a large circle of 17 people. Some ladies were too-soft spoken and others also indicated they had trouble. I started sitting closer and closer to the discussion leader to make sure I wasn't missing out.
I was thinking of going to Costco for testing this summer. Then I received in the mail a brochure about United Healthcare Advantage Plan covering a free test and also paying some of the cost of the hearing aids if needed. There were a couple of places in Warsaw that would do the hearing.
I went to Dr. Engleberth's Hearing Center. When the testing was finished, I was surprised to learn I had moderately severe hearing loss.
United Healthcare has its own proprietary brand of hearing aids called Relate. They are made by Sonovo who also makes Phonak hearing aids. I had 3 levels of Relate products from which to choose, the co-payment increasing at each level as the sophistication of the product increased. I chose the mid-level Relate. My co-pay was $850. I was pleased to hear that they were rechargeable, and I would not be fussing with tiny batteries.
Today I was fitted with my new hearing aids. Some noises are kind of annoying. The rumble of big trucks for example. Right now as I type this post, I cannot believe the loud clacking of the computer keyboard.
I have 60 days to decide if the Relate product meets my needs. In that timeframe, I can upgrade to a more costly product or I can return them for a refund. Besides the Relate products, one can choose certain brand-name hearing aids but of course the insurance benefit is less as they are more expensive. I think the top tier brand product offered with UHC was about $3000 co-pay.
The Relate pair I bought have a 3-year warranty. The audiologist said they advise people to send the hearing aids to the manufacturer for an overhaul shortly before the expiration. The rechargeable feature usually only lasts about 3 years. The advice for individuals replacing their hearing aids is about 5-7 years. I shall see how well I adapt.
By the way, I probably do not have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). We tried the Epley maneuver once with little improvement. I was given some vestibular exercises to do and saw improvement from doing those. I suspect my deteriorated cervical spine/neck is the cause of my lightheadedness, not a problem in the ear. There is something called cervicogenic dizziness whose description more closely matches my symptoms. My lightheadedness is mostly gone, but I have had a few instances which I see might be related to certain head positions. People with BPPV usually have a spinning sensation when they move which I never had.
No comments:
Post a Comment