Joe en sy Anna – albei tog so bly oor die kommunikasie wat weer soos 46 jaar gelede is!
OOR GEHOORAPPARATE: DIÉ IN DIE ORE EN DIÉ IN DIE BEDKASSIE SE LAAI...
OM TE HOOR OF NIE TE HOOR NIE – DIT MAAK OF BREEK JOU DAAGLIKSE OMGANG MET VRIEND EN VYAND (AS JY LAASGENOEMDE OOK HET).
Dit is nou nagenoeg 15 jaar lank dat ek al noodgedwonge op ’n verskeidenheid gehoorapparate moes steun om tog net weer spraak in velerlei omgewings te kan herken, musiek te kan waardeer, geluide te kan identifiseer en ons tuinvoëltjies se pragtige lofsange vir hulle Skepper te kan hoor, om maar enkele verrassings te noem wat aan die REGTE apparate VIR JOU toegedig kan word.
As ek op my pad terugkyk, besef ek dat dit nie help om jou beskikbare geldjies op swak gehalte of die verkeerde apparate vir jou unieke behoeftes te vermors nie. Dit is juis die uiters frustrerende en irriterende apparate wat sommer flussies permanent in bedkassielaaie beland. Tog, helaas, is daar duur apparate wat hierdie weg kan volg omdat daar meer aan reklame bestee word as aan werklike goeie klanklewering.
Nog ’n leemte in die gehoorapparaat-mark waarvan ek inderdaad dure ervaring het, is oudioloë wat die beste beskikbare apparate (soos ****-gehoorapparate van R46 000 wat ek in 2008 by ’n bekende oudioloog gekoop het) aan jou verkoop, maar wie se dametjies ten spyte van opleiding net eenvoudig nie oor die vermoë beskik om daardie apparate reg in te stel nie.
Apparate is reg vir jou as jy:
- spraak weer kan herken in raserige omgewings
- die nuus hoor soos dit in werklikheid gelees word – radio en TV
- al die musiekinstrumente op jou geliefde CD’s weer kan hoor
- weer soos twintig jaar gelede na kooren ander musiekuitvoerings kan gaan
- nie die hele liewe tyd moet sit en vroetel om ’n beter instelling vir die omgewing te probeer vind en dan in elk geval nie daarin slaag nie
- die skottelgoed weer kan was sonder verdere gehoorskade
- ’n toilet kan spoel sonder om uit die vertrek te moet vlug (omdat jy die “seer” klank van die spoelende water nie kan verduur nie)
- die natuur se geluide weer kan hoor (ten spyte van die waarheid van Prediker 12:4)
- jou dierbares nie meer skaam is om saam met jou na plekke en mense te gaan om een van twee redes nie: oor al die opsigtelike bedradings en proppe en pype wat by jou ore inen uitgaan terwyl dit jou in elk geval nie help om te kan hoor nie, of omdat jy vir almal moet vra: “SÊ WEER!”
- weer telefoongesprekke kan voer
- nie weer “ja” in plaas van “nee” sê nie omdat jy nie kon hoor nie
- die volume van jou eie stem kan hoor en afwaarts aanpas sodat ander ouens se gehoor nie ook beskadig word nie, ens.
Die lys is eindeloos. Wat vir my ná al die jare se ervaring die belangrikste van alles is, is om heel eerste by die regte oudioloog uit te kom, d.w.s. een wat nie net apparate verkoop nie, maar wat dit vir jou persoonlike gehoorbehoeftes aanbeveel en, uiters belangrik, REG KAN INSTEL. Hy of sy sal jou ook van demonstrasie-apparate voorsien van elke ordentlike soort wat moontlik jou probleem die beste sal aanspreek. Lelani laat jou elke tipe apparaat persoonlik toets deur jou toe te laat om dit te toets. Dit is vir my die goue reël, naamlik dat jy nie op ander persone – veral iemand wat nie self apparaat dra nie – se opinie of op reklame aangewese is nie, maar die apparaat persoonlik kan toets en ervaar met geen verpligting nie.
Vir my is die oudioloog ongetwyfeld Lelani Louw. Ek is die Hemelse Vader innig dankbaar dat Hy my na haar toe gelei het – op aanbeveling van T* van ****-gehoorapparaat maatskappy. Die beste apparaat vir my gehoorbehoefte is sonder twyfel ****-gehoorapparate. Ek het baie van die ander veelgeroemde soorte gehoorapparate persoonlik getoets, maar hulle klankgehalte was onuithoudbaar swak en boonop irriterend en frustrerend vergeleke met selfs my ou 2008-****-gehoorapparate s’n. Met die jongste ****-gehoorapparate wat ek nou het en wat in dieselfde prysklas val, is daar nie eens sprake van mededinging deur ander make nie.
Ek het April 2014 my tweede stel ****-gehoorapparate by Lelani gekoop (teen net +/-R20 000) en, soos sy dit daardie dag vir die eerste keer ingestel het, is die klankgehalte beter as die ou stel van R46 000 (en wat nou seker byna dubbeld soveel sal kos). Die gehalte en tegnologie van hierdie piepklein en fyn (agter-die-oor) apparaatjies is verstommend. Jy sit dit soggens in en agter jou ore en moet daarteen waak dat jy nie vanaand vergeet om dit uit te haal voordat jy gaan stort nie. Jy is inderdaad nooit eens daarvan bewus dat jy dit dra nie en almal wil weer saam met jou loop in plekke soos Tygervallei Winkelsentrum, want manlief, pa en oupa is nou nie meer so verskriklik oorbedraad soos die ou Telkom-plaaslyne van vroeëre tye nie! En hy kan HOOR en reg REAGEER!
As jy meer wil weet van my ervarings met gehoorapparate, kry my kontakbesonderhede gerus by Lelani. Moet tog net nie soos ek voorheen gedoen het, allerhande frustrasies vir jou gaan staan en koop by enige oudioloog nie! Onthou die goue reël: TOETS alle beskikbare apparate vir ’n week of twee voor jy besluit om te koop.
- Joe Coetsee
"My hearing degenerated over a period until it became embarrassing to continually ask people to repeat what they had said.
However, help was at hand with a hearing test, followed by hearing aids. .A world I had previously known opened up and I was once again able to hear all sounds without straining. I could again listen to my music, T,V. and radio at normal volumes and without disturbing my neighbours.
My hearing aids have given back my hearing and joy of living after the discomfort and inconvenience of not being able to hear. We are indeed privileged to have a solution for hearing impairment through hearing aid technology."
I wish to express my sincere thanks to Lelani Louw of Louw & De Kock Audiology, who has over a period of time attended to my hearing problem. She has always shown an intense interest in my wellbeing as a patient and has treated my problem with utmost efficiency and friendliness.
- Daan van der Westhuizen
Since receiving hearing aids I have worn them every day - without them I feel undressed. First thing in the morning I tune them according to my radio
- they remain at that setting all day except when I am in a crowd, restaurant, at the airport etc then I change them to block out the background noises.
Hearing aids have changed my life completely. I can say as the blind man in the Bible said "Once I was blind now I can see" I say " Once I was deaf now I can hear".
I used to be withdrawn, not wanting to socialize - now there is no stopping me!!
Of course there are still things I do miss, but I have learnt there are many people who miss out on more than me.
Hearing aids are expensive, but we are prepared to spend more on spectacles and pacemakers, so why not hearing aids which improve the quality of life?
My dream is to be compensated more by Medical Aid - some of which pay up to R15,000 for a motorized wheelchair but only R5000 for one hearing aid every 3 years!
Thank you for Hearing Aids in my ears - not listening in a drawer!
God Bless you Lelani for what you have done for me
- Ms. D Crockett
My long road to hearing...
A Testimonial.
1944: WW2: Born prematurely, I had lifelong respiratory ailments. 1957: Age 13: Rock-n-Roll era, noticed some hearing loss. 1969: Age 25: Studied Architecture at college at night & had to sit in front to hear lectures. 1974: Age 30: noticed more hearing loss after marriage. As we walked home from the railway station in Brackenfell one beautiful spring evening, my wife spoke of the frogs croaking in pools left over after rain and the birds chirping. I said: “What frogs? What birds?” Then I knew that I really was going deaf. My Mom was deaf so this genetic factor prepared me for my own hearing loss.
1975: My first audiogram: High school Maths and Science helped me understand it. But I could not accept my first analogue hearing aid. But, now it all made sense: Why so many people persisted in speaking softly, why others complained of loud music when I didn’t. Why someone laughing made me irritable because I couldn’t understand the punch line of jokes. Why folk looked at me as if I came from another planet, when I never joined in their laughter at parties. 2000: Age 56: Fast Forward 25 years: Difficult impatient bosses in building companies shunted me to back room drawing offices where I never dealt with the public or clients. Plain unfair discrimination.
2006: Age 62: I discovered programmable digital hearing aids. Unlike previous, these mostly can compensate for hearing loss. 2008: age 64. I got two digital aids for the continual decline in my hearing. I volunteered to also be an inspector as well as architectural designer. Now when I inspected buildings I recorded what I saw and ask questions for a “yes-or-no” answer.
2014: age 70. The time came to replace my pair of old digital hearing aids. I have been to a number of Audiologists from the City to Bellville and suburbs in-between and I felt I needed a new approach, preferably someone who demonstrated gentleness and patience and friendliness. So it was that I discovered Ms Lelani Louw at N1 City Mews and went for an appointment.
Together we worked out the best programme for me and I tried out two different systems. As my deafness is described as profound; being of the sensorineural category with a bilateral hearing loss of about 90 decibels it was very important to find the right model. So they were fitted and I went home. After setting up my television and telephone adapters and charging the associated Streamer, it was time to try them all out.
Then: People talking. Loud. Noise. Wowee. I can hear again, ticking of a clock, soft air conditioning sounds, Wind outside, Birds chirping, Whispers, Kettle boiling. My favourite television shows, News, Gospel choirs, my Labrador sleeping, rain on the roof, my computer humming. Speech in noisy backgrounds.
After two sessions with my Audiologist, I am now seriously impressed. Lip-reading is now a thing of the past. You feel like part of society again. Hallelujah!
So what made me try this route? Well, Lelani demonstrated kindness, gentleness, thoroughness and efficiency in all her dealings with me, while we explored which hearing aid to use and the implications of my audiogram results.
I went to Carel du Toit centre and met others and was amazed to hear how they use and accept their improved level of hearing. At this seminar, an amazing array of assisted listening devices was shown: “Streamers”, remote microphones, remote controllers, “Adapters” for television and telephones, cellphones and earphones. Also, displayed were assisted living devices, namely, baby alarms for deaf mothers, doorbell flashing lights and fire alarms, a digital watch cum alarm.
Many thanks dear Lelani.
- Peter A Bossenger, Pr-Arch.T. (MIAT)SA.
