Tuesday, October 8, 2013

October 8, 2013

Cochlear Implants and Cell Phones
October 8, 2013

Replacing my cell phone is proving to be much more challenging than anticipated.  I qualify for an upgrade on my current phone.  There are a lot of things I have liked about my HTC Evo Sprint cell phone.  The camera is pretty good (although not as good as my husband's on an identical phone).  I have always said he is a better photographer.  I like being able to read my emails and check Facebook on my cell phone.  I don't play games on it.  What I don't like is that the actual volume on the phone conversations and the phone ringer are not loud enough for me. 

This morning on the way to the office I stopped by the Sprint Store to try to get a new ungraded phone.  First problem was that they moved and I didn't know it.  Thankfully the new store was close and on the way to work.  The lady who tried to help me was not knowledgeable about the  products.  The things I needed to know for using the phone with a hearing device, were beyond her training.  I did locate what I needed to know on the card in front of the phone but she didn't know what the information meant.  Thankfully I had done some research before I went or I could have made a bad choice.

She let me tryout the phone I had expected to buy, an HTC One, but I could not hear well on it.  Of course the background music being played in the store didn't help.  We tried out a few more phones and one was promising as far as volume, but I hate the idea of learning how to work a new brand of phone.

One frustration is the fault of Cochlear, not Sprint.  Cochlear explains how to use their special $150 cable to connect the sound processor to the phone.  On an average call this would not be practical, but when I talk to my kids for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, it would help.  The only problem is that the cable has a 2.5 mm jack and the phone has a 3.5mm connector.  On Oct. 1 I sent an email to Cochlear asking about this problem, and seeking more information.  I got an answer today, Oct. 8, saying I could buy an adaptor at Radio Shack.  Grrr....  Needless to say, I did not buy a phone today. 

Once at the office, I did some bookkeeping and filing.  Ron left on a job for a while and I took care of the customers while he was gone.  When it was quiet, I did some Immersion Reading.  I continue to experiment with the remote for the sound processor seeking the best settings for each situation.  I had Ron call to check on an order and following his call, I received an email from the saleslady for the company who handles my account.  She has been praying for me as I had the surgery for the Implant and as I adapt.  I have never met this lady, but would like to.

Ron had supper with his mom and I came home and took care of things in the backyard.  It was a beautiful day.  When I got in, our youngest son called from Dallas and we had a nice visit.  It was great to talk to him, but a few times I had to have him repeat a single word or phrase two or three times for me to understand what he had said.  We exchanged prayer requests and he returned to his studies.  I did more Immersion Reading while I ate my supper and will finish off the evening by starting a new book in the Immersion Reading.  The one I just finished is by Karen Kingsbury, one of my favorite authors.  The book is called The Bridge

2 comments:

  1. Hands together that you will find the phone most adaptable to your circumstances. The volume on my I-Phone 4s is not very loud either & sometimes I have a hard time understanding people especially if my sinuses or allergies are bad. The sound is not loud enough to get past the "cotton balls in my ear" sounds!! Have you talked to the hearing aid specialist in Brownsville? Sometimes they have some helpful hints for you. I know the New Sound guy here in Harlingen is very good about it. His name is Daniel Russell, I think. Mama uses him for her hearing aids. Glad Ron is able to get up & around well enough to make calls. Prayers answered. Take care of yourselves & hands together for both of you!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did go to the New Sound in Harlingen once and really did like the man. He was so kind and helpful. Fixed a little part on my hearing aid in about 10 minutes that Brownsville wanted to send off for a week to repair. I have heard the iPhones are not loud.

      Delete