Dry and Store

We received a little canister with silica dessicant when we purchased Nolan's hearing aids, but had heard about a better drying system through the Dry and Store company. They have a system which gently warms and dries the hearing aids to remove all traces of moisture, so we thought it might be worth our while to purchase one.

I'm $120 poorer today (even after putting in the HLAA code for 10% off), but if the system allows Nolan's aids to last a little longer the cost is justified. Let's face it: kids are rough on hearing equipment. Nolan plays in the snow, we dash through the rain, and summer is coming with its accompanying high humidity and dratted misters at the zoo.

The company has three models: the Professional, the Global, and the Zephyr. The Professional seemed like overkill with the size, and it would be hard to travel with. The Zephyr lacks the disinfecting capability, so I opted to forgo that option. Nolan has frequent ear infections (he's on cold number 2 from the date of his last set of tubes) and the disinfection might help keep his ears clear. The Global has the disinfecting quality I like and is still small enough to take on vacation.

Here's to having a long, long life for our beloved little Unitrons!

SOMEONE won't take a nap today!

I won't say WHO...

Anyway, I can't believe the little guy is six months old. SIX months! Where does time go?

I bought him a new "critter clip" to keep his hearing aids from falling off at random intervals. Nolan thinks they make a tasty snack, and his brother thinks they're fun to play with. Most hearing aid clips are sort of "blah," but this company makes really cute ones!

This one, by the way, is called "dogzilla."

Ear Gear vs. Pilot Caps

In the never ending search for items which will keep hearing aids on my almost-5 month old son's head AND will keep them free of drool and rice cereal, I decided to order some Ear Gear. Now, for a comparison between the efficacy of Ear Gear and Pilot Caps:

Ear Gear:

Pros:

• Comes in a variety of cool colors, so you can change the look of the aids over time.



• Covers the actual hearing aid, reducing moisture and dirt damage. This could become important as Nolan learns how to turn his hearing aids into a tasty snack.



• Reduces the chance that small parts might fall off of the hearing aid (again because it covers the aid).


• The cord prevents the hearing aids from becoming lost, if they fall from the child's ears.
• Acoustically transparent.

Cons:

• Costs $25 for one set.


• The cord is too long for a small infant, leaving a lot of "dangle" room.


• The extra cloth over the hearing aid adds bulk, and pushes a baby's ears out (see squashed ear in the picture above). This also makes the aids more prone to falling off (though the handy-dandy cord will keep them from getting lost).

Pilot Caps:

Pros:

• Cost $8 each; $7 each if you buy 2 at a time.


• Keeps older brother from noticing and playing with hearing aids.


• Don't add bulk to the actual hearing aid.
• Covers the entire ear to prevent contamination with dirt and moisture.
• Keeps hearing aids from flopping off when rolling around on the floor.
• The are "so freakin' adorable!"

Cons:

• If a hearing aid does fall off, you might not notice it until you remove the cap.
• If a hearing aid does fall off, there is nothing to keep it attached to the baby.
• People ask why you won't take your kid's hat off.
• Harder to turn the hearing aid on/off if Nolan has fallen asleep- there is a big chance I'll wake him up by untying the pilot cap!

Conclusion:

Pilot caps are definitely better for a smaller baby- they keep the aids on well for a baby who is too young to remove his or her own aids. Ear Gear are probably better for older babies and children, who might remove/mouth aids or get them dirty. Ear Gear makes the aids too big for a baby's small ears and the cord is too long. This wouldn't be a problem with a toddler/child with bigger ears. Pilot caps would begin to lose effectiveness when the kid could just reach underneath the hat to remove the hearing aids. Let's hope Nolan's ears grow enough for the Ear Gear before he learns any new tricks!

Accessorizing...

I never thought I'd be buying "accessories" for my son. Now that we're at the point of actually getting hearing aids, strange questions begin to enter my mind. Like the rain. Water is not good for hearing aids. We live in an area that is usually raining or snowing, and when it isn't doing one of those it is HUMID! Panic set in! Thank goodness for the listserv at listen-up.org. The wonderful parents there assured me that a hat and/or a hoodie is usually enough to keep light rain from causing harm to those expensive little hearing aids!

I'm thinking of buying some baby ear gear They come in all sorts of neat colors and help keep everything dry, clean, and together. Just in case Nolan decides to eat his aids, for instance.

Then there are the acclaimed pilot caps from Hanna Anderson. I first saw these on Mari's blog .

And what if those blessed aids get wet? Well, there is the Dry And Store which will dry them out and usually restore function. From what I've heard, they also work to restore function to remote controls and other electronics inadvertantly doused with water!

I'll have to see what comes with our hearing aids, but I am definitely buying some pilot caps at the very least. I have a feeling Hanna Anderson had no idea that hordes of hearing-aid wearing kids would be buying her hats!

And thanks to Mari's mom for telling me how to link items in a post! LOL.