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Hi Barb, How are you poor ears after that, you poor thing. I newer model will come out soon I hope. Janice ----- Original Message ----- From: Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, November 15, 1999 12:23 PM Subject: Re: Speech Amplifier Update > Dear List Family...... > > Well, "ya win a few, lose a few," and in this case, after 24 hours > of using the Bruce Hands Free Speech Amplifier, I've found the > product to be a good idea, but it;s been so poorly designed > designed that I am forced to return it to the maker.] > > Mind you, if someone is handy with basic electronics and prototype > construction, it COULD be redesigned and made to function in a > more useful manner - tho there IS a model using a head set and > mike. That would certainly would be more conspicuous than an > alternative feature with an old fashioned headset with an attached > microphone which WOULD get rid of the problems I ran into; > > Basically, the unit I had bought was clumsy. It was so top heavy > that the wannbe clip that slid onto the top of the belt and didn't > really have a true "clip-like-device" to keep the unit securely > affixed to my belt. I found that in with my every move, the unit > would start to slide off the belt. By constantly having to push > the unit back into my belt,,the unit would SHRIEK <picture > magnifying the sound of fingernails sliding down a chalkboard and > with the sound seemingly being broadcast in Dolby Surround Sound > like a movie! <grin> > > ALSO.. the microphone had to be moved MANUALLY consistently, in > order to track your mouth as you moved your head naturally in > speech - turned and tilted your head unconsciously in > conversation - your head rigidly in order to speak in into the > mike and have your voice picked up enough to be heard. > > It seemed to me that the design problem that caused the device to > repeatedly drop off my belt would be very simple to fix and the > shrieking could also be fixed if the effort was made by the Bruce > Company (and I could be entirely wrong about this) > > A\Anyway, I called BRUCE this a.m., and they were most gracious > in permitting me to return the unit, which I'll do today. > > FYI.... I'm planning on ordering the other company's $159 speech > amplifier today and'll report back to the List on how well THAT > unit functions and meets my expectations.. > > Barb (down, but not out) Mallut > [log in to unmask] > > > --Original Message----- > From: Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Friday, November 12, 1999 11:57 PM > Subject: GOT VOICE AMPLIFIER TODAY!!! (Long!) > > > >Oh Joy! Oh Wondrous Joy! Today my hand-free > >speech amplifier was delivered and lo and behold, j > >just like magic, I CAN BE HEARD *NORMALLY once > >again!! (Mopping up tears by the bucket with a BIG > >smile on face...) > > > >Personal PD-voice History: After approximately > >22 years (now over 25 years) living with Parkinson's > >and a successful unilateral pallidotomy in Oct. > >of '94, three year ago began to notice that everyone > >around me was getting hard of hearing. (Ok... ok.... be > >honest , now, Barbie) Well let's say about 3 year ago > >I noticed wherever I went and whoever I was with at > >the time had a terrible time HEARING me. > > > >And it wasn't THEM that had the problem - it was ME. > >Whenever I spoke, folks were saying "What? > >WHAT??? I can't HEAR you." What was even worse, > >SOME people, in an effort not to embarrass me, just > >sat there without a CLUE as to what I was talking about, > >and never ever commented that they couldn't hear me, > >until _ I _ happened to notice the blank look on their > >respective and collective faces. > > > >Lack of ability to COMMUNICATE, when I had SO much > >to say, began to frustrate me, and I became desperate. > > > >In an effort to be heard, I had speech therapy at Kaiser > >Permanente, my HMO, and realized by the second > >lesson, the therapist knew little about PD and > >PD-related speech problems. > > > >Next I went to UCLA's famed Throat and Neck Clinic, > >headed by Dr. Gerald Berke, who injected collagen > >into both vocal cords and successfully restored my > >speaking voice for about 5 months, and $500 (which > >IS picked up by Medicare, unless you, like me had > >assigned your Medicare to an HMO, in which case > >you're out of pocket is you want this procedure > >performed on your vocal cords immediately. > > > >FYI.... Even if I was willing to pop more money in five > >hundred dollar chunks every 3 to 6 months indefinitely, > >which I'm not economically able to do (I'd prolly have to > >cut out FOOD from my daily regimen!), that would make > >no difference because my body began to absorb injected > > collagen within hours of getting the injections. > > > >Sooooo.... NEXT I tried the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, > >and found myself totally HOARSE within minutes if shouting > >into voice decipal counter, while being coached by a > >friend who'd completed the Silverman course. While > >she can and did instruct me, HER voice could barely be > >heard because like so many who've paid $1600 for a > >Silverman-method therapist she eventually stopped the > >mandatory daily exercises with the voice decipal counter, > >and her voice returned to it's whispery self. > > > >In desperation (and I was becoming VERY desperate!), > >I began searching for companies who either made or > >sold VOICE AMPLIFIERS. Eventually, I found three > >companies, two of whom produced two different types > >of voice amplifiers in that they each had a "cheapie" > >unit selling around $159.95, and a more expensive unit, > >at about $650. The only difference in the two was clarity, > >and a bit of a size difference, The third company made a > >unit that is absolutely crystal clear and filters out ALL noise > >extraneous but the voice of the person wearing the unit. > >This l'il wonder is about the size of a cigarette box, and > >the OTHERS are a bit more "chunky" looking - more boxy. > >And IT'S a cool $6000 (that's right, six THOUSAND dollars!) > >I figured, that tho the units SHOULD be covered by Medicare, > >since my Medicare-paid HMO, Kaiser, would first put me > >thru a round of in-house referrals - to assorted voice > >therapists, throat specialists, and goodess only-know-what, > >I began to accept the idea that I'd somehow personally > >absorb the cost of the cheapest unit ($159), and not go thru > >Medicare, after months of dancing around the sacred halls > >of Kaiser till I FINALLY, if ever, received a prescription for > >a voice amplifier. > > > >Last week I ordered the "BRUCE Hands Free Voice > >Amplifier," which arrived today. And it WORKS!!!!! > > > >Initially there was a "shriek," which I soon learned > >meant the little machine didn't like me holding it in > >my HAND (which might be why the unit is called the > >"Hands Free Speech Amplifier, huh?" DUH!) > ><giggle> while I was speaking into it. > > > > No biggee.... I hooked it over my belt like a pager or > >cell-phone, since it comes with a somewhat ungainly > >hook for that purpose. Again, o biggee... I can make > >a variety of cute and/or colorful holders to house the unit. > > > >FYI.... I got the feeling from reading the super-thin > >operating instructions (Reading something like > >"Plug-in and talk') <grin>, that it was a really big > >"battery eater," so plan to stock up with a 50 year > >supply of 9-volt batteries (the unit uses one at a time, > >and I have no idea how long a single battery will last. > >Be advised tho, that I *DO* like to talk, and have a LOT > >of talkin' to make up for! <smile> > > > >You can order a flyer for general information on the > >Hands Free Speech Amplifier or order the unit itself by > > contacting the following: > > > >BRUCE Medical Supply > >411 Waverly Oaks Road, Suite 154 > >Waltham, Massachusetts 02454 > >(800) 225-8446 > > > >(Barb grabs Scooter-cat and begins to happily dance > >'round her wee 8x8 foot office singing in NORMAl voice > >for a change! (uhhhhhh..... Scooter has a VERY startled > >look on her cute little cat face at her "mom's" > >shenanigans! <giggle> > > > >I've put everything I can think of about the speech > >amplifier and assorted speech/vocal cord treatments > >and/or therapies I've tried in the last few years, but if > >someone has any questions 'bout what I've said here, > >please feel free to email me at [log in to unmask] > > > >I *WILL* respond, but please keep in mind that I'm > > moving this coming Thursday, so my replies might be on > > the brief side, 'cause there's still lotsa packing to do. > > > >Barb (YIPPEE! I can TALK!!) Mallut > >[log in to unmask] >