Week of 01.15.02 HearingExchange News http://www.HearingExchange.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Welcome to the current edition of HearingExchange News! Feel free to forward this to anyone else you think would be interested in it. Subscription and removal information are at the end of the newsletter. If the links don't work or you are an AOL user: please copy and paste the links into your browser. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - IN THIS ISSUE: * Letter from the Editor * What's New * Sponsor Message * Featured Site * Feature Article * News * Message Boards * Featured Book * Paula's Journal * Poll Results * Accessible Programs * Chat Schedule * Get Involved ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Hi everyone, I hope you all enjoyed your holidays. I spent two weeks in New York with appointments and parties galore! As you may know, I have been living away from my hometown and family for the past 2 1/2 years. My husband and I made a decision to relocate for a special education program for our hearing impaired daughter. For us, it has been the right decision. This June, she "graduates" from her program and will be mainstreamed with her same age peers. Her test scores show she is within normal limits for speech and language as children of the same age with normal hearing. Have you relocated for a better school or services for your child? Share your experiences with us in our Parent to Parent forum at: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000200 Late Breaking News - For those of you who may have missed it, advice columnist Dear Abby performed a valuable service for the deaf and hard of hearing and their families yesterday. A column entitled, "Special Smoke Detectors Send Alarm to the Hard-of-Hearing" ran in yesterdays newspapers. Click here to read about it: http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/viewda.cfm?uc_full_date=20020114&uc_comic=da&uc_daction=X Have a good week! ~ Paula = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = " " " " " " " " " " W H A T ' S N E W " " " " " " " " " " We now have hosted chats every weeknight! Come join our lively discussions and meet great people. Next week we will have a new chat for Late Deafened Adults hosted by Shari Koeper. Shari is President of the Nashville chapter of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH). More details to come. This Wednesday (1/16) will be my last Wednesday night chat. I'll be moving to Thursdays at 9:30 pm Eastern. Be sure to sign up for our weekly chat reminders so you don't miss the fun! You can also view chat information in our new Chat Information forum at: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=39 To sign up for reminders, click here: http://lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs?customerid=6181 For your convenience we have added a Chat Schedule section to this newsletter. Look for it further in this email. To join us in the chatroom, click here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/chat/chat2.htm For detailed instructions on how to chat, send a blank email to mailto:chatinstructions@sendfree.com. Our Message Boards are booming with 835 registered members and growing! I have created individual forums for those who have or are interested in the various cochlear implant devices. Plus,you can easily find and post messages related to sudden hearing loss, tinnitus, auditory neuropathy, genetics, mainstreaming and much more. Be sure to register if you haven't already. Join the buzz at: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi. ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " S P O N S O R M E S S A G E " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Logicom Ci - Miniature FM Receiver for Cochlear Implant Processors - Designed specifically for cochlear implant users and plugs directly into a cochlear implant processor. It is approximately 3/4" x 3/4" in size and replaces the need for larger FM receivers and sound field systems. Its direct electrical input provides superior sound quality as well as a greater signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. Check it out on the Harris Communications website at http://www.harriscomm.com or call 1-800-825-6758 voice, 1-800-825-9187 tty, or mailto:mail@harriscomm.com. ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " F E A T U R E D S I T E " " " " " " " " " " " " " Looking for information on hearing loss? Don't miss the Deaf Resource Library site. You will find a large collection of reference material and links on the Deaf cultures in Japan and the United States. There are also many links to resources for the hearing impaired. Visit the Deaf Resource Library today at http://www.deaflibrary.org ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " F E A T U R E A R T I C L E " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Interview with Rush Limbaugh's Physicians at House Ear Clinic/House Ear Institute Antonio De la Cruz, M.D. and Jennifer Derebery, M.D., have been treating Rush Limbaugh at House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles, California. Below, they discuss his hearing loss and subsequent cochlear implant surgery. Q: Why didn't the medication treatment work for Rush Limbaugh? A: We don't yet know why some patients with Auto-immune Inner Ear Disease (AIED) don't respond to medication while others do very well. Read the full interview at: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/featured_article_010902.htm ============================================================ " " " " N E W S " " " " Infants with hearing loss fare better if screened before hospital discharge - Read the news brief on this study here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-010902d.htm = = = = Rush Limbaugh's cochlear implant surgery a success - Learn more here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-010902c.htm = = = = The Social Security Administration Seeks Input from the Public on Ways to Support Youth with Disabilities in Transition to Adulthood. Make your voice heard! Deadline is Feb. 26th. Click here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-010902b.htm = = = = Oticon, Inc. is seeking nominations for the 2002 Oticon Focus on People Awards. Created in 1998, the national awards program honors individuals with mild, moderate or severe hearing loss, who demonstrate through their accomplishments that hearing loss does not limit a person’s ability to make a difference in their families, communities and the world. Do you know someone worthy of this award? Find out more here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/awards/awards-010802.htm These and other current news briefs and articles are all available on the main page of HearingExchange. Go to http://www.HearingExchange.com and review the News and Articles sections of the site as well as their archives. ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " M E S S A G E B O A R D S " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Have something to say? Say it on our Message Boards! Once registered, you can easily post a new topic or reply to current threads. From our Hearing Aid Users forum: Does anyone have any information on prescription plans that gives discount on hearing aids? I'm in the process of trying to get new hearing aids...and some are so expensive! My mom thought she heard of a prescription plan that allowed for 10% off but we wanted to know if there were any others... Post your reply here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=14&t=000010 - - - - - Interested in hair cell regeneration? One of our most active forums is Hair Cell Research. Find out how you can help bring hair cell research to the forefront here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000001&p=8 Have you shopped for hearing aids recently? Tried different kinds? Please share your experiences in this thread. With so many options, hearing aid users appreciate comments from others. Read Indgo's questions here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=000240 - - - - - Have you received a cochlear implant? Remeber what it was like when you were first hooked up? Help our many members interested in cochlear implants by sharing your experiences with us in the Nucleus, Clarion or Med El forums. Links to them are here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?category=1 - - - - - Do you use a cell phone with your hearing aids or cochlear implant? Which one do you use? How well can you hear on it? Share with us in our Cell Phones forum here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=36 These topics and many more can be found on our message boards. Click here to see a list of all the forums available: http://www.hearingexchange.com/ubb/Ultimate.cgi =========================================================== " " " " " " " " " " " " " F E A T U R E D B O O K " " " " " " " " " " " " " "The Reading Lesson" - Learning how to read is of significant importance for children with hearing impairments. Reading bolsters their vocabulary and helps children with their sentence structure. Available in paperback or a CD-ROM version, The Reading Lesson is an excellent tool for parents to use at home. Teaching your child to read can be one of the most valuable and enjoyable times in yours and your child's lives. Buy it today: Book - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0913063029/hearingexchange CD-ROM - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0913063088/hearingexchange ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " P A U L A ' S J O U R N A L " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " I've been keeping an online journal about parenting a child with hearing loss. Here is an excerpt from the latest chapter: During the recent holidays we returned home to New York for two weeks. With the events of September 11th, it had been a hard semester away from our family. We drove 16 hours over a two day period and arrived at home with a full agenda of parties and appointments. To read the rest of this chapter, click here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/journals/display.cgi?id=2&sort=date&storyview=toc&chapter=5&cat=5 To view all the journals or create your own, please click here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/journals/stories.cgi?sort=date&cat=stories ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " P O L L R E S U L T S " " " " " " " " " " " " Our last poll asked, "Do you have tinnitus?" Your answers: 53% said, "Yes, all the time." 22% said, "Yes, sometimes." 15% said, "What is tinnitus." 6% said, "Yes, but rarely." 5% said, "No, never." This week, our poll asks: "Which of your healthcare professionals understands your hearing loss?" Be sure to vote in our poll at the main page of http://www.HearingExchange.com. ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " A C C E S S I B L E P R O G R A M S " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Each week we update our site with movies and theaters around the U.S. that offer captioned movies for the deaf and hard of hearing and movies that have audio descriptions for the visually impaired. More theaters and movies are added regularly so stay tuned to this page: http://www.hearingexchange.com/tv_programs.htm ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " " C H A T S C H E D U L E " " " " " " " " " " " " " * Mondays 9pm ET - General Chat - Curly * Tuesdays 9pm ET - Adults with Hearing Aids - Kay * Wednesdays 9:30pm ET - Late Deafened Adults - Shari NEW CHAT STARTING 1/23! * Thursdays 9:30pm ET - General Chat - Paula NEW DAY STARTING 1/24! * Fridays 9pm ET - Auditory Neuropathy - Elaine Please note: This week Paula's Chat is on Wednesday, 1/15 at 9:30pm Eastern. Chatroom is open 24/7. Click here to chat now: http://www.hearingexchange.com/chat/chat2.htm Chat hosts wanted, see below for further details. ============================================================ " " " " " " " " " " " " G E T I N V O L V E D " " " " " " " " " " " " The HearingExchange community thrives with your participation! Below are free resources available to you as well as ways to become active in our community. Join us! * Paula's Pearls - FREE Syndicated Content My articles in the Paula's Pearls section on the main page of HearingExchange are available for FREE syndication. I've received many reprint requests from hospitals, teachers, therapists, childcare providers, parents, website publishers and others. Interested in reprinting any of these articles? Please send an email to mailto:reprints@hearingexchange.com. To be notified when new articles are available click here and check off the Syndicated Content list on the subscription page: http://lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs?customerid=6181 * Become a Chat Host Do you like to chat online? Have a favorite topic related to hearing loss? Apply to become a chat host at HearingExchange. Just one hour a week and it's so much fun! Visit this page for more information on available chat topics and to apply: http://www.hearingexchange.com/chat_host.htm * Start a Hearing Loss Journal Journaling is a terrific way to reflect on your experiences and to help others learn about living with hearing loss or parenting a child with one. To get started on your journal register here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/journals/register.cgi?action=register&sort=date&cat=stories To read other people's journals visit this page: http://www.hearingexchange.com/journals/stories.cgi?sort=date&cat=stories * Send a FREE Postcard Please help spread the news about our supportive and informative HearingExchange community. Do you know a doctor, teacher, therapist, audiologist or friend whom you would like to share HearingExchange with? We will send them a color postcard by U.S. Mail FREE for the asking. Just fill out the form at: http://www.hearingexchange.com/postcards/index.htm * Refer a Friend to HearingExchange We also offer an online "refer a friend" service at http://www.hearingexchange.com/recommend/index.html. Just fill out the form and we'll send them a note about HearingExchange. * Link to Us We have terrific graphics and banners for those of you with web sites. Grab one of our links today and let us know when you do. We will be happy to offer a reciprocal link to qualified websites. Go to: http://www.hearingexchange.com/link_to_us.htm * Visit our Jobs and Resumes Board Do you work with deaf or hard of hearing children or adults? Do you want to? Visit our free Employment Board! Post your resume or list an open position at your organization today or review current entries. All posts must be related to hearing loss fields. To view all listings, leave the search box blank. Go to http://www.hearingexchange.com/jobs/ * Like to Write? HearingExchange is currently accepting article submissions. We encourage you to participate by submitting your original articles, tips or ideas for articles. Submissions should be 500 to 800 words maximum. Visit this page to learn about our Writers Guidelines: http://www.hearingexchange.com/article_submissions.htm * View and Post on the Event Calendar Hosting an event of interest to the adults, parents or professionals who deal with hearing loss? Looking for workshops or seminars on this issue? Visit our Event Calendar and browse around, there are many great seminars around the world. Be sure to click on the actual date of an event to read more about it. Post your events by clicking here: http://www.hearingexchange.com/events/calendar.cgi * Are You an Expert? We Need You! We're currently seeking qualified experts. If you're an expert or know someone who is, please send us their email address or have them contact us at mailto:experts@hearingexchange.com. All experts must have experience with hearing impaired adults and/or children. * Doing Research? Need Resources? Our Resource Directory is growing! We now have 285 hand-picked links related to hearing loss for you to review. When looking for organizations, assistive devices, hearing aid manufacturers, listservs and much more, visit: http://www.hearingexchange.com/resources/ Use our Add a Site feature at: http://www.hearingexchange.com/resources/add.cgi to refer great links you have found. We will review and post them promptly. **Note: We do not accept commercial sites for the free directory listing. Businesses offering products or services, please contact us at mailto:advertising@hearingexchange.com. ============================================================ Your input is always welcome at HearingExchange. Send us your comments, suggestions and any news related to hearing loss to mailto:feedback@hearingexchange.com. Paula Rosenthal, Publisher HearingExchange - http://www.HearingExchange.com Ideas & Information on Hearing Loss To subscribe to this newsletter or any of our other free, informative ezines or chat reminders, click here: http://lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs?customerid=6181 All addresses are kept strictly confidential. © Copyright 2002 HearingExchange, a division of Taylor Rose, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reprint and re-distribute this newsletter as long as it reprinted in its entirety, is unedited and includes this copyright.