Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr  Issue 2011

www.hearingaidinstitute.com

Eddie Thompson was born and raised in Eastern Montana and, except for a short time in Great Falls, has spent most of his life there. Eddie married his wife Clarice in 1973 who moved here from Minnesota as a child. They have been married for 37 years and together have two children. Ron is married and living in Lambert, MT where he drives truck for a living. He and his wife Margo have two daughters, Michelle and Rachel. Susan lives at home and helps with the care of her father. She works for the local Farm Service Agency part-time.

Eddie farmed most of his life in the Northeastern part of the state, or the Plentywood area. He has worked for the Farm Implement Dealer, the Smelter, the National Guard and an auto dealership in the mechanics shops but has always returned to farming. He has worked for many local farmers and ranchers. After many

years of working with loud equipment, he began noticing a hearing problem.

His hobbies or things he enjoys most have to do with the outdoors. He was paralyzed in a vehicle accident six years ago and was unable to use his hearing aids because he could no longer use his hands to adjust the volume. He also could no longer do word puzzles, gardening, and fix up projects that he loved to do in his spare time.

He is on his second set of hearing aids with The Hearing Aid Institute since his car accident. His family is greatful for the last set and that we were able to work with them on finding the right technology. "They don't whistle when he is lying on his side," says Clarice. Susan, their daughter, says, "the smaller hearing aids are more convenient because there are no adjustments. You just put in the batteries in and insert the aids in Eddies ears. They are simple and comfortable. The convenience of having someone stop by for the service when needed is helpful too."

Eddie now spends his time watching TV, listening to music, watching the garden grow and driving around Plentywood with his power wheelchair. He stops to visit the people he meets along the way.

"Thanks to your staff and their patience Eddie can enjoy his daily activities which are all so dependant on being able to hear and understand," said Clarice.

Support The Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act

The International Hearing Society is committed to a strong and aggressive state and federal advocacy effort. We are calling on people to actively support the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act (HR 1646/S 1019.) The legislation would provide assistance to consumers in purchasing a hearing aid. If enacted it would provide a $500 tax credit per hearing aid available once every five years. Two-thirds of people with hearing loss cite financial constraint as a reason for not purchasing hearing aids. The legislation can make a difference in the hearing health of Americans.

What You Can Do
Your help is needed to bolster the tax credit act to ensure it receives the attention it deserves. Here are several things you can do to make a difference in the hearing health of Americans.

1. Call your Representative and Senator and encourage them to support the tax credit act. Max Baucus has yet to endorse this legislation.

2. Send a letter in support of the legislation. A template letter is available on the Haring Industries Association web-site at www.hearing.org, which will populate the Congressional member's name and address based on your zip code and will send the letter electronically.

3. Encourage others to actively participate in the process by having copies of support letters and fact sheets about the tax credit act readily available to distribute to patients, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and others in your community. Your continued voice and activism are essential to maintain support of this legislation. The more people that have knowledge and awareness of this issue the more peple will be involved.

Conclusion
Your help is greatly needed in ensuring that law and policymakers understand the importance of the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act. Every letter and phone call will assist in getting the word out there and helping to get the bill passed. We strongly urge you to become involved in the political process. Get to know your elected officials at the state and federal level. Meet with them: explain to them the importance of hearing health. If you have any questions about the legislation or would like some additional information please contact IHS headquarters at 734-522-7200 or www.ihsinfo.org

How I Dream To Be

I hearby officially tender my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to except the responsabilities of a 6-year-old again. I want to go to McDonald's and think that it is a four star resturaunt. I want to think M & Ms are better than money, because you can eat them. I want to play kickball at recess and paint with watercolor in art. I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a nice summer day. I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, addition tables, and simple nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care. When all you knew was to be happy because you didn't know all the things that should make you worried and upset. I want to think that the world is fair. That everyone in it is honest and good. I want to believe that everything is possible.

Somewhere in my youth...I matured and I learned too much. I learned of nucelar weapons, war, prejudice, starvation and abused children. I learned of lies, unhappy marriages, suffering, illness, pain and eath. I larned of a world where children knew how to kill... and did. What happened to the time where we thought that everyone would live forever, because we didn't grasp the concept of death? When we thought the worst thing in the world was if someone took a jump rope from us or picked us last for kickball?

I want to be oblivious to the complexity of life and be overly excited by little things once again. I want to return to the days when reading was fun and music was clean. When television was used to report the news or for family entertainment and not used to promote sex, violence, and deciet. I would spend my afternoons climbing trees and riding my bike. I didn't worry about time, bills, or where I was going to find the money to fix my car. I used to wonder what I was going to be or do when I grew up, not worry about what I would if it didn't work out. I want to live simply again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness and the loss of loved ones. I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind and making angels in the snow. I want to be 6 again.

50 Dollars is 50 Dollars!

Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, "Esther, I'd like to ride in that helicopter."

Esther always replied, "I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is 50 dollars and 50 dollars is 50 dollars."

One year Esther and Morris went to the fair and Morris said, "Esther, I'm 85 years old! If I don't ride the helicopter I might never get a chance."

Esther replied, "Morris that helicopter is 50 dollars and 50 dollars is 50 dollars."

The pilot overheard the couple and said "Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet the entire ride and not say a word I won't charge you. But if you say one word it's 50 dollars."

Morris and Esther agreed and they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy manuevers, but not a word was heard. He did his dare devil tricks over and over again but still not a word.

When they landed the pilot turned to Morris and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out but you didn't. I'm impressed!"

Morris replied, "Well I was going to say something when Esther fell out, but 50 dollars is 50 dollars!"

I'm Not Old, Just Mature

Today at the drug store the clerk was a gent
From my purchase the chap took off 10 percent
I asked for the cause of the lesser amount
And he answered 'Because of the senior discount'

I went to McDonalds for a burger and fries
And there once again got a surprise
The clerk poured the coffee and handed it to me
He said "For you seniors the coffee is free"

Understand I'm not old I am merely mature
But some things are changing temporarily I'm sure
The newspaper print gets smaller each day
And people speak softer-can't hear what they say

My teeth are my own (I have a receipt)
And my glasses identify people I meet
Oh I slowed down a bit, not a lot I am sure
You see I'm not old I am merely mature

The gold in my hair has been bleached by the sun
You should see all the damage the chlorine has done
Washing my hair has turned it all white
But don't call it grey saying blonde is all right

My friends all get older much faster than me
They seem more wrinkled from what I can see
I've got character lines not wrinkles for sure
Don't call me old but call me mature

The steps in the houses they are building today
Are so high that they take your breath all away
The streets are much steeper than 10 years ago
That should explain why my walking is slow

But I'm keeping up on whats hi and new
And I think I can still dance a mean boogaloo
I'm still in the running in this I'm secure
I'm not really old I am only mature