Bernie Beleskey

Bernie Beleskey has had a hearing loss for over 45 years. He was diagnosed with a genetic ossicles hearing disorder, when he was approximately 20 years old and in the air force. After undergoing a stapes’ hearing operation on both ears, he was told by different specialists, later on, when his hearing began to decline even further, that nothing more could be done to improve his hearing.

The Major improvements Bernie says he has now noticed when wearing his New Indigo™ are:

1. “Almost 100% elimination of feedback when using telephone”
2. “Much improved ability to hear my grandchildren in noisy situations.”
3. “A major reduction in wind noise when walking.”
4. “Being able now to fully appreciate a concert and a singing choir”

As a webmaster and tech support person, Bernie spends an average of 3 – 4 hours a day on the telephone supporting his clients. Being able to listen on the telephone is incredibly important for his job. He has tried his Indigo hearing instruments with many different phones from his cell phone and home phone to an older style, and all of them work effortlessly. He is impressed that he can pick up the telephone and get on with his work without having to make adjustments. Mostly, he likes that, “There is no feedback”.

Bernie finds that Indigo’s automatic program meets most of his listening needs, and he only switches programs when in the car or at a concert. In noisy situations, he likes how he can hear the person in front of him without straining.

Bernie’s audiogram illustrating his moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss in his right ear and moderate mixed hearing loss in his left ear.

“It is like having a sound proof barrier around my head. I can hear what is being said without being distracted by the other background sounds,” Bernie explains.

Bernie also appreciates music. He recently attended a live concert and was amazed by the clarity of the music, finding it “absolutely beautiful.” He also appreciates how he can hear his own singing voice since he enjoys singing with the Church choir.

“I haven’t really heard my own voice properly in over 25 years although I could feel it while speaking,” Bernie explains. “You can’t sing if you can’t hear yourself. With these hearing aids, I can hear myself, the words we sing in the songs, and the vocalist’s lyrics. I don’t have to set up the space in advance just so I can hear what is going on. The hearing aids do the adapting so I can just enjoy the experience.”

Bernie recommends Indigo hearing instruments to others that have a hearing loss.

“Everything is so much clearer. I can hear the birds chirping and the sounds of nature, like I used to when I was young. In fact, I hear so well with these hearing aids that I was recently denied my handicap compensation. I am now considered to not have a hearing handicap! I feel like for the first time in my life, I can truly hear.”