Facing an uncertain future with loved ones with special needs

[serenitynow]

I remember the first thing that came to my mind when I learned about peak oil- how will my young daughter hear when there are no batteries or no access to batteries or batteries become too expensive to obtain?   My daughter is deaf and she hears with a cochlear implant.  We made our decision to implant her before we knew anything about peak oil.  I don't regret it- there is nothing like hearing her sing or tell a joke or have her cuddled next to me as I read her a bedtime story, all things that would have been harder, if not impossible, without her implant.  Her speech is beautiful and unless you saw her ear gear, you would have no clue that she is deaf.  I hope that if the day comes that she can no longer hear b/c supplies are impossible to obtain,  she will be able to use a combination of lip-reading and sign language in order to communicate.  We do not know sign language at this point, but I guess that will become a priority very quickly.

Anyway, I have been thinking about how to prepare physically (such as long-term battery storage- we have about a year's supply on hand right now) and emotionally (my heart and hers) for this uncertain future we all face, but I am not sure I have figured that all out yet.

I can only imagine that there are a variety of issues that will become highly challenging when necessary supplies and treatments are harder or impossible to obtain.  Just wondering what others out there are doing to prepare with family members with special needs.

(Wanted to add that I am aware that batteries suck for the earth, in case anyone is feeling judgmental.  We do recycle them and that is the best we can do at this point.  If there were a solar powered implant, we'd be first in line for one.)

[Rorschach]

Hey, I don't know what kind of batteries something like that uses, but are you able to purchase rechargeable ones?  That combine with a few dozen solar chargers could keep you guys in business for a while.

Just a thought.  I feel for you.  Its going to be hard enough with children when it all goes down.

[Zac]

As I recall, the Cochlear devices use standard type 675 zinc-air hearing aid type batteries.  Do they use 1 battery or more? 

This info about zinc-air batteries may be of interest:

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/zincair_appman.pdf

The 675 batteries are 1.4V @ 600 mah.

http://www.duracell.com/oem/Pdf/675.pdf

I think small batteries like this will continue to be available unless society completely collapses. 

You can extend the shelf life of zinc air batteries by storing them in an airtight container (such as a glass jar with an airtight gasketed lid) with oxygen absorber & desiccant, and keeping it in the freezer.  Before opening the battery package, allow it to come to room temperature to avoid condensation. 

[mtlouie]

serenity now-  See what  happens on LATOC?  Someone always comes up  with an idea or two.   

Welcome to the forum!

My daughter posts here also, under the pseudonym John Galt.  She has lupus.  There are a lot of folks here with health problems who are planning as best they can. 

And anyone who judges you for using batteries....well, I'm not even gonna say it.  If we can make sure that all the rich boys can fly their private jets all over the place, we can damn sure provide batteries for a little girl's hearing aid!!

[Crazy Gardener]

I've been contemplating this issue for a while now.  I'm personally dealing with a new major issue.  I've developed serious osteoarthritis in my hands, which is now significantly limiting what I can do.  Not only is the cartilage gone in many joints, but the bone has already worn away bone and my fingers are starting to deform.  All the doctors can do is offer partial pain control, and tell me to seriously reduce what I'm using my hands for in order to try to extend the time period of their remaining usefulness. 

I'm only 52, and am freaking out about this.  I've been working on my own small homestead for 15 years now.  I've built my own house, installed livestock fencing, butchered poultry, cut and stacked firewood, maintained a large garden, and so much more.  I've practiced a wide variety of self-sufficiency skills over the years, and I'm debt free.

But I live alone, and there is a limit to the adaptions I can make to still handle all the usual chores.  I've been desperately trying to hire friends and neighbors to help me out, with little luck so far.   Not that I can afford a lot, but I've offered $15/hour cash.   Some people say they are interested, but weeks later I'm still waiting for them.

I HATE depending on other people.  I only have a part-time office job, as my hands can no longer tolerate full-time work, even in the office.  I also have a major hearing loss, and that limits other job options.  And my homestead is nine miles from town.  I haven't figured out how to cope with these issues.  Just goes to show you can prep all you want, and you still can't prepare for everything.

[serenitynow]

Hey, I don't know what kind of batteries something like that uses, but are you able to purchase rechargeable ones?  That combine with a few dozen solar chargers could keep you guys in business for a while.

That would be a really ideal set-up.  There are rechargeable  lithium batteries available, it's just that they cost $200 each.  I'd be stockpiling them if they weren't so expensive .

As I recall, the Cochlear devices use standard type 675 zinc-air hearing aid type batteries.  Do they use 1 battery or more?  <snip>  I think small batteries like this will continue to be available unless society completely collapses. 

Yeah, they are big batteries and we use three at a time.  They last about three days or so before needing to be replaced.  Thanks for the links- I will check them out.  Thanks for the storage info, too.  I sure hope that batteries will be available as long as possible.  I guess I tend to look at worst-case scenarios- hmm, maybe that is why I feel so at home here at LATOC .

serenity now-  See what  happens on LATOC?  Someone always comes up  with an idea or two.   Wink

Welcome to the forum!

My daughter posts here also, under the pseudonym John Galt.  She has lupus.  There are a lot of folks here with health problems who are planning as best they can.

And anyone who judges you for using batteries....well, I'm not even gonna say it.  If we can make sure that all the rich boys can fly their private jets all over the place, we can damn sure provide batteries for a little girl's hearing aid!!

Thanks, MTLouie!  Yeah, I don't really know why I added that disclaimer about the batteries.  I am sure most people are understanding.  I think I have residual defensiveness about the whole deaf culture issue (there are some people who oppose implants for children for a variety of reasons) and worried about the responses my post might receive.  Best wishes to you and your daughter.


crazygardener- i had planned to reply to you as well but i am being pulled away by my girls.  will have to respond later....

[madison]

My son is deaf in one ear, and really, while we have a hearing aid, it's primarily a visual reminder for his teachers to talk in his other ear, it doesn't really help him.  fortunately for us, his other ear is fine.  However, his pediatrician actually suggested that we get a dog that can be his companion.  My son also has ADHD and doesn't always make the best choices, he's very impulsive and doesn't think of consequences, he just does things - like run into the street wihtout looking, every single time, and he's SIX!.  I just cannot keep my eyes on him every single minute, though I sure do try.  The doctor suggested looking into dogs who flunked out of the Police Academy, lol, but would be sufficient for a companion animal.  You might consider the same for your child.  We may or may not have batteries, or may or may not be able to afford them, but there are some other options.  I sure hadn't thought of getting a dog for my son, though now I really like the idea!

I am also dreading the day when ADHD meds are unavailable or I am unable to afford them.  Ugh.  At least I'm fortunate in that he doesn't require them for life, just our sanity, lol..

Things will change, and we'll adapt.  All I can say is keep on keeping on and best of luck to you!

[Zac]

Hey, I don't know what kind of batteries something like that uses, but are you able to purchase rechargeable ones?  That combine with a few dozen solar chargers could keep you guys in business for a while.

That would be a really ideal set-up.  There are rechargeable  lithium batteries available, it's just that they cost $200 each.  I'd be stockpiling them if they weren't so expensive .

If these are like the rechargeable you mentioned, they are overcharging by a outrageous degree:

http://www.cochlearstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=49

If you have or know someone with some basic electronics knowledge (and little soldering), you can substitute a rechargeable lithium CR123 battery for 3 of the type 675's.  A rechargeable lithium CR123 has about 1000 mah capacity compared to about 600 mah for the 675's so the CR123 would last longer per charge than the 675's.

http://cgi.ebay.com/4x-CR123A-3v-CR123-CR-Rechargeable-Battery-3-0v-Charger_W0QQitemZ280375998365QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4147b6379d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Somewhat smaller in size CR2 batteries with 600 mah capacity (same as 675's):

http://cgi.ebay.com/4pcs-UltraFire-CR2-3-0V-Rechargeable-Battery-Charger_W0QQitemZ380155939300QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item58830f49e4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[chacha]

I remember the first thing that came to my mind when I learned about peak oil- how will my young daughter hear when there are no batteries or no access to batteries or batteries become too expensive to obtain?   My daughter is deaf and she hears with a cochlear implant.  We made our decision to implant her before we knew anything about peak oil.  I don't regret it- there is nothing like hearing her sing or tell a joke or have her cuddled next to me as I read her a bedtime story, all things that would have been harder, if not impossible, without her implant.  Her speech is beautiful and unless you saw her ear gear, you would have no clue that she is deaf.  I hope that if the day comes that she can no longer hear b/c supplies are impossible to obtain,  she will be able to use a combination of lip-reading and sign language in order to communicate.  We do not know sign language at this point, but I guess that will become a priority very quickly.

Anyway, I have been thinking about how to prepare physically (such as long-term battery storage- we have about a year's supply on hand right now) and emotionally (my heart and hers) for this uncertain future we all face, but I am not sure I have figured that all out yet.

I can only imagine that there are a variety of issues that will become highly challenging when necessary supplies and treatments are harder or impossible to obtain.  Just wondering what others out there are doing to prepare with family members with special needs.

(Wanted to add that I am aware that batteries suck for the earth, in case anyone is feeling judgmental.  We do recycle them and that is the best we can do at this point.  If there were a solar powered implant, we'd be first in line for one.)

Hi, Serenity, and welcome.

My hubby is a double cochlear recipient, and I have the same worries as you (in addition, he is a kidney transplant patient, which opens up a whole other world of worries...)  We use rechargeable batteries and i ordered a car charger for them.  During an ice storm last year we lost power for over a week, and I was able to use a solar battery charger that I could plug the car charger into.  It worked well.  We have also begun gradually buying replacement parts (extra coils, etc.) and repair kits for the cochlears.  My mom, at age 88, is also a Cochlear patient.  None of us know sign language, but that's pretty hgh on my priority list as well.  Best of luck to your daughter - never regret the implant decision.  My husband's life has been changed because of it.

[April]

What a tough prospect to consider. I don't know of any solutions to longer term storage, but hopefully someone will bring some to light. I am assuming that the batteries are not rechargable? If there is any chance some are, it would probably be worth the investment, even if it's big.

[bust.a.head]

"blah, blah bla bla blabba bla we bla blub at a blah."
I blub it blub be a blah blah to blub up on blah blabba blubba.

blah bla blah blah of blub bla bla blah, bla bla if bla bla bla blub blabber blub blah blabba bla or blabba to blabba.

bla blub is bla bla bla blabba blah bla blubba, bla blah blah to bla bla blub blabba blubba it blah blah bla bla. blah blub AA, bla, bla.

If bla bla blubba to do blah blabba, bla blub bla if blub is an blabba blah blubba. blub is blubba blabber bla bla blah blah blabba blabber blah blabba blubba bla blub be blah to blah. blah blub blah do it bla blub, if bla blabber blah blabba. blah blah.

bla bla blah bla blabba bla blah a bla to blubba a blub blub blub bla blabba/blabber bla bla. blah blabba, bla blub blubba!    

[HawtFrog]

I have a severely disabled brother who can't dress himself, wash himself, feed himself, etc,  but he has an impressive movie collection and we found a little solar charger at a thrift shop so WTSHTF we can plug it into his portable DVD player and he can still watch his favorite movies 

Solar seems the way to go 

[serenitynow]

Thank you so much to everyone for all your wonderful suggestions. (Ack, I can't believe how long it has been since I started this thread.  This month went by in a blink!)  I am starting to think that we have more options than I had considered and solar is definetly something we need to explore.

Hawtfrog- Your brother is very lucky to have you looking out for him.  Continuity of everyday things for him and others like him may be hard to come by in the future.  I have a nephew with severe autism who spends a lot of time playing video games.  If that came to an end, he would be lost.

"Yeah, they are big batteries and we use three at a time."
I think it might be a good idea to brush up on your electrical skills.

Find out what sort of power the aid uses, and see if you can use other battery sizes with resistors and or inverters to downgrade.

The point is you can use electricity from any source, you just have to get the power matching before it goes into the aid. This means AA, AAA, etc.

If you are afraid to do this yourself, you might see if there is an electrical shop nearby. There is likely someone who has done some electrical circuit work somewhere nearby who might be able to help. They might even do it for parts, if you explain your situation. Good luck.

You may even get creative and find a way to attach a small solar panel for charging/running the aid. Your daughter, the human cyborg!    

Yes, all great ideas!  Sadly, neither my husband or I have any electrical skills so we need to hook up with someone with some serious skills.  Thanks for your ideas. And yes, my daughter is actually a cyborg according to Michael Chorost, author of a really cool book called Rebuilt: My Journey back to the Hearing Worldhttp://www.michaelchorost.com/about-rebuilt/

chacha- thank you for sharing your story- how great you were able to keep him powered up despite the power outage!  i am so glad to hear how well your husband is doing.  i really am secure now with my decision to implant my daughter (except when i periodically panic about how the future may unfold ).  i guess i have my moments where i worry that i have done her a disservice by not making sign language a part of our lives at this point.  i always planned that when she gets a little older (maybe 10 or so) that we might take learning sign language on as a family project.  maybe that will not ever really be necessary.  i imagine that she might become a really good lip reader if she had to.

Hey, I don't know what kind of batteries something like that uses, but are you able to purchase rechargeable ones?  That combine with a few dozen solar chargers could keep you guys in business for a while.

That would be a really ideal set-up.  There are rechargeable  lithium batteries available, it's just that they cost $200 each.  I'd be stockpiling them if they weren't so expensive .

If these are like the rechargeable you mentioned, they are overcharging by a outrageous degree:

http://www.cochlearstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=49

If you have or know someone with some basic electronics knowledge (and little soldering), you can substitute a rechargeable lithium CR123 battery for 3 of the type 675's.  A rechargeable lithium CR123 has about 1000 mah capacity compared to about 600 mah for the 675's so the CR123 would last longer per charge than the 675's.

http://cgi.ebay.com/4x-CR123A-3v-CR123-CR-Rechargeable-Battery-3-0v-Charger_W0QQitemZ280375998365QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4147b6379d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Somewhat smaller in size CR2 batteries with 600 mah capacity (same as 675's):

http://cgi.ebay.com/4pcs-UltraFire-CR2-3-0V-Rechargeable-Battery-Charger_W0QQitemZ380155939300QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item58830f49e4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Yeah!  That's what I thought!  It is not like they are covered by our health insurance, which is why I am guessing they are so $$$.  Thank you for your links and ideas.  I am really going to have to find someone with electrical knowledge.  Too bad my dad is gone.  He was good at rigging stuff up (which often involved using a bit of duct tape ).

My son is deaf in one ear, and really, while we have a hearing aid, it's primarily a visual reminder for his teachers to talk in his other ear, it doesn't really help him.  fortunately for us, his other ear is fine.  However, his pediatrician actually suggested that we get a dog that can be his companion.  My son also has ADHD and doesn't always make the best choices, he's very impulsive and doesn't think of consequences, he just does things - like run into the street wihtout looking, every single time, and he's SIX!.  I just cannot keep my eyes on him every single minute, though I sure do try.  The doctor suggested looking into dogs who flunked out of the Police Academy, lol, but would be sufficient for a companion animal.  You might consider the same for your child.  We may or may not have batteries, or may or may not be able to afford them, but there are some other options.  I sure hadn't thought of getting a dog for my son, though now I really like the idea!

I am also dreading the day when ADHD meds are unavailable or I am unable to afford them.  Ugh.  At least I'm fortunate in that he doesn't require them for life, just our sanity, lol..

Things will change, and we'll adapt.  All I can say is keep on keeping on and best of luck to you!

Have you seen the Baha System for single sided deafness? http://products.cochlearamericas.com/baha/introduction-to-baha/introduction-to-baha] [url]http://products.cochlearamericas.com/baha/introduction-to-baha/introduction-to-baha[/url]  Just thought I'd share that in case you hadn't seen it.  It must be such a challenge to just hear from one ear only.  I feel for your son.  I remember reading through a website written by a man with single-sided deafness and it was very enlightening. It actually was my main motivation for getting my daughter's cochlear implant since she would have only been hearing with her aided ear without the implant.  I can't find that site but I did find this instead: Single-Sided Deafness: A Graphical Tale http://designmind.frogdesign.com/articles/health/single-sided-deafness-a-graphical-tale.html.  My daughter is very impulsive and trippy and has no sense of herself in place and time.  I can't help but think there is some connection with her hearing loss and it seems to me that there are many other parents of children with hearing loss who have similar observations about their children.  I am hopeful that over time, my daughter will learn to adapt and will calm down a bit!  She is actually hearing only with her cochlear implant at the moment since we lost her hearing aid a few weeks ago.  We found it outside and it had been run over by the car and rained on!  For the low, low price of $1773.00, we can have a new one in 2 weeks !  Anyway, I wish you and your son all the best.  I hope that our little ones will grow and mature and adapt to the world, despite their hearing losses.


crazygardener- i wish you all the best and hope that someday, you will have many helpful hands in your life to assist you.  you sound pretty amazing- you have done so much all on your own.

[HawtFrog]

Hawtfrog- Your brother is very lucky to have you looking out for him.  Continuity of everyday things for him and others like him may be hard to come by in the future.  I have a nephew with severe autism who spends a lot of time playing video games.  If that came to an end, he would be lost.

Awww, Thanks
It's true. When we have a power outage, he freaks out and wants to know every 15 minutes if we called the power company and when the power will be back on (which is why his portable DVD player is a godsend!).
Serenity, if your nephew has a portable game player (Nintendo DS, PSP, etc), I think they are still chargeable with one of those solar battery adapters. There's always a way!