Friend Hopes to Inherit Hearing Aids From Man's Widow
Sep 16, 2016 - Letter 1 of 3
Dear Abby
by Abigail Van Buren
DEAR ABBY: A friend of mine died recently. My question is, how much time should I wait before asking his widow if she saved his hearing aids from the crematorium and if so, could I have them? -- CHEAP MINNESOTAN
DEAR MINNESOTAN: You didn't mention how long ago your friend died, but if it was yesterday, give the widow a week or two to recover from the shock of her loss. I say this because if you wait too long, somebody else may grab them, but if you ask too soon, she may give you an earful.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
How about never? When did it become acceptable to make such requests? It isn't as though the hearing aids hold some sort of sentimental value for the friend. The friend is being cheap and just sees this as an opportunity to save a few dollars. I can't believe Abby didn't rip him a new one.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Wow. No I would not ask. After my step dad died, a guy my mom works with asked if he could have his boots. My mom gave them to him but she was pretty disgusted about it.
That's always a joke in our office when someone leaves....before they're gone we go in and start asking for their stuff...like picking meat off the carcass. It's done in fun though. We have lost a few employees from death and we wouldn't dare do that.
But what do people do with all the stuff after someone dies?
They give it away. Sell it. Trash it.
I don't see the big deal in asking.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Vultures transcended on SIL when MIL died. I told DH he'd better go up and get what he wanted before they got it all. There were things SIL gave to MIL's friends that DH wanted, and she knew it. But oh well. DH didn't want to argue or be greedy. So he let it go.
"Things" aren't worth ruining relationships over sometimes.
I thought that hearing aids were supposed to be tailored to the specific hearing loss, etc. Not sure I would like a second hand hearing aid and certainly not one a dead friend had used/worn.....
I thought that hearing aids were supposed to be tailored to the specific hearing loss, etc. Not sure I would like a second hand hearing aid and certainly not one a dead friend had used/worn.....
They are tailored, but a cheapskate will still want them.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
This is disgusting. I don't want anyone else's medical devices thank you. Gross.
And not all hearing aides are custom made. My dad has a set of $800 mail order hearing aides that work quite well for him but they are not custom made. Just mail order. Custom sets are SO much more and not covered by a lot of insurance companies. I know they aren't covered by my dad's insurance and he has amazing insurance coverage.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
My grandpa had hearing aids. I don't know what happened to them. Grandma would've happily given them to whoever asked, if that issue came up. She doesn't keep a lot stuff so most of his stuff was given away one way or another within a couple months.
I thought that hearing aids were supposed to be tailored to the specific hearing loss, etc. Not sure I would like a second hand hearing aid and certainly not one a dead friend had used/worn.....
They are tailored, but a cheapskate will still want them.
It depends on the hearing aid really. If you have an "in the ear" hearing aid, it is tailored to your ear so really you can' t use someone else's. I think they're talking about a "behind the ear" hearing aid. It sits on top of the ear with a tube going down into the ear mold which directs the sound into the ear canal. You can have different ear mold made and use someone else's hearing aid. These hearing aids can be reprogrammed.
I think it's sort of weird but hearing aids are very expensive and most insurances do not cover them at all. I just recently purchased a pair that were $5500! My dad's most recent pair was $7000. If you're on a limited budget, I can see trying to find hearing aids however you can.
If I had to guess, I bet the crematorium took them out before cremation.
I thought that hearing aids were supposed to be tailored to the specific hearing loss, etc. Not sure I would like a second hand hearing aid and certainly not one a dead friend had used/worn.....
They are tailored, but a cheapskate will still want them.
It depends on the hearing aid really. If you have an "in the ear" hearing aid, it is tailored to your ear so really you can' t use someone else's. I think they're talking about a "behind the ear" hearing aid. It sits on top of the ear with a tube going down into the ear mold which directs the sound into the ear canal. You can have different ear mold made and use someone else's hearing aid. These hearing aids can be reprogrammed.
I think it's sort of weird but hearing aids are very expensive and most insurances do not cover them at all. I just recently purchased a pair that were $5500! My dad's most recent pair was $7000. If you're on a limited budget, I can see trying to find hearing aids however you can.
If I had to guess, I bet the crematorium took them out before cremation.
I understand how expensive they are. The letter was brief, did not describe the friendship. Don't know if they were close, but since it was a short letter I took it as they were merely acquaintances. When I had my ex cremated, they did not strip anything off, they told me they don't. Although I wouldn't be shocked to learn that valuables are taken off.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
