Sorry for the lack of posting. I've been busy dealing with the voices in my head. Actually - not voices. Ringing. Its called Tinnitus. And I've got it worse than I've ever had it.
As many of you know - I am hard of hearing. It's genetic - but I'm sure my job doesn't help the sitch, even though I try to be careful with my headphone levels. For years, I have dealt with ringing in my ears. It happens several times a day, every day. A high pitch will fade up into one ear and fade into the background after a few seconds. Sometimes the noise comes with the sensation of one ear 'blocking' momentarily. But I am SO used it it because I've had it for so long. It really never bothered me. Until...
A few weeks ago, I started getting ringing. But I mean - enduring ringing. The longest it's lasted so far is 30 minutes (it's actually there as I type this right now. Think 'flatline' but higher pitched). And twice, the sound has woken me up in the middle of the night, blocking all other sounds until I focus very hard to 'find' the ambient white noise of the humidifier. So, I started to get concerned. The thing with tinnitus is, the more you worry - the worse it gets. The more you focus, the more it bores into your brain. So the best thing I can do is ignore it. And it fades away at some point.
Today, I saw a doctor. She saw me as a special favour which was so nice. She tried to get me a hearing test and exam today--but I have to go back on Thursday afternoon for all of that. I'm lucky to get in so quickly.
Basically - I can predict the outcome. My hearing will have degraded since my last test and he will suggest a hearing aid. And you know what? This is the year I rock one, baby. People have asked me if I feel weird about it, and the truth is - not at all. I grew up with my mom wearing a hearing aid. It was normal to me. And if it will help me hear better, I'm all for it! It can also help ease the annoyance of tinnitus. But I want a cool one. I want colours. I want patterns. I want to accessorize my earwear!
Maybe there's a career change in order for me - haute couture ear designs. :) That'd be fun.
Anyhoo - that's what's going on with me. And, if you don't mind - please write you comments in CAPS so I can hear you better.
10 comments:
I said "WHY NOT SAVE ALL THE TROUBLE AND WHEN YOU HEAR THE RINGING, ANSWER IT!?"
DUUUHHHHH, dag nab it.
*Clearing throat*
I THINK IT IS WICKED THAT YOU ARE NOT IGNORING THE ISSUE FOR VANITY SAKES. YOU ARE GOING TO ROCK THAT HEARING AID! YOU WILL BE THE SNAZZIEST CHICK WHO HEARS BELLS. IF YOU START TO HEAR WHISTLES...THEN THERE IS A PROBLEM.
You can ring me beeeeellll, ring my bell. My bell...ringy ringy ring!
Keep smilin!
NAT .. YOU KNOW I HAVE TOLD YOU A 100 TIMES THAT HAVING A MACHINE IN YOUR EAR TO HELP YOU HEAR IS A TRUE BLESSING . MAKE SURE YOU TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO TALK IN THE MICROPHONE . GRAMPS .YOU AND I CAN START A SEXY EAR CLUB .
You do what ya gotta do.
I SAID... YOU DO WHAT YA GOTTA DO!
;-)
I remember in Junior High we had a friend... Teddy B. He wore two hearing-aids... we used to mess with his head as all good teenage boys should do with one another... we'd all be talking and then on cue we'd all stop making any sound but continue to move our lips... after tapping his ears a few times he's laugh at us and tell us to "smarten up", or "*Bleep* off" or he'd punch in the arm the closest... He thanked us once for actually doing that. He said he knew we did it with love and that he knew we really could not have cared less that he had them. He was our friend and that was that
I say you should look for some in Leopard Print... Be bold.
LOOK FOR SOME IN NEUTRAL COLOURS - I LIKE BROWN & BEIGE. COULD EVEN BE A LEOPARD BROWN AND BEIGE AND THAT WAY BOTH KITTY AND I WILL BE HAPPY.
I SURE HOPE THE RINGING IN YOUR EARS GOES AWAY FAST I AM SURE IT MUST BE ANNOYING. I REMEMBER AFTER COMING OFF A FLIGHT ONCE MY EAR WAS BLOCKED FOR A WEEK AND IT WAS SO ANNOYING. IF ITS ANYTHING LIKE THAT I FEEL FOR YA GIRL!
Kitty: I'm sure Teddy really meant it, but he mentioned the "L" word, how drunk were you guys? I mean, c'mon, no teenaged guys use the "L" word in reference to each other, before drinking copious amounts of beer.
Actually, that's a nice story.
N@: Try this one on for size. It would certainly be a fashion statement -- fashionable, yet functional at the same time.
http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_dec2004/MegaHearingAid.jpg
Do you wear glasses? I honestly hear better with my glasses on. Even if a phone call wakes me up, I hear it better once I have my glasses on.
EAR GEAR! GET YER EAR GEAR HERE:
http://www.adcohearing.com/haa_hear_aid_acc.html
Further to Bob's comment, I... oh, shit... forgot all caps. SORRY N@... I SAID I FORGOT TO USE CAPS.
ANYWAY... I HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO BOB'S... I CAN FIND HOUSE NUMBERS EASIER WITH THE RADIO TURNED DOWN. LMAO!
NEW PICS ON MY BLOG SOON... MY ASS HITS DOMINICAN THURSDAY! HOLA MI AMIGAS!
PS - THE WORD VERIFICATION ISN'T IN ALL CAPS... I DO HOPE IT CAN UNDERSTAND ME. :)
An early childhood ailment left my wife deaf in one ear, which messes with her equilibrium, and has kept her from hearing her morning alarm (but we found an alarm at a hearing site which vibrates under your pillow, so that helps). Actually, it creates a LOT of issues, and illuminates what many of us with good hearing take for granted.
I know you've mentioned before how you've come to expect things to get a little worse for you over time, and I admire you so much for your humour and positive attitude over it. I know your amazing Mom has a lot to do with that.
I'm sorry that it's giving you trouble right now, and wish it would stop.
Insofar as getting a cool hearing aid is concerned -
You wearing a hearing aid will make wearing hearing aids cool.
All the kids will want one.
HEY THERE! YOO HOO...
just passing by. thought you might like this (funky hearing aid):
http://powrightbetweentheeyes.typepad.com/pow_right_between_the_eye/2006/12/hearing_update_.html
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