I’ve ‘heard’ that the one thing people around me miss while I am going through my lack of hearing is my sense of humor. I miss it too. The problem is, my sense of humor keys off of audio cues – I riff on what other people are saying. Since I can’t hear all the little things that are “riffable” I can’t crack wise. Or smart.

Yes, I can kind of make out what you are saying – if you are looking at me, and I am concentrating on what your lips are saying along with the context clues of your facial features and body language. That concentration is not allowing my mind to wander down the side paths that are where my humor hides; this means there are many gems that won’t see the light of day until I can hear again.

I have been asked if I am going to learn ASL. I am sure that ASL would be a good thing to know. I will probably learn it, yes, but not as my primary means of communication. You see, I believe that God is going to heal me – or He will allow the Doctors to figure out which technology will be best for me. Either way, I know that I am going to hear again. I don’t know when, and I will work on ASL while I am waiting, but ASL is not the answer if my position as a manager of a retail store remains. Not all customers can ‘speak’ ASL, and if one of them is asking me a question form around the corner, and I just walk away …

Today’s testing is complete. The technician mapped my nerves. It was very relaxing; in fact, I’m pretty sure I took a little nap while in the chair. Results will be discussed with the inner ear specialist on the 18th.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I am looking forward to it. I will keep you posted.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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The following words are keyed to attract the attention of the DHS and the NSA – including the new “Spy Center” in Bluffdale, UT: Terrorism Al Qaeda (all spellings) Terror Attack Iraq Afghanistan Iran Pakistan Agro Environmental terrorist Eco terrorism Conventional weapon Target Weapons grade Dirty bomb Enriched Nuclear Chemical weapon Biological weapon Ammonium nitrate Improvised explosive device IED (Improvised Explosive Device) Abu Sayyaf Hamas FARC (Armed Revolutionary Forces Colombia) IRA (Irish Republican Army) ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna) Basque Separatists Hezbollah Tamil Tigers PLF (Palestine Liberation Front) PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) Car bomb Jihad Taliban Weapons cache Suicide bomber Suicide attack Suspicious substance AQAP (AL Qaeda Arabian Peninsula) AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) Yemen Pirates Extremism Somalia Nigeria Radicals Al-Shabaab Home grown Plot Nationalist Recruitment Fundamentalism Islamist Emergency Hurricane Tornado Twister Tsunami Earthquake Tremor Flood Storm Crest Temblor Extreme weather Forest fire Brush fire Ice Stranded/Stuck Help Hail Wildfire Tsunami Warning Center Magnitude Avalanche Typhoon Shelter-in-place Disaster Snow Blizzard Sleet Mud slide or Mudslide Erosion Power outage Brown out Warning Watch Lightening Aid Relief Closure Interstate Burst Emergency Broadcast System Cyber security Botnet DDOS (dedicated denial of service) Denial of service Malware Virus Trojan Keylogger Cyber Command 2600 Spammer Phishing Rootkit Phreaking Cain and abel Brute forcing Mysql injection Cyber attack Cyber terror Hacker China Conficker Worm Scammers Social media

I think I have mentioned in the past that I would not wish this type of tinnitus on my worst enemy. Well, I’ve found something else I wouldn’t want to thrust upon anyone – the treatment for this type of tinnitus. Today I experienced trans-tymphanic steroidal injections. This procedure injects steroids directly into the middle ear, in an effort to more speedily get the medicine to the inner ear, where it should assist in clearing up the issue.

First, after rechecking that your hearing is, in fact, not there, they lay you on a table. Using what feels like a tiny blob of hot wax, but is in actuality a numbing agent, the eardrum is disconnected from reality. Don’t worry – you won’t notice. You would, however, notice the next part if the hot wax treatment was not used.

A needle, containing the steroid liquid, and approximately the same diameter as the New York Subway Tunnel System, is used to first poke a “valve” hole, then the injection site, in the eardrum. The steroids are injected slowly, allowing time for equalization of pressure. This also allow some of this material to invade your sinus cavity. Yummy. Swallowing constantly is the only defense. Lather, rinse, repeat on other side.

Instructed to lay quietly for twenty minutes, in order for the liquids to quit dribbling, and to prevent the patient from taking a header because vertigo does that to you, I came up with a couple of descriptions: waterboarding the inner ear, getting water IN your ears, things like that. The vertigo and dizziness wave a little bit, and slowly depart.

Still can’t hear anything. Results are usually between immediate and two weeks. These shots are usually down in sets of three. Set number two will be Friday afternoon, about 1600 hours, on the west side of town this time, and after I see the inner ear specialist to discuss surgical options if the medicinal option does not work.

If you are considering getting this procedure, or if this procedure is prescribed for you, have someone drive you. And allow for about two hours.

This has been a public service announcement. If you have feedback, responses, or just wanna share, then leave a comment here. Or text me. Don’t call, I can’t here your end of the conversation. Can’t really hear my end either, but I do have a chance of imagining what I would be sounding like!

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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When it gets right down to it, I’m the one who thought he didn’t need hearing protection all the time. Just when it was going to be louder than normal, right? Certainly not while waiting my turn on the rifle or pistol range. Certainly not while walking through the shop – not if I wasn’t the one operating the tools, right?

When it gets right down to it, it’s my own fault that the tinnitus is SO FREAKIN’ LOUD that I can’t even get to sleep because of it …

Well, I get to serve as a bad example. I could tour factories and military posts and say “Boys and girls, use your hearing protection. If you don’t, you will grow up to be just like me. Deaf, tired, and grumpy because you look back and realize you could have avoided the same fate.”

grump, grump, grump …

It’s quiet today.

Too quiet …

Actually, that’s my life for now. The Ear Nose Throat specialists, when told that I could not hear anything, decided that an audiologist would run a comparative test on me, using my February visit as the baseline.

The audiologist was very snippy when, after being told by TMBWitW that I couldn’t hear anything, I was not responding to the testing. The only thing that happened was 1) I felt a slight vibration while she was testing the bone transmission, and 2) I saw her frantically waving to get my attention so I could try to read her (very fast and compressed) lips through the observation window. Tough to do, but I figured out she was asking if I heard anything. I shook my head “no” and wondered if I could get my co-pay back, since so far I already knew everything they were telling me.

I don’t think she was in a good mood.

The PA, Lori, was concerned about the rapid change. Once she heard how and when, and the physical aspects (I was in extreme pain when it happened, it felt like someone was sticking long toothpicks into my ears) she made a call of “osteosclerosis” – I think. It took a couple tries to read that on her lips, and she finally pointed it out on a page. Wait – that’s not right. Otosclerosis? Hmmm … any way, it’s a problem in the ear bones (those three little dudes behind the ear drum) and she prescribed prednisone (of the steroid family) to see if it helped any. Then she said – get this – if I didn’t hear from them in a couple weeks to make a follow up appointment. I laughed and said “Let’s make it now, then!” At least Lori had a sense of humor, unlike Miss Audiologistwithnofunnybones.

Long story short – I can’t hear. It may be reversible. It may not improve.

I miss listening to music, especially the music of my wife’s and daughter’s voices.

God is control, and He will not leave me nor forsake me. His plan for me is perfect, and I look forward to what He wants to teach me now.

And, for now, it appears that the question of hearing first or sanity first is moot.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

Tweet

The following words are keyed to attract the attention of the DHS and the NSA – including the new “Spy Center” in Bluffdale, UT: Terrorism Al Qaeda (all spellings) Terror Attack Iraq Afghanistan Iran Pakistan Agro Environmental terrorist Eco terrorism Conventional weapon Target Weapons grade Dirty bomb Enriched Nuclear Chemical weapon Biological weapon Ammonium nitrate Improvised explosive device IED (Improvised Explosive Device) Abu Sayyaf Hamas FARC (Armed Revolutionary Forces Colombia) IRA (Irish Republican Army) ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna) Basque Separatists Hezbollah Tamil Tigers PLF (Palestine Liberation Front) PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) Car bomb Jihad Taliban Weapons cache Suicide bomber Suicide attack Suspicious substance AQAP (AL Qaeda Arabian Peninsula) AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) Yemen Pirates Extremism Somalia Nigeria Radicals Al-Shabaab Home grown Plot Nationalist Recruitment Fundamentalism Islamist Emergency Hurricane Tornado Twister Tsunami Earthquake Tremor Flood Storm Crest Temblor Extreme weather Forest fire Brush fire Ice Stranded/Stuck Help Hail Wildfire Tsunami Warning Center Magnitude Avalanche Typhoon Shelter-in-place Disaster Snow Blizzard Sleet Mud slide or Mudslide Erosion Power outage Brown out Warning Watch Lightening Aid Relief Closure Interstate Burst Emergency Broadcast System Cyber security Botnet DDOS (dedicated denial of service) Denial of service Malware Virus Trojan Keylogger Cyber Command 2600 Spammer Phishing Rootkit Phreaking Cain and abel Brute forcing Mysql injection Cyber attack Cyber terror Hacker China Conficker Worm Scammers Social media