A Good Day for a Newbie

[Forever hopeful]

Just this morning I was posting my profile and my very first post with tears in my eyes, but I read many hopeful posts that actually helped me have a good day. I have had ringing in the ear or 12 days now and thought it was due to fluid in the middle of both ears, which I have. But two days ago I was told it was from a loud concert I attended two weeks ago. Not sure if there is hearing loss, as I see the audiologist and ENT Thursday. Anyway, I had pre existing plans to go out on our boat with friends today. I didn't want to go due to fears around the noise of the boat engine and my general state of despair ( and I have been in despair) having only had this for just shy of 2 weeks. Anyway, after reading posts about not letting T run my life, I bought a pair of decibel reducing ear plugs and went. The plugs worked well. I could still hear but the noise level was not too loud. For 7 whole hours I forgot about my tinnitus. We tied up at the wharf and had dinner outdoors and did a little shopping and I never heard T once. I am lucky that my T gets drowned out easily by ambient noise. I sure hope that continues. I actually had a meal. The first one I could choke down in 3 days. Now I am home and worried about whether I will sleep tonight. I have not really slept in almost two weeks. I know I have a long road ahead of me and habituation is a ways off but at least I had one day in the first 2 weeks of this where I felt some joy and hope that my life will somehow be good again even with this horrible condition. I want to cry every time I think that this is forever and how my life will never be the same. Will I ever be able to watch tv in a quiet room again or read to my kids without needing the TV and air conditioner on. I dread that. But today, was a good day. And I want to thank you all for sharing your encouraging thoughts, advice and stories of success. The strength it has given me means so much. Even if it was for one day. With the ear plugs , I may even be able to attend my son's birthday party at Dave and Buster's this week.

 

[Mike TerMaaten]

Thank u for sharing. Wow. I've been there. God. I've thought this line so many times, but have never said it.
-The next 4 months will be the hardest of your life.
At least that's how it was for me/ If you have the same experience i did. And it sounds like you're at the same level/
and dam, you might be.

What caused it? .......Concert...

It kinda changed my life. I haven't been to a movie since. never have the radio on in the car. watch a little video on youtube.com on this iMac. but otherwise no TV , until just recently, a few dvds.

I'm hearing mine right now! as i write this..

sleeping.

You may be sensitive to audio/speakers for the rest of your life,
I'm 2 years into this. had been doing great.

Went to a gentlemen's club/strip club (thought i was ok ). way too loud.

 

[marqualler]

Welcome, @Forever hopeful! You will find that this community has thousands of people who have experienced exactly the same thing as you have and have come out the other side better than ever. I know I have. Almost a year ago I first ran into the tinnitus that continues to ring in my left ear, but it has stopped slowing me down significantly. I know what you mean about dreading reading to kids without needing TV and air conditioner, but your day today sounds like you are already back on the right track.

The best advice I can give you is to definitely attend your son's birthday party with earplugs. You will find yourself so thankful to participate and enjoy time with friends and family. Spending time with my son was stressful when I was really in the throes of darkness in my early days but now it is one of my favorite things to do.

Thanks for joining and again, welcome!

 

[Forever hopeful]

Hi Mike,

Yes, it was from a concert. A very loud one. The other people who were with me are fine. I managed to sleep ok last night with some sleep aids and trying to refocus my brain to other noises in the room instead of what is in my right year, which I think is the affected ear.

A family friend is an ENT recently retired. He thinks that there is a good chance this may be be temporary since it was one concert and he typically saw this resolve in most people after some time. I know someone who had sound induced T and it resolved in 4 months. He links chronic tinnitus to people with repetitive loud exposure. However, from reading this forum there seems to be many people who got this from one concert and have continued to struggle for years so I am not hanging my hat on that. I am preparing myself that this will last .


One thing I am trying to do is use ear plugs whenever I think something will be too loud
I still listen to music in the car , just on low and watch tv with a white noise machine or AC on. I hope your spike normalizes soon.

 

[Forever hopeful]

Hi @ marqualler,
Thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I keep trying because in the end, what else can I do? I can either curl up in a ball of despair or choose to live. I keep telling myself that it will get better. Maybe not perfect but better. I actually slept pretty well last night with sleep aids and when I woke in the middle of the night trying to refocus my attention on the hum of the air conditioner and not on the ringing. I know habituation happens naturally as the brain adjusts but is there anything I can do to augment the process?

Going for a walk and then taking my two boys for a boat ride with ear plugs of course. Another day of trying to live.

Have a great day.




of course.

 

[Natalie Roberts]

Hi @ marqualler,
Thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I keep trying because in the end, what else can I do? I can either curl up in a ball of despair or choose to live. I keep telling myself that it will get better. Maybe not perfect but better. I actually slept pretty well last night with sleep aids and when I woke in the middle of the night trying to refocus my attention on the hum of the air conditioner and not on the ringing. I know habituation happens naturally as the brain adjusts but is there anything I can do to augment the process?

Going for a walk and then taking my two boys for a boat ride with ear plugs of course. Another day of trying to live.

Have a great day.




of course.

Wondering how you are doing now?