The Sound of Silence

 

On January 25 of this year, I woke up with no hearing in my left ear—suddenly, and without warning.

A few years ago, I noticed some loss of clarity in my hearing and made an appointment for a hearing test. However, it was impossible to conduct the test because one ear (also the left) had so much wax in it. I contacted my doctor, who referred me to an ENT. However, the specialist could not get me in for an appointment for over six weeks. Uh…no.

I went online and followed directions for flushing the ear with peroxide a couple of times. Then, I used a bulb syringe and warm water to complete the flush. Chunks of brown wax came out. Oh, and my hearing appeared to return to normal. Of course, this was during Covid, so I never scheduled another test.

This time, I assumed the cause was wax again. So, I flushed the ear. However, it did not help.

My Facebook friends raised concerns and encouraged (some ordered) me to see the doctor ASAP. The first appointment I could get was on Monday, the thirtieth.

She confirmed: no wax. She gave me a referral. Just as the last time, this doctor had no availability for over six weeks. They suggested contacting another doctor, which I did and made an appointment for February sixth.

Meanwhile, my primary doctor did some research and called in a prescription for strong steroids.

On the sixth, I underwent an extensive hearing test. The conclusion: “sudden sensorineural hearing loss.” The specialist explained that sometimes a virus of unknown origin will cause the body to attack the hearing. No known trigger or cause, and no effective and simple cure. Darn!

The only recommended treatment is steroid shots directly through the ear drum. (OUCH!) After the injection, the patient must remain perfectly still for fifteen minutes to allow the inner ear to absorb the liquid. (It is supposed to be more effective than systemic tablets.)

The recommended course is three shots over one week.

The other possible (though less likely) causes could be a tumor or blockage on the nerve or on the eustachian tubes behind the ear drum. In order to eliminate these as the cause, I am scheduled for an MRI.

Today, I had the third of the three shots. I’m sorry to say, there has been no change whatsoever. I still hear as though I am down a well with no sound from the left. ☹

I love music. During my younger years, I did not listen to excessively loud music. Instead of loud rock, I listened to classical or showtunes. My iPods (yes, plural—I have several) contain my 20,000 favorite songs. I listen to them on the computer, in the car, and on long car rides.

However, with no stereo sound, my pleasure is considerably diminished.

I am finally nearly recovered from my broken leg, And now this…

I can’t seem to catch a break.

After the MRI on Thursday, I will undergo another hearing test. If there is still no improvement, we will do two more inner ear shots.

Once again, my many, many friends on Facebook have proved invaluable. Several have told me about people they know (or themselves) who have gone through the same thing. All have experienced improvement.

Whatever the outcome, I will no doubt require hearing aids—just like nearly all of my friends. And I am grateful for the technology!

So, one step at a time, praying for a positive outcome.

Back to the Park

 On November 21, I fell at Disneyland and broke my leg. By the time our daughter, Kim, arrived home for a vacation on the evening of December 16, I had finally gotten the purple cast on. As part of her Christmas gift, we had bought her a one-day park-hopper pass for the 18^th. Of course, she was going to use it, and I wasn’t going to miss going!

We had rented a wheelchair for a month, so we decided Larry and Kim would push me in the chair. Kim especially wanted to go on the two rides in Star Wars Land. Larry and I had already been on both of them, so we waited outside while she went single rider. There is a special line for single riders where the ride operators can take people to fill ride vehicles with empty seats. (Remember this hack when you visit!)

Kim went on both rides, and it didn’t take nearly as long as if we had all tried to go together.

Haunted Mansion Holiday is also one of her favorite rides, so we headed there next. We checked in with the wheelchair and got a time to come back. While we waited, we went to the coffee place in the French Quarter for New Orleans-style coffee and beignets.

Then back to the Haunted Mansion. We were taken to the handicapped entrance. I had to leave the chair and take about five steps using my cane to get on the ride, but it worked well.

Then they pushed me over to Small World. They covert the ride to Christmas music, and Kim and I both enjoy it. We got to ride in the special boat with the wheelchair tiedown! I felt very special!

Next, we took the monorail to Downtown Disney where we went into the Grand Californian to sit in the lobby and listen to Christmas music. This is a holiday tradition!

We next went to Disney’s California Adventure and went on Soarin’ (my favorite ride in either park).

We were getting hungry, so we went to the wharf for lunch. Larry and I had clam chowder in bread bowls, and Kim had Chinese nachos. (Who knew?) It was a cold day, and the soup tasted good.

Next, we went on Tower of Tower. Kim hadn’t seen the new theming, and she enjoyed it.

Kim wanted to ride the Cars ride. Once again, she went single rider. (We usually do it this way, too, even when we both ride.)

Larry and I meandered over to Starbucks for cappuccinos to warm up. While there, we talked to two different families. (This is my favorite thing to do when we visit the park: meet new people. Many are either locals or visit often. We compare notes.)

Kim returned and enjoyed her hot drink. By this time, it was getting late, and the day was getting quite cold. Larry went to retrieve the car while Kim and I went through the shops. We didn’t find anything we thought we needed.

Larry brought the car to the pick-up area in front where we met him.

Another lovely day in the parks.

Follow up: Today I heard from the folks at Disneyland. It looks as though they might pay for the wheelchair rental and a couple of other incidentals from the accident. So, we should not be out-of-pocket for much. Fortunately, I have excellent insurance.

All in all, we are doing pretty well and are ready to go back again soon!