Solsaem Clinic (Dr. Minbo Shim) Experience

@JohnAdams hey bud. Just caught up on all this. Congrats my friend. I always said you were a true pioneer and I very much hope this works for you. Keep us posted mate.

 

@JohnAdams
I truly admire your courage buddy.
Very best wishes
Dave x

 

So they don't inject it in the eardrum in Germany?
Are they willing to inject it in the ear?

 

It appears so.

I can ask, but I’m going to assume no.

 

Oh so you've seen into the future and know what my audiograms are going to show?

 

I haven't experienced any hyperacusis since my trip. That being said I didn't have any for about a week or so before my trip either.

 

@JohnAdams How would you rate your tinnitus pre treatment, and post treatment, on a scale of 1 to 10?

 

yes and noxacusis is prone to recovering on it's own in some cases.

 

and here, folks, we have a great illustration of the problem with "research" where the sample size is one and the success criteria is "how do you feel"?

Eagerly awaiting audiograms.

 

To be fair, I think we'd struggle to get a huge sample size with Dr. Shim. Between the cost, the location and the experimental nature of the treatment, this will likely be the one case we read about it being done for a while.

 

How I feel right now isn't really relevant. What's important are audiograms. I will go in about 2 months and get my hearing tested. Depending on how my tinnitus behaves I may go sooner.

 

So you are more hopeful for an improved hearing test over improved tinnitus?

 

OK, enough with the ears already.

Was your wife or anyone with you? Were you able to get around to see Seoul at all?
The subway and train system is amazing, I think it was built/improved the year the Olympics were there. The country itself is very mountainous and pretty. Walking and hiking are like a national past-time.

TC

 

Tinnitus is caused by hearing loss. A better hearing test will accompany lowered tinnitus.

 

I hadn't read the thread properly, so I wasn't aware that a member had personal experience from the treatment in question. I apologize for this laziness.

 

Well, I was in the clinic for 4-5 hours a day and also trying to work remotely. Also the city was kinda noisy so I just stayed in Gangbuk-gu and Solsaem mostly. I did go to Gyeoungbokgung Palace on the one day I didn't have an appointment. I wanted to go up a mountain but my sleep schedule was not in tune with the normal day.
I was waking up at 1-2AM, my appointments were 10AM everyday and would last usually to around 2 PM and I would grab some food and do laundry, shower etc and be asleep by 5-6PM.

Plus getting blood drawn, injections in the ear, and the nervousness associated with everything was really tiring.

I'd love to go back with my family someday.

 

looking forward to your results

 

@JohnAdams
Yes, we went to that palace as well, although the most interesting palace I ever saw was the Shogun's Palace in Osaka, Japan. There were nails in the floor boards in the hallways so when you walked on them the floorboards squeaked. It was intentional- meant to act as a burglar alarm in case the Shogun came under attack.

If you like history, the War Memorial in Yongsan, Seoul is very interesting. It's really a military museum and they do a very good job informing about the invasions and occupations. Korea must have been primo real estate in the eyes of the emperors of Japan and China. They would alternately invade the country and of course impose their culture on the Koreans. The Japanese were the last to occupy Korea and very old Koreans can speak Japanese because they were not allowed to speak their language or use Hangul.

The last time we were in Korea we went up to Uijeonbu (roughly we-john-bu) where my son was stationed. It's about an hour and half train ride north of Seoul. Really interesting in terms of military history. The MASH unit that was the basis for the TV show MASH was there and as my son was driving us around we would go under what looked like old concrete train trestles except there was no sign of train tracks. Apparently they're called rock drops and were built by the south during the Korean war. If the north's army was advancing along the road the soldiers would intentionally blow up the structure and it would collapse leaving tons of concrete debris on the road, blocking the enemy vehicles from going any further.

Anyway I could go on but won't. I think Korea is under appreciated as a tourist destination and do hope you and your family get to go back one day.

Take care, TC

 

Yeah I learned a lot too. According to one Korean that I spoke with, there is an epidemic of men hiding cameras in public bathrooms trying to record women using the bathroom.
Also, those surgical masks they wear aren't because they are germophobes. There is an air quality report everyday and the masks are for pollution on bad days. According to the people I talked to, it is mostly blowing down from China. That's why some of the buildings looks so dingy, it's soot. The second apartment I stayed in was up on the 6th floor and one of the windows really showed it clearly. It was caked on pretty thick.

 

Are there any more daredevils planning to try this?

 

If John shows real improvement over the next 3-4 months. Then I MIGHT test it out, need a break from work anyways. Are Rams allowed to go?

 

@JohnAdams
This might be a strange question but how loud was the whole experience?

I have tinnitus and I don’t like loud noises (I don’t really have hyperacusis)

I wear earplugs when going out as I can’t stand noisy road and shopping malls etc..

So how noisy was the hotel you stayed at? The streets going to the clinic? His waiting room and the actually injecting into your ear? Etc...

 

No selfie with Dr Shim? I would love to see that on the ATA website. You in the chair and the good doctor grinning as he sticks you in the ear with the cure.

If this genuinely works shame on everyone involved in tinnitus in the western world for being a bunch of lazy incompetent and frankly downright corrupt assholes.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you John boy.

 

Why would anyone go before @JohnAdams gives his verdict? Fortunately I see John as one of the most trustworthy and legit people on here. If it works for him I’m going to go if Neuromod fails.

I cannot imagine a more poignant purpose in life than curing my T in South Korea of all places and then dedicating myself to ripping shreds out of the lazy ineptitude of the state of tinnitus care in the U.K.

 

Exactly, John is super solid. He literally went through a science experiment. So crazy

 

Well said buddy x

 

Yes exactly, and my verdict will involve audiograms.

 

I can’t wait to see them.

How is the T just now, John?

 

My apartment was very quiet.
It was a .7 mile walk to the clinic. With earplugs no big deal.
The clinic was not noisy.
The injections, well, they werent too loud but the feeling and sound is, well, unreal.

 

Hard to tell. I'm only half a week onto a 90 day or more recovery period. I feel like I can hear better, especially in my right ear, but that's just subjective.