What Are Your Biggest Achievements Despite Tinnitus?

I would like to know if there is anything that you are particularly very proud of having achieved in spite of having tinnitus and/or hyperacusis? Something that you wouldn't have thought was possible? Specifically careerwise, but I'm interested in any other thing that you consider a success.

I'm still in the "life is ruined" phase and looking for some hope at the end of the tunnel.

 

Great question! I'm still working full-time and meet my deadlines. However, I would say I have at least a few hours every day that are a challenge since my work environment is very quiet, and I haven't bought any maskers yet.

I have resumed my normal cooking life. Initially I couldn't cook at all because of the tinnitus except very simple items. However, now I cook most of my meals and try a couple of new recipes a month.

I had a week-long work trip to Guatemala in February with a few personal days. I love travel and I am glad it went pretty well. I need to "practice" traveling more with tinnitus.

Unfortunately, I still have not driven since I got tinnitus. I don't need a car where I live, but I used to rent a car during the weekends. I had just started driving again a year before tinnitus after many years. I still have sleep issues, so I don't want to risk it. So, this is where I feel most handicapped.

 

Thank you, @Lilah for the inspiring comment. You seem to be doing good.

I hope that you will get back to driving soon.
This is an issue for me too, I was in the process to get a driving license, but it got postponed due to tinnitus. It would make my life so much easier, but I'm with you that I need to get my sleeping issues under control before continuing.

 

Well if this can give you some hope and strength, I can reveal that my tinnitus has hit me when I was in the middle of my PhD studies, my son was 1 year old and I was running my own business on top of that. I was under lot of stress and this with a combination of headphones and prior exposure to loud music was the reason I believe I got my tinnitus.

I learned then (as almost everyone here) about this cursed condition and that there's no cure. I thought my life is over, I had blamed myself for doing this to me. Nevertheless, despite the odds I finished my PhD project, wrote and defended my thesis. Then I found new job related to my PhD field abroad, and moved there with my family. Now over 7 years have passed since the onset, recently my tinnitus got bit worse, but I am not losing my will to fight. I am learning everyday to accept it as part of my fate/karma. I am more kind to myself, I blame modern and cruel world for bringing this condition to me and many others, rather than myself.

I have better days and worse days. I have also a huge deposit of anger towards this cursed condition. (Not sure if this is a right sentence in English). This gives me energy to fight it and get through every day. I find helpful to read scientific articles (aka know your enemy), support Tinnitus Talk and try to do some tinnitus studies with some fellow sufferers.

Additionally another helpful thing, is to be open about it, e.g. to your family, colleagues at work. They may not fully understand but at least this helps to avoid certain situations and lets you feel less as a freak e.g. when you escape or plug your ears at some loud moments.

 

Thank you, I really needed this today.

Especially about your studies. I'm struggling with studying so much, not sure that I will be able to finish my education, major concentration issues with the inability to sleep is really messing with my mind. I think I will give it an other go, then at least I tried.

Also, huge congrats on defying the odds, remarkable.

 

I'm still working. Went thru more stresses and made it thru.

 

I'm so glad that you could push through despite tinnitus.

 

Just 5-10 more years and for those with ear/nerve damage we can reasonably expect some reduction or abatement, based on the therapies in pipeline.

I'm proud to still be holding down a full time job and turning in high quality deliverables.

 

I'm currently doing a little garden project, have put fencing up and making a seating area and building a firepit. 18 months ago when tinnitus and hyperacusis first hit me I could barely function, doing any kind of DIY was beyond me.

Also I've been using a hearing aid for about 15 months as it suppressed the tinnitus but of course it's a balancing act with hyperacusis so when working in the garden I'd leave the hearing aid out and put up with the increase in tinnitus, as a result of using the hearing aid less the noise sensitivity has improved to the point I can be around people talking, my own voice isn't causing me discomfort and it's been like a revelation, the tinnitus is ever present but has turned into more of a white noise than a laser beam drilling into my head. I feel a little like my old life is coming back sometimes.

I was going to post this in success stories but don't quite feel I'm there yet.
I hope this gives a positive vibe to anyone reading.

 

Making over 10,000 posts on this forum!

 

Not offing myself

 

This may not totally be in the spirit of the post, but I want to give a warning to people to take care of your chronic illnesses. I regret not having more work/life balance after my first flare up in 2015. I did work at this in 2015-2017, but not in 2018-2019.

My greatest (career) achievement is part of the reason why I am so disabled. Do I blame myself in the sense that I should have known I would develop such a rare and debilitating manifestation of a disease? No. But at the same rate, I had an opportunity to get a diagnosis, back when leaving my house and getting tests done was more possible, and didn't take it. Hindsight is 20/20. Obviously I would never have stressed myself so much in the Ph.D. job market if I would have known that my disease would lead me to this. But it's still an experience I want to learn from.

In 2015, I was extremely sick -- in pain constantly, fatigue, tons of other symptoms. I ended up coming back to grad school and became very resilient. I worked in pain, took tests in pain. I ended up being successful through hard work and resilience. It was extremely stressful, but I achieved my career goals with flying colors.

Then the stress ended and my disease went bananas. In the future, even if I heal all the way back, I plan on living my life differently. Some members here have talked about meditation, mindfulness, and other ways to have more balance. If you can afford to do so, it is okay to not be resilient.

Acceptance is a dirty word and I do agree with everyone here that we shouldn't accept crappy medical treatments. No more TRT resilience bullshit. We want a cure (or at least a real treatment). But life is fluid and there are a ways to develop other passions along the way. I (used to be) a workaholic and I hope I manage these tendencies in the future. Is it fair to have to modify life? No. Am I an idiot for not knowing? No. But there are still life lessons to optimize happiness after being dealt a terrible hand.

EDIT: I should say, I don't know if I'm even going to recover. I'm just thinking about what I would do if I did.

 

@simb999pe

Thank you for your post. I am dealing with tinnitus and pretty bad hyperacusis and your post gives me hope.
I have bookmarked it to re-read when I need a lift.

Thank you

 

For now, putting on a smile and pushing through for my loved ones. Also picking up art again and making myself doodle something every day. It's not much, but then again, it's 2020. There really isn't much to do anyway

 

@LindaS thank you for your comment, I'm really glad i'ts giving you some positivity. It's good to have people that understand what we're going through. Hope things are improving for you.

 

I'm having a rough couple of days when everything seems just awful. So I would like to "resurrect" this thread for selfish reasons. So please, if you feel proud about something, or have some joy which could kind of demonstrate that it gets better, share it.

 

Hej, this is not about me, but my Ph.D advisor got his tinnitus in 2007 from noise trauma (cannon shot blanks during a reenactement), it never disappeared since then. He still managed to complete his Ph.D, his post-doc and he became professor. He also got two kids, climbed several mountains in Europe and South America and crossed the Sahara with a Jeep. He is one of the brightest person I know. I suggest this thread if you are are interested in academic achievements.

Edit. I recently found out that the Italian rapper Caparezza has been battling tinnitus since 2015. He also describes his battle in this song.

 

Getting 2 promotions at work in 3 years despite this dreadful ringing and now roaring. Making $100+K now, i worry a lot that I won't be able to work one day. It seems to always be getting worse. Luckily, I work in a quiet job.