What Is Life Worth without Hearing Normally?

Everybody's struggle is different. Hearing Loss/ T/ H its all very unfortunate but its hard to compare which is more difficult to deal with. Glynys had a good point about the hearing aids.
Have you given them a shot? Sorry if I missed that in the thread.
Good Luck!!

 

Oh my @Zug Pete Townshend I remember watching that video a few times with Keith Moon packing the kick drum with explosives. Not the best prank to play on your guitar player...then again Keith did a few things that werent to bright. Diving into a swimming pool with no water in it..wrecking a car and going back home to get another one and wrecking it too..

 

I think I'm the same age as you. So 28 at the moment. The only issue hearing I have, is around noisy, closed spaced, restaurants when people are yelling across each other.
As well when I'm driving, if my girl is speaking to silent on the damaged site. In that case I just remind her that she needs to be louder.


I carry earplugs on keychain, and if it's to noisy like cinema or pubs I put them on. I was on some concerts as well, although I generally avoid them now.

In general, brains adapt:
Rob Lowe for example, ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000507/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 ) is totally deaf on right ear and is doing just fine as well.

Here is my introduction post:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hello-everybody-introduction-personal-project.7376/#post-84404

As well treatment journal if you're interested

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...rsing-hearing-loss-tinnitus.8277/#post-108579

 

@jdjd09 I'm actually quite curious why you think you have hearing issue, since from what I remember your audiogram loss is not even in a speaking range.. ? I think that in your case you're still in shock from incident and you somehow convinced yourself that you're broken.

 

@jdjd09 ,
How are you getting on with hearing aids ?....lots of love glynis

 

@luka , can I also ask how your audiogram improved ? Also, my hearing is 20db and up from 4k and lower. Then it goes to 30db for 4k-6k. And 40db to 45db for 8k.

The other ear, the right ear, has 10db mostly.

I don't see how the above won't mess with my hearing ? Or am I wrong?

Also, has the laser treatment helped you at all? Or would that be a waste of time?

 

I'm not currently getting them, as I question the need for them as this level. But, I don't want to distract the thread with that topic, as it tends to distract people from the topic.

 

Anyone else have some thoughts on this? So people just move on ignoring the loud ringing and unbalanced hearing loss?

I guess I just don't get it.

 

@awbw8 , I appreciate this thoughful post. I guess my question is really how to find happiness in this situation. I guess be grateful for some things, but hard to find those things honestly.

 

If there is no choice currently, then, yeah, move on a bit. That TOTALLY DOES NOT MEAN that you will forget it, stop trying to help it, etc. But if you can try to give yourself a bit of a break from thinking about it, even for a few days, and do something that REALLY makes you happy (even a weekend getaway, etc.) it will put you in a much better mindset to keep coping. You can do both: live your life and attend to what you most value, AND, take care of the hearing/tinnitus (but not let it become EVERYTHING). Hugs, jd.

 

jdjd09 how loud is the ringing and what frequency is yours? Are you able to mask it with white noise / nature sounds / etc.?

I thought I recall you saying before it was the hearing loss that bothered you most not the ringing.

 

Well, I can tell you that I have never had a day of normal hearing in my life. I was born deaf in one ear. With my good ear I have been able to do all the things you said that you have a problem with now. Idk if that's b/c I was born this way and my brain somehow compensated for it or not, but I can tell you that I never wished that I could hear out of it. This tinnitus is a completely different story...

 

When you only had hearing in one ear, did you have the ringing then too?

 

Also, I really don't know how I am suppose to get on with enjoying and doing programming again with this issue? I mean, does anyone have thoughts on that by chance or experience with programming and hearing loss and tinnitus at same time (better if it was uneven hearing loss at younger age)?

Just at a loss.

 

In the same shoes as you Jd. We've talked through the inbox/conversation section about your issue. Sympathy is not going to do anything for you. You need to adapt to your issue, make the best of your life right now, and MAKE something out of it.

I can make a prime example out of my own losses in a very simplified manner.

I loved music. Music made me feel great listening to it. Felt many emotions growing up. Damaged my hearing/processing abilities of my auditory system. Now I can't hear very well like you. I feel no pleasure out of anything. But what am I doing? I'm BUILDING something from my absolutely terrible misfortunes. I've been learning about the science behind how our brain & body work and I'm going to try and graduate with a degree to be able to research more about it at a much higher level. I'm pushing through everything and I'm smart enough to not cause harm to myself and I have the hope that one day something will be developed to treat this hidden hearing loss I have. My life meant wayyyy too much to me to just end it. My connections to my past memories are way too emotionally strong to let go of what they what made them in the past.

What you have to do Jd, is literally push through your issues. I posted on your other forum months back and gave you changes you can easily make to your life right now. You only experience this world by how your brain and body experience this world. So what you're doing to yourself, what you are putting in your body, how you are treating it, is how you will feel everyday. Diet, exercise, self-control, and your thoughts are key to getting through your hearing issues. Trust me. We are not going to find a cure to our troubles very soon. The best we can do is try and MAKE a difference with the limited abilities we have without having the credentials to actually be a researcher in a laboratory.

I'm telling you, you're not going to get anywhere by posting on this forum asking questions like what's the point of living with hearing loss.

 

I was born deaf in one ear. I have never had any ringing in either ear until now. My hearing ear now rings. I think my deaf ear may also be ringing b/c it vibrates but who knows.

 

I think that it is so hard for you b/c this is a new feeling. I believe that I have had a small amount of hearing loss along with this obnoxious tinnitus. For my ENT to care I would have to not have normal hearing in my good ear. When you only have one ear, a small amount of loss is noticeable. When you are an anxious person, as I am going to guess that you are too, you are already more keyed into these minor changes than other people. Then, throw on top of it callous comments about how your affliction is no big deal, it creates even more anxiety.

 

Right, but then the question is, will I ever be able to program again like I did before? I could easily sit for 8+ hours and think about code and enjoy it. No issue what so ever. Just focused on coding.

Now, I feel like I just give up on stuff easier, question how I will ever do 8+ hours coding again, etc..? I LOVED coding, literally. It's what I enjoyed doing. Now, I don't know if I will be able to enjoy it ever again. The one thing I loved in life was this, no there is no replacing this or finding something else. I refuse to accept that. I really just want to code again like I did before :/.

 

My greatest love is my family. I love every minute of being a mom. I had a baby weeks before getting the T, since then I have been unable to enjoy anything like I used to b/c I am so preoccupied with my tinnitus and associated health problems. I refuse to let this thing rob me of my life. Today was the first day that I was actually able to put it out of my mind for a while. Hopefully, there will be more days like that until I forget about it. You will enjoy coding again. You just have to make it your priority, instead of getting your hearing back.

 

Thanks for responding @Nick Pyzik . I mean do you beleive I will still be able to program like before? Also, do you know of anything I can do at this point to protect the rest of my hearing until a cure comes out?

Thanks for any help.

 

Hey @jdjd09, instead of asking questions which can't be feasibly answered on here, why don't you go and ask some questions of a therapist?

Maybe when you get some of your mental health issues in order, you'll find it much easier to cope with your hearing issues.

Just a thought.

 

I have, they didn't help. Some attempted to even claim that the noise is equivalent to voices in ones head and attempted to give me meds for voices. Most are completely ignorant of what this is.

I ask on here because I want to hear from others thoughts on who are actually HAVING this issue. Please don't suggest go see a therapist. I've seen them and working how to afford one who has this issue in the first place. I don't have money or time to just throw around to go see this doctor or this therapist anymore.

I'm asking on here the above question for a reason.

 

And people are answering, and you are ignoring them, then the whole cycle starts all over again.

 

I'm am listenng, anyways not interested in fighting. I just told you I tried exactly what you suggested and didn't help. I am asking for people's inputs to the above question, who are experiencing what am, there hearing loss and tinnitus and programming with it.

I look forward to others inputs though.

 

Hey there. So, we've talked about this in PMs already, and I hope you know you and your well-being are cared about here. For that reason, I feel like a tough love truth bomb needs to be laid out.

If you're asking me, or anyone, if programming or coding with tinnitus or hearing loss or both (or deafness or cancer or lupus or what-have-you) is possible, then the answer is YES. It is 100% possible. How do I know? Because there are people out there doing it. I do it. There are people out there doing things big and small against ridiculous odds. I watched a documentary recently about a man who severely injured his knee and then climbed up Everest. Almost everyone told him he could not and should not do this. Doctors, friends, family, guides all said it was madness and impossible. He did it anyway because he decided he could and he would. He put in the work and made it happen despite everyone else's opinions. There are a million stories like that. People who walked again who weren't supposed to walk, amputees who enjoyed running marathons again on prosthetic legs, survivors of severs strokes who recovered against all odds. Musicians with tinnitus are all over the place and they still make a living playing music and love it. Heck, Beethoven went deaf - could not hear a single thing - and still wrote incredibly beautiful music.

So, can you program again with T and hearing loss? Yes. There is no question. Can you enjoy it again with time? Yes, no question.

Now, if you ask me will you enjoy it again? I really don't know and neither does anyone here. You need to decide if that's going to happen for you. It might not happen tomorrow, but you have to decide to take whatever actions are necessary to get back to a good enough mental state to enjoy your life and your loves again. No one can do it for you. People can support you and offer words of encouragement, therapists can help you talk through your difficulties, we here can all talk and cheer you on as you make changes, but you have to do it and you have to decide. I do no think you've done that yet. You ask for advice from people who have walked this path, but you could take it further. I went to probably 15 doctors before I found one that I liked, trusted and helped, I went across state lines and called people who lived in Colorado (I'm in NY). I meditated, did yoga, tried CBT, read countless medical studies, books on neuroscience, books on finding happiness in turbulent times, I journaled obsessively to get my thoughts and fears out there. I played video games and brain games to get my mind off my T (not a gamer), I watched inspirational documentaries, I went to church (not religious, but met really kind people who supported me). So much of this barely cost me anything and all of it helped just a little until things started to change. It's just the decision and commitment you have to make to be better, try things that may feel a bit uncomfortable and move forward even if you can't see how or when healing is going to happen yet. You start taking steps, don't give up and things will change. It's not easy and it's not fair, but it is possible.

I want so badly for you to get back to programming and feeling better, that's why I'm saying all this. I know you can get better, I hope you get to a point where you know that, too.

 

jd - Copy this out and paste it all over your home! It's ... THE ... truth.

 

The best option you have is to give your brain and body the valuable vitamins, minerals, nootropics, and herbs that this world holds in the form of supplements and food/liquid so that it can function at a much higher level than normal or in other words how it's functioning with the hearing loss you have. Don't over do it. But I'm telling you, as simple as this sounds, our hearing is very well associated with how our brain functions, so our mood, actions, thoughts, focus can all be influenced by it. With hearing loss, you lose these abilities so you need to basically put as many natural remedies in its place to allow you to feel good and be able to focus on the present and the future.

Exercise, meditate, eat very well, supplement carefully, and keep your thoughts positive. There is nothing out there that can help your hearing out the way it is except hearing aids. Although studies seem to show that they improve cognition in those with hearing loss, I think they are a scam.

Also, you really have no way to know if you've damaged the hair cells inside your cochleas OR have damaged the nerve fibers/neurons that connect to the hair cells to allow you to fully emotionally process those frequencies picked up by the hair cells. The standard hearing test we use to measure the health of our hearing is a bit off. The amount of Hair Cells in your cochlea don't measure your db levels. Your hearing threshold or how clearly/loudly you process the frequency spectrum depends on how many in-going nerve fibers you have connected to the hair cells. Yes hair cells pick up the frequencies, so you do need them to be properly functioning, but that's all they do. They are what amplify sound into your brain. The outer Hair Cells do not do that, which I also believe is incorrect.

So just warning you. There are two areas of your auditory functions that can be damaged from acoustic trauma.

You explained that you have trouble processing sounds when other noises are going on and that you can't hear conversations going on in rooms surrounding you. I'm just going to state that from the research I've been able to do with the valuable information put on the Internet for everyone to indulge in, it sounds like you've damaged the part of your auditory system that amplifies and allows your to "process" those noises/frequencies picked up by your hair cells. If it really was the hair cells who do all the work of processing noise, then hearing aids should be completely fixing the issues people with hearing loss have since its job is to "amplify" sound into the ear canal, but so far from what I've noticed, they don't completely solve the underlying problem. People, especially the elderly who have hearing loss and use hearing aids, still have trouble with background noise.

 

@awbw8, thanks you for that response. I read it and it is very helpful.

To you and other though, I really don't know how to get past continually searching for a cure or a timeline or living with this hearing loss. It's very hard to relate to anyone my age having this hearing loss. Hardly anyone has hearing loss like this anywhere, until they hit maybe older age (past middle age).

I don't know how to find anyone or relate to anyone like this. It would help to have someone my age, who has my hearing loss level, to tell me how they got on with life.

 

Well, I had mine since birth so that is way before you got yours and the loss is half of my total hearing so it's worse than yours and I was fine. Fine as in I did well in school, I have a Master's degree, friends, family, etc. No one ever cared that I could only hear out of one ear. No one ever saw me as disabled. I have met other people who have hearing impairments worse than yours and would have never known if they didn't tell me.

What is it exactly that is bothering you so much? Is it the actual feeling of not being able to hear as well? Or is it that you now see yourself as having something wrong with you? Do you have tinnitus too?

 

Hearing was important to me. I protected it like crazy, wore earplugs to concerts (and hardly ever went) before I even had an issue. Was wearing earplugs when to supposed "offending" issue took place.

I'm bothered because music was important to me and dont know how to enjoy it as much now. Also I liked listening to things around me and now really can't do that. Can't hear conversations in the next room now for example.

I'm bothered by a lot of it. Yes I had ringing before this and it didn't bother me. That was without hearing loss though.