Deaf...just another curve ball

[Pete McMiller]

Sense of humor is a wonderful thing.      I know you'll get through this Jeff.  As another guy who has suffered with gradual hearing loss in one ear down to -90% I can empathize.  I hope this next procedure works great for you.

[shankspony]

Fantastic attitude! Can't help with your question but wish you all the best.

[paradocs]

Did they run Lyme titers/etc., Doc?

[meathead]

That's kind of rough Jeff.  I know you have been dealing with hearing problems for a long time.  Hope the Dr.'s can come up with a solution for you.  You will miss the ring of the hammer hitting steel I imagine.

[Yellow Dog]

Jeff, my thoughts and prayers are with you. You'll weather this one regardless of the outcome. You're a tough fellow and have my utmost respect. I consider myself fortunate to have shared camp with you on this thing we refer to as our "trad journey".

[starshooter]

Tippit, I share your plight of hearing loss. Born that way since day one. I had some hearing to get by on with help of aids .  Ten yes ago my hearing went south and I became almost completely deaf in both ears. I was a candidate for cochlear implant surgery which I uderwent back in 05.
It helped restore my hearing but it wasn't the Bomb. I still struggle with speech recognition and talking over the phone is unworkable. I heartbw twang of my bow and the thud of an arrow hitting target 25 yds out . So all is not lost.
All I can say is that I have many many deaf people both late deafened and outright deaf Deaf from birth. This has helped me deal with all problems esp accepting myself. Don't be in denial and be up front and you ll do fine.
Cochlear implant would definitely help as you have stored speech recognition. Also you can learn ASL no not the American semi longbow but. Sign language. Yep , it used to be heavily stigmatized back 40 years ago. All that has changed.. It's widely mainstream and taught every where's . It's cool...

[Guss]

Jeff,prayers for a quick recovery....
Jr.

[Gdpolk]

I'll be prating for you and your family.  This will likely put some strain on several people.  That said, implants are becoming more and more common with increasingly better technology and success rates.

[kennym]

Jeff, attitude is everything when you have troubles. You,my friend, have it nailed!        

BTW, I have one of your knives made from a buggy spring , excellent piece of work gifted to me by  a dear friend.

[Sockrsblur]

Jeff so sorry for this new hurtle to deal with. Your smart and will sort out the best course of action to take but just the same I send you all the well wishes possible sir!

Can I say to you that it is not necessary to come up with a new surgery every year to avoid Denton Hill?!? Just trying to make you smile. I was looking forward to stalking you down this year  
Please keep us posted Jeff!

[tippit]

starshooter,
Thanks for sharing.  I'm still on steroids for another week then in two weeks I'll be going back to set up the cochlear procedure.  I haven't had hearing in my right ear for 20 years so that is the one they will start with.  My hearing had been going up and down all week in the left ear until this morning when I couldn't hear at all.

paradocs,
Lyme titers are neg...but I have had it in the past almost everyone in New England is exposed.  Also seeing increase in Babesia and Anaplasma in people around here...but I have been in SC all fall through June.

Nate,
I try Not to hear the ring of the anvil with ear protection...guess that didn't work so well.

Jim,
I was so looking forward to making it back to Denton this year.  There's a slim chance I might come anyway...just to wave to ya'll if nothing else.  Problem is I won't hear the Tornado Warnings that usually blow through Denton.

Hey I'm still shooting my bows, casting my fly rods, and making bows & knives...not allowed to ride my horse till I'm off steroids but that will be in a week.  I'll let you know if I change my mind.

[Captain*Kirk]

Jeff, sorry to hear this. Last year in the wink of an eye I heard a loud ringing in my left ear and then the hearing went out. Completely. I waited 3 days over the Easter weekend to go to the ER. They sent me home with a referral to a hearing Dr.
The Dr. said I had SSNHL and gave me the steroids (prednisone) and said it 'should' get better after 10 days. After 10 days I was deaf as a stone in that ear. Could literally hear nothing.
I was devastated. One of my joys in life is listening to music and playing my guitars, and it just sounded all wrong. I felt like never playing again or listening to music. I read, read, read on the internet for hours researching SSNHL... Nothing but depressing, negative posts. And then I found this:

A website (temporarily unavailable) that posted international research on patients who suffered SSNHL and treated it by plugging (restraining) the good ear and listening to classical music (recommended by the study for the pure tones involved)with headphone or earpiece directly on the bad ear. Patients were instructed to do this 6-8 hours a day. Sort of like treating lazy eye by patching the 'good eye'
Here is the link if the website comes back up again:

  http://www.nature.com/articles/srep03927  


The first ENT had given up on me. Told me to go get a hearing aid. Have a nice life. Thank you very much. I saw a second specialist who was much more upbeat and encouraging.Said my SSNHL was probably caused by a virus (which he stated SSNHL is rising at an alarming rate with no apparent cause or reason) or possibly a mini-stroke in the blood vessel that feeds the inner ear. I mentioned the above procedure, he had never heard of it but offered this: "Can't hurt".
I started in immediately with the  constraint induced therapy treatment. I was not able to do the 6-8 hours but would plug the right ear and put on the phone, cue up YouTube and go classical in my bad ear (heard nothing but buzzing vibrations)while I surfed the web and forums in another browser window for several hours each evening...
Within 3 days I could hear water splashing in the shower and a crackling sound when I rolled down the car window. Within a week I could hear Tchaikovsky (very poorly, but I could hear it)It sounded like a radio with a blown speaker. I kept this up along with a healthy dose of prayer, multi-vitamins rich in zinc, and Ginkgo Biloba to ease the tinnitus.
Now, a year later, I know there is still some hearing loss, but the difference is night-and-day amazing. I can hear. I can talk on the phone, listen to music, and even plug the good ear and hear normal conversation! I would guess the hearing loss now is maybe 20%?
I urge you to give it a try. Like my Dr. said, "Can't hurt". Indeed.

[Bill Turner]

Prayers sent for a good man. God Bless you and yours my friend.  

[tippit]

Kirk,
Thanks so much for your response.  My history goes back 20 years ago I had sudden hearing loss and was deaf in one day.  At the time they thought it was an autoimmune response.  On steroids for a year!  Hearing would come and go but never got it back in my right ear...50% in left ear.  You are correct in that the experts don't know what triggers it...viral, old age usually slow loss but can come on suddenly.  I'm still hoping for it to come back as it has been up & down this past week.  I'm still going to have the cochlear implant in my non hearing right ear with the hopes of improvement.  I posted this mainly to see what dealings people had with this condition...not to feel sorry for myself.  The kindness and concern of Trad Gang has come through Loud & Clear.  Thanks to all of you...tippit

[KAZ]

Tippit, thank you for sharing your life with Tradgang. May God continue to Bless & use you for His Glory. My prayer is for full restoration and the joy & peace only God can bring!     Well done on all accounts, great attitude, carry on.....  

[deerhunter_w]

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Jeff

Originally posted by tippit:
Kind of funny, today I was reducing the weight of an old Bamboo Backed Osage bow.  When I finished it, I set up a new string including round rubber silencers      

That's OK Jeff! The silencers are not for us anyway.

Bisch

OK, I have no clue how this posted eight times!!!                  

Bisch

       

Bisch

:mad:     :mad:    :mad:

Bisch