Hearing After Surgery

[digby]

Hello:  I posted this question in another section by mistake and hope that someone here has had the same experience. I had middle fossa surgery at the end of May and my eyes are getting better as is the facial nerve.  After the surgery my doctor said that he had saved the hearing and had good waves.  I had reallly good hearing until the pressure dressing was removed and then the hearing when to almost zero.  It is 11 days since the surgery and there is some improvement but not much.  Have any of you had this experience and those that have retained hearing did you loss the hearing and then have it come back over time?

[sgerrard]

Hi Digby,

I'm glad to hear you made it through surgery, anyway. I can't really say on the hearing question, I didn't have surgery or that experience. I wonder what your doctor has to say about it? It seems like something they might treat with a short course of steroids, to see if it restores the hearing. It is possible to lose hearing even if the nerve is intact; in fact I lost about 50% before treatment, but the nerve tested much better than that. It can also be affected by pressure, blood flow, and other things.

Hoping for the best,

Steve

[Dan]

Hello Digby,

I had 30% hearing loss before surgey, two days after surgery I had 50% hearing and no paralysis.  7 days after surgery I had almost 100% hearing loss and no facial movement on AN side.  Within a few days the hearing started coming back but only returned to 50%.  The Facial paralysis after 8 months is alot better but still not 100%.
The surgeon said that after the pressure dressing came off and they started reducing the meds. that I probably had swelling that pressed against the nerves.

Dan in Germany

[digby]

Thank you for the message.  The surgeon removed all of the neuroma without doing any damage, I hope.  After almost two weeks, my eyes are working fairly well and the facial nerve is coming back.  The hearing is still not good but at least today it isn't any worse.  The surgeon wouldn't say that the internal swelling is the cause of the problems but did say that it was possible.  I've been told by other folks who have had the operation that things seem to come together near the end of three weeks so I'm hoping that next week shows some major changes.

Glad to hear that you are doing well.

Warren

[er]

Hello digby,
I am not able to help you answer your question, you might still have some swelling
 but I do want to say congradulations on your good recovery. 
eve

[marymomof3]

Hi Digby - Glad to hear the surgery was successful!  My surgeons said that if the nerve wasn't damaged, I just needed to be patient.  I didn't have hearing issues, but I did have some facial dumbness post surgery.

Hang in there!
Mary

[leapyrtwins]

I didn't have hearing issues, but I did have some facial dumbness post surgery.

Just wanted to clarify that Mary had facial numbness post op.  Sometimes a typo can change the entire meaning of a post

Jan

[er]

sure does Jan.

[marymomof3]

Oh my!!!  I suffer from facial dumbness too!!! HA HA HA!!!  That is hysterical!!

[lacey7]

I have this question about SSD.  When you are out in a crowd, is it hard to hear ANYTHING, if there are 5-6 conversations going on around you?  Or, if you are in a noisy restaurant?
What can we do about that?  Tell the people around to stop talking at once, and just one at a time  (ha.  I don't think so), or you can't go to strangers and tell them to SHUT UP!!!!  ha.
So, what is the best answer, and what does it sound like in a SSD, when this happens?
I have my surgery in 11 days, and we were out to dinner with 6 couples, and I knew this would be coming up.
Please help me to understand what to do.
Thanks for helping me thru all this.  It's very scary.  I think the tumor has grown b/c in April my hearing was 20 percent loss.  Now,the loss is 45 percent. 
Please help me to know what to do in advance.
Lacey

[er]

Hello Lacey 7
Usually if we walk into a restaurant with friends and family I try to set with my good ear towards the person I am going to talk to and then cup my ear to hear them. I usually don't have problems with people getting their feelings hurt because they understand. And no you can not tell the surrounding people to shut up. Try to ignore them or just walk out and go someplace else. When I am on the phone I have to go out of the room to be able to hear them if I don't I can not stay on task with the person on the phone with every one talking.
eve

[leapyrtwins]

Lacey -

as Eve suggested, it's best to try to sit with your good ear towards the person or people you are talking with.  When I'm at a long table, I try to sit at the end so that the majority of people are seated on my right side (I'm deaf left).  That way, even the people across the table from me are to my right. 

If someone is on my left side I typically turn my body towards them when they are speaking so that my right ear can catch what they are saying.

It's helpful, though not always possible, to ask to be seated in a quiet area of a restaurant - a private room is the ultimate situation.  You can also try to schedule your dinner or lunch at an "off" hour so that the restaurant is less crowded.   Less people usually equals less noise.

These are all tips I learned prior to getting my BAHA.  Having the BAHA hasn't solved my hearing issues 100%, but it has improved them.

Jan

[Jim Scott]

Lacey:

I've had SSD for about eight years.  It began long before my AN diagnosis and I've fully adjusted to it.  It's a handicap but I don't consider it a disability.  Everyone reacts to SSD a bit differently.  I chose to cope but a BAHA is an effective aid if you choose it.

To answer your question about crowded rooms and hearing: I hear the crowd noise too but the voices are mostly indistinguishable .  The only real problem is hearing someone talk to me from across the table, especially if they are a 'soft' or 'low' talker.  One one occasion (a wedding reception) I was almost leaning completely across the table to hear a woman talk to me.  I eventually moved to a different table, just to avoid the situation (she wasn't saying anything interesting, anyway).  Usually, I can hear the person sitting on my 'good' (hearing) side O.K.  At a long/round table, I do have to tell the person on my 'deaf' side that I'm deaf in that ear, can't hear them and ask them to tap me on the shoulder if they want to talk to me.  This has never been a problem.  Of course, my wife is almost always with me on these occasions so she helps, a lot, by telling me what someone said (that I missed).  Naturally, when possible, I avoid very noisy situations, especially crowd scenes.  However, I can't always avoid them so one learns to cope over time.  Fortunately, my 'good' ear retains excellent hearing ability, which is an asset.

I hope these comments are of some help to you...and best wishes for your upcoming surgery. 

Jim

[lacey7]

Thanks so much to everyone who responded to my question about SSD.  I can't wait to get this surgery over with.
I know this group will be there with me, and supporting me.  I'm so blessed to have this group.  My daughter will be posting here and updating everyone during my surgery.  She lives in Florida, and is coming to Michigan to be with me.
9 days and counting.
Lacey