ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: Debbi on May 10, 2008, 06:17:06 am

Title: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on May 10, 2008, 06:17:06 am

Hi All-

I am just curious as to what sorts of noises people get in their deaf ears?  For the first couple of days post op I had some very intense noises - loud drilling sounds, voices, a lower pitched buzzing.  These all seem to have gone away at about day two, so am not sure if they were drug-induced, try tinnitis, or surgical noise memory?

Since then, the noises I hear are mainly a low-frequency chirping and sometimes a noise like an echo cardiogram which seems to follow my heartbeat (almost like I can "hear" the blood whooshing through my veins?)  This isnt a constant, but does come and go, mostly when I am laying down.  BTW, I had NO tinnitus before surgery.

What have others experienced?

Debbi - listening to the bird singing in my ear...

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kaybo on May 10, 2008, 07:11:39 am

Debbi~
For some reason I hear LOTS of kids voices - shouting & giggling - and dogs barking........HMMMMMMMMMMMM..... ::)

K

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: leapyrtwins on May 10, 2008, 08:22:30 am

Debbi -

I have no noises of any kind in my deaf ear - just stone silence.  I didn't have tinnitus before my AN surgery either.  I guess I'm just lucky - or weird - whichever way you care to look at it   ;D

Jan

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: yardtick on May 10, 2008, 08:49:02 am

Debbi,

Sometimes I think I hear the door bell ringing.  My sons look at me like I've lost it!!!  Really deep, low men's voices really bother me.  If we are driving and someone has a boom box in their car and the music is on with the base full blast, it goes right through me.  I cannot describe the sensation but it is like I'm being tortured.  When I go into the vault at work or a bus passes me, I get this weird tunnel like sensation, with whoa, whoa noise.  Nuts isn't it!   

A lot of the time I have a hard time figuring out where a voice is coming from.  Especially at work.  It is so noisy to begin with and if someone calls my name, I'm like a deer in the headlights.
My sons get annoyed if I don't answer them right away when they call me.  I'm normally cooking, was dishes or in the laundry room with the washer and dryer going so I really can't hear them.  It's just payback for all the times they ignored me!!! ::)

Anne Marie

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: lori67 on May 10, 2008, 10:23:35 am

When the phone rings, I hear what sounds like someone snapping a rubber band in my deaf ear.  Kind of a "pingggggggg" sound.  And when I'm just about to fall asleep, I sometimes hear what sounds like wind blowing.  When I pick my head up off the pillow to see if it's actually windy outside - it's not.  I guess it's just that windtunnel in between my ears making all that noise!

Other than that, it's pretty quite on that side of my head.  Now, the other side must be really good because I can also hear Kay's kids and dogs!

Lori

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: chocolatetruffle on May 10, 2008, 04:23:47 pm

i had tinnitis for many years (high frequency ringing) and a few months before my surgery i also had the whooshing sound of my heart beat in my GOOD ear.  Immediately after my surgery, i hear people talking, i hear someone vacuuming the floor, i even hear someone singing  ???  thank goodness it only lasted for a couple of days :'(

Now i get a continuous low muted ringing which could increase depending on the noise around me, but it did not really brother me as i am so used to tinnitis.  However, occasionally i get this static, firing sound that goes ZAP!!!! - this only happens when i hear a slight noise in my good ear, and for the first few months, i also see a quick flash in my eyes whenever i got "zapped".  really weird and i have not seen anyone posted this particular experience but i read somewhere in this forum that the firing sound is due to the severed nerve's memory.  but how about the flash in the eyes? anyone got this experience?

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Melissa778 on May 12, 2008, 08:31:16 am

I have no real "tinnitus" now...and I ahve 100% hearing, so I'm curious to see what my outcome will be.  I do get the Wind-tunnel effect like Lori, and I have the heart thumping, blood woshing sound quite alot too.....going to be a major adjustment I think.  I hope this improves for you Debbi.

Melissa......chewing fingers, as I now have no nails left.......71 hours and counting....

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on May 12, 2008, 08:34:52 am

Well, at least mine seems to be diminishing daily.  Last night I only heard the little chirping noises for a little while. Pirate smile and non-blinking eye aside, I really have been very lucky not to have some of the other compications. 

Debbi (chirping in NJ - and helping Melissa countdown)

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: 4cm in Pacific Northwest on May 12, 2008, 10:37:03 am

I have had this very high frequency tinnitus noise since I was a tween. I fell off a ladder (2 stories) as I was locked out of the house… and tried to climb though a window…  the ladder slipped.

I really think this was the birth of my AN tumor- not so much the concussion but more likely the 1970’s radiation level head x-ray that followed in the emergency room after the fall.

Mine seems to be directly related to input sound. If I am sitting upright in a totally quite space- I have no ringing at all. If I am in an air-conditioned building it is tenfold. Post surgery it was the constant sound compared to a refrigerator compressor ( low and resonating). I actually made my husband replace our old deep freezer as I was quite convinced that it was resonating through the wall (the master suite is one floor up from the garage and the freezer was plugged into that shared wall) thus I thought “logicalâ€?. I won’t even start on all the other things  :-[ that I had him either repair of replace: the cell phone that must have been broken as it sounded so muffles (I was using the AN ear back then for the phone  :-\) … or the left speaker in the family van I was quite convinced was shot (my AN was in the left  :-\)

Now I only get that sound if I am very fatigued, ate too much salt and/or laying horizontal. On really fatigued days, when I lay down, I get these electrical shock sensations (body almost convulses alongside) that randomly ping loudly through the ear (I am wondering if I am having pooling of dura fluid near the ear drum.) However it is becoming less frequent as surgery is now further behind me… and the brain (& brain stem) is readjusting shape and form - that was previously taken up by tumor.

I am curious as to how ANA posties here have had changes in their tinnitus from pre-op to post-op. I have also discovered that doing stretching of the head, neck and spine muscles can change the tinnitus frequency level… so I wonder what the physiology explanation is for that.

When I look at this self portrait of Van Gogh after he cut off his ear...
http://www.vggallery.com/painting/p_0527.htm

...I wonder firstly if he had a major case of tinnitus that just drove him insane… and secondly I wonder if he may have had an acoustic neuroma tumor that was never diagnose because there were no MRI’s in his day. We know he had excess lead exposure because analysis of this has been found in the paint in his artwork.

“Tinnitus?�- MMMMM??? Has many of us asking questions…

Debbie- this a great thread you started. I hope everyone chirps in with all their bells and whistles stories…

Daisy Head Mazy

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on May 13, 2008, 06:59:26 am

Hhmmm - very interesting that laying horizontal and salt increase the tinnitis.  Now that you mention it, I definitely noitice more noise when I am laying down.  I'll have to start paying more attention to other things that may trigger it.  Thanks, Daisy Head!

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: 4cm in Pacific Northwest on May 13, 2008, 09:36:01 am

Debbi,

There is always naturally some fluid surrounding the ear drum- but somehow I think both the AN tumor and the AN treatments alters this level of fluid and maybe that is part of it. I am hoping someone comes up with a sound physiological explanation as to why the tinnitus changes when we are horizontal.

I think it might be much like a construction level type ruler with water bubbles on either end- or how it changes as it is moved from vertical to horizontal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_level
I also think that those of us who lost 100% hearing (or had the vestibular nerve snipped to get the tumor out) that we are sort of like that level ruler (or spirit level is the “technical term�) but one of the water bubbles was removed. We have to work twice as hard to keep the ruler actually level as only one of the gage bubbles functions properly. It is like the other bubble just malfunctioned and is sloshing around- creating tinnitus.

I also feel that this is why so many AN patients complain of fatigue. Our brain is working twice has hard to maintain balance compared to the average 2 hearing eared functioning healthy person.


Is that a crazy analogy or what? :-\


Signed,

Daisy Head Mazy
(With a spirit level in her tool belt LOL)

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: lori67 on May 13, 2008, 10:04:38 am

Daisy - or should I call you Mazy??

Are you saying we're not level-headed anymore??  :D

I think I already know the answer to that...

Un-level Lori

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: 4cm in Pacific Northwest on May 13, 2008, 10:17:53 am

Lori,

You ARE funny. :D  ;)

Daisy Head Mazy

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kathleen_Mc on May 16, 2008, 02:55:32 am

At times to sound like I have a sea shell on my ear, I hear ringing like the phone/doorbell, high pitched squeeling. Has been the same in the "deaf" ear since the surgery 18 years ago.

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: GM on May 16, 2008, 03:57:57 pm

In my AN ear I hear mostly the same tone like the one you would hear in an extremely quiet room…image nothing is on, no noise at all…that “pitch� …is my noise.

Now on days that I get extra “treatsâ€? from my AN ear.  I have more of an occasional “ringâ€? like when you wet your finger and run it along the rim of a wine glass?  Especially if I run my hand on my non-AN ear…along the outside edge…I get that wine glass “ringâ€? in my AN ear...wierd huh?

I’ve noticed on those “wine glass ring� days my tinnitus in my AN ear is louder…fortunately it doesn’t stay long.

Gary

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on May 17, 2008, 11:03:39 am

Hhmm - that's interesting --- now if only the wine itself could miraculously appear!   ;D

Which brings up another odd thing - I love a good glass of red wine, but since surgery the mere thought of wine makes me wrinkle the good half of my nose in disgust.  Wonder if I'll regain my palate for wine???
Debbi

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: sgerrard on May 17, 2008, 11:23:22 am

Quote from: GM on May 16, 2008, 03:57:57 pm

Now on days that I get extra “treatsâ€? from my AN ear.  I have more of an occasional “ringâ€? like when you wet your finger and run it along the rim of a wine glass?  Especially if I run my hand on my non-AN ear…along the outside edge…I get that wine glass “ringâ€? in my AN ear...weird huh?

I had that exact symptom for awhile, back before treatment. I explained it to my ENT, and he looked at me like I was crazy. I am so glad to hear that someone else has experienced it. The effect of touching your good ear and getting a ringing sound in your AN ear was truly strange - what sort of electrical impulses and nerve connections do you have to conjure up to explain that one?  ???

Steve

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: oHIo on May 17, 2008, 01:42:30 pm

Debbi,
My tinnitus is a constant, high pitched noise which is made worse by loud noises in the room.  I can make it stop, or at least decrease by putting my finger in my hearing ear.

I have also noted that when I am on the phone, waiting for someone to answer, I get feedback of the phone ringing in my non hearing ear.  It sort of freaked me out to begin with. 

During my recent Baha evaluation. they tested my hearing to document I was truly deaf in my right ear.  (I could have told them that for free  ;) )  When they tested tones, I heard some of them (that were directed into my right--non hearing ear) in my left ear.  The audiologist explained the term (which I have forgotten) and stated this only meant my hearing in my good ear was good enough to compensate for my deaf ear.  They turned the background noise up in my left ear and I could no longer hear the tones directed into my right.

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on May 19, 2008, 12:54:04 am

my tinnitus is the rustling leaves / rushing stream sort of noise, unless of course i'm in a noisy environment, then the birds start up, and the occasional 747 passes in the head (being european, that should be an Airbus A380). Right now I'm listening to some rock, and the tin is adding to it in rhythm, clicking away nicely. Adds something to the music, actually.

All that of course is only the case when I pay attention to it. Most of the time, I ignore it. Not going to let it take over the few brain cells I have!

Debbi, just over a month post surgery? Ya, your taste for wine will come back, no fear. Mine did. Enjoyed a nice glass of Cab Franc last night... yum. Anything else tastes off or not like it should?

Ciao

Lorenzo

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on May 19, 2008, 07:15:49 am

Buon Giorno, Lorenzo!

Well, it's only been not quite 3 weeks, so I guess I can't complain about the fact that wine doesn't yet appeal.  Had a sip of beer the other day and that tasted dreadful.  Otherwise, most things taste as they should, with an occasional bit of metalic thrown in just to confuse the issue.  Being a lover of food, I am quite happy that my taste buds don't seem to have been impacted much at all.  And, you're right - eventually wine will start to taste good again .. .I hope!  I've got some special bottles in the cellar just waiting for an occasion...

Ciao!
Debbi

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: 4cm in Pacific Northwest on May 19, 2008, 10:59:34 am

Lorenzo,

I have missed you. You will pleased to learn I went to Peet’s… and had another caramel latte yesterday. When I ever I go to Peet’s I always ask myself "I wonder how my coffee-holic buddy Lorenzo is doing?" ;)
 
I am at month 9 and apples and grapes still do not appeal to me.  :-\  Last night my husband opened up a bottle of local Oregon merlot at the dinner table- to which he enjoyed. I thought it tasted absolutely putrid.

I am beginning to think that my Oregon Pinot Noir wine tasting days are over- and I will simply remain “the driver� for touring house guests.


Cheers,

Daisy Head Mazy

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: MaryBKAriz on May 19, 2008, 11:28:57 am

Conatant high picthed sound sometimes loud others medium-loud. Then in the background there are indiscernable sounds like that of mumbling people. VERY strange

Mary

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on May 19, 2008, 03:34:13 pm

Ciao Debbi,

:)  I tested my wine savouring abilities tonight with a  glass of petite syrah and I am happy to report that they are working just fine! I had nightmare for months post-CK at the idea of spending a life without tasting food as it used to. Metallic, salty... No fun!  Fortunately it all came back a few months later. Can't remember the exact time frame, but it didn't take too long. Now, I'm back at loving food!!! :) 

and yes, even coffee. LOL  Peets eh? you addict!  LOL  You can blame me for that!  :)  Long time no hear indeed. Hope you're doing ok?

Ciao a tutti e tutte

Lorenzo

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: yardtick on May 19, 2008, 03:41:51 pm

Daisy,

Hang in there, you WILL be able to enjoy wine again.  I had the same complaint this time last year, you see my husband makes award winning wine and several varieties and I  was heartbroken thinking I'd never be able to drink it again.  I was very wrong.  I now find salt to be the problem.  I use salt, I like salt, but lately everything is too salty I have to get Louie or one of the boys to taste my cooking.

I've developed a real sweet tooth.......is it an age thing or a neuroma thing  :-\

Anne Marie

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: yardtick on May 19, 2008, 03:55:12 pm

Hey Lorenzo,

Louie's best wine for 2007 was petite syrah.  My sister and brother-in-law have been making wine for almost 40 yrs and thought Louie bought the wine.  John almost fell off the chair when Louie told him he made it from grapes.  That husband of mine is a perfectionist.  Lorenzo, I'm saving you a bottle for the next time you swim across the ocean.  Oh yeah from what I understand the prosciutto was outstanding also :P

LOL,
Anne Marie

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on May 21, 2008, 08:54:17 am

Prosciutto and Petite Syrah? I'll mail you my address! Not sure I want to wait until I make across the ocean again!!!!!  :)  You're lucky, wonderful.

Ciao, Lorenzo

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on May 22, 2008, 06:50:11 am

Did someone say prosciutto??  Can a lovely wedge of parmigiano be far behind???  Or maybe a wedge of melt-in-your-mouth gorgonzola with a crisp pear???  Maybe a little prosecco -- or a nice sangiovese...

Can you tell I am sitting in my hospital room, having just contemplated a meal of instant oatmeal and Lipton's hot tea?

Debbi - bored at NYU

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kaybo on May 22, 2008, 06:56:02 am

Debbi~
I know the bored routine...I don't usually just "sit around" like I did in the hospital -- just as I suspect you don't either!!  Is there a nice, sunny sitting area you can go to?  How about Willie making a Starbucks run for us????

K

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on May 22, 2008, 09:50:31 am

I was thinking melon with the prosciutto, with a glass of prosecco. Nebbiolo with a serving of shaved parmigiano with some nice honey. Hospital food is dire here too! Fortunately I never had to experience it. Stanford has great laces to eat in not far from the CK site!  :)

Ciao, Lorenzo

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Angela on May 22, 2008, 02:46:09 pm

Most of the time, I hear high-pitched white noise.  Sometimes the irritating noise will change and break up, as if the bad speaker on AM radio is finally burning out.  No such luck, my deaf ear finds a new "frequency" and does it's thing again.

I haven't heard [what sounds like] my own blood rushing through my head since before "Timmy the Tumor" got scraped away.

If I look hard to the AN side, the noice intensifies!  That's weird.

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on May 22, 2008, 03:04:14 pm

Not that weird actually. there's a term for eye movement related tinnitus too, but I can't think of it right now. the American Tinnitus Association mentions it on their site. End of day for me here so can't go and find the link, sorry.

Mine is whistling right now, I have a train in my skull! Great. Time to go and ignore it again.  :)

Ciao, Lorenzo

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: sgerrard on May 22, 2008, 08:48:01 pm

There's always time to Google.  :D

Perhaps you mean "gaze-evoked tinnitus," as described here: http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14177808

Two quotes:

"Objective: The authors describe symptoms and population characteristics in subjects who can modulate the loudness and/or pitch of their tinnitus by eye movements."

"Conclusions: Gaze-evoked tinnitus after cerebellar pontine angle surgery is more common than was previously believed. In addition, posterior fossa surgery is not a prerequisite for the development of gaze-evoked tinnitus. It is likely that gaze-evoked tinnitus is a manifestation of functional reorganization. Gaze-evoked tinnitus could result from an unmasking of brain regions that respond to multiple stimulus/response modalities, and/or from anomalous cross-modality interactions, perhaps caused by collateral sprouting."

Ah, collateral sprouting. Should have thought of that.  :D

Steve

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on May 22, 2008, 10:33:43 pm

'cross-modality interactions'
'collateral sprouting'
'unmasking of brain regions'

these people / this person obviously never heard of plain English!  Collateral sprouting, sounds like a sideways garden.  :D

Just did a search on gaze evoked tinnitus, and a lot of hits turned up, some of them talking about how prevalent it is after AN surgery.

Ok, time for me to go out and water the garden.

Ciao, Lorenzo

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: bpham on May 23, 2008, 03:50:33 pm

After 2 weeks of surgery, i heard loud tinitus (I had it before surgery), but louder after surgery.  However, after about 2 months the noise died down and now back to the level b4 and I do not care anymore...

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on May 27, 2008, 08:59:20 am

Interestingly enough, I only occasionally get the birds in my ears now.  I am trying to figure out if it relates to anything or if it is just random.  Now, if I could only regain my taste for wine...   :P

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Captain Deb on May 31, 2008, 03:48:49 pm

I hear these lil suckers!

(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/AF422Tree-Frog-Posters-1.jpg)

Lots of 'em! Not too upseting really.  Reminds me of balmy nights in the Caribbean with my hammock stung between two palm trees and the smell of frangipani on the sea breeze.  I just need to put on some steel band music and blend up a Pina Colada (minus the rum for me as I am the designated driver.) At first I heard the 747 that carried all the touristas to the island as well, but that went away after a few weeks.

Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/pirate2.gif)

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: shygirl on June 01, 2008, 07:54:20 am

Hi, I thought I'd let ya'll know what noise I hear... a veeerrrryyy loud white noise. A finger in my good ear does the trick, though. It used to be a seashell sound. I liked that-it was relaxing, but this....Huh.

shygirl

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Dan on June 01, 2008, 09:29:06 am

Before surgery I had the sea shell sound but now I think it sounds like hundreds of Cicada, they are queit far away but still loud.  We don't have any here in Germany but when I go to Greece (Cos) in Sept they will probably still be active.

Dan in Germany

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on June 01, 2008, 02:19:03 pm

Now that you mention it, I get a little of that white noise thing, too.  It is almost like being in a vacuum of some sort - but, in my case, very faint.  I still get the chirping, but mostly when I am tired.  What's interesting is the the hearing in my good ear seems to be more sensitive now?

BTW, Dan, I am envious of your trip to Greece in Sept - what a perfect time of year to go!

Debbi

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: GM on June 01, 2008, 02:22:58 pm

It sure would be nice to hear the winning lottery numbers...vs all of this other stuff ::)

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: sgerrard on June 01, 2008, 02:33:17 pm

I'm like Dan, I have crickets where ever I go. When I step out on the back porch, they sound like they are up in the trees, a perfectly normal sound. They sound much more out of place when I am sitting in the sound proof booth for a hearing test. :)

Steve

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: leapyrtwins on June 01, 2008, 07:29:14 pm

Quote from: GM on June 01, 2008, 02:22:58 pm

It sure would be nice to hear the winning lottery numbers...vs all of this other stuff ::)

GM -

if you figure out how to do that, sign me up  ;D

Jan

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kaybo on June 15, 2008, 08:56:24 pm

Hi Donnalynn and welcome!
Sorry you still have this, but I am glad that your problems are getting better.  Almost all things do get "better" with time, but since I am not a Dr., I cannot tell you that it will go away all together.  I had surgery12 years ago and I got so used to the noises that I really thought that I didn't have any!!  Only when it is really quiet (not often around my house) do I notice it! 

Continued improvement...glad you're here - feel free to ask any questions you might have!

K

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: leapyrtwins on June 15, 2008, 09:01:44 pm

Hi, Donnalynn  ;D

I don't know the answer to your question.  I am SSD and don't have tinnitus (sounds in my ear).  I just wanted to say welcome and tell you how glad I am that you are joining us.

Jan

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: sgerrard on June 16, 2008, 12:13:08 am

Hi Donnalynn,

If you figured out how to upload your picture on your own, you are doing just fine. It takes most of us a month or more to do that.  :)

Don't worry too much about where to post ( "Is that an Issue or an Inquiry?"  ???). You can start a new topic if you want, or add on to another one. Please feel free to join in anytime. There are all sorts of people with all sorts of ANs here, so you are sure to find people who can answer your questions, or just cheer you up. Jan and K are two good ones.  ;)

Welcome. Don't ask for a hat right away.  :D

Steve

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Omaschwannoma on June 16, 2008, 05:08:18 am

Steve, I read your reply/post regarding "gaze evoked tinnitus" and yep, when I gaze towards my AN side the sound does increase--albeit slightly.  For the longest time I've experienced a considerable increase in sound when I reach around to scratch my back just below my scapula on the AN side.  Somehow the nerves in the muscle have a volume switch there directed to my deaf/dead ear!  So I've got that goin for me, which is nice!

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on June 16, 2008, 06:29:42 am

Arushi, If you find what spot you need to scratch on your back to turn the sound down, will you let us know please? Thanks.  :)

Steve, there are hats going?? Really? Can I have one? Must be grey wool, without ear flaps. Apparently I have a big head.

Donnalynn, welcome to the forum / madhouse. This is a great bunch of people, so you've come to the right place for information, support, laughs, and the occasional morale boost when required.

Ciao a tutti,

Lorenzo  :)

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on June 16, 2008, 09:00:04 am

donnalyn - welcome!  About all i can tell you is that some things seem to get easier with time.  I am still completely confounded when the phone rings - and I can't tell if a phone is ringing on TV or in my own house!  I am sure I look like a nut running around trying to find a phone.  If my husband is here, I'll look at him real calmly and casually ask if he hears anything   :D  He's onto me now, though - and responds by asking, " what do YOU hear?"

Steve and Arushi - never heard of the "gaze invoked tinnitis" - very interesting. And, I'm with Lorenzo - if you find an "off" spot let us know?  While the birds/frogs chirping isn't really all that bad, it would be nice to shut it off at will!

And Steve, what about these hats we keep hearing about???  You'd better get to knitting, my friend!

Lorenzo - I am regaining my taste for wine!!!!!  I had a little goat cheese, pear and pinot gris on Saturday - quite heavenly!

Of course, as some of you may already know from my surgery update thread - I am also now "spitting" sutures...   :-\

Debbi - chirping now interrupted by spitting sutures...

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Lorenzo on June 16, 2008, 09:18:37 am

Debbi,

Spitting sutures? Well, at least you're not spitting wine anymore! Yesss!  Finalmente.  taste does come back, thankfully.  Pinot gris and goats cheese... yum. Would have been perfect with my bread. Had some Prosecco with dinner last night! Taste for wine still with me I'm glad to report.

So you have the same 'where's that phone' thing, I ahve it with my wife looking at me in a funny way... I now just ignore it, and let her react. Much less embarrassing.

Tinnitus for me isn't too bad mostly. Got used to it and don't hear most of the time. I remember there were times early on in recover that it reall got bad and drove me insane. By the way, the American Tinnitus Association has a website people can check out, www.ata.org  Gaze invoked tin is a reality, read about it somewhere a long time ago. If I turn my eyes sharp left I get louder Tinnitus too. Sigh.

Ok, time for my daily walk.

Ciao

Lorenzo

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kaybo on June 16, 2008, 09:26:19 am

Debbi~
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I still get sounds confused - however, I just think it really adds excitement to my BORING (LOL!) life!  It was a bit unnerving when the girlies were little and would cry in a different room, but for the most part it is just a funny nuisance now.  I do have to tell you a funny story, though (bet that is surprising - a story form me!)...my friend that I talk to on the phone (a LOT) has a clock that chimes every quarter hour (or at least every 1/2 hr)...the funny thing is that her clock chimes the EXACT SAME way my DOORBELL does.  I am forever asking her if her clocked just chimed - used to I would go to the door!!  LOL!!  However, I will say that one day we were over at their house and the clock chimed and Emee went to the door because she thought that it was the doorbell!!   ;D

K

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: mimoore on September 06, 2008, 01:59:09 pm

STOP the tinnitus it is driving me CRAZY. I am SSD in my left ear and have to live with this constant noise in my deaf ear. I did not have this prior to surgery.
It is like a seashell at my ear and does change sometimes to a higher ringing. I have tried to ignore it and does work for a bit but this stinks. Does it ever go away or is this something we live with forever?
Welcome Donnalynn! ;D :D ;) :)
Michelle  ;D

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: cin605 on September 16, 2008, 07:41:47 pm

I have all sorts of noise too.Yesterday it was like i was underwater if i touched my ear it was really lound but if i rub my fingers together outside my ear i hear nothing.
The relly loud blocking 7 unblocking sounds are getting better(some days)
I have constant tinnitus just like before surgery thats how i acually discovered something was seriously wrong.I didn't even realize my hearing was 1/2 gone in that ear it was the ringing for 3 months that took me to the emergency room.Went to docs for vertigo for 10 years they said it was inner ear infections.
So..Thank God for tinnitus. ???

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: petittrv on September 17, 2008, 12:37:13 pm

I had the wooshing (blood in my veins-type) noise too for a couple of months.  I had tinnitus for several years before being diagnosed and I still have that (in both ears) although I'm so used to it by now it gets blocked out pretty well.  That is the only sound I have now in the deaf ear - I've never had the voices.  One bonus I've found is that now if I sleep on my good ear, I hear nothing all night and sleep very sound.  It doesn't matter what goes on around me or if the kids are crying - I just sleep right through (I used to have to fake that but now I don't have too!).

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on September 17, 2008, 12:52:34 pm

My noises in my deaf ear are pretty much down to an occasional chirping which I don't notice most of the time.  And, I agree with you on the issue of sleep.  I always sleep on my good ear and I hear NOTHING!  No husband snoring, no dog snoring, no cats playing - nothing!  It's great!

Debbi

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: cin605 on September 17, 2008, 08:00:42 pm

WOW!You girls are onto something!I am definatly going to give it a try. ;)

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: wendysig on September 18, 2008, 05:27:07 am

My husband snoes so loudly I can hear him downstairs (and that's with the bedroom door closed) when I'm awake.  I sleep on my hearing side too and never hear so much as a peep at night.  I guess it's good that there's at least one advantage to being SSD!

Wendy

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kaybo on September 18, 2008, 07:01:16 am

You know I had babies AFTER my surgery so that was a GREAT excuse for my hubby to get up with them..."I didn't hear them!" - which I didn't!!   ;)Of course, I had to feed them & he would wake me for that, but when they just woke up and needed some attention or as they got older...it was him a lot more than most daddy's!!  I got a good one!!

K

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on September 19, 2008, 05:45:34 pm

I must say that I find quite a few positives to being SSD.  Who knew?

Debbi

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kaybo on September 19, 2008, 07:14:40 pm

Debbi~
Another good trick is that when you are a teacher and you have to put that misbahaving kid next to your desk but they chatter incessantly - just stick em on the deaf side!!   ;)

K ;D

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Angela on October 09, 2008, 05:02:37 pm

All my friends think that being seated on my right (deaf) side is an unspoken insult  :P

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Kathleen_Mc on October 16, 2008, 12:57:55 am

Angela : I am actually guilty of purposely sitting with my deaf ear towards people I have to sit with, say at dinner functions, who I don't care to speak to, and then I just ignore them and they think I didn't hear them! ('cause others will chime in that they're on my deaf ear!).......this can work to one's advantage!
Kathleen

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: wendysig on October 24, 2008, 11:04:43 pm

My tinnitis has always been on the quiet side until the last couple of days.  In fact, I barely noticed it unless I was somehere really quiet.  Now that the weather has started getting colder I've noticed a marked increase in its volume -- what was once a low, almost non-existant whisper has become a low but definite ringing sound.  Has this happened to anyone else?  I'm attributing it to the change in temperature because I can't think of anything else that's different. :-\
 :-
Wendy

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on October 28, 2008, 09:00:22 am

Wendy -

Interestting about the barometric changes and the tinnitis.  I don't have any more ear-noise (thank goodness) but my other symptoms always magnify when the weather changes (today, for example!) and I suspect that it may have something to do with internal swelling and general redistribution of body fluids.  We are currently getting a mix of rain and snow (UGH) and when I walked down our very long driveway to the mailbox awhile ago I was all over the driveway - no doubt looking quite terrifying to anyone who happened to look out their window!

Deb ;D

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: wendysig on October 28, 2008, 10:40:14 am

Hi  Debbi,
I haven't  been out yet today but need to pick the girls up from school later.  IUt will be interesting to see how my balance is once I get out there.  It does seem a little more off inside.

Wendy

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Sue on November 01, 2008, 12:11:30 am

First of all Cheri, I'm glad you and your bionic hubby weren't electrocuted by static electricity!  Good Grief!

Secondly, I wrote a song/poem about noises in our heads and posted it on the Good Morning thread awhile back.  This is what I thought of when I was hearing strange noises, like doorbells and radios.

The original version of the real song can be found at this website. 
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/hearsinging.htm   It is by Irving Berlin and it's called:

(I Wonder Why) You're Just In Love
[sometimes called "I Hear Singing"]

So here is my version...I changed radios to music because I thought it sounded better.  This is a famous duet, with one person singing the first part and a second person singing the second part, at the same time.  Perhaps someone will want to present this at the Chicago Symposium!   ;D ;D ;)  Hey, I'm not the official Poet Lorry-ette for nothin' you know!


I hear doorbells and there's no one there                               
I hear music but I know not where,
All day long there's buzzing in the air
I wonder why? I wonder why?
I hear noises in my head all day,
And what's more, it doesn't go away
Sounds that used to never bother me
They sound so loud to me, I wonder why?

You don't need analyzin'
It is not so surprisin'
That you hear everything you hear
Your brain hears pitter-patter
I know just what's the matter
Because I've been there, too, my dear
In your head you've got a tumor
Yes it's real, it's not a rumor,
Those AN's bring on a symphony
There is nothing you can take
You might as well commiserate,
And then, by gosh, we'll sail out to sea!


 :)

Sue in Vancouver, USA

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: Debbi on November 04, 2008, 12:31:21 pm

Cheri-

Okay, that is officially weird!  I can't say I've experienced anythign like that and I would be most curious to hear what your doctor says (if you are brave enough to tell him/her! ;D)

Debbi, staying tuned to Cheri's frequency... 

Title: Re: What kinds of noises do you hear?
Post by: vjgfamily on November 04, 2008, 07:54:02 pm

I'm sorry, but I haven't read all the responses, yet.  I had my surgery (AN; 4+ cm) 20 years ago, and I still have the same low/medium ringing/buzzing in my deaf ear that I had before surgery.  Immediately after surgery, I had intense buzzing (like a bee in your skull), and this lasted for several months.  Gradually, I've gotten used to it, so I only notice it if I pay attention to it.

Your's will constantly improve, I predict.

Thanks,
Verl