Ability to sing with hearing in only one ear

[MMR]

Hi all,

I'm sure glad this forum exists! Since I was diagnosed on December 27 in Chicago with a 2.2 x 1.6 cm AN in my right ear, I've been reading here voraciously.

My surgery is scheduled up at Mayo for Tuesday, Jan 31, with Drs. Link and Driscoll. Retrosigmoid approach. Chance of salvaging hearing in the right ear: 20% to 30%. Chance of no facial nerve damage: 90%.

Are any of you who have hearing loss in one ear also singers? I'm just an amateur singer -- I've performed at a few weddings and now and then I have the honor of chanting Torah at our synagogue -- but singing is important to my creative identity. It would be a cruel loss to not have it anymore. (Of course, whatever the reality is, I will have to adjust to it.)

What has been your experience as a singer? Also, has your speaking voice changed at all -- that you can tell, or that others have mentioned?

Thanks so much for your help,
MMR

(I should add that the symptom that got me to my internist and then to the neurologist was mild balance problems -- like someone else said, it felt like being on a ship. The hearing in my AN ear is less than the good ear but still well in the normal range.)

[Boppie]

Not being able to sing anymore was so terrifying to me pre op.  I assume you want to know if you would still hear yourself sing in your good ear after surgery.  My one-sided AN hearing loss was not sudden, but over a long period of time it deteriorated.  Therefore I had translab surgery.  In my good ear I have not experienced loss of ability to sustain pitch.

I am a choir leader/singer both soprano and alto, three men and me.  I resumed singing at four weeks post op.  My musicians are very supportive.  They changed their locations in the room in order to put their sound nearest my good ear.  My first attempt at singing was scarey and sort of hit and miss.  I heard the feedback from the sound system and was listening to myself too much.  So I was about a quarter of a second behind the others like an echo.  I did better after a few measures by adjusting and ignoring how I sounded.  By the second piece I was able to sing out without regard to whether I was on time.  I just decided, I never had trouble with blending or time before, so, here goes.  Harmony (alto) comes to me by "ear".  Yes, its still there as true as ever.  When I sing solo I do fine, no problem.

I find that my voice quality is the same as pre op but breath control and volume are the elements I need to build back.  After all, 9 hours of anesthetic is a lot for the lungs to deal with.  If you enjoyed singing before surgery, you'll most defintely do it post op.  Please fill me in after your recovery. We can share notes and perhaps help other singing ANers.

[Pembo]

I noticed that with SSD you can't "hear" yourself in your head anymore. I'm not sure if that makes sense and I didn't notice it until I had my Baha trial headband on and it came back. Good luck to you!

[MMR]

Thanks so much for responding, Boppie. Puts my mind at ease. How about an AN Chorale? We'll just have to fight about who stands to the left of whom. 

And Pembo, I'm glad the Baha device is working well for you. I may be looking into it.