5month post op

[tweety]

    :-*I am 5 months post op and had a follow up appointment Thursday.  I feel I am doing pretty good except with minimal hearing in my AN ear and the tinnuitis continues.  I have found that definitely caffeine and alcohol make the tinnuitis get louder.  I guess I will just have to adjust and that takes some time.  My balance is almost back to normal, standing on chairs and cleaning with no problems.  I had my post op MRI last week and Dr. Chen said no MRI for 5 years.  I thought that was a long time but he said it is not necessary unless I have any new symptoms.  I am not ready to pursue the BAHA YET!!!! I had enough surgery in 2010, will wait and decide next year.  My hearing is not good enough for a hearing aid at this point but Dr. Chen said it has improved since 6 weeks post op.  I hope it continues to improve but I am just glad I am back to all my activities.  Thank heaven for Dr. Chen and Dr. Aziz.  They are wonderful surgeons and I feel fortunate that crazy thing is gone.  I guess the tinnuitis will just be my background noise.  I sing in a music club and when I sing the tinnuitis sings too.  Guess I will get used to that also. This is a great site and I read it nightly.  I recommend this site to anyone that calls with this diagnosis and I am amazed at how many calls I have gotten . "Thanks to all."  Happy Thanksgiving!!! Tweety

[Syl]

Tweety:

Unfortunately, for a BAHA you need to be SSD. I have 20% word recognition in my AN ear. I wasn't a candidate for a BAHA. I did, however, get a regular hearing aid. It doesn't help with conversations, but helps diminish my tinnitus & helps with directionality when I'm outdoors. If I don't wear my hearing aid, sounds are distracting. For example, my tinnitus, which is usually a buzz, buzzes to the rhythm of the sound. If it's a conversation that I hear, my tinnitus takes on the rhythm of it. If my dogs bark, my tinnitus changes rhythm. It's almost as if the sounds echoed in my AN ear, but in the form of tinnitus. Maybe an earplug can help you when you sing with the club.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

Syl

[Lizard]

Tweety,
Congrats to you on your 5 month mark, sounds as though you are doing quite well.  I'm so happy for you!
Liz
 

[Jim Scott]

Nancy ~

Thanks for the five-month post-op update.  I'm delighted to learn that you're recovering nicely (and quickly) with little more than diminished hearing and the dreaded-but-manageable tinnitus to deal with.  Thanks too for your kind words regarding the ANA website and, specifically, the discussion forums.  Your kudos are definitely appreciated.  Now, keep enjoying your recovery but do check back with updates as you are able.  Thanks.

Jim

[CHD63]

Tweety .....

Congratulations on the good 5-month report.

I am a singer, as well, although I no longer do any solo work, I have continued to sing in a community chorus and church choir.  It took some getting used to the new sounds and I have experimented a great deal with the settings on my hearing aid to get the best combination.  It does not work well for me to be sitting with a strong singer on my good ear side because that is the only ear I can tell what I am singing.  So with the directors' blessings, I have been able to position myself appropriately.

Syl ..... I have a musician's plug that I put in my good ear when I am in a noisy environment (restaurants, movie theaters, etc.) and that greatly helps with the tinnitus and hyperacusis in those situations.  Wearing my hearing aid definitely helps the tinnitus, as well.

I can't say caffeine or alcohol has much affect on the tinnitus ..... but then I only drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning and rarely a glass of wine.

Clarice

[leapyrtwins]

Unfortunately, for a BAHA you need to be SSD.

I used to think this was the case, but my neurotologist confirmed that I was wrong.

You don't have to be SSD to be a BAHA candidate - you can just have "very poor" hearing in one ear.  Very poor is a highly subjective term; a lot depends on your hearing test.

The best way to determine if you are a BAHA candidate is to consult with a doctor who implants them.  Evaluations are made on a case by case basis.

Jan

[Syl]

I guess my hearing isn't poor enough. 20% word recognition was too much hearing for a BAHA.

Syl

[jaylogs]

Hey Tweety, good job so far on the recovery!! I've been living with the tinnitus for a long time now, about 3 years before my surgery. It's way worse now, there's no rhyme or reason when it'll go louder, but there are time when I do not notice it, so I guess I am in the "tolerable" category!   Anyways, continue to get better and you have yourself a happy Thanksgiving as well! Take care!
Jay