6 mos post op and tinnitus

[ombrerose4]

I just passed my 6 month anniversary of my surgery and suddenly the past 2 days I have been experiencing tinnitus episodes. I've never had anything like this before. Its like a roaring in my ears and it makes me slighly nauseous. I am still dealing with headache and eye issues, and now along comes something new! Does it ever end?

[Pooter]

Your brain area is still healing..  It just takes awhile for everything to settle back down and get back to it's right place..  It's not like a sponge that will just go back into it's 'form' immediately.  I'm sorry you're having to deal with tinnitus, however I can't tell you if that will go away or if it's here to stay.  The good news that even if it's here to stay, you'll learn to ignore it over time.  Many people have said they can't even hear theirs unless they focus on trying to hear it.

Ahh, the gift that keeps on giving...  Gotta love ANs. 

Regards,
Brian

[Lizard]

Pooter this is so true, all sorts of unwanted gifts.!

Ombrerose, I have all sorts of post op issues as well, but although tinnitus can be annoying at times you will learn to ignore it.  It doesn't hurt or look funny or not close or twitch, so its probably not the worst issue, but I can understand how loud it can be.  Give it some time and it might even go away.  For now try a white noise machine or some soft music to help drown it out.

Keep your head up!
Liz

[ombrerose4]

Thanks Pooter and Liz- I am trying to be patient with my recovery, but some days I just get frustrated. I read other posts on the forum and see people who are skiing and bicycle riding at 3-4 months post op and I just want to be there too. I know 6 months is not a long time after brain surgery but I guess with the nice weather I am getting impatient with this new me. And then I read posts from others saying how it took 2 years to get back their energy level and feel like themselves again, and I hope that won't be my story. Don't get me wrong, I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT I AM ALIVE, I just get mad sometimes that this is all happening. But I know we AN'ers are a tough bunch, so I will dig my heels in once again and keep going. Thank goodness for this forum and all of you who help so many of us get through our bad days

[Lizard]

No problem and that's why we are here.  You have every right to be mad at the AN , but its important to be positive keep your head high and dig in like you said.  Hopefully you can enjoy the nice weather with a hike or some relaxing in the sun, I know first hand how hard it is not being able to do the things you did prior to surgery, but you will get through it. Its the little wins that keep you going! 

Liz

[bell]

Ombrerose,
You have every right to feel frustrated.  I am 15 months post and still deal with headaches and fatiques.   I deal with one day at a time and I feel good duriing the day.  I look forward to another month and I should feel even better.  My husband has been great so that is a big blessing,  Hang in there and feel free to complain because there are some who still feel the way you do, as I tear up almost every night with headachs.  Take care  Bell

[Lizard]

Hang in there and feel free to complain because there are some who still feel the way you do, as I tear up almost every night with headachs.  Take care  Bell

Me too Bell, hang in there!

[wendysig]

Lauren,

I haven't been around in a while and am sorry to hear you are having such a rough time.  Tinnitus can be awful but isn't necessarily a permanent problem.  Have you been stressed out lately or had a cold or allergies bothering you?  These things tend to make tinnitus worse.  I'm also sorry to hear that you're still having problems with your eye.   You have really been on my mind lately because I thought you'd probably be getting your BAHA about now.  If you do, hopefully that will help you feel more like you're moving forward, even if it's just a little bit right now.  If you're seeing Dr. Choe soon, you should mention all of this to him.

Best,
Wendy

[newmommyLA]

Hey ombrerose,

I'm almost 6 months post-op myself and still feeling pretty awful.  My main complaint is and has always been the tinnitus.  What do you mean by recently having episodes?  Did it just get a lot worse or had you not even noticed it before?  Mine has been driving me nuts since the day after surgery and I lost all my hearing.  I have tried many treatments already, but haven't found anything that works yet.  I'm still out there searching for new remedies everyday, so I'll keep you posted if I come across anything that helps.  If you're just having a little episode now, that's probably good news and hopefully it will be over before long.  Let me know if you want to chat about it as I seem to be the biggest complainer on this site (that I'm aware of) when it comes to the T and I've done a lot of research.

I completely relate to wanting to be like the other fast healers here who are recovering so much faster than we are.  I pray and keep hopeful that we'll be feeling more like ourselves again soon.

One day at a time!

Hugs,
Amy

[ombrerose4]

Hi Amy,

Thanks for the support. I never had any tinnitus till about 5 days ago. It's not constant, but occurs on and off all day. I have been pretty stressed lately due to my constant headaches, so maybe that has brought it on. I saw a new doctor yesterday- a neuro-opthalmologist. She said she remembers reading about tinnitus and eye tracking movements and how they can be related. She was going to try to research it. So as Pooter say's " AN's, the gift that never stops giving" and giving and giving whether you want it or not. I am trying to keep the good days from outnumbering the bad days

And hugs back to you as we continue along this road!