What about concerts?

[sloxana]

Hey everybody!

I was wondering if those of you that have been dealing with your AN for a long time would help me with this question.  Will I ever be able to go to a concert again?  Are there some really good earplugs that I could use during the concert?  The reason I am asking is this....My little girl is a HUGE Hannah Montana fan...I mean really HUGE....she knows the words to all of her songs, sings them constantly, and never misses her TV show!  Hannah Montana is coming to our town for a concert and I want to surprise my little girl with tickets to the concert for her birthday.  But I am so scared of what the loud noise will do to my ears.  I can't stand being around loud noisy crowds right now, much less a pop rock concert!  Any suggestions?  I could let my husband take her but I'd hate to miss being with her (besides...this is kind of a girl thing, know what I mean? )

Thanks so much,
Susan

[nancyann]

Hi Susan:  I personally avoid anything having to do with loud noises as much as possible.  Having SSD, I want to protect my good ear for all it's worth.   There are the over the counter earplugs you can buy at any drugstore - I used them before I invested in a musician's plug ($75) which is molded to your outer ear canal & decreases decibels approx. 15% or 25%, depending on which one you buy. Of course you have to wait for it to be made, so if the concert is soon, I'd definitely invest in the over the counter ear plugs.   Rock on,  Nancy

[Mark]

Well, I must acknowledge that I have no earthly clue who Hannah Montana is so I don't know if going to her concert is a good thing or not to begin with  . I went to a U2 concert a couple of years ago and it was the first LOUD arena show I had gone to since my twenties. I know I'm a little bit older but I swear they have amplified the sound a lot more than they used to. I wore basic ear plugs during the whole concert and it sounded "normal". the few times I took them out it was equally painful in both ears  . 

That all being said, take some ear plugs, and enjoy the concert with your daughter would be my advice 

Mark

[Battyp]

I have found that if I wear the ear  plugs during a loud situation I can hear better as it filters the noise. Like nancy ann said you can get the musician ones made or just get over the counter ones. The clear silicone ones which mold to your outer ear work great and aren't as noticeable as the foamy colorful ones )  Enjoy the concert and GBT (girl bonding time!) 

M

[sloxana]

Thanks so much!

I went ahead and ordered the tickets.  I'm going to give it a try!

Susan

[Richey]

Susan,

Find you some good foam ear plugs, you may have to go to a place that sell safety supplies to industry. I  use some that I got at work and they work very well and are comfortable. I have bought some at places like Lowes and they were poor quality. The ones that I have found work the best for me are called Sparkplugs and are made by Moldex-metric Inc. Another brand is Ear Classic by Aearo.

Industry uses these thing to protect their worker hearing and they do keep the high intense range sound down to manageable ranges.

I use a bi-cross hearing aid and the aid on my AN side is just a transmitter that sends the sound to my good ear. It's a full ear mold but it does not do near as good a job of plugging as those little foam plugs will do. I go to Gospel concerts and even there the sound systems are often too loud so I ditch the aids and use a plug in my AN ear to prevent the distortions that I get in it from what little hearing  I have left . I usually don't have to use one in my good ear as the sound isn't  like a rock concert.
I also use the little plugs when doing my yard work with power equipment to try and save what hearing I have left.

Good luck with the Concerts,

Rich

[matti]

Hi Susan - I attend a lot of rock concerts and found the muscians ear plug to be my lifesaver. I purchased it through my audiologist for $70.00 and is custom molded. It comes with several different dB filter sizes. For me the foam plugs tend to distort and muffle the sound, but the musician's plug does not. I always keep it in my purse for anytime I need to tone/turn down the noise.

have fun at the concert!!!

Cheryl

[Gennysmom]

Love concerts!  Just saw the Police in Montreal front row!!!!  The musicians earplugs are great.  It does change the experience from what you're used to if you go to concerts for you, but it's still good. 

[Crazycat]

Susan,

  I make a living playing music. Not only that, I was deaf in my effected ear 6 years before I was even diagnosed and treated. I was gigging 5-6 nights every week at that time; half deaf, with double vision and equilibrium problems. Just wear an earplug ( or earplugs if you still have any hearing left in your effected ear). Musicians plugs are good but expensive. I have found that the conical, blue plugs (by Macks) available at any CVS are also very effective! I wear mine all the time when in that kind of environment. People will try to speak to me on my left side and it's like they're not even there. I don't even need to wear one in my left ear!

                        Paul

[Lainie181818]

I have a BAHA and whilst it isn't perfect, its better than nothing. Last Thursday I saw "Jersey Boys" [ fantastic ]. The week before I saw Diana Krall at the Hollywood bowl. Just before my BAHA was fitted I saw the Rolling Stones at Dodger Stadium. Whilst the sound wasn't great I had a great time. I had mid fossa 16 months ago and I am just coming up to 55 years young. I will be damned if I let this thing take over my life. Saturday I am flying to London to see my dad and plan to have a "bloody good time" I will have my couple of cocktails on the flight, listen to my in flight movie with one earpiece and feel absolutely "plastered,"  who cares. After all we have been through we deserve to "normalize' our lives as much as possible. Yes I do have my off times and I could easily let the situation take over my life, but very gradually I am starting to accept my new life, because lets face it we don't have a choice. Whenever I have a good day I write it down.I Hate my wonky eye, crooked mouth, and lack of elegence [ that is my phrace for dizziness] but like it or not it is the new ME.
Good luck to Adrian and Sam, I will be thinking of you.
Lainie

[Gennysmom]

Amen Lainie, right there with ya.  Great attitude!!!!!!  I feel the same way!

[Jim Scott]

Lainie:

I like your attitude.  Probably because it mirrors my own. 

15 months out from surgery, with SSD but little else to remind me of my AN, I'm determined to live a normal life and not allow my acoustic neuroma tumor, now shrunken and dying, to affect my plans.  I do just about everything I want and I'm glad to be able to do so.  I'm well aware that not every AN patient can.  After a lifetime of good health that I once simply took for granted, I can now really enjoy it as I never did, before I was diagnosed with an AN.   

I still attend concerts, too.  Also, plays, movies and seminars.  Life, indeed, goes on. 

Jim