Hey everyone. I just wanted to introduce myself, and vent a little.
I'm 26 and have been experiencing gradual hearing loss in my right ear, although strangely enough when the doctors asked me about it I couldn't pinpoint when I started noticing it. I was in a really loud band a few years ago and I noticed the damage starting after that, but the last couple years I've done really well at protecting my hearing and it's gotten worse. Anyway, I figured all the damage to my hearing was my own fault by not wearing earplugs at loud shows all the time when I should have, etc. Then Monday I was diagnosed with otosclerosis, and now I'm feeling pretty devastated.
Obviously it's difficult for everyone regardless, but as a musician, the ability to hear is my life. My music is everything to me. I'm at a really good spot in my career right now, just getting on the path to good things...and then I get this news. I just keep thinking of the worst case scenarios, like the operation doesn't work and then it affects my left ear and that operation doesn't work, etc. Part of me is also excited at the thought of being able to restore some of the hearing that I've lost - I'm going for the stapedectomy on my right ear in July. I would love to do it sooner but I have a big trip overseas coming up in March and then a trip home to visit family in June, and I don't want to risk flying even a month or two after the operation to give myself maximum healing time.
I seem to have better hearing overall than I've seen some people have on this board who have had the operation. My left ear seems okay right now, it's -26 (just one degree below "normal") and I think it's mostly nerve damage from the loud music. The right ear is -46 and from what I understand the nerve damage is around the same as the left ear, so if successful the operation would close that up to around -26. The dr. said it's a 30% loss in my right ear, and something like 1% in my left. I'm still a bit confused as to what the db numbers mean. I also have pretty significant tinnitus on both sides but mainly on my right side, and I'm hopeful but not counting on that going away, because I feel it's largely a result of my loud music exposure. I'm also not looking forward to paying for this surgery as someone who's self-employed and paying for basic insurance out-of-pocket. I was quoted somewhere in the range of $12,000.
Anyway, I just wanted to throw my story out there and say hello to everyone on the board. Your stories of recovery have been really helpful - I've read through about 70-80 pages of things at this point so I have a good idea of what I'm in for in July.
The doctor also prescribed Florical for me, twice a day, and I'm a bit confused as to why I'm taking those if I'm going to have the operation done. I'm also confused as to IF I should take them in the first place because what I've read seems controversial, but I don't want to NOT take something that may help at least slow down the progression until I get the operation. Then after I get the operation, am I supposed to keep taking them? I'm a bit confused. Maybe I need to talk to my doctor, ya think?
I'm having the surgery done at the House Ear Clinic here in Los Angeles. I haven't been able to find much about the doctor's history of this kind of surgery, but I've heard a lot of good things about House Ear Clinic and the expertise of the doctors, so I feel pretty confident.
Okay, I'll end here - sorry for the long post! I'm sure I'll be posting again in the future before my surgery and after. Oh, anyone know if it's okay to take something like Xanax before the procedure? I get really anxious and I can only imagine the morning of the surgery on the way to the hospital and in the waiting room I'll be close to passing out or getting sick.
Linear Mode
