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Old 07-04-2021, 07:03 AM   #58
thinkxingu
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Originally Posted by fatlazyless View Post
Decided to go with my name, Walter, and forgo the fatlazyless.

So, what is my medical problem? I call it unbearable tinnitus and it is basically a continuous white hissing noise that I hear inside my head. Sometimes it increases to a stronger hiss with a ringing sound as well.

Is this a serious problem? Yes, I consider this to be my worst medical problem by far in my life. I am age-69.

How long has it been going on? Starting in December, 2020, I started to hear a air escaping sound inside my head and thought it was coming from the refrigerator at first. It got much stronger in May and June, 2021.

What am I doing for medical treatment? In March I went to Laura Robertson AuD, audiologist, in Laconia. On May 26 I had an appointment at the Otolaryngology Dept at the Concord Hospital in Laconia by an assistant and maybe a nurse-arnp ans was told by the assistant that it was dementia. You know it actually sounds and feels like dementia, whatever that sounds and feels like, and her comment disturbed me very much. For a period of about 1-2 weeks I suffered with high anxiety and being downright scared when I thought about it what with this continuous hissing sound present inside my head.

May 28, 2021, Mid-State Health, Plymouth NH: Was seen by Stephen Regan MD, primary care doctor who said it certainly seems to be tinnitus, and referred my to Patrick Fitzpatrick DO, ENT, North Country Otolaryngology who I saw a few days later at a medical office in Plymouth, and have an appointment at the Littleton Hospital in the middle of July.

June 4 or 5: had an MRI done at the Speare Hospital Radiology Dept and it supposedly had good results, whatever this means.

June 23: Mass Eye & Ear, Newton Wellesley Hospital: was seen by a physicians assistand and an audiologist. Had a hearing test. Was told by the p.a., a young woman, that I just need to get along with the tinnitus, that it doesn't harm you, and that there is no known cure. She also said that some tinnitus sufferers end up in the psych ward of a hospital ....... yikes- ..... that got my attention.

So, now WHAT DO I DO?

My name is Walter. I am 69. Height 6'2". Weight about 202.

I live in Waterville Valley at the Black Bear Lodge condominium.

In the past few days here, I have been to a T'ai Chi class, a yoga class, a boot camp exercise class, a two hour pickleball game, and I am able to do what is expected despite this on-going loud, internal tinnitus problem.

Walking and swimming seem to help make the tinnitus go away for a period of time, so I do a lot of what I call "mental health" walking ..... around Waterville Valley, and go swimming about 100-yards in Corcoran's Pond.

Last month I donated a 3'x5', brand new, bright blue, $42-State of New Hampshire state flag to the Town of Waterville Valley and am pleased to see it is now up top the flag pole, below the American Flag, at Corcoran's Pond.

I like to think that I can be cured of my tinnitus problem and think back about this huge problem and how that blue state-NH flag is still there .... sometime, down the road.

Will I become a gray adult, some guy who goes lost off in the woods? This thought has crossed my mind, so it is time to really get serious about getting some good medical help.

I have two older sisters who live in Newton and Brookline, Mass. I have Medicare and Anthem seconday coverage.

I have a trust fund account professionally managed at a well known financial biz with over ten million dollars stocks and bonds in it and administered by a 74-year old, very experienced lady trust fund attorney.

Plus, I own a waterfront cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee with the best 60' of waterfront on the whole big lake.

Nothing, none of this, my two sisters, my insurance, my big money account, my health insurance ..... nothing .... is moving me forward to get some good medical care with my "unbearable tinnitus" problem.

I have lost about ten pounds what with all the walking that I do around Waterville Valley and become more physically fit while trying to escape from the tinnitus.

So, what do I do at this time? Tomorrow, Monday, will take myself to the Emergency Room at the Concord Hospital in Laconia in an effort to be seen by an ENT doctor.

Right now I have two different white noise machines going with different sounds: ocean waves hitting the shore and just plain white noise to help me get through the white noise hiss happening inside my head.
Walter, we can hear in your posts that you're highly stressed and anxious, both of which can exacerbate symptoms. Like others have said, there may not be a physiological or medicinal cure, and you've discovered that some of your behaviors minimize/eliminate the negative symptoms.

So, until you've exhausted the medical paths—through Boston and advanced ENT specialists, not emergency room visits—you really ought to be looking at the behavioral and lifestyle remediations for ways both to reduce and cope with your symptoms.

There is no amount of money or access to resources that can fix the unfixable, but knowing that there are things you can do to make it livable is priceless.

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