[ITD]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

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.

(Snipped)

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, Paul here.

Come down off that ledge my friend. You've been a lucky man if at 69 this is the worst medical problem you've had.

First, the dementia and "psych" ward stuff. You write way to well for dementia, it's not that. As far as the "psych" ward stuff, people with that issue usually hear voices, so I doubt very much it's that. Plus those people usually have trouble writing coherently also. But you are driving yourself nuts worrying about this, knock it off.

You have an issue now, most 69 year old people would gladly deal with tinnitus to be able to do physically what you are able to do. Pickle ball, boot camp, yoga, swimming.

I have tinnitus too, I just ignore it, lol. Nothing can be done. If I focused on it would probably drive me nuts too. Yours may be worse, but in the end it won't hurt you unless you let it, don't let it.

You keep talking about going to the ER, bad move. First, if you think you will get to see an ENT on a holiday weekend, maybe you are nuts.... just kidding, but think about it. Second, the ER is not the place for nuisance stuff like this, you'll just sit there for hours for them to tell you there is nothing they can do, go see an ENT.

Just follow thru with your appointments now, get a good general practitioner and move on with your life. I think a physical at the general practitioner may not be a bad idea for you, something else could be out of whack that's easily fixed. (overactive thyroid???)

It almost sounds like you have too much time on your hands so you are sitting around worrying about yourself. Maybe do some volunteer stuff, like help out at a soup kitchen, make you feel better about things and realize tinnitus isn't so bad a problem.

Sorry you are going thru this, but man, you've still got it pretty good.

PS, delete the financial stuff, posting stuff like that on a public forum like this will just bring you more misery.