One evening in the year 2000 I noticed a popping sound in my right ear.  I had a cold and was very stuffy, so I didn’t think too much about it.  The next morning there was a noticeably congested feeling and I was definitely not hearing well in that ear.  I still thought it was  from a cold.  After a few days  it still had not cleared up so I called a doctor, who told me it could take a couple of weeks.  After that, I was seen and put on a prescription decongestant which also did not help.  At that point they realized that I was never congested in that ear at all.  I had had an episode of what is known as Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL).  By the time I was diagnosed, 6 weeks had passed and it was too late to have any possibility of recovery.

Basically, SSHL is a general term that means there has been a sudden hearing loss that involves nerve damage to the inner ear.  There are approximately 4000 cases reported in the US each year.  They are only able to identify a cause in about 10 percent of those cases.  Most of the time, it only happens to a person once ever.  If it happens a second time, it is most common for it to occur in the same ear.  In only 2% of all cases does it happen bilaterally (both ears).   I’ve been told by my specialist that it is extremely rare for it to happen in one ear at a time, but to both ears during different episodes like it has for me.  In theory, if they catch it soon enough, sometimes a treatment of steroids can help recover the hearing that is lost.  So far I have had multiple episodes of hearing loss and have never recovered any hearing once it has been lost.  I’ve had extensive testing and they can only say in my case it is definitely a medical problem, and definitely extremely rare, even in the world of SSHL (yes, I’m VERY special!). I generally have a few years in between episodes and over time I lost most of the hearing in my right ear (it falls in the severe to profound range for those who are familiar with hearing loss categories).  My left ear had some hearing loss, but it was in the mild to severe range, and although it was a change and adjustment each time it happened, I have been able to function fairly well with hearing aids by relying primarily on my left ear.

I had a new episode on May 24, 2012 that was a dramatic  loss in my left (good) ear and has had a major impact on my ability to function.  My left ear is now in the “moderately severe to profound” range and my right ear “severe to profound.”  My word comprehension is about 80% in my left ear which is very good for that level of loss, but that is in a sound booth with sound being funneled directly into my ear at about 100 db.  and “ideal” listening situations.  I think it is probably much less in “real life” listening scenarios. My word comprehension is 16% in my right ear at 100 db.   I was told a few years ago that it was within the realm of possibility that I would completely lose my hearing, so I’ve had some time to adjust to the concept and I know that it’s possible that it will continue to get worse.  In fact, I believe the odds are very high that I will move into the profoundly deaf range within the next 3-6 years.  I’ve never gone longer than 3 years without an episode since this all began.  It took some time at the beginning to accept the fact that I might never know what is causing this.  I have accepted that fact now, and am actually fine with the concept.  I have done everything that it is in my power to do to try to save my hearing and to diagnose the problem and I know that the rest is out of my control.  I know that God is in control and that whatever happens I will be just fine.  Worse things happen to people.  Many live in a non- hearing world and thrive and do well.  It’s just a matter of adjusting and choosing to be content whatever my circumstances.  When I chose to become a christian, I chose to give up myself and my “rights” and to do my best to live my life in a way that will glorify God.  If this is the  way that God has chosen for me to do that,  then I am happy and blessed to be here.