Ludwig van Beethoven, Bedřich Smetana & me; all had something in common; deafness.Smetana was totally deaf, Beethoven , almost totally deaf, and me? Over 80% loss and getting worse.
Smetana and I also have another thing in common; tinnitus.
He described his tinnitus as “a pounding and intense hissing in the head, day and night, without ceasing, as if I were standing underneath a huge waterfall”.
I wrote many months ago, on my experiencing the onset of this affliction, under the heading A Million Cicadas. For many months they came and went, but about three months ago, the cicadas came back to stay. Just Like Smetana’s waterfall.
My cicadas are now with me constantly; and my hearing is deteriorating at an ever increasing pace. I’m finding it difficult to hear the spoken word, even with my headphones on, when listening/watching television.
Without them, I cannot understand one word, that is uttered, just a faint blurring noise. Luckily I can still work out what is being said when I watch and ‘strain’ closely when I’m talking to people. Suppose I should have said ‘with’ not ‘to people, to be P.C. but I prefer the language I grew with!
Ludwig was lucky; he didn’t suffer from tinnitus!
If anybody s wondering why I’ve put pictures of those two composers it’s simply because I enjoy their work; especially Smetana’s Má vlast – Vltava, more often called ‘The Moldau’; and deafness struck us all! 😦
Whilst I’m having a moan, I might as well tell you what else is causing concern.
Some few months after I left the RPAH after being gutted, my GP, decided it was time to check the things on my face, skin cancers, which he was loath to do prior to the surgery. There was one much larger than the rest that he thought a biopsy was called for to test for malignancy.
After Percy’s gentle ministrations, Doc. Francis, my GP, with fiendish delight, cut out a slice of the growth, after assuring me that it would not hurt. I assure you, it hurt like hell! 👿
The result’s came back a few days/a week, later, and I was told that it was non-malignant, and that I could now have all of these things removed. For those not familiar with this process, they are burnt off using liquid hydrogen, it doesn’t hurt, justs stings a little for a few seconds. So off mine came!
The larger one, that was on my right cheek, just below, and to the right of my eye, was of course removed. And therein lies what may well be a problem!
About the same time as my cicadas came home to roost; do they roost? I noticed some very small eruptions, for want of a better word, just to the right of where the largest one had been. And they are spreading! Too, my right eye feels, at times, that it’s under attack from below, and waters quite freely; which is disconcerting as you can imagine.
The eruptions are quite tiny, and nothing I applied, would get rid of them so on Thursday or Friday I toddled off to the doc’s, again, Doc. Francis wasn’t in so I saw Doc Mai. Doc Mai is quite new to medicine, and she was stumped and seemed concerned.
Doc Francis, is very qualified, in matters of the skin, so I have an appointment to see him, later this week.
Well, I suppose I’m going to have more tests now, to see if I’m going to emulate Jim Hacker’s alter ego. XD
Be just my luck! 🙄
LordBeariOfBow 
How dreadful for you.
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I was going to add this old song, but it goes on for more than the few seconds it takes to read this little lot!
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I hit like, nut not because I like reading of your problems.
I’m well on my way to losing my hearing (one ear is already near-useless) and I’ve suffered from tinnitus for most of my life. It’s one of the reasons I’m almost constantly listening to music . . . which also has changed.
I used to have a very nice high-end audio system but sold it all last year. These days, if I want to really listen to music, it has to be with headphones. I’m still looking for good headphones (not found them yet) but at least I can still hear most of the notes (I’ve lost high-frequencies which also includes hearing hummingbirds and other birds).
On the other hand, I no longer hear annoying squeaks and rattles typical of most modern cars.
As for the skin thing . . . I hope it’s nothing more than an irritation. Best of luck toward that outcome.
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Thanks ej,I hope so too, but with the other side effects I’m not entirely optimistic, far from pessimistic though 🙂
Sorry to hear about your hearing loss/problem, You seem to have started much earlier than I did,although I’ve always anticipated going deaf, My father and both his parents were stone deaf it’s come fairly late so I’m not complaining. I hope that the one good ear you’ve got stays good.
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Here’s hoping for a good result when you see the specialist. You have enough on your plate, I do believe.
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Thanks Yvonne Doc Francis is not the specialist but his main interest lies in problems of the skin, I expect he’ll send me off to another bloke.
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So sorry to learn of the ongoing problems. I knew you were losing your hearing but had forgotten about the tinnitus. It must be terribly annoying. Glad your biopsy was negative. Am assuming that means the new little bumps are probably also negative, but best find out for sure.
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Thanks PT, it’s getting pretty tedious believe me. I could probably put up with being deaf as long as the ringing stopped, It’s driving me up the wall. Spois everyting
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We wish you well, Brian
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Thanks Derrick & Jackie the other part of the ‘we’ I imagine. 🙂
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Yep
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Doc says I have tinnitus as well, mine is sort of like static and as you said, it’s with you 24/7. I’ve tried every crock-pot cure handed to me – with no success.
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It’s a complete waste of time trying to find a cure/solution, there is none. The only hope is that it goes of its own accord. Science is baffled by what causes it and until such time they know there’s no hope of a cure. Unfortunately they have more to occupy their minds, than the suffering of so many, of an affliction that they cannot see, feel or understand. Until such time as some young scientist gets hit with it and looks to cure himself we just have to put up with it. It has been known to drive people insane.
So that’s my excuse 😀
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I thought yours was recent . . . what was your excuse before?
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I’ve had it off and on for years, more off than on and it didn’t really concern me. Oly 2 or 3 years ago that it started to take hold and hang around!
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That’s pretty much what I discovered, and the pharmaceutical labs spend so much on research that they can only make a profit on the deadly diseases. I’ve had this for about 10 years now. [do you think I can use it as an excuse for being odd?] 🙂
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Don’t see any reason why not; I do 🙄 XD
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Let’s hope the doctor can identify it quickly, and that there’s a simple cause and treatment. Or that the specialist can see you quickly. All the best!
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Thanks Gwen. 😀
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All I can do is empathize with you about loss of hearing and tinnitus–though not because of my own ailments. I do know a bit about skin stuff. I’m seeing my skin Dr. this month to look at about 5 things (she might find more) that don’t look right to me. Comes from growing up on the West Coast (sunny southern California) and the Deep South (sunny Savannah, Georgia), and thinking it was just great to be out in the sun and bake as much as possible to prove I could get a tan as beautiful as the next person’s (which I could not ever accomplish with my fair skin). I’ve already had multiple stuff carved out of my skin and burned off. I’m always relieved when it’s done and over with. It runs in my family.
Though I don’t like all your ailments, I like this post. Getting old isn’t for sissies, and you’re no sissy. I loved “Life Gets Tedious Don’t It.” Reminds me of country music, which I love. Honest and down to earth.
Great pic of you at the top with LvB and Smetana.
Looking forward to an update 🙂
Elouise
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That pic was taken at the RPA after an unusual event, heres the post http://wp.me/p24jhX-25L
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