Rosie
2013-12-11 21:00:20 UTC
I've had tinnitus for 6/7 months now. It started soft and infrequent, and
gradually
cranked up, till it became constant. loud and distressing. Now I've read up
a bit more on it,
I'm coming to terms with it a little bit. First couple of months I was in
tears almost
every day. Six months in and I forget about it for an hour or two every day,
so I figure that's pretty good progress from what I've read on the internet
(and I've read
a lot!) I don't feel quite so despairing any more. Needless to say, I'd
still probably pay
a lot of money even just for five minutes of the silence I enjoyed for 50
years, and took
for granted.
It was a double whammy really, because I've always been comfortable in my
own
company, especially at the end of the day - quietly listening to a play on
the radio as
I wade through a day's worth of washing up and kitchen mess, and then
reading at
the kitchen table for an hour, in a velvet and joyous silence, whilst the
family
are abed and sleeping. It was 'my' time.
An enjoyable and calming time that refreshed me for the rigours and
challenges of the
next day. My eldest daughter has learning difficulties, so the challenges
are manifold.
And it has been RUINED! By the tinnitus.
I now sit and read to the accompaniment of 5,000 crickets chirruping in my
left ear.
The silence has gone. The joy has gone. It's not relaxing. It's stressfull.
So it's quite a big issue for me really. Never listened to loud music or had
a noisy
job. No idea where it came from or why it came. Just my age, I think.
Came across this newsgroup, was disappointed to see that it's not highly
inhabited,
but it SHOULD be. I can imagine that if someone new looks in they might see
that there are not many posts, and so they might not bother posting their
own
story (Like I almost didn't) But it's a really very important issue to ME,
and I am
in no doubt that there are fellow 'sufferers' that might pop in and then
just pop out
again when they see that there is not much activity here.
Well I thought it extremely important, that I should leave this message
here, to encourage
anybody who has read thus far, to throw caution to the wind and post their
own story
or experience. We need to share. Sharing lessens the burden. It really does!
I don't knit my own muesli sandals, I'm not a social worker, I'm not here to
do my
bit for society. I just know the distress that tinnitus can cause, because I
have it myself
and it's pretty awful and I need some support, and I WANT to support others
who
are only halfway to where I am now.
So anybody reading thus far. Fess up? Help this tinnitus support forum to
do what it
says on the tin? Tell your story. Tell us if it went away eventually, or if
you've suffered it
for 30 years and it's still driving you nuts.
We will never know, if nobody goes out of their way to tell us.
And I, for one, want to know!
Rosie
gradually
cranked up, till it became constant. loud and distressing. Now I've read up
a bit more on it,
I'm coming to terms with it a little bit. First couple of months I was in
tears almost
every day. Six months in and I forget about it for an hour or two every day,
so I figure that's pretty good progress from what I've read on the internet
(and I've read
a lot!) I don't feel quite so despairing any more. Needless to say, I'd
still probably pay
a lot of money even just for five minutes of the silence I enjoyed for 50
years, and took
for granted.
It was a double whammy really, because I've always been comfortable in my
own
company, especially at the end of the day - quietly listening to a play on
the radio as
I wade through a day's worth of washing up and kitchen mess, and then
reading at
the kitchen table for an hour, in a velvet and joyous silence, whilst the
family
are abed and sleeping. It was 'my' time.
An enjoyable and calming time that refreshed me for the rigours and
challenges of the
next day. My eldest daughter has learning difficulties, so the challenges
are manifold.
And it has been RUINED! By the tinnitus.
I now sit and read to the accompaniment of 5,000 crickets chirruping in my
left ear.
The silence has gone. The joy has gone. It's not relaxing. It's stressfull.
So it's quite a big issue for me really. Never listened to loud music or had
a noisy
job. No idea where it came from or why it came. Just my age, I think.
Came across this newsgroup, was disappointed to see that it's not highly
inhabited,
but it SHOULD be. I can imagine that if someone new looks in they might see
that there are not many posts, and so they might not bother posting their
own
story (Like I almost didn't) But it's a really very important issue to ME,
and I am
in no doubt that there are fellow 'sufferers' that might pop in and then
just pop out
again when they see that there is not much activity here.
Well I thought it extremely important, that I should leave this message
here, to encourage
anybody who has read thus far, to throw caution to the wind and post their
own story
or experience. We need to share. Sharing lessens the burden. It really does!
I don't knit my own muesli sandals, I'm not a social worker, I'm not here to
do my
bit for society. I just know the distress that tinnitus can cause, because I
have it myself
and it's pretty awful and I need some support, and I WANT to support others
who
are only halfway to where I am now.
So anybody reading thus far. Fess up? Help this tinnitus support forum to
do what it
says on the tin? Tell your story. Tell us if it went away eventually, or if
you've suffered it
for 30 years and it's still driving you nuts.
We will never know, if nobody goes out of their way to tell us.
And I, for one, want to know!
Rosie