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Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (1517)Comment receiving replies
So, yesterday was a busy day. I was referred to a specialist, Dr Kim, an oncologist at the Northwest Ear Intitute, so I met with him. He confirmed the treatment course my ENT, Dr Liu has me on is conventional. He seemed to suggest maybe even a little more than needed. One of my ENT recommendations is a series of Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber treatments, that could cost upwards of $80,000 if my insurance doesn't cover it. The Specialist didn't feel it was necessary or supported by enough research, but I'm going to do it anyway, providing we get pre-approval from my insurance (which from calls to insurance appears to be covered). It can't hurt.
Dr Kim also mentioned now that I have profound hearing loss in both ears, I'm a candidate for Cochlear Implants. But apparently if I wait to see what happens with my left ear and I get hearing back, then I may no longer qualify. So I'm going to setup the test to confirm I qualify for an implant on my right ear. He wants to wait to see what happens with the other. If I get some hearing back in my left ear, I'll wear a hearing aid. If I don't, I'll get an implant in the left as well. I have an MRI scheduled for Monday, along with the Hyperbaric O2 evaluation. Long day figuring out insurance benefits and getting proper authorizations.
Thanks to your replys I now have a text to speech app on my phone, that converts what people say to text in real time, and I have a new phone service that works over the phone to convert speech to text. It's clunky and will take getting used to, but it will work. It only works on wifi though, so it's not ideal. Nausea is gone finally, providing i don't move too fast.
I'm excited about the prospect of Cochlear Implants. It sounds exactly like what I need to continue on in my current job - maybe even better than having only one working ear with a hearing aid! Dr. Kim offers both Cochlear and Advanced Bionic. Any thoughts on either or links to previous posts? (I apologize if this is a played out question like what oil or tires are best on a motorcycle) I haven't had time yet to search the entire forum. - EDIT: nevermind about CI link. Joyce hooked me up with a link to the cochlear implant journal forum. Thank you!
Replies to "So, yesterday was a busy day. I was referred to a specialist, Dr Kim, an oncologist at..."
Scott Lindley and I have been "talking" via e-mail since we both need to see specialists or get CIs in Portland, OR. He committed a typo in that Dr. Kim is a neurotologist, not a cancer specialist. Dr. Kim sounds more realistic than Dr. Hodgson, whom I saw last July; he brushed off my questions about CIs for those of us with Meniere's, but promised great wonders. Too slick! Both Scott and I will be anxious to hear any recommendations any of you have about which brand of CI may be best. I plan to go back for another test once I get Meniere's into remission...right now, I'm afraid to drive any distance for fear of spending hours vomiting in a hot, uncomfortable car. My last two trips to the metro area resulted in just that, and it's not something I'd want to repeat. It would be the same if someone else drove me, and even worse if they insisted on continuing the trip while I was at the worst of being sick. I just spent three hours lying flat, eyes closed, praying it wouldn't get any worse. I'm going to temporarily increase the hormones I take in the hopes of achieving a remission.
@lindleys , I’m very sorry to hear about your sudden hearing loss. I also suffered this in my left ear in December of 2019 due to a sinus infection. After oral and injected steroids did not work I also went through 15 hyperbaric oxygen treatments. I saw the post about the pressure and thought I would share my experience. During these procedures they are concerned about your ability to equalize the pressure in you ear during pressurization. At least with the group that did my treatment, they did start out slowly with the first treatment and told me to tell them if I was able to pop my ear to equalize, if I could not they said the would send me to the ENT to get a tube implanted. Fortunately I was able to pop my ear and so was able to do the treatments without a tube. Unfortunately the result of my treatments were not spectacular. The ENT said I had a “slight but not significant improvement.” I think it was about a 5 decibel improvement. Good luck with your treatments and I hope the results of yours are better. If you have any questions about the hyperbaric O2 treatments let me know. My insurance also said they would cover the treatments after I meet the deductible. I don’t have a lot of trust in the health insurance system but remain hopeful. My treatments were last month so I have not seen any of the big bills or EOBs come in yet.
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@lindleys, You mentioned that you are going to go forward with hyperbaric oxygen treatments. These treatments mean that you are in a chamber and the air pressure increased. The drawback is that the pressure WILL affect the eardrum. You may experience pain. You may want to suggest that they start with a lower pressure. If the pain in your ears persists, your ENT can insert a drain tube, similar to what they do for people with blocked estachian tubes. Will it be worth it? I don't know. I wish there was more data on the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen for people with hearing loss. My hearing loss is genetic so hyperbaric oxygen will not help me.
Tony in Michigan