Hmm....do I need to be able to hear in order to play ?

October 4, 2006 at 1:38 AM

Well....my ears are giving me troubles again.

It all started just after 911, when we took a flight to Florida for vacation. During the flight I was demonstrating to my kids (thier first flight) how to relieve the pressure in thier ears during the ascent and descent. After that trip is when my ears began to "act up".

Before that my hearing was excellent ! I could hear EVERYTHING..nothing within possible perception escaped my notice. I used to drive my parents crazy because the tv was never low enough at night when I was trying to go to sleep.

Now, I have at LEAST a 30% loss with tinitis in my right ear..and I think I have lost even more since the last time I had that checked. It's been managable and I was always thankful that if it had to be one ear..it was my right and not my left. At least I could hear myself play...if not the person on my right..haha..

Well, lately I have been getting pressure in both ears...fluid buildup....occasional ringing and depending on what the fluid is doing...my hearing in my left ear comes in and out. The last couple of days, trying to play has been a bit painful at first until my right ear adjusts and settles down. And I've been hearing an ugly vibration on occasion..which I think is my hearing and not the violin, because I have never heard that sound before.

I took decongestants....until I tried a brand that I've never taken before and promptly broke out into a mass of hives all over my body....then I was on benedryl for a week from that.

Well, I've just read another's blog about shoulder issues troubleing his playing...and I have read many others who have had or are having physical issues which could or have hindered thier playing..so I'm not going to jump on the "oh poor me, why me" band wagon.

I've decided that I'm going to trust the Lord on this one since I believe with all my heart that this is something that He has lead me to do. He dropped this violin in my lap......lead me to my first teacher...provided for me so that I could get this nice old violin fixed and playable after an accident.....has paved the way left and right in so many ways in order to make it possible for me to be doing this at all.....He's going to do something with this little setback as well......and it's going to be something that will bring Him honor and glory...not me.

Praise God ! He is so very good to me !

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on October 4, 2006 at 4:48 AM

Praise God and see a doctor.

From parmeeta bhogal
Posted on October 4, 2006 at 10:02 AM

I presume you have seen an ENT specialist by now. What has been his advice?

From Eileen Geriak
Posted on October 4, 2006 at 11:22 AM

Yep.....it appears to be an inherited degerative thing. My father's hearing started going about this time in his life....his mom's ears were no good either...and lucky me...I got it too.

I has to do with the bones in the inner ear softening up and not giving a proper signal to the nerve. There is an opperation where they put implants in..sort of like a cochleur implant, but they replace one of the bones in there...or something. Not ready to go there yet....but it's nice to know there is something that can be done if/when it gets that far. Not sure how an implant would work with violin though. Havn't gone far enough yet to have to do that kind of indept research...I think it's denial on my part....hehe <:-/

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Hmm....do I need to be able to hear in order to play ?

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