Summary: The continuing and sometimes strange adventures seeking hearing recovery

I wrote about my sudden severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in my left ear in a previous post. If you haven’t read it, I recommend you read that first.

In this post I will share the latest updates, including a very strange twist in my journey.

1. Hearing Aids

Last week I received my crossover hearing aids. This was 66 days after the onset of my sudden hearing loss.

They look like normal hearing aids, but at the simplest level, the left (deaf) side is a microphone which transits to the right side (my good ear). My right ear receives sound both naturally from the right side of my head plus the sound transmitted from the left side hearing aid.

This should make it possibly for me to hear things and understand conversation on the left side of my head. I previously could not hear or understand anything on my left side except in the quietest settings.

The hearing aids I chose are very configurable. They have equalizer settings and multiple ear cones I can mix and match to find the best combination for various conditions.

My hope is to test these thoroughly and come out with an assortment of specialized profiles for different sound settings (e.g. driving a car, attending a meeting, noisy bar, performing music. etc.). It will take time and a lot of trial and error. But I’m hopeful.

I understand these will do little to help me in noisy situations (e.g. holding a conversation in a noisy bar or restaurant). I also will have no aural directional awareness.

While sitting in the audiologist’s waiting room, my ENT saw me, sat with me and talked a bit. He expressed sincere empathy for me and my situation.

We had exchanged a few messages about the various naturopathic therapies I was considering. He reiterated that although it is completely understandable I want to explore every possible avenue for recovery, none of those other therapies are supported by clinical trials. Some might only be available in places like China.

2. Neurologist Orders More Imaging

I also visited my neurologist last week. He reviewed my recent MRI. He didn’t believe anything stood out that would explain my hearing loss or any other symptoms, but agreed that we should order a more comprehensive MRI as well as a new cerebral angiogram.

These two procedures should give more detail and help identify if there is any malformation, growth, or anything else in my head that might be concerning and/or related to my hearing loss.

My angiogram is scheduled for next week and I’m still waiting to schedule my MRI.

3. My Therapy Journey Takes a Strange Turn

As I wrote in my previous post, a dear friend persuaded me to pursue naturopathic therapy. With their help, I found a local naturopathic doctor (who is also an MD) who proscribed a couple of options – acknowledging openly that none has been proven through clinical trials to cure SSNHL.

Another famous naturopathic doctor in Seattle was recommended to me. I contacted the Seattle clinic and was able to get an appointment for last week, the afternoon of the same day I was receiving hearing aids from my audiologist.

I decided to go for it. I scheduled a flight to Seattle right after my audiologist appointment.

During my hearing aid appointment, I received a call from the Seattle clinic reconfirming my afternoon appointment.

I left the audiologist, drove straight to the airport, hopped on my short flight to Seattle, and went to sleep.

I woke as we were landing and turned on my mobile phone. A voicemail was waiting from the Seattle clinic:

“Hi Toby, this is xxx calling you from [clinic name]. I’m calling you to inform you that unfortunately we are closing the clinic indefinitely right now due to an investigation. I am so sorry for the inconvenience. Please let me know if you have any other questions. All that to say that the appointment is canceled today as you might imagine…”

I was dumbfounded, but I accepted this as a sign that maybe this wasn’t the best option for me.

I decided to enjoy my unexpected free afternoon in Seattle, visiting one of the best donut shops in town as well as the beautiful National Nordic Museum with its Thomas Dambo troll, Frankie Feetsplinters.

I have a brief international vacation coming up with a symphony performance the week after. These new crossover hearing aids will definitely be put to the test.

P.S. I have seen no news whatsoever about the abrupt closure of the Seattle based naturopathic clinic.