Your country's fright, but you're moving all right

[sovay]

So while I am not one hundred percent thrilled that the doctor's appointment for which I waited an entire month has resulted in more referrals, I am thrilled that I am not going deaf. The results of this morning's audiometry are nearly identical to my results from 2015 which were identical to my results from 2005. My hearing remains above average and I remain justified in my wearing of earplugs in situations that most people do not find too painfully loud. The trouble is interference, not damage. I am not looking for advice on this front; I have recommendations. I just have to call more doctors about them. But I had been really worried about permanent effects, especially after finding out that the specialist had ordered a new audiogram, and now that at least is off my mind.

Sleep did not remotely occur last night, but I did manage to sack out for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Knock wood, the heat finally seems to have broken; we have the air conditioners off, the windows open, and a surprisingly autumnal breeze blowing through the living room. Hestia recognized my voice from the street when I came home, calling up to the silhouette of the little cat I saw in the window. I have eaten erratically but enjoyably: lunch was tacos and donuts with spatch and my mother, courtesy of Tenoch Mexican and Donuts with a Difference. For dinner I broiled haddock with a little butter and just ate it off its speckled silver skin, nearly plain. I am reading Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall's The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst (1970), which in this edition has a sticker on the front telling me it is now a major motion picture which I would definitely watch if it bothered to turn up in the U.S. I am torn between watching some other movie tonight and just seeing about falling back into bed.

I really don't listen to podcasts, but I feel there are several people on this friendlist who might like to know that there is now a podcast about Jewish demonology called Throwing Sheyd.

Comments

[skygiants]

INDEED I WOULD.

[sovay]

INDEED I WOULD.

You were on the shortlist!

[skygiants]

I did sort of feel like I was being targeted, yes.

(Also, I am very glad to hear about your ears!)

[sovay]

I did sort of feel like I was being targeted, yes.

But in what better cause?

(Also, I am very glad to hear about your ears!)

(Thank you!)

[lemon_badgeress]

I congratulate you on the baseline good news, and sympathize heartily on the MOAR DOKTAR front, as I have just been further referred along myself.

[sovay]

I congratulate you on the baseline good news, and sympathize heartily on the MOAR DOKTAR front, as I have just been further referred along myself.

Thank you, thank you, and sympathy right back!

[gwynnega]

That is wonderful medical news, in spite of the need for more referrals.

Tacos and donuts sound good.

[sovay]

That is wonderful medical news, in spite of the need for more referrals.

Thank you. I can deal with most things that are not permanent damage. (The downside is that it is very difficult for me to deal with the things that are.)

Tacos and donuts sound good.

They were great! Then I passed out.

[lilysea]

*solidarity*

On your hearing worries.

I have extreme hearing difficulty, and worry that it's due to hearing-loss.

So far, audiologist tests have shown no hearing loss,

but a high degree of auditory-processing issues - eg it's my brain failing at filtering out sounds, not my ears failing at picking up sounds.

Hearing aids don't fix brain issues.

[sovay]

Hearing aids don't fix brain issues.

They do not. Is sensory integration work an option?

*solidarity appreciated and returned*

[thisbluespirit]

I'm glad to hear that re. your ears. (It is rotten, though - I don't have super-hearing, but part of my general ME symptoms include a hypersensitivity to sound that gets worse and better as I do, and it is one of the most annoying and limiting elements of the whole thing - a lot of my summer problems are due to my inability to sit in a room with the window open for more than about 20-30 mins before getting ill and dizzy from the extra background sound (and I don't live anywhere especially noisy) - so you have all my sympathy! I hope the referrals prove to be of some use. <3)

I hope that by the time you see this some sleep has also occurred. :-/

[sovay]

(It is rotten, though - I don't have super-hearing, but part of my general ME symptoms include a hypersensitivity to sound that gets worse and better as I do, and it is one of the most annoying and limiting elements of the whole thing - a lot of my summer problems are due to my inability to sit in a room with the window open for more than about 20-30 mins before getting ill and dizzy from the extra background sound (and I don't live anywhere especially noisy) - so you have all my sympathy!

Likewise! That sounds like an extremely unpleasant way to spend a summer.

I hope the referrals prove to be of some use.

Thank you. More phone calls on Monday!

I hope that by the time you see this some sleep has also occurred.

It did! I still feel kind of vague and scoured-out and suspect I will crash hard again tonight, but I didn't get out of bed until the afternoon and I don't see how that can have hurt.

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, good. (I mean, not that you feel scoured out, but it's a start. <3)

[sovay]

I mean, not that you feel scoured out, but it's a start.

And I had a lovely, mostly quiet afternoon and evening with rushthatspeaks, so it continued to work out.

[shewhomust]

Congratulations on not being deaf, and commiserations that this includes not being deaf to sounds you don't want to be bothered by. I do not in the least envy durham_rambler's deafness, but I do envy his ability to turn down / remove his hearing aids.

[sovay]

Congratulations on not being deaf, and commiserations that this includes not being deaf to sounds you don't want to be bothered by.

Thank you very much on both fronts.

I hope this doesn't fall under unwanted advice

[redbird]

The only justification any of us need for earplugs, in general, is that we will be more comfortable with than without them. (Yes, exceptions for people who actually need to be able to hear sounds that are being blocked—that might include some conversations, but "need" here doesn't mean entertaining strangers on the bus.)

Re: I hope this doesn't fall under unwanted advice

[sovay]

(Yes, exceptions for people who actually need to be able to hear sounds that are being blocked—that might include some conversations, but "need" here doesn't mean entertaining strangers on the bus.)

I appreciate the reinforcement. I don't usually have to explain it to strangers. It's more often friends who see me putting in earplugs at restaurants or parties or concerts or other social settings—I have to be clear that I am not blocking them, just the very loud background.

[pameladean]

Go, your ears! I am so glad.

I have a lot of trouble listening to podcasts and am not Jewish, but I apparently needed to know that that podcast existed. Its title made me laugh with delight.

P.

[sovay]

Go, your ears! I am so glad.

Thank you!

I have a lot of trouble listening to podcasts and am not Jewish, but I apparently needed to know that that podcast existed. Its title made me laugh with delight.

That makes me really happy to hear. I'm glad to have introduced you!

[jesse_the_k]

Congrats on knowing it's Not That, and sleep the sleep of the just.

(Also, the title of that podcast is amazing.)

[sovay]

Congrats on knowing it's Not That, and sleep the sleep of the just.

Thank you!

(Also, the title of that podcast is amazing.)

They can and should feel proud of themselves.

[thistleingrey]

Glad about auditory results!

Solidarity fistbump. I use earplugs when background noise is loud. People can bite me. :P Actually, for me, it limits my shouting unnecessarily over bg noise, which I suspect "people" generally appreciate, even if they don't know they do....

Do you have a preferred earplug? The industrial foam things hurt my jaw a bit, so I use low-end Earlove/Etymotic ones sometimes, but the latter aren't always enough of a baffle.

[sovay]

Glad about auditory results!

Thank you!

Solidarity fistbump. I use earplugs when background noise is loud. People can bite me.

*fistbump*

Do you have a preferred earplug? The industrial foam things hurt my jaw a bit, so I use low-end Earlove/Etymotic ones sometimes, but the latter aren't always enough of a baffle.

These days I wear the CVS soft foam earplugs because they are very cheap and rated for 32 dB and they make my ears hurt less than the previous kind I used, which were a higher grade but stiffer. I am sorry not to have better suggestions.

[thistleingrey]

I am sorry not to have better suggestions.

Ah, not at all--it's good to know that the industrial foam things are not all alike. I shall experiment a bit. Thanks.