Hey Kids,

The time arrived for the much awaited MRI and hearing test. The results were mixed.

On the MRI front, no growths could be seen so it’s believed there are none. It was the most remote cause of the loss and yet the worse. This is the best news of the day. Unless something drastically changes, this aspect will not be revisited. Yay!

With the tumor question answered, it is assumed that the cause of the hearing loss is due to a viral infection. The steroids delivered two weeks ago were the best answer known to reverse the damage. To see if the 14 days of pumping my body full of the nasty little pills, we conducted a hearing test. Compared to the first test, it could be determined if any improvement was realized over the treatment. The results were negative. The hearing is lost and the steroid treatment will not be continued. Boo! (Yay! on no more steroids, but Boo! that it didn’t work. I wanted to be clear on that.)

So now it’s a matter of dealing with it. I’ll start testing next week to explore the effectiveness of hearing aid devices. If reasonable hearing can be achieved, that’s what I’ll do. There are several different approaches and possibly cost concerns, but I’ll cover those aspects of the journey in the future when it happens.

There is a small chance that the hearing might come back on its own. It’s extremely remote and no cause for which to attach false hope. It is also why I am pressing forward now and not waiting to see if a miracle happens. Not that I’m asking for one. There are way more important things to “miracle” in this world.

The ringing and hypersensitivity are part of ear’s the defense mechanism that keeps getting tripped. When we hear a noise that might be damaging, our ears know how to protect themselves by plugging up. That’s what’s happening. It’s believed this defensive move will eventually return to normal.

There you have it for now.

Thank you for everyone who expressed their best wishes and wished and requested blessings on my behalf. I’m touched.

Day 298