The summer of 2017 was a stressful mash-up of other peoples' multiple medical issues and Extreme Makeover (Home Edition) projects.*

As for myself: never mind the bursitis brought on by lifting (while cataloging) 1500-odd books in my Dad's collection and assorted gardening chores, by September, I knew my hearing was wonky in the AN ear. It took a couple of months to get a new ENT, an updated MRI, and a new neuro-otologist at Virginia Mason, Dr Zeitler (Drs Backous and Delashaw having departed Swedish under clouded circumstances). And the results were underwhelming...  

The good Dr Z and I can speculate forever on whether all that stress and consequent inflammation were sufficient trigger Sudden Unexplained Hearing Loss, but that's what I've got... It isn't uncommon in people who have already had hearing/brain issues such as mine, but that doesn't make it less irksome. So the local Olympia ENT has fitted me out with a trial hearing aid to see if we can boost the signal sufficiently to regain hearing, as it is down by 48%. Fingers crossed, it seems to be helping -- at least the cats singing for supper is once again loud and clear!

I'll post this also on the ANA website, as a long-term follow up helps those in the throes of making treatment decision a lot.

Till more news,
Laura


*What it was all about: Timothy endured multiple hospitalizations, including two-weeks for sepsis and another 10 days for major surgery. My mother's front garden looked like a wasteland, so I embarked on a complete renovation, with new flower beds and lawns, aided by a great garden company and the evergreen-thumbed Donna. And my mother's own health was slipping as her balance and vision deteriorated: she asked me to clear my Dad's library -- untouched since he passed away in 2015 -- so we could convert it to a bedroom for a live-in companion. All seemed to be on an improving, or at least stable, course for me (yay! full range of motion!). Mom had a nasty bout of bronchitis in January 2018 and turned some sort of health corner, perhaps involving TIA mini-strokes. Her care needs have increased considerably, but we're holding our own keeping her in the Olympia house she enjoys so much.