modern day miracles

Many of you may know but most of you don't that my husband has tinnitus. He's had it for years... since he was about eight. Growing up he never gave it too much thought. Every year he failed the hearing test at school. You know the one where you put on the head phones then raise your hand when you hear the beep. When the beep got to the same pitch as the tinnitus it canceled it out- so he would go to the nurse.... yada yada yada-there's nothing we can do- no big deal. right?

I knew he had it when we got married. It never seemed to bother him too much. He had periods of difficulty, more like uncomfortableness (is that a word) in loud restaurants or when the kids got too loud. When it gets loud, like everyone else he concentrates to listen - but as he concentrates the ringing (more like swooshing in his head) gets louder & louder. Every 4-5 years he would ask a doctor about it, they would send him to an audiologist who would announce- you have tinnitus- (duh)- there's nothing you can do about it & that was that.

The last couple of years it has gotten worse & then more worse. It has been a constant struggle- I can see it in his eyes. He is a very successful business man- let's face it- it takes a lot of work & money & drive to support even a frugal stay at home wife & six children. At the end of the day he's tired. Tired of the noise, tired of the distraction- it's frustrating. Some days I can see it's just too much.

Back to the specialist & back to hoping there is some new treatment & guess what? After months of different things... including an MRI two days before megan's wedding to check for a brain tumor... (that's always fun & such great timing)... allergy med's hoping to ease pressure in the ear drum.... puncturing the ear drum with a needle to relieve pressure (ya it was as bad as it sounds)... all to no relief- but then we just started trying this past spring, right? And we really had no hope before that- right?

Well- yesterday he was fitted with a hearing aide.
Guess what- It's working.... these new hearing aides- modern day miracles. they can strengthen the outside sounds & mask the swooshing noise of the tinnitus. It was just another step in his journey to find some relief but- it's working!
Last night he showed the kids. You can't even see it- really, when he came home I looked & secretly thought he had already taken them out.... but no- it's there. Jack of course is thrilled- he's hoping one of his friends will notice so he can tell him he's a secret agent- then swear them to secrecy with the threat that if he tells- we'll have to be "relocated." He took them out before going to bed & BOOM the tinnitus was full blast blowing away in his head- again- but then again that just means the hearing aid- it was working. So there's hope of some relief-

A week ago today (after a mis diagnosis last spring & a week long miserable testing process) his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease... he being her only son- the closest geographically (8 hours away- not good) has been under tremendous stress and sadness. We are all so sad at the thought... I can't even talk about it.

Thank you - thank you to the heaven's above for this modern day miracle that is giving us some peace before the rocky road ahead.
I'm sorry to Keri & Lyn for mentioning mom's disease in this post-I know you're reading & that she doesn't- please forgive me.

Life was starting to feel so long... and now it's just so short.