Meet Mike – How He Reclaimed His Life From Tinnitus
I grew up in Abilene in the 1970s, back when life was loud and nobody gave much thought to hearing protection. I went to KISS concerts, listened to Deep Purple, and never once considered that all that noise might follow me later in life.
From 1979 to 1983, I served in the Navy working in machine rooms. Hearing protection technically existed, but it was not enforced, and most of us did not use it. You just did your job. Looking back, I can see how those years added up.
I had mild tinnitus for much of my adult life, but it was manageable. It stayed in the background and never really interfered with anything. I thought that was as bad as it would ever get.
I was wrong.
The Night It Got Loud
One night I was sitting and watching TV when I suddenly developed a severe headache. I took some Tylenol and went to bed, expecting it to pass. Around 3:00 a.m., I woke up to a roaring sound in my head.
It was not the typical ringing people describe . It was a high-pitched buzzing tone. The best way I can explain it is like the sharp tone old televisions used to make when they signed off for the night. Except this one did not stop. It kept getting louder.
I waited two weeks before seeking help. I kept hoping it would calm down or go away. Eventually, I could not take it anymore and went to a hearing specialist. After some testing, they told me I had hearing loss. When I asked what I could do about the tinnitus, they told me I would simply have to learn to live with it.
That answer crushed me.
Watching Myself Slip Away
At the time, my wife and I were preparing to sell our house. I had a small plumbing job to finish, something I have done countless times over the years. Normally it would take about 15 minutes. That day, it took three hours.
I could not concentrate. I could not think clearly enough to figure out the next step. The longer it took, the more frustrated I became. And the more frustrated I became, the louder the noise seemed.
I did not recognize the person I was becoming. I was short-tempered and overwhelmed. I treated my wife in ways that still bother me to think about. The constant noise made me feel trapped in my own head, and I began having very dark thoughts. I truly questioned whether I could live the rest of my life that way.
At 64 years old, I honestly believed this was it. I thought this was how the rest of my story would be written.
A Different Type of Appointment
My wife found Hope Hearing and Tinnitus Center and told me we were going. I did not argue. I did not have the energy.
From the first appointment, the experience felt different. They took the time to sit down and talk with me about what I was going through. They asked thoughtful questions and ran far more thorough tests than I had experienced before. They showed me exactly which frequencies I was missing and explained how that hearing loss was contributing to the tinnitus.
Most importantly, they told me there was something we could do.
That was the first real sense of hope I had felt in weeks. I had a decision to make, and I chose to move forward.
The Turning Point
After being fitted with hearing aids and having everything carefully adjusted, I began to notice changes within the first week. The buzzing was still there, but it was no longer dominating my thoughts. I was less aware of it. My mind felt steadier.
By the second week, my wife told me I was almost completely back to myself. They checked in regularly during those early weeks and brought me back for follow-up appointments to fine-tune everything. That level of care made a difference.
If I focus on the tinnitus now, I can still hear it. But the devices produce a soft wave-like sound that blends with it. I love fishing, and to me it sounds like gentle ocean waves rolling in. In a quiet room, that sound actually calms me.
I went from feeling hopeless to feeling in control again.
More Than Hearing
One of the most meaningful parts of this journey was helping my wife understand what I was experiencing. Tinnitus is incredibly isolating because it is deafening inside your own head, yet invisible to everyone around you. People cannot hear it, so they do not always grasp how overwhelming it can be.
Hope Hearing helped me demonstrate what I was hearing so my wife could truly understand. Once she did, I no longer felt alone in it.
Dr. Mary Allen sat with me, listened carefully, and explained everything clearly. They did not dismiss what I was feeling. They looked me in the eye and told me they were going to help me and make my life better. That mattered more than I can express.
Getting My Life Back
I am not cured, and I know tinnitus cannot be cured. I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes. I wish I could sleep with the devices in, but I sleep on my side. Even so, when I put them on first thing in the morning, within an hour I barely notice the ringing anymore. I wear them all day and take them off right before bed, and for me, it has worked completely.
Today, my wife and I are full-time RV travelers. We live in a 42-foot travel trailer and are seeing the entire country. We are meeting incredible people and experiencing things I once thought I would not be able to enjoy again.
Sometimes I joke, like on Seinfeld, “I’m back.” But it is true. I am back to being myself. I can hear the television clearly even when it is just a few feet away. I can focus. I can enjoy conversations. Most importantly, I can enjoy my life.
I would spend ten times what I paid to feel this way again. I almost walked out when I first heard the price, and my wife pulled me back into the chair and said, “No. You are doing this.” I am grateful every day that she did.
If You Feel Like I Did
What I experienced, I would not wish on anyone. If you are struggling and feel like there is no help, do not stay silent. Ask God for help. Lean on your family. Let them support you and try to help them understand what you are hearing.
Then take the next step.
Tinnitus may not be curable, but it can be managed. You do not have to lose yourself to it. I truly believed my life was over, and I was wrong.
You can reclaim your life.
There is help. There is a way forward. And you do not have to go through it alone.
