You’ve been waiting for this!! Turn the phone off, put all your calls through to your voicemail, because the time has finally arrived. It’s our one-on-one interview with Korrie (Dad), exclusive to tinnitusmarathon.blogspot.com.
So without further adieu, below is our colour-coded interview, exactly how it all went down:
Michelle: Hi, Dad.
Dad: Hey Michelle.
Michelle: You good? Want a drink or something?
Dad: Nah, I’m good….
Michelle: Right then…Mom! Could you bring Dad a beer?
Dad: No - I’m good! Carol, no beer, thanks!
Mom: [doesn’t budge from her place on the couch, where she is reading her book…]
Michelle: Okay, let’s start then. Ready?
Dad: Let’s roll…
Michelle: Kay…do you remember the first symptoms of Tinnitus that you noticed?
Dad: Late 1992 I had an ear infection which produced "T" for the first time. Sounded like the buzzing of 10,000 Bees in my head! It slowly faded after about 2 months. What a relief! Late in 1995 had another ear infection; bees came back and have never left since!
Michelle: What made you think, or when did you realize something was wrong & this wasn’t going to go away?
Dad: After the second ear infection, there was no fading of "T" at all. Countless nights were spent trying to sleep but all I could do was flop around in bed like a "fish out of water”. My gut feeling told me I was in deep trouble. Going to work was a nightmare; it was probably a human "safety hazard" there. Work was a noisy atmosphere requiring hearing protection. The ear protection trapped "T" even more in my head. Then I’d try to sleep after work and just flop in bed again. No sleep, terrible noise in my head at work......no sleep, terrible noise in my head at work. It was a vicious cycle that just repeated itself over and over. Despair really setting in by now.
Michelle: What were your thoughts then?
Dad: Short answer - thought I was going insane. Maybe I was, at first.
Michelle: Do you remember your first visit to your doctor about it? What suggestions were offered? Was she sympathetic or helpful?
Dad: First visits to Doctor were a complete waste of time. They could "see nothing" in the ear they could fix and so they’d tell you to "learn to live with it." Which is fine, but they offered no suggestions on coping. You are on your own, adding to feelings of deeper despair.
Mom: [looks up from her book, like she’s just thought of something] Hey!! Do you guys want something to drink??
Dad: Yeah, maybe I’ll have a beer?
Mom: [brings beer] Why didn’t you guys SAY something? Michelle, don’t you want something?
Michelle: No thanks - I’m trying to work here. Dad, how did you find out about TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy)? What relief did it offer for you?
Dad: I had joined a "T" support group and learned about it there. Offered no relief whatsoever. Despair continued!
Michelle: Would you talk about the brain surgery you underwent in 1997?
Dad: There is a long medical name for the surgery but basically it was a neurological procedure that found two microscopic blood vessels were impinging on an auditory nerve. Two microscopic Teflon pads were placed between the blood vessels and the nerve. It was supposed to "cushion" the nerve. The surgery was performed in Toronto in '97 and was not successful -"T" was still there. It did however have a very negative result. Speech discrimination in my right ear is almost totally gone. Meaning simply, words I hear with that ear are scrambled. A simple sentence sounds like a foreign language is one way to put it.
I was the second person in Canada, I believe, to have this procedure. It's no longer done. I wonder why?
Michelle: Hey!! Meant to thank you guys for the running skirt!! It’s the cat’s A$$!!
Mom: Mi-chelle!!
Dad: You’re welcome, but why do you have to swear so much?
Michelle: Ummm…Sorry? [Uncomfortable silence, while my father stares me down] Aaaaanyways…Can you tell about some of the things you used to love to do, that you don’t do anymore because of Tinnitus?
Dad: That's an easy one. Always enjoyed cars - fixing them, showing them but most of all "drag racing" them. Did a lot of traveling to shows and races here and in the U.S. Met a lot of nice people along the way. Why do I not do this anymore? "T" impacts concentration and focus. Neither of which I have much of anymore. Tried a couple of times to "rekindle" passion for cars but it's not there anymore. Also, going to "drag races" is out of the question. It can be noisy to say the least. It was always an adrenaline rush to race. I miss it.
Miss my family and friends too! It's so hard trying to carry on conversation when more than one person is in the room talking. So, I avoid going to most gatherings. Sad huh?
Miss being a productive member of society too. Always took pride in my work. Man, the things I miss would be an endless list!
Michelle: You always had the best cars in town. Can you list some of them?
Dad: Sure, here's a few:
'65 Chevelle SS
'65 & '67 Impala SS
'67 Camaro RS/SS convertible (black with black interior and white top. (Super nice car)
'69 GTO.....do you remember "driving" that?
Michelle: Oh, yeah, for sure. I was like, six? Sitting on your lap!
Dad: Also there was the '79 Li'l Red Express Truck… A few others in between but my favorites were the Buicks I had:
'70 GS that was "built" for speed! Was a blast to drive and race.
'70 Skylark (GS clone) that I ''framed off." Was "better than new."
'87 Buick Grand National that was scary fast too. You never lost a race did you??
Michelle: Me? Ha!! Man, no way!!
uhhh.....I mean……I never raced that car! I drove it to school and back home, like I was told!
Dad: Had a few other Buicks but those were my favorites. Which one would I like to have back?
The three Buicks I mentioned. They all defined "Going Fast With Class"
Michelle: I totally agree. The Buicks were my faves too….Could you describe a typical day for you, starting from when you wake up in the morning?
Dad: That's a hard one. Briefly, I get up early; avoid any noisy atmosphere, (meaning I am in my home almost all of the time). This is where I am "in control" of what happens to me. Spend a bit of time on computer but mostly I just wish it was night time again so I could sleep for a bit. That is my only escape, sleep. Long days, short nights, I wonder myself, how do I do it?
Michelle: Me too; I wonder that too. Do you EVER experience relief?
Dad: Answer to that is again, only when I sleep. No relief ever during waking hours. "T" never goes down, will go up at times though. Those days are a killer when that happens.
Michelle: What brings you joy now?
Dad: Knowing my "kid" and "grandkids" are doing well in life. Don't see them as much as I thought I would but that does not stop me from knowing how they are doing and what they are accomplishing. They are my "Joy in Life" and always will be.
Michelle: That’s really nice. I was a pretty good kid eh? Good teenager?
Dad: Yeah you were a pretty darn good kid, except for knocking down snow banks after I finished shoveling the driveway! You reminded me of that just the other day when your kids were playing in my snowbanks and I didn't give them trouble!! I have a lot of good memories of you being a kid. Was a magical time that went by in an instant, seems like.
Good teenager? Must have been, I let you drive my cars! Think you must have thrown some good parties too, just wish we had been home when you did. Bet you do too, huh?
Michelle: I have no idea what you're talking about? Parties?? Seriously, I don't know what you mean. What is your biggest frustration, today?
Dad: Another easy one, trying hard to concentrate on answering these questions. The more I try, the harder it becomes. Frustrating at its "best."
Michelle: What does it sound like?
Dad: Like 10,000 bees buzzing inside my head. It's a real "falsetto" type of buzz too! No "low drone" for those li'l buggers!
Michelle: Okay, last question. Who is your favorite offspring? I’ve always wanted to ask you that?
Dad: What this?? A trick question? Well, let me see…seeing as you’re an ONLY CHILD, I guess the answer to that is a no-brainer.
Michelle: [laughing] I know, I was just kidding. Mom! Did you hear that? Mom? Are you still reading?
Mom: [Silence and stillness. This woman is engrossed in whatever she is reading!]
Michelle: [Makes mental note to check Mom’s pulse when this interview wraps up] Okay then. [Leans into Dad, whispering] Who do you like better between me and Mom?
Dad: [Gets up and walks into another room, shaking his head] Oh, Michelle….this ‘interview’ has ended.
**Okay, I’ll admit that some of these answers may have been edited or enhanced (perhaps even totally fabricated) for ease of reading. Or, for my own amusement. But not the Tinnitus stuff. Those words are all original and untouched.
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