Meet Joyce – Finding Solutions For Tinnitus When She Thought There Were None
“After I experienced one of the roughest ear aches of my life, one of my ears felt entirely plugged. I knew something was wrong because I couldn’t hear well out of it, but I ultimately decided to let it be for a few days to see if the issue would resolve itself.
A week after the incident, my ear was still feeling the same, so I went to an ENT where I was informed my eardrum was about to burst. They told me I needed to have a tube put in, and that’s exactly what they did.
About a month after my appointment, I started to experience tinnitus symptoms in addition to my plugged ear sensation. It was a loud, shrill ringing that never stopped. So I began to educate myself on tinnitus online and found exactly what I didn’t want to find. There’s no cure, there’s no help, watch your diet, and a bunch of other discouraging information. I eventually ended up on the American Tinnitus Association’s website, where it talked about tinnitus retraining therapy. With this glimmer of optimism, I knew I needed to find someone in Iowa who did that. That’s where I found Hope Hearing & Tinnitus Center. After checking out their site, I knew this was the place I needed to be.
I tried to schedule an appointment right away, but was informed that because of how recent the tube in my ear was put in, any audiogram may not be accurate. So I had to wait 90 days before I could finally see them and it was a struggle dealing with tinnitus symptoms and a plugged ear feeling for as long as I did. After counting down the days, I finally got up to Cedar Rapids and got to meet the amazing staff here.
Dr. Kellogg was fabulous. She did my examination and as I began to explain my story to her, she put a hearing aid in my ear that immediately got rid of the plugged feeling I had in my ear. I visited three other doctors who told me nothing could be done, and I couldn’t believe that with just one device, I could hear again. I feel forever grateful for the experience and staff at Hope Hearing because they helped me regain so much. My plugged ears, my tinnitus, and my hearing have all changed so dramatically over a three-month span.
I think that people should really come to Hope Hearing & Tinnitus Center before going through all of the other avenues. At the very least, don’t wait too long to come. I could’ve saved myself a lot of time and anxiety if I would’ve come here first. I can tell Dr. Kellogg treats every one of her patients with the same kindness and thoughtfulness that she did me.”
