Wow. Thanks for everyone's well-wishes on the brain tumor test. It turns out they were able to tell a great deal from the electrodes stuck to my forehead for 30 minutes. Which is to say, I don't have a tumor on the ear area of the brain. Yippee. However, I'm only 45 and my right ear is down to about 50% audibility versus my left ear. With no traumatic event to attribute this asymmetry, the ENT surgeon may order an MRI to determine once and for all that Iron Maiden and the Scorpions are more responsible for my bum right ear than any tumor. If I never talk about this again here, assume it's the former.
But a funny thing happened between then and now. I forgot to tell my mom (who lives in Texas) about this test. She found out about it on my Facebook page this weekend while visiting my sister in Louisiana. Mom doesn't have a Facebook, and doesn't really have the internet as she uses dialup and AOL. So here she is checking pictures of our kids on this Facebook thingy, and *gasp* – there I am talking about having to take a test for a brain tumor. Her shock was clear in her frantic voicemail message. When I assured her that I was going to be fine, I then had to contend with the fact that I told thousands of strangers, but not her. Oh, boy. Happy Mother's Day, Ma.
Thanks again for your support. If I ever do have a brain tumor, I can't think of nicer people to share it with. ~ Jim
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Jim Mitchem is a father, husband, communications consultant and helps run smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv.
John Cavanaugh
May 10, 2010
I’m glad to hear that things are looking positive, Jim. Though hearing loss is a serious matter, brain tumors tend to put it all in perspective.
Take care with the Iron Maiden. And in general.
John
Jim Mitchem
May 10, 2010
Thanks John. It’s really an annoyance more than anything. And I’m not ready to fork over the $ for a hearing aid yet. So I’ll likely take up lip reading for a couple decades.
Danakirk
May 10, 2010
I guess we’re getting to that age (although I’ve got you by a couple of years). You start to hear about friends struggling with all sorts of illness and you begin to realize we’re not immortal.
Good news about the non-tumor. I feel for you on the hearing loss, however, as I really understand from a first hand perspective. I have constant ringing (tinitus?) and it’s a PITA. Too many loud concerts in my youth, I guess. They tell me the next step is hearing aids but I’m with you, too expensive. I’m not that bad yet.
Glad all is (relatively) well,
Dana
Ben Kunz
May 11, 2010
A. Just caught this stream. Very glad you are OK. I’ve lost people I love with cancer and had others get it and recover, but it’s nice to dodge it. Be well man.
B. My iPod goes to 11. I think I need to dial it back a notch myself.
Jim Mitchem
May 12, 2010
Hi Ben. Thanks. We don’t have much history of these things in our family, so I never doubted that it was just damage from loud music. In fact, I’d have been shocked if it were anything serious. This was going-down-the-checklist stuff. But it still kind of sucks.
Jim Mitchem
May 12, 2010
I still think I’m immortal. Hearing aids are very expensive. But thankfully, they have them w/bluetooth. So that’s good – when it’s time.
My novel – Minor King
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