Unreal Chapter I Intro

For this I would really like feedback from people who have hearing problems in order gauge the realism of this encounter. Would also like to know if there is too much detail.

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It all began with a faint buzz. Occasionally I would hear it upon waking. I thought it was the static from my clock radio, but when i turned it off, it didn't go away. At first I ignored it. Sometimes you see multicolored spots in your vision or your skin itches for no apparent reason or you get a whiff of something that can't possibly exist like the smell of wood-smoke and rain on a clear day in Manhattan. As time drew on however, the incidence became more frequent and though it was hard to discern, it seemed to me like the buzz was getting louder. Soon it became hard to ignore and at points in the day I would frequently stop short upon its sudden unanticipated reoccurrance. It had became apparent that this was not a one-time thing so I scheduled an appointment with an audiologist.

His name was Dr. Marner. He had a powder pink love-seat and forest green carpeting in his office lounge. Obviously the guy was a kook, but I was hoping that he was brilliant, or at least competent, and could give me an easy fix for my buzzing problem.

"What seems to be the problem Miss Jean?"

"For awhile I've had buzzing in my ears."

"Sit on the table please? Is it constant of recurring?"

"Recurring."

He checked the left ear.

"Is it in one or both ears?"

"Sometimes the left, sometimes the right, and every now and again they'll start up together or one will start and the other will join."

He moved on to the other.

"Have you been under a lot of stress lately."

"A bit. I recently filed for a transfer to U Penn."

He stopped and pulled back to make some notes on his pad.

"Thats a good school. My nephew went there for their medical program."

"Have you recently encountered any loud abrasive noises?"

"Not that I know of."

"Have you been sleeping well?"

"Not really."

"Any other symptoms?"

"I don't think so."

He stopped scribbling and looked up. "It seems to be tinnitus. I'll get Ms. Clarkson to perform an audiometry test but its quite common and often unassociated with hearing loss so don't worry too much."

Upon hearing "hearing loss" I panicked. I immediately pictured Katie Moss. A girl from my high school who had looked nothing like her namesake and in addition to having horrendous acne, unruly black hair, and puffy cheeks due to her braces, also had a congenital hearing problem which warranted the used of hearing aides in both ears. I remember how people would whisper so that she'd turn the volume up after which they would scream loudly and giggle when she inadvertently covered her ears. Of course high school was over and I was in college now, but there was still a lot of immaturity to go around, and besides no one wants to be deaf.

I went back out to his pink couch stewing in worry. By the time Ms. Clarkson called me I had broken out in a cold sweat. I could hardly concentrate through the damn test I was so nervous. i kept thinking, if I can't hear these tones does that mean I'm going deaf. When I couldn't hear them I often had half a mind to say that I could, but luckily I wasn't actually irrational enough to do it.

When the ordeal was over I waited while Ms. Clarkson gave the Mr. Marner my results. He called me into his office shortly. As soon as I entered he looked up and smiled.

"Good News! Everythings normal."

"I released a sigh of relief."

"Ms. Clarkson told me how nervous you were so I thought I'd rid you of your fear asap."

He gestured to the seats in front of his desk.

"Have a seat. We have to discuss what to do about your tinnitus."

"Sometimes these problems are alleviated simply by getting enough sleep and putting yourself in less stressful situations. However, if it interferes with your daily life I would suggest a tinnitus masker. It looks like a hearing aid but instead of amplifying sound produces another soothing sound that will mask the buzzing."

"I don't think that will be necessary." I didn't want anything that even smelled like a hearing aid.

"OK well make sure you get a good nights rest and I'm sure you'll get into UPenn. You seem like a smart girl. Call me if anything changes."

I left the office and let out a sigh. The visit hadn't really solved anything and had further served to squash any hopes of ridding myself of the nuisance. I watched my feet as I walked out the door. As I descended the concrete stairs to the sidewalk I heard a distinct buzz in my right ear.