The text is Reproduced
from
"Tinnitus
Today"
Sept 15 1999

Tinn.
Today
Editor's
Note

Thought To Live By

American
Tinnius Association

Hadassah
Medical
Organization

Hadassah
Tinnitus
Clinic

Letters Home from Jerusalem, or
How I recovered from my Tinnitus

by Ray Ennis

After suffering with tinnitus for nine years, seeing many different doctors, and trying their drug therapies, cranial sacral work, hearing devices, acupuncture, and massage, there was one thing that stood out in my mind as much as the ringing in my ears. It was the words I'd heard from all of the doctors: IT'S NOT CURABLE. YOU’LL JUST HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT

I took sleeping pills and drank alcohol in order to sleep, and was ready to give up. I had even gotten to the point where I didn't want to read Tinnitus Today when it arrived because it all seemed so hopeless. Fortunately, when the March 1999 issue arrived, I opened it and saw a small article written by Mike Cohen about a Dr. Zacharya Shemesh in Israel who reports a 90% success rate for treating tinnitus. I immediately contacted the Hadassah Hospital in Israel, spoke with Dr. Shemesh, and realized there was hope for me.

When I arrived in Israel and met Dr. Shemesh, I instantly knew that I had made the right decision to come this far for treatment. Dr. Shemesh has devoted his life to working with tinnitus, and believes that in most cases tinnitus is a curable disorder. God Bless Him!

I began treatment and felt inspired to send e-mail home to my wife and family about my experiences and feelings while being treated. Here are some excerpts from my letters home.

May I

I arrived in Jerusalem last night around 8 p.m., which is the start of Sabbath. A big mistake! Everything is closed and it is all so new to me.

I walked for hours and couldn't find a place to cat. Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday night and goes till sundown on Saturday and the whole city shuts down. All the busses stop running and all the businesses are closed. I've never seen anything like it.

May 3

Coming to Jerusalem was the right move for me. I've finally found a doctor who knows about tinnitus. it really takes a lot off my mind to know I don't have to suffer with this "devil's symphony" for the rest of my life. I finally understand the "whys" of some of my behavior patterns during the last few years: I wasn't just crazy. I was sick.

I found out that tinnitus is not simply a ringing in the ears. It's a central nervous system ailment.

My depression and all the debilitating symptoms were caused by the tinnitus. It all makes so much sense to me now.

May 4

I spent six hours with Dr. Shemesh today. This is so different from any experience I've ever had with a doctor. His way of working is to find out all about you; he treats the whole person, not just the symptoms. Sensing his compassion and wisdom, I held back nothing.

May 5

Today I got back some of the blood test results. This will help Dr. Shemesh know what type of treatment to start with. Other than a very high count of some vitamins, the tests show all my levels are normal.

May 10

'Today I received information on the medication. The pharmacy at Hadassah hospital will prepare the medication according to instructions from Dr. Shemesh after he considers all the medical aspects of my condition, like my complaints, medical history, imaging, audiometer reading, blood test results, and his personal evaluation of my particular health and living situation. This is essentially "conventional" treatment, but it reminds me of when I worked with the homeopathic doctors back home. His approach is very thorough and individualized. Shemesh says this program is based on the same proven (but still censored) protocol he uses in his long-standing work with Israeli Defense Forces tinnitus patients.

I am impressed with this man's experience and continue to build my trust in him. Dr. Shemesh says he will continue to supervise my case over the next 12-18 months.

May 11

I've spent the last three days with Dr. Shemesh for four, five, or six hours each day. Yesterday, I took the first two medications and when I awoke today, the ringing in my head had lowered 50 to 60 percent. It's hard for me to gauge. Since I've had tinnitus for so long, I'm not sure what is normal. I can't tell you how happy I am without so much noise in my head! I can hardly believe it. I'm still a little afraid to become too excited, but that, too, will pass.

May 13

I have had a slight relapse. I awoke this morning really angry. The ringing has returned although the volume is lower than it was previously. Dr. Shemesh says this is a good sign. It means my body is accepting the medication and this will possibly happen for a short time in the beginning of the treatment while everything is trying to come into balance. Although I understand this, it is still difficult to deal with my emotions when the ringing returns. Dr. Shemesh will be teaching me techniques to handle these times better.

May 17

I now seem to be going through major adjustments. I have days when the tinnitus is mostly just a background sound and the volume has decreased anywhere from 40 to 80 percent and then two days later it's back. I notice that each time it comes back, it is a little different. Either the volume is different or the pitch has changed or the whole sound itself has changed from ringing to buzzing to whistling. I also recall the activities of the previous day and can see factors that might have contributed to its return. Dr. Shemesh says the frequency of the recurrences will lessen when I'm finally back home in my own environment and settle into a somewhat stable routine again.

After a rendezvous with my wife who flew from Hawaii to London to meet me for a very special "second honeymoon," I'm now back home in Hawaii. The tinnitus has decreased to a light background noise, which I can manage with self-hypnosis, and the relaxation techniques I learned from Dr. Shemesh. I do have some "down days" due to stress, but I'm learning to manage the stressful times better since I know it is a major factor in aggravating tinnitus.

I speak with Dr. Shemesh once a week, or more often if something comes up. He is only a phone call away if I need him. I feel like a whole new person now, with a whole new life in front of me.

update , march 2000

Mr. Ennis can be contacted via e-mail at: .stelablu@maui. net

Mike Cohen can be contacted via e-mail at: nu@netvision.net.il

Dr Shemesh can be contacted by
s-Mail.
Hadassah Ein Kerem, tinnnitus Clinic,
PO. Box 12000, Jerusalem 91120, Israel

e-mail
pr@hadassah.org.il

Web site:
http://www.hadassah.org.il/hmo/tinnitus/tinnitus.htm

Telephone on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday,
7-8 a.m. Israel time (7 hours later than Eastern time) 011-972-9-899-7992, Fax: 011-972-2-677-6768