Life turns on a dime (the loss of something precious)

[Mark Dohle]

My good friend Noel has published a book about his experience of hearing loss. It has gotten many good reviews. Check it out on Amazon. The book has got me thinking about life, fragility, and how we deal with it.--Br-MD

Life turns on a dime
(the loss of something precious)

We live in illusion, one hard to break,
that our lives are stable,
and as it is ‘now’, so it will ever be.

It is a lie we know, but it brings comfort,
yet life turns on a dime.

A random flip of events,
or our DNA,
or who knows why,
what we always had is suddenly gone.

I have a friend, named Noel, who after arising
could not hear the water running
during his morning ritual,
what was taken for granted,
hardly averted to,
is now missing.

It can seem dreamlike,
or is it waking from a dream (?),
into a clearer vision of our true place in the world,
which is contingent on so many factors,
many unknown, hence our fragility.

Or the loss of health in many ways
is something many will live through
for a time, for some, chronic,
what was taken for granted simply gone,
without fanfare, often quietly,
the effect, however, is far from tranquil.

Just get through this day, and tomorrow and the next,
faith can ground us to face reality in all of its nakedness,
to understand that pain, suffering, is always a part of life,
a fool’s errand to run from it, yet we often do,
into a deeper hole with perhaps abysmal suffering.

life is short, perhaps that is a gift,
each day so precious,
even our pain along with our joy,
dance together in a waltz,
or a tango, it is our choice
as hard as that can be—Br.MD​

 

[anna ~ grace]

Thank you, Brother Mark. What you write is often both sobering, and at times, joyful. God bless you, and I hope you have a blessed Christmas ahead!

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

The book has got me thinking about life, fragility, and how we deal with it.

From online source, I can't find the diagnosis / cause.

From medical/pharmacy school over decades, I learned that medicine (like all nsaids) can and do cause hearing loss, tinnitus, and deafness, and while not always, is sometimes reversible. The head of the hearing/speech dept at tulsa university 'knew' medicine cause deafness, but did not know/ was not aware, that it was and is reversible until after he met some no longer deaf persons that had recovered by discontinuing the medicine that caused it.

 

[Mark Dohle]

From online source, I can't find the diagnosis / cause.

From medical/pharmacy school over decades, I learned that medicine (like all nsaids) can and do cause hearing loss, tinnitus, and deafness, and while not always, is sometimes reversible. The head of the hearing/speech dept at tulsa university 'knew' medicine cause deafness, but did not know/ was not aware, that it was and is reversible until after he met some no longer deaf persons that had recovered by discontinuing the medicine that caused it.

 

[Mark Dohle]

His deafness was not due to medicine, i am not sure they really know why this happens with many. However, the implant does work for him.

Peace
Mark

Peace
Mark

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I've met , some thru the Univ tulsa, several or many who learned themselves that their hearling loss/ deafness was caused by medicine, sometimes AFTER , for other reasons, they discontinued their medicine (including &m&rin& and &ns&&ids&, btw)...
but most or all of them were NOT told, warned nor advised by ANY doctor,
of the danger or possibility even of that vector/cause. They learned on their own.

Some of them, found out too late, and yes, implants worked for them.
Some of them, it was not or may not have been medicine that was the cause - but the medical profession appears not to want people to know it often is, except for the small print in the medicine package inserts that lists hearing loss, deafness, etc as a side effect. Advocacy health groups online are a potential good resource to find out more, as there are dozens of medicines prescribed, tens of thousands every day, that have caused hearing loss and/or deafness (and more severe things , like seizures, and also "hearing voices" ) , and the protocol of daily medical care does not (so far as I know , and from many sources) care to alert patients or potential patients.

"Spiritual Disciplines" includes, I think, open honest discussion among members in the same assembly and with others, about such things. However, in many 'churches', it is not done, and sometimes not permitted nor even welcome.

 

[Mark Dohle]

I've met , some thru the Univ tulsa, several or many who learned themselves that their hearling loss/ deafness was caused by medicine, sometimes AFTER , for other reasons, they discontinued their medicine (including &m&rin& and &ns&&ids&, btw)...
but most or all of them were NOT told, warned nor advised by ANY doctor,
of the danger or possibility even of that vector/cause. They learned on their own.

Some of them, found out too late, and yes, implants worked for them.
Some of them, it was not or may not have been medicine that was the cause - but the medical profession appears not to want people to know it often is, except for the small print in the medicine package inserts that lists hearing loss, deafness, etc as a side effect. Advocacy health groups online are a potential good resource to find out more, as there are dozens of medicines prescribed, tens of thousands every day, that have caused hearing loss and/or deafness (and more severe things , like seizures, and also "hearing voices" ) , and the protocol of daily medical care does not (so far as I know , and from many sources) care to alert patients or potential patients.

"Spiritual Disciplines" includes, I think, open honest discussion among members in the same assembly and with others, about such things. However, in many 'churches', it is not done, and sometimes not permitted nor even welcome.

In taking any medicine there is always a chance of side effects that are very serious. I do think people need to be aware of that. One medicine may work for one person, and be detrimental to another.

Peace
Mark