Good thing decorum and state law prohibits gambling. I would have bet on Ken Knapp.

You've been less participatory lately. I was actually wondering about you a few days ago. I hope all is okay. I don't like to speak for the group so I'll just say that I think it's a lesser place when you're not around.

be well,

Kurt

I miss you too, Rickster.

Thanks for the kind words, Kurt.

You're right, I haven't been around much lately...

As far as things being okay, well, I'm still pretty healthy, as far as I know, but I had an accident last August that resulted in a severe auditory trauma (loud noise/blast when my farm tractor battery exploded a few feet from my head).

As a result, I have some high frequency hearing loss that may or may not be permanent, depending on who you ask. I also have a bad case of tinnitus that comes and goes. I also have a lot of hyperacusis (extreme sensitivity to sound). I am under the care of my regular Dr. and a Dr. of Audiology.

To add insult to injury, I always made it a point to use hearing protection whenever I mowed the lawn, used a chain-saw, used the tractor, etc... The battery explosion caught me completely off guard and I was not wearing my hearing protection at the time.

When I play my pianos now, it sounds loud and harsh; before the accident, they (my pianos) never seemed too loud or harsh, and even better after voicing.

I've been pretty depressed, miserable and brokenhearted, to tell you the truth, on top of the hardships in life I had already.

But, hey, life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're going to get.

A word of wisdom and warning to all... guard and protect your hearing at all cost. It's a precious gift from God and something we can lose and never get back.

Good health and best wishes to all...

Rick

Have to agree though I think he did post a few days ago
in either the Beginners or the Digital forum.

Got that right. I have some loss and tinnitus as well. After starting piano, at least I now know the pitch of the ringing.

Rickster, that's terrible news about your hearing and pianos. I hope this works out somehow.

Sorry to hear of this Rick, but there is hope. Two years ago, on a dove hunt, my left ear plug fell out at the moment I pulled the trigger, (low velocity 20 gauge shell). It was loud, but it also left me with the sensation of chains rattling whenever ambient noise went above soft conversation. I was 60 at the time. Younger tissue is far less susceptible to this damage, older people have brittleness in there. I was told that I had shattered the ends of some of the celia and what I was hearing was the pieces colliding with one another. Everything had a harsh edge to it. It sounded like a cheap amplify beginning to clip.
Two years later, it has passed. So, there is hope.
Good luck, you will improve. Try to save the depression for when you ruin you lumbar region, that happens more often to piano techs than hearing loss/ (G)
best,

I hope you're feeling better soon.

I recently dropped a 4x4 on a piece of plywood in an unfinished room upstairs like a dumbsh-t a couple weeks ago. It sounded like a flashbang going off and my right ear felt numb from sound for a few, terrifying minutes. For the next several days, everything sounded muffled and harsh in that ear and I was freaking out about it. Thankfully, it has passed, but it did make me consider how foolish that was and how much more care needs to go into protecting one's hearing. I wish you all the best, Rick, and join in urging you not to give up hope on your ears. I'm just thankful it wasn't more than your hearing. An exploding battery next to your head sounds like it could have been, much, much worse. Good case for eye protection, too.

Dear Rickster,
I am very sorry to hear of the accident with the tractor battery and its effects on your hearing.
Any loss of any of our senses is scary, but in time we adjust and come to terms with it and of course, it may well improve.

It is part of the process of recovering from the shock of a traumatic event like that to feel depressed, disillusioned and even broken-hearted.

A holiday from playing your pianos will do no harm and when your hearing settles down, it may feel right to resume your playing.

You have so many friends on Piano World who will also be delighted to see you back posting and sharing your extensive knowledge and experience with pianos.

My message for you and for everyone is one of hope and enjoying the moment however best we can. I know this is set-back for you, but it is one that you can get through and return to your full enjoyment of life.

Very best wishes,

Robert.

Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, Rick.

+1

Kurt,

I have been wondering the same thing. Glad you posted.

Rick,

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

Sorry to hear about your accident.

+1 more for a speedy recovery to you, Rick.

+1 for your hearing to be healed.

I don't know what you have or haven't tried so maybe this is pointless but have you tried playing with headphones on to dampen the sound of the piano and make it more comfortable? I'm only thinking of it because I work with severely autistic children and many of them have extreme sensitivity to sound and several students in our class wear headphones to muffle sound pretty much every moment of the day.

Thanks KurtZ, for taking the initiative to ask. Like many others, I was wondering too.

Rickster,

I'm saddened to hear you've set aside your passion. I hope you make a full recovery........blob

Yes, you are a treasure here and we missed you. We pray for recovery!!

Hi, Rickster - I am very sorry to hear of the hearing loss and tinnitus, and wish you a speedly recovery. And being able to enjoy your piano again soon.

I'm so sorry, Rick. I know what you are going through. I too suffer from tinnitus and Eustachian tube malfunction in one ear. It hasn't gotten better, but I have gotten used to it. Fortunately, it has not affected how I hear music; I just have this high-pitched obligato added to whatever I hear.

Get better - that's an order!

Rickster:

Please get well soon!
Your presence here is as important as is it missed!
Hoping you'll be back to your normal self soon!

cheers,

Norbert

Hope you feel better soon.

Rickster -

My father suffered from tinnitus for many years, and I have a brother who suffers from extreme hyperacusis, so I've seen how challenging these conditions can be. I sincerely hope that over time, the hearing issues will improve for you. Please know that there are many folks who appreciate your presence here and wish you nothing but the best.

Rick, I am very sorry to hear that. I also wish you a speedy recovery an hope you will get the joy of music back in your life.

Rick, sorry to hear about your problems - hope they get better!

I sometimes use those Etymotic earplugs for musicians. Besides a little hearing loss, I sometimes get sensitive to my own piano. Those earplugs work pretty well - you can still hear what's going on. They're available on Amazon.

Sam

Rick,

I haven't forgotten that PM I promised you.

Just this past Sunday, I had what must have been [at least] a 40 dB loss of hearing, without any obvious cause, in my left ear. Woke up in the middle of the night and was half-deaf on that ear. What little sound came through, was totally distorted and hyperacoustic. Scary!!! This lasted for the whole night and part of Monday. By Monday noon, most of the hearing had returned, albeit distorted, and there was only a small loss detected by the audiologist. (No inflammation or blockage/fluid in the ear.) Yesterday I still had a phantom note on top of all noises, but today, fortunately the ear seems back to normal. So, even though I wrote you the other day that I feel quite confident in having come through my hyperacusis, there's no such thing as an unexpected relapse to put one in one's place...

Anyhow, still thinking of you, and I'll try to send that PM soon.

Sorry to hear of your problems. I hope they'll resolve positively and quickly.

I too have tinnitus. More disturbing is that in the higher range I hear notes a half step or even a whole step higher than they actually are. At first I thought my piano was terribly out of tune. But, no, it happens on my digital as well, and my tech assures me my piano is perfectly in tune. This has been going on a year or so and does not appear to be getting better.

I guess as we age some of us are going to experience these things. Fortunately I had 70+ years of very good relative pitch and much enjoyment of music before this happened.

Rick, your post wasn't on the board when I started my first post, and I didn't/haven't
checked the board until now. I want you to know that I hope that your hearing problems
resolve ASAP. We miss you!

Rick, of course I join everybody in wishing you a full recovery.

Aren't battery explosions quite rare? Is it possible that the battery manufacturer could be liable for damages?

Wishing you the best of recovery and the best of spirits, Rick.
Stick around!

Kind regards-

Best wishes, Rick, for a good recovery.

Wishing you faith and courage for this journey, Rick.

Oh, dang it. Why is it that these bad things always seem to happen to the good guys and not the bad guys who deserve it?!

Like the others, I hope your hearing issues are only temporary and you'll soon be able to enjoy being back on the bench. In the mean time, don't worry about us, and take care of yourself.

Rickster,

Hang in there. You can see we all miss you. Pianoworld has been a better place because of your presence. I pray for your full recovery.

- Rick

Hey Rickster,
I know we have had our disagreements in the past,(just a little tiff) hahahaha but it's always nice to see you around. I will pray for you every day! You are a solid presence here and it's just not the same when you are not around! Hope you get better soon!

Sending a little "piano" cupcake for you! You are special! & here's a little something special sent your way! Enjoy!

Just want to share this piano cupcake with all you "moderators"! You are very much appreciated too!

Rickster,

I'm quite pained to hear what's happened, so I'll say, stay strong, and wishing all the best for a good recovery! It must be awful to not play, and be in such a state.

Take care of yourself!

Greetings-
Rickster's radio silence on PW is more correlated to casinitaly's start of moderating on this board around the turn of the new year than to the time of Rickster's injury last August. Is all well on Mount Olympus?

Best wishes-

Thanks for all the supportive comments, well wishes and prayers.

And Phacke, with all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about and are just plain wrong with your assumptions. All the other moderators knew about my hearing accident long before this thread was posted.

Oh yea, one more thought... Casinitaly is an excellent moderator... so much so that Frank made her a global moderator. She has moderator rights on all the forums.

So, yes, all is well on Mount Olympus.

Best regards,

Rick

Oh yes she is!
And so are you.

Furthermore, you bring a positive vibe along and I always enjoy your PAS related stories.
I wish you the very best and the speediest and best of recoveries.