Tinnitus Tragedy

I came across this article today from the Telegraph in the UK and was saddened by it. A well-trained professional hypnotist who understands tinnitus can greatly help those who suffer with it.

Father of two Robert McIndoe, 52, was unable to sleep for three months after going to a rock concert that left him with a permanent ringing in his ear. He was watching supergroup 'Them Crooked Vultures' at Brixton Academy.

In the coming months Mr McIndoe faced an uphill struggle to to get proper treatment for the condition, Southwark Coroner's Court heard.

His wife eventually received a letter of referral to a hospital ear, nose and throat specialist on November 1 last year - the day after he apparently killed himself.

Shirley McIndoe told the hearing that the day after the gig last July, her husband was "cross with himself" for not taking ear plugs.

She said: "When it first happened he wasn't too bothered about it because he thought it would subside, and the friend he had been with also had ringing in his ears that day.

But it was a constant irritation.

"He didn't get a night of sleep after that until he went to hospital."

The inquest heard that the former psychiatric nurse visited his GP surgery three times and was referred to see an ear, nose and throat specialist at King's College Hospital.

He later visited the hospital, where he was told it had no specialists in the field, before turned away by St Thomas and eventually seen as an urgent case at the Royal London.

A further referral letter arrived on November 1, the court heard.

"It came through from Lewisham for St Thomas' Hospital,' said Mrs McIndoe.

"But it was all too late by then.

"He was so stressed - as far as Robert was concerned, he never heard back from anyone.'

Coroner Dr Andrew Harris asked: "Did he make clear the urgency of this?"

She replied: "I can't believe that he didn't - if someone walks round three hospitals asking to be seen."

Less than a fortnight before his death, Mr McIndoe attended A&E at Lewisham Hospital, where he was prescribed sleeping tablets and a doctor promised to fax his GP for an appointment the following day.

But when he visited his surgery, the Wells Park Practice in Sydenham, the following day, he was told that no note had been received.

"He came away from that appointment really, really distressed - and felt the GP didn't believe him and was treating him like a malingerer," his wife said.

The day after the appointment, on October 19, he left a suicide note before taking an overdose of the sleeping tablets at the family home in Sydenham Park Road, Sydenham, southeast London.

"He said he hadn't wanted to wake up because he couldn't bear the thought that he was no good to us,' said Shirley McIndoe.

"He just wanted to sleep and not be suffering.

"They kept him in hospital for three days and I thought that had been the low point, and we were moving forward."

The court heard that Mr McIndoe had tried treating himself with alternative therapies, including acupuncutre, and even considered permanently deafening himself by having his auditory nerve cut.

"He was very distressed, saying he didn't think he could go on,' his wife said.

'It was awful, he looked terrible, and he just felt so bad all the time.

"He was desperate that it was never going to change - he didn't know if he could live like this."

Mr McIndoe died on October 31 after apparently stabbing himself, the court heard.

A profile on business networking site LinkedIn lists his interests as acting, art, film-making, health, people and theatre.

Born in Birmingham, he graduated in fine arts from St Andrews University in 1981 before being awarded an MBA by Open University in 2005, and later a masters in theatre studies from Rose Bruford College.

The hearing has now been adjourned to a date to be fixed in the New Year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8898397/Rock-fan-kills...

Note: My e-book Calm Your Tinnitus: The Less You Fear It, The Less Your Hear It can be downloaded free at my profile page here.