[Straight Vermonter]

By the way, she speculated that the cause, rather than anything exotic, was likely the long exposure to high volumes through headphones

I'm no doctor but this seems very unlikely. It seems that hearing loss due to cumulative exposure to high volumes would be gradual not sudden and severe as it has in this case. My amatuer opinion is that a viral infection is involved. I am curious why he is reluctant to say WHY he is going deaf. Nonetheless, my prayers are with him.

[homegroan]

My mom has developed sarcoidosis; it started with her losing her voice. She has some kind of scarring tumor on a nerve that controls her vocal chords; they just don't work. They didn't find it until it effected her stomach, about 2 years later.

I'm no doctor either, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. ;-)