On The Run From Power Tools

The landscapers came to my house today, for the second day in a row, so my mother and I had to leave and go to my grandmothers house again. The noise of lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed wackers, and any type of power tool causes me intense throbbing pain on my forehead and the sides of my head. If we do not leave quickly my pain turns into a lingering migraine. I am thankful that my mother drives me away, and that my grandmother has an underground basement that I am able to go in at her house.

    Ever since elementary school, whenever there where any powers tools or construction being done on our neighborhood my mother and I would have to leave our house. Often we would go to my grandmother’s house, but sometimes if there was construction going on there too, or if for some other reason we were unable to go to her house, it created a major problem.  As I am unable to go to most public places due to the noise, or even most friends or family members’ houses, there were times when we would literally have to just sit in the car in another neighborhood all day. The times that we were unable to leave our house quickly enough, the pain from the power tools would then linger and turn into a full out migraine. When landscapers or construction was being done after I came home from school, which meant that I was already in a lot of pain, I would be unable to sleep in my closet. The pain would then become too much from both the power tools and school combined, and even if we drove away, I would often miss school the next day, as the pain would turn into a migraine.

    The landscape’s unpredictable schedule not only causes problems for me, but for my mother as well. If my mother has an appointment, and the landscapers come to our neighborhood, she often ends up missing her appointment. Also if mom was planning on running errands nearby or doing things around the house, she is unable to do so when the landscapers come, as she has to pack up my food, medicine, and drive me away. If my mom is not home and out running errands or already at an appointment, then I end up being in a lot of pain while I wait for her to come back home and drive me away. 

    Noise from landscaping and power tools is not only a big problem for me, but for many people with hyperacusis. I am lucky, as I have a mother who can drive me away and I have my grandma’s quiet underground basement that I can go to. Landscapers and construction workers should be required to notify the people in the surrounding neighborhood of their schedule, at least a week before they plan on coming. There also needs to be some sort of special quiet soundproof center in every state that the people with hyperacusis would be able to go to, to get away from loud noises, such as landscapers and construction.