From my other board:

sad news, via rachel goswell's myspace page:

I've been quite ill this year so far. It's been difficult. Have held off from mentioning it officially through Mojave sources but as record releases come nearer and tours are being booked, I feel it's time to spill...

Back in January I suddenly lost a moderate amount of hearing in my left ear. Accompanying this I have had really bad problems with my balance and awful tinnutis. It's been very debilitating for me and I haven't been able to do very much at all. The general day to day stuff on it's own has been quite difficult. It took 5 weeks to see a specialist. I've had a few tests now and have more to go through over the next month to determine why what happened happened. Ears are complicated things. What has happened to me I've been told is rare. I've had labyrinthitis (an inner ear infection) which has led to permanent hearing loss, permanent tinnutis and nerve damage in a couple of places in my inner ear. Some nerves have died apparantly and I keep getting additional middle ear infections. My immune system is currently through the floor. I've been on various medication since it all happened to me. The main one was to help me balance, I've come of these drugs now and am adjusting to my new way of life going through daily physiotherapy to retrain my brain to compensate for the loss of the left side. I'm also waiting for a hearing aid.

Anyway, I know alot of people in life go through a lot of shit. We all have to adjust in times of ill health, slow down, sometimes change our lifestyles and I know and appreciate there are people out there that are going through far worse things than me. Some days I feel devastated and have to give myself a big kick to get going.

I'm at a point now when I don't really know when I'll be well enough to do music. I've been told it will take a few months for the physio to work ...Mojave 3 did a video for the new single this week. I wasn't able to take part in that. Touring is not looking like an option I can do right now either. Things are left open for me with all this. If I'm able to, I will take part. A friend has been brought in to cover me for the time being for gigs. The record needs to be released and promoted right? I'm just in no fit state to do any of it at the moment and it all feels pretty harsh.

A month ago I didn't want people knowing; but it's inevitable that it's going to have to come out and I would rather it came directly from me....if anyone out there has been through a similar thing, I sure would like to hear from you...

-- mts...April 21st, 2006 2:57 PM. (later)

oh man, that is such a sad story.

Damn

that's awful.

awful indeed

That's basically my worst nightmare.

I hope she finds some joy in this crazy world.