Wow! It has been a long time. I was just speaking with Grayson's speech therapist, Rita Ramey, today about the wonderful journey we have been on over the course of this past year. I was telling her how amazed I am at the fact that exactly 1 year ago I was having to be Grayson's interpreter. His speech was so distorted that I had to tell everyone what he was trying to communicate. Today, however, is a completely different story. I do not have to say a word. His speech is clear and other than a few distorted pronunciations he is communicating on the same level as other 5 year old.
Last month we had a routine check up at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Prior to us going Grayson's therapist, Rita Ramey, had mentioned she was concerned that Grayson was no longer able to distinguish between a T and a K sound at the end of words where as before he was doing beautifully. Upon arriving at ACH, I informed his Audiologist Jordan King of our concerns. After completing a full evaluation we were told that 2 of Grayson's 22 electrodes had been damaged in his left implant and shorted out. All they could do is turn off the 2 that were damaged and hope the other 20 would pick up the slack. As of now they seem to be doing just fine. Instead of going 6 months between check ups, we have been asked to come back in 4. There is concern that more electrodes may have been damaged and might be on the verge of shorting out as well. No need to worry about it. If it is going to happen, then it is going to happen.
We did have one small set back last week. Grayson's right processor has failed. CochlearAmerica is sending us a replacement as we send in his damaged one to be repaired. Hopefully it is still under warranty, and is able to be fixed. It is the first processor he received exactly one year ago this month. I am completely stumped as to what caused it to just not turn on but I pray it is something that may be fixed. Not to mention, I also said a little prayer that it is still under warranty. I have noticed that Grayson's confidence has been affected by the loss of one ear. He is no longer able to sense which direction a sound is coming from. If I talk to him and I am out of his line of sight, he spins around trying to locate my general direction. It is really kind of sad. It is nothing that my little "Handsome Smandsome" can't conquer though. I have faith.
I'll keep you posted as to what happens.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Journey of a lifetime
What a wonderful adventure this has been. A journey of a lifetime that will not soon be forgot. What had started a terrible reality has become almost a fantasy if not for the fact of its truth. As I look back on my life I am ashamed by my lack of concern for others and my ignorance of what truly is important in this one lifetime we are given. Maybe it is lack of maturity in the past but I most certainly refuse to discard anyone or any moment that comes into my life again. In tragedy there is greatness, and in weakness there is strength. It is all a matter of perception. What was a saddening moment for my son has become one of our greatest joys and for that I am thankful. Never take a moment for granted. Not even the smallest. For we will never be able to attain it again. It is lost forever.
To those from my past, I am sorry for not appreciating you. To those in my present, I love you. And those in my future, I welcome you.
What a wonderful adventure this has been. A journey of a lifetime that will not soon be forgot. What had started a terrible reality has become almost a fantasy if not for the fact of its truth. As I look back on my life I am ashamed by my lack of concern for others and my ignorance of what truly is important in this one lifetime we are given. Maybe it is lack of maturity in the past but I most certainly refuse to discard anyone or any moment that comes into my life again. In tragedy there is greatness, and in weakness there is strength. It is all a matter of perception. What was a saddening moment for my son has become one of our greatest joys and for that I am thankful. Never take a moment for granted. Not even the smallest. For we will never be able to attain it again. It is lost forever.
To those from my past, I am sorry for not appreciating you. To those in my present, I love you. And those in my future, I welcome you.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Surgery Day #2
Dr. Gresham Richter's face said it all as he called us back to speak with him after surgery. "Everything looks great" he said with a huge smile. Oh course there is still the risk of Grayson's facial nerve being damaged causing facial paralysis and the nerve running to his tongue can be affected causing him to have a long lasting metallic taste in his mouth. We will not know until he comes to. But the most important part is he has made it through the surgery without difficulty and with all 22 electrodes fitting into his cochlea.
Thank you too all for your thoughts and prayers during our time of uncertainty. And most of all, thank you to our Heavenly Father. You wrapped your loving arms around Grayson and saw him through.
Dr. Gresham Richter's face said it all as he called us back to speak with him after surgery. "Everything looks great" he said with a huge smile. Oh course there is still the risk of Grayson's facial nerve being damaged causing facial paralysis and the nerve running to his tongue can be affected causing him to have a long lasting metallic taste in his mouth. We will not know until he comes to. But the most important part is he has made it through the surgery without difficulty and with all 22 electrodes fitting into his cochlea.
Thank you too all for your thoughts and prayers during our time of uncertainty. And most of all, thank you to our Heavenly Father. You wrapped your loving arms around Grayson and saw him through.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Surgery Number Two
We are not done. We have scheduled Grayson's surgery for his other ear set for April 17th, 2009. Please pray for my little man as he heads off again to Arkansas Children's Hospital. His hearing at this point is better than that of an average 30 yr. old. Now this second cochlear implant will not increase his hearing much more but will allow him to localize sound. It is for his safety that we have decided to proceed with this next surgery. (He will know which direction a car is approaching him, etc.) How amazing it is that we today have the technology to improve a child's life. Not too long ago this was not even possible and Grayson might have lost his pleasure of sound, the sound of my voice as I tell him I love him, or tell him goodnight, forever.
Wish us luck!
We are not done. We have scheduled Grayson's surgery for his other ear set for April 17th, 2009. Please pray for my little man as he heads off again to Arkansas Children's Hospital. His hearing at this point is better than that of an average 30 yr. old. Now this second cochlear implant will not increase his hearing much more but will allow him to localize sound. It is for his safety that we have decided to proceed with this next surgery. (He will know which direction a car is approaching him, etc.) How amazing it is that we today have the technology to improve a child's life. Not too long ago this was not even possible and Grayson might have lost his pleasure of sound, the sound of my voice as I tell him I love him, or tell him goodnight, forever.
Wish us luck!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
HE CAN HEAR!
My God! He can hear! What excitement, what joy, I do not have the words to describe how wondrous this moment is. What had been taken from my precious little child has now been given back thanks to Dr. Gresham Richter. He will always hold a special place in my heart for the gift he has given my son. It is too overwhelming to fight back the tears.
My child can hear. These words are words I never thought I would ever say. These words are words that to most parents have little or no significance. But to me, they are a beautiful symphony that goes on forever.
Grayson's face lit up as his Audiologist Jordan King fed him his first post-op sounds through his implant. He immediately look to me with a huge grin as if to say " Mommy, I can hear." To think, what he must have been thinking as his now silent world, the world he had now become accustom, had been magically transformed once again. Only this time for the better.
I had been prepared for tears, for the possibility of his rejecting this change, but it never happened. Instead, because of his once having hearing he had embraced the gift of sound. My fear, my dread, had all disappeared in an instant.
My God! He can hear! What excitement, what joy, I do not have the words to describe how wondrous this moment is. What had been taken from my precious little child has now been given back thanks to Dr. Gresham Richter. He will always hold a special place in my heart for the gift he has given my son. It is too overwhelming to fight back the tears.
My child can hear. These words are words I never thought I would ever say. These words are words that to most parents have little or no significance. But to me, they are a beautiful symphony that goes on forever.
Grayson's face lit up as his Audiologist Jordan King fed him his first post-op sounds through his implant. He immediately look to me with a huge grin as if to say " Mommy, I can hear." To think, what he must have been thinking as his now silent world, the world he had now become accustom, had been magically transformed once again. Only this time for the better.
I had been prepared for tears, for the possibility of his rejecting this change, but it never happened. Instead, because of his once having hearing he had embraced the gift of sound. My fear, my dread, had all disappeared in an instant.
Friday, January 2, 2009
First Surgery
Here we go. Jumping in head first, holding our breath. January 2nd, 2009 my son has just had his first of two cochlear implant surgeries today. I am overwhelmed with emotion. What was supposed to take 2 hours turned into almost a 4 hour surgery, but Grayson has made it! His right ear has been implanted and now we will have three weeks before we know if it is going to work. He has his first doctor appt. in two weeks for a "post-op" check to make sure the stitches are healing properly. The following week Grayson will have his implant turned on. It is a gradual process. We will go back to Arkansas Children's Hospital every week for 6 to 8 weeks so his implant can be turned up more and more. (Did I mention it is almost a 3 hour trip to the hospital each way?) But all the driving is well worth it! The surgeon says he was able to get all 22 electrodes into Grayson's cochlea and that things could not have gone better. All there is to do now is pray for a speedy recovery. We will stay overnight here at the hospital and if all goes well, we will be sent home tomorrow. Thank you Heavenly Father.
Here we go. Jumping in head first, holding our breath. January 2nd, 2009 my son has just had his first of two cochlear implant surgeries today. I am overwhelmed with emotion. What was supposed to take 2 hours turned into almost a 4 hour surgery, but Grayson has made it! His right ear has been implanted and now we will have three weeks before we know if it is going to work. He has his first doctor appt. in two weeks for a "post-op" check to make sure the stitches are healing properly. The following week Grayson will have his implant turned on. It is a gradual process. We will go back to Arkansas Children's Hospital every week for 6 to 8 weeks so his implant can be turned up more and more. (Did I mention it is almost a 3 hour trip to the hospital each way?) But all the driving is well worth it! The surgeon says he was able to get all 22 electrodes into Grayson's cochlea and that things could not have gone better. All there is to do now is pray for a speedy recovery. We will stay overnight here at the hospital and if all goes well, we will be sent home tomorrow. Thank you Heavenly Father.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Cochlear Implant
We chose the cochlear implant for our son. From his appointment on Dec. 1st to his latest appointment Dec. 10th, our son's hearing has deteriorated. He no longer has a "better" ear. The news was disappointing. His right ear has gone from severely deaf to profound. It is very saddening. I had noticed the last few days that I was unable to get his attention when he had his hearing aids off. Before I could at least yell or clap my hands close to him to get his attention so he could lip read what I was saying to him. (I recently have learned that it is politically correct to call it "speech reading".)
After much thought and research we have decided to go with the cochlear implant. At first we thought that the hearing aids would help get him up to conversational speech level, but now with the latest tests we know that if we want to continue him as an oral deaf that the cochlear implant is the only way to go. So now we have a surgery date of Jan. 2nd, 2009. Two weeks after surgery we will go back to Arkansas Children's Hospital to check his incision and then back the following week to turn on his implant. I am most nervous about the latter because of the reactions children have when it is turned on. Most children cry because the sound is not normal and they are scared by it. It is a digital sound that the ENT says will be similar to a Mickey Mouse voice. All sounds I am told will be high pitched and there will be a several month adjustment period. Please pray for my son.
We chose the cochlear implant for our son. From his appointment on Dec. 1st to his latest appointment Dec. 10th, our son's hearing has deteriorated. He no longer has a "better" ear. The news was disappointing. His right ear has gone from severely deaf to profound. It is very saddening. I had noticed the last few days that I was unable to get his attention when he had his hearing aids off. Before I could at least yell or clap my hands close to him to get his attention so he could lip read what I was saying to him. (I recently have learned that it is politically correct to call it "speech reading".)
After much thought and research we have decided to go with the cochlear implant. At first we thought that the hearing aids would help get him up to conversational speech level, but now with the latest tests we know that if we want to continue him as an oral deaf that the cochlear implant is the only way to go. So now we have a surgery date of Jan. 2nd, 2009. Two weeks after surgery we will go back to Arkansas Children's Hospital to check his incision and then back the following week to turn on his implant. I am most nervous about the latter because of the reactions children have when it is turned on. Most children cry because the sound is not normal and they are scared by it. It is a digital sound that the ENT says will be similar to a Mickey Mouse voice. All sounds I am told will be high pitched and there will be a several month adjustment period. Please pray for my son.
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