Elwyn

 

 

This girl melts my heart...

 

Back in October, I received a phone call from the speech therapist at Elwyn's school. She was letting me know that Elwyn did not pass her hearing test. She asked me if she had a cold, because they could be a good reason why she didn't pass. Well of course my answer was "Yes", she ALWAYS has a cold. She let me know they had tested her in September, and she didn't pass at that time either. It was time to move forward and have her see the District Audiologist, free of charge. Ok, let's do it!

 

I took Elwyn in soon after and we found out she had minor hearing loss. The Audiologist assumed it was from fluid build up in her ears. She wanted to 'track' her hearing for a few months to see if it would hopefully get better on its own. We returned for another test in November and again in December. Each time her tests came back pretty much the same, although she continually switched back and forth as to which ear was hearing better...what a weirdo!!! At her appt in December we decided to make an appt with the pediatrician to see if antibiotics would work. We finally got into see the Dr. in January, she took the antibiotics, we went back to test again a week later and her hearing had dropped significantly. She now had moderate hearing loss. It was time for tubes.

 

The last appt with the audiologist was on a Tuesday, we saw the ENT that same week on a Friday and she had tubes put in the following Thursday. That was a busy week!!!

 

Her surgery went fine...we have to remember that this is her THIRD surgery..she's a champ! She wasn't scared, she was excited...because she knew she would get ice cream and popsicles to follow:) Rich took her to the surgery, since we didn't have a sitter for Rowan. This is also the third hospital we have done surgery at. So each time has been a new experience. She was the only child not crying in the pediatric recovery room. Rich said it was so loud in there from all the kids. She had a smile on her face the whole time. What a sweet girl. Rich texted me to tell me she had a popsicle in one hand and grape juice in the other...she must have been in heaven, lol:) And of course the nurses LOVED her...she even came home with a sack full of cookies...little stinker!

 

So far she seems to be able to hear alot better. She complains of it being too loud...thanks to her little brother screaming. We will return to the ENT for a follow up appt, and then again to the audiologist to make sure everything is the way it should be. Since she had so much fluid in her ear (the Dr called it 'glue ear'), we are hoping the tubes will stay in. If they fall out too soon, she will need to go back in and have it done again...I'm not paying for that! The ENT also wanted to cauterize some vessels in her nose, because she gets nose bleeds...but we thought alot about that procedure and decided against it. There was a chance he could perforate her septum when cauterizing, and we didn't feel her nose bleeds are bad enough to take that chance at this time. Oh the joys of having expensive children...