About Me

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I am just a mom: a mom of three kids and one of them is hearing impaired. We are a busy family and I am a very busy mom. I want my hearing impaired daughter, Brooke, to have every advantage so I try to incorporate as many lessons and strategies into our every day life. Most of the teaching I do with Brooke is incorporated into our daily routines and parent-directed play. This blog will include some of our formal lessons but mostly it will be learning to listen in the everyday.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Surgery Day....well not really

Today is the day we have been waiting for.....the day to get the second implant.....but it is not happening!  Let me tell you:

1.  At 3:30 Monday morning, Brooke woke up with a sore throat and was feverish.  When she woke up, we took her temperature.  It was 101.  Took is ten minutes later and it was 99.6 

2.  We watched her temperature throughout the morning and during out trip to Chapel Hill and it continued to go down to normal.  She didn't have any other symptoms of being sick and wasn't complaining about her throat any more.

3.  We arrived at 2pm for our appointment ans she felt good and had no fever.  We went through all the forms about "all the things that can do wrong in surgery" and signed the papers.  (I still can't believe the doctor goes through all those "horrible possibilities" right in front of the child.) 

4.  Then we moved to another room.  Talked with a resident about a study Chapel Hill is conducting on hearing before, during, and after implantation.  We agreed to the study in March for her first implant, so we agreed again  I signed those release papers.

5.  While waiting for Dr. Buckman to see us, Brooke amused herself by taking pictures of her funny faces!





 6.  Dr. Buckman came in, asked if she had been running any fevers in the last 24 hours, I told him about this morning and that was it.  He said he will not do the surgery.  It happened so quick!   He then explained the horrors that could result from doing the surgery while she has an infection:  infection in her ear, failure of the implant, her inner ear turning to "mush", loss of cochlea structure, possibility of not being able to ever re-implant a device, and more and more. 

7.  Brooke was devastated and sobbed in the doctor's office; she was so excited and was so crushed.

8.  Thankfully, we were able to reschedule for next Tuesday, October 2nd.  Just one more week. 

-

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Almost time for our 2nd implant!

Just 3 more days!  Brooke has been doing a count-down all week!  She is so excited to be getting a second cochlear implant......she had been asking for since her first implant was activated!  Seriously...the day the first implant was activated she wanted another one.
On Monday, September 23rd, we will travel to Chapel Hill, NC to have her pre-op appointments at the hospital.  We meet with the surgeon at 2pm and then have a few other stops in the hospital to get make.  We will find out the time of the surgery at this appointment too,
We have reservations at a hotel that night.  Once Scott is out of work, he will come to meet us at the hotel. 
The next day, we head to the hospital.
I am so thankful we have the option of getting a second implant!  God is so good!  I am so thankful that Brooke wants to get the implant!  She has no fear and completely understands that going through a surgery is the only way she will be able to hear out of that year....and she wants to hear! 
Please pray for:
The surgeon - that he is healthy and ready for surgery, that he has a steady hand, and that the surgery goes smoothly
The hospital staff - that they show favor to Brooke, that they treat her with special attention, that they are prepared and ready to assist.
Brooke - pray she continues to not fear, pray she is calm and peaceful, pray she recovers quickly from the anesthesia, pray for her comfort and healing.  Pray the device works!
Mom and Dad - pray for safe travels, pray for peace as we put our daughter into a surgeon's hands, pray that we can be a witness of God's love to the hospital staff.