YES! I CAN HEAR!!! As of a week ago, my hearing as returned.
January 9, we headed off for Nashville for my surgery. Everything went well and hubby and I came home the following day after spending that night with Eric's parents. The surgeon told me that every day I should hear things louder and louder. That didn't happen! There were some days following the surgery that I was hearing less than what I had been hearing. I had quite a bit of swelling in my ear and quite of bit of dizziness that lasted for 5 days. Thankfully, those were my only major side affects of the surgery.
Last Monday night, I was frustrated that I was not seeing an improvement in my hearing. I was trying to be patient and hold out until Thursday for the 2 week followup visit with the dr/surgeon.
Tuesday morning I woke up and I noticed something immediately - I COULD HEAR! It was amazing. It was like I woke up in a whole world. I could hear myself DO things around the house. I could hear myself walk for the first time in who knows how long. Everything WAS SO LOUD! The first time the phone rang I jumped about 2 feet! It was piercing!!! Even though it's been a week since my hearing returned, I am still adjusting to how things REALLY sound!!
When we saw the dr. on Thursday I told him what happened and he nonchalantly said, "Oh, the packing must have dried up." So...some packing in my ear that dried opened for sound to return to my ears! Glory HALLULUJAH!!! A hearing test was also done that day and it showed a 40% return in my loss of hearing which bumped me into hearing in the normal range of hearing! The dr. is also confident that I will regain another 5-10% of my hearing! YAY!!
I feel like I'm living in a whole new world, or at least, back in your world! Wow! I knew I was missing a lot, but not as much as I know now that I was missing!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The OFFICIAL ear update
Sorry it's taken some time to get out the update, but I couldn't see straight yesterday (side affect of some of the meds they gave me).
We left Friday morning for Nashville. My surgery was scheduled for 12:00 pm so we had plenty of time to drive the 2 hours it takes to get to Nashville. At 7:30 that morning, the Dr.'s office called us and said that they had two shows for surgery and whenever I got there, I would go right into surgery. Had we lived in Nashville, that would have been great, but since we were coming from Huntsville, it didn't make much of a difference.
We arrived at St. Thomas at 10:30, I filled out all the paper work, and minutes later I was getting ready for the surgery. I thought I would be going into sooner than 12:00 pm, but it was just after 12:00 pm that I have my last memory before waking up in recovery.
Eric's dad, aunt & uncle came down to take care of Ethan and take him back to Eric's parents house since Eric would have his hands full with me once I woke up. The pastor at Eric's parents church also came down to visit and pray with us quickly.
As I stated earlier, just after 12:00 is my last memory. Two anesthesiologist nurses came in, said they were giving me something to relax me while the rolled me down the hallway. Yeah right! I don't even remember closing my eyes! Man that stuff works fast!!!!! My next memory was in recovery and my first thought was, "It's all over?"
While I was waking up in recovery, the Dr. was speaking with Eric and said everything had gone fine. I had very little bleeding, which is great. The surgery did take longer because apparently my ear anatomy is not 'normal." Instead of going straight in, as with most people, he had to go in at an angle, which is more time consuming and tedious. He also said my bones were pretty fused together. That didn't surprise me. I could barely hear out of my right ear!!! But other than that, everything went great and i could go home as soon as I woke up.
So...the big question I'm sure you all are wondering, "Can I hear better?" I do hear more, but I can't say it's a noticeable difference yet. I do know I hear things that I didn't hear before or could barely hear. I still have a cotton ball, attached by a band-aid, to my ear to catch the excess drainage, but even through all the cotton, I can still hear things I couldn't before. I know my ear is still swollen from the surgery, and once the swelling goes down, that is when I will really be able to hear (hopefully back to normal levels).
My ear is still in some pain, not much, but if it does start to ache, I have some pain meds that will quickly take care of that. I'm also on an anti-biotic to prevent and infection and thankfully, I've not had to take any of the medicine for nauseousness. I had enough nausea while pregnant with Ethan that I could forgo that side affect. The only side affects I am having are dry mouth, some dizziness, and a nasty metal taste in my mouth. Food does not taste good right now and that side affect may be around for up to 3-4 weeks. Guess I'll be losing those few holiday pounds I put on.
And for the next few days, I have to take it easy. Eric is taking off 3 days of work to do all the lifting and taking care of Ethan. Eric's parents are coming at the end of the week to take over for Eric so he can go back to work. My personal nurse, Nurse Eric, is doing a fabulous job taking care of my every little need. He is also changing the cotton balls in my ears, as ordered by the Dr. Isn't he such a sweetie :)
We'd like to thank everyone for praying. I thought I would be more nervous about the surgery, but I was as calm and peaceful as you could possibly be and I know that was from all the prayers. I think some of the prayers affected Ethan too. He was the most perfect baby the entire time he was at the hospital and for his Pops after they took him home, and all without a good nap!! Ethan is generally good, but he was exceptional on Friday!
I hope I can report soon that I am hearing at normal levels out of my right ear. I go back in two weeks for a hearing test. I can't wait!
We left Friday morning for Nashville. My surgery was scheduled for 12:00 pm so we had plenty of time to drive the 2 hours it takes to get to Nashville. At 7:30 that morning, the Dr.'s office called us and said that they had two shows for surgery and whenever I got there, I would go right into surgery. Had we lived in Nashville, that would have been great, but since we were coming from Huntsville, it didn't make much of a difference.
We arrived at St. Thomas at 10:30, I filled out all the paper work, and minutes later I was getting ready for the surgery. I thought I would be going into sooner than 12:00 pm, but it was just after 12:00 pm that I have my last memory before waking up in recovery.
Eric's dad, aunt & uncle came down to take care of Ethan and take him back to Eric's parents house since Eric would have his hands full with me once I woke up. The pastor at Eric's parents church also came down to visit and pray with us quickly.
As I stated earlier, just after 12:00 is my last memory. Two anesthesiologist nurses came in, said they were giving me something to relax me while the rolled me down the hallway. Yeah right! I don't even remember closing my eyes! Man that stuff works fast!!!!! My next memory was in recovery and my first thought was, "It's all over?"
While I was waking up in recovery, the Dr. was speaking with Eric and said everything had gone fine. I had very little bleeding, which is great. The surgery did take longer because apparently my ear anatomy is not 'normal." Instead of going straight in, as with most people, he had to go in at an angle, which is more time consuming and tedious. He also said my bones were pretty fused together. That didn't surprise me. I could barely hear out of my right ear!!! But other than that, everything went great and i could go home as soon as I woke up.
So...the big question I'm sure you all are wondering, "Can I hear better?" I do hear more, but I can't say it's a noticeable difference yet. I do know I hear things that I didn't hear before or could barely hear. I still have a cotton ball, attached by a band-aid, to my ear to catch the excess drainage, but even through all the cotton, I can still hear things I couldn't before. I know my ear is still swollen from the surgery, and once the swelling goes down, that is when I will really be able to hear (hopefully back to normal levels).
My ear is still in some pain, not much, but if it does start to ache, I have some pain meds that will quickly take care of that. I'm also on an anti-biotic to prevent and infection and thankfully, I've not had to take any of the medicine for nauseousness. I had enough nausea while pregnant with Ethan that I could forgo that side affect. The only side affects I am having are dry mouth, some dizziness, and a nasty metal taste in my mouth. Food does not taste good right now and that side affect may be around for up to 3-4 weeks. Guess I'll be losing those few holiday pounds I put on.
And for the next few days, I have to take it easy. Eric is taking off 3 days of work to do all the lifting and taking care of Ethan. Eric's parents are coming at the end of the week to take over for Eric so he can go back to work. My personal nurse, Nurse Eric, is doing a fabulous job taking care of my every little need. He is also changing the cotton balls in my ears, as ordered by the Dr. Isn't he such a sweetie :)
We'd like to thank everyone for praying. I thought I would be more nervous about the surgery, but I was as calm and peaceful as you could possibly be and I know that was from all the prayers. I think some of the prayers affected Ethan too. He was the most perfect baby the entire time he was at the hospital and for his Pops after they took him home, and all without a good nap!! Ethan is generally good, but he was exceptional on Friday!
I hope I can report soon that I am hearing at normal levels out of my right ear. I go back in two weeks for a hearing test. I can't wait!
Monday, December 22, 2008
A hair saga
I'll start out with a bang: I HATE my hair. I always have hated it and I still do. It's a burden that I'll have to endure the rest of my life.
My hair is THICK, COURSE, WAVY, CURLY and to put it mildly, has a mind of its own.
When I was girl, I had long hair and I hated it. I was a tomboy and it was always in my way, not to mention HOT.
I begged my mom to cut my hair and finally she relented. YAY. My hair was cut to the top of my shoulders. From there, my hair was a seesaw from the bottom of my ears to the top of my shoulders.
During my high school years, I had no idea HOW to make my hair presentable. I had no idea about hairstyles and picking one that would work with my difficult hair.
The summer of sophomore year in college, my brother suggested I get my hair cut like one of the US gymnasts of the Magnificent Seven - Amanda Borden. This would be a drastic change, but frustrated with my hair, I did it.
While not overly thrilled with short hair, my difficult hair was a little less difficult in some ways (it wasn't always in my face) but at the same time, it was more difficult as it's waviness was more difficult to manage and style. Yet, I kept my hair short for the next seven years.
Enter Eric.
I met my long hair, loving husband and from the moment we started dating, I started letting my hair grow. That was one of the hardest and most frustrating things I have ever done. So many times I wanted to quit and just revert to my short hair, but I kept persevering and one year later, my hair was down to my shoulder blades.
I discovered with my new long hair that it curled nicely with gel. It was impossible to straighten, but that didn't matter since it looked great in its natural state. I was thrilled!
Since then, I have kept my "longer" hair, occassionally getting it cut just above my shoulders, but never back to my short state.
However, since having my son, my hair lost some of it's curliness and is now just plain wavy. It doesn't lay or curl as it did before my pregnancy. But, on the positive side, it is much easier to straighten.
My hair also grew a minimum of a half an inch a month and was impossible to control during the long nine months of carrying my Espresso.
And now, eight months after giving birth to my Espresso, I have finally taken the time to have my hair cut in a specific style. I could feel my hair breathing a sigh of relief as it was pampered.
YAY! I'm so happy to be stylish Mommy for my Espresso instead feelilng like his frumpy ole' Mama!!
My hair is THICK, COURSE, WAVY, CURLY and to put it mildly, has a mind of its own.
When I was girl, I had long hair and I hated it. I was a tomboy and it was always in my way, not to mention HOT.
I begged my mom to cut my hair and finally she relented. YAY. My hair was cut to the top of my shoulders. From there, my hair was a seesaw from the bottom of my ears to the top of my shoulders.
During my high school years, I had no idea HOW to make my hair presentable. I had no idea about hairstyles and picking one that would work with my difficult hair.
The summer of sophomore year in college, my brother suggested I get my hair cut like one of the US gymnasts of the Magnificent Seven - Amanda Borden. This would be a drastic change, but frustrated with my hair, I did it.
While not overly thrilled with short hair, my difficult hair was a little less difficult in some ways (it wasn't always in my face) but at the same time, it was more difficult as it's waviness was more difficult to manage and style. Yet, I kept my hair short for the next seven years.
Enter Eric.
I met my long hair, loving husband and from the moment we started dating, I started letting my hair grow. That was one of the hardest and most frustrating things I have ever done. So many times I wanted to quit and just revert to my short hair, but I kept persevering and one year later, my hair was down to my shoulder blades.
I discovered with my new long hair that it curled nicely with gel. It was impossible to straighten, but that didn't matter since it looked great in its natural state. I was thrilled!
Since then, I have kept my "longer" hair, occassionally getting it cut just above my shoulders, but never back to my short state.
However, since having my son, my hair lost some of it's curliness and is now just plain wavy. It doesn't lay or curl as it did before my pregnancy. But, on the positive side, it is much easier to straighten.
My hair also grew a minimum of a half an inch a month and was impossible to control during the long nine months of carrying my Espresso.
And now, eight months after giving birth to my Espresso, I have finally taken the time to have my hair cut in a specific style. I could feel my hair breathing a sigh of relief as it was pampered.
YAY! I'm so happy to be stylish Mommy for my Espresso instead feelilng like his frumpy ole' Mama!!
The year 2008 as seen by Ethan Matthew (my Espresso)
I started out this year all cozy warm in my Mommy’s belly. I had lots of room to move around and do flips and somersaults. One of my most favorite memories of being inside Mommy was listening to Mommy sing me songs and Daddy saying, “hello in there little boy. I can’t wait to meet you.” But I didn’t stay little. I grew and grew until I was getting too crowded in Mommy’s belly. One day, when Mommy was at the doctor’s office, I heard the doctor say that it was time for me to come out. Mommy’s body was sick with high blood pressure. I was anxious to meet Mommy and Daddy. I was hoping they would like me. And on April 11, 2008 (very early in the morning!), I met Mommy and Daddy and they were so happy to see me. Mommy held me and gave me kisses and so did Daddy. But Mommy was still a little sick because of her blood pressure and some medicine they gave her. Finally she was all better, and I knew they really liked me because they took me home with them - even though my head was floppy and wouldn’t stay up in the car seat.
Mommy and Daddy had a special place for me to sleep and warm clothes for me to wear. Daddy stayed home for 2 whole weeks to be with me before he had to return to something called “work.” When Mommy and Daddy moved here, Daddy worked for the Navy, but he recently changed jobs to work for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Daddy’s so smart. But Mommy doesn’t work. She stays home with me and we have so much fun together. When the weather was warm, me and Mommy went on walks every day. I loved looking at the mountains, the trees, the lake and sometimes I even saw some turtles go “plop” in the lake as we walked by.
I couldn’t do many things when I was just a little baby, but I’m not a little baby any more. I can sit up, roll over, get up on my hands and knees, jump really hard and long in my jumperoo, hold my own bottle and say dadda and mama. Mommy says that I’m working on something called teeth, but I don’t have any yet.
We’ve had lots of visitors at our house this year - my Pops and Nana; Grandma & Grandpa Spate; Uncle Seth; Uncle Nate & Auntie Tara and ALL my cousins: Jonathan, Emily, Elizabeth and Esther; my adopted Uncle Theron and Mommy and Daddy’s good friend, Miss Tammy McKinley.
In August, me, Mommy and Daddy made a trip to Virginia. It was my first time on an airplane. I did just what my Mommy and Daddy wanted me to do - look around, drink from my bottle and sleep. In Fredericksburg, we visited Kenmore and Ferry Farm and I met a lot of nice people - Mr. Rob & Mrs. Jackie Hix and their two boys: Noah & Daniel; Mr. Nathan & Mrs. Deidre Morrow and their children: Jacob, Rebekah & Isaac; Mr. Mike & Mrs. Jennifer Sayre; Mr. & Mrs. Keller; Mr. Brad & Mrs. Jennifer Church and their nice children: Megan, Lilly, Luke & Joel. Luke and Joel made me laugh! We also took a trip to Virginia Beach and I met my Grammy & Poppy T. I think there are lots of nice people in Virginia and I can’t wait to see them all again. I think Mommy and Daddy really miss them, and that makes me a little sad.
When we got back from our trip to Virginia, Mommy had to go see an ear doctor (ENT). She said she was having a hard time hearing & understanding Daddy . The ENT said Mommy’s bones in her middle ear had gotten really, really hard and she had something called Otosclerosis. The ENT said Mommy had only two ways to make her ears better: hearing aides or surgery. Daddy, because he is something called an Engineer, wanted to talk to more doctors. So Mommy had to wait to make a decision, even though her ears make her very frustrated. Mommy is a brave Mommy and she is going to have surgery so she can hear better. But it is going to take 6 months or more because she has to wait that long between each ear. She needs to hurry up because I’m going to be talking her ears off in hers and Daddy’s language very soon! Mommy will have her first surgery after Christmas in January.
I keep hearing about this thing called Christmas - and it seems to be a big deal! There are all of these things wrapped in this crinkly, colorful paper under this tree Mommy and Daddy brought inside and covered in lights and sparkly ornaments. But I think it really has something to do with another baby born a long time ago - somebody called Jesus. Mommy and Daddy say Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. I hope He has a good birthday. Happy Birthday Jesus and a Merry Christmas to everyone.
Eric, Priscilla & Ethan
Isaiah 9:6
Mommy and Daddy had a special place for me to sleep and warm clothes for me to wear. Daddy stayed home for 2 whole weeks to be with me before he had to return to something called “work.” When Mommy and Daddy moved here, Daddy worked for the Navy, but he recently changed jobs to work for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Daddy’s so smart. But Mommy doesn’t work. She stays home with me and we have so much fun together. When the weather was warm, me and Mommy went on walks every day. I loved looking at the mountains, the trees, the lake and sometimes I even saw some turtles go “plop” in the lake as we walked by.
I couldn’t do many things when I was just a little baby, but I’m not a little baby any more. I can sit up, roll over, get up on my hands and knees, jump really hard and long in my jumperoo, hold my own bottle and say dadda and mama. Mommy says that I’m working on something called teeth, but I don’t have any yet.
We’ve had lots of visitors at our house this year - my Pops and Nana; Grandma & Grandpa Spate; Uncle Seth; Uncle Nate & Auntie Tara and ALL my cousins: Jonathan, Emily, Elizabeth and Esther; my adopted Uncle Theron and Mommy and Daddy’s good friend, Miss Tammy McKinley.
In August, me, Mommy and Daddy made a trip to Virginia. It was my first time on an airplane. I did just what my Mommy and Daddy wanted me to do - look around, drink from my bottle and sleep. In Fredericksburg, we visited Kenmore and Ferry Farm and I met a lot of nice people - Mr. Rob & Mrs. Jackie Hix and their two boys: Noah & Daniel; Mr. Nathan & Mrs. Deidre Morrow and their children: Jacob, Rebekah & Isaac; Mr. Mike & Mrs. Jennifer Sayre; Mr. & Mrs. Keller; Mr. Brad & Mrs. Jennifer Church and their nice children: Megan, Lilly, Luke & Joel. Luke and Joel made me laugh! We also took a trip to Virginia Beach and I met my Grammy & Poppy T. I think there are lots of nice people in Virginia and I can’t wait to see them all again. I think Mommy and Daddy really miss them, and that makes me a little sad.
When we got back from our trip to Virginia, Mommy had to go see an ear doctor (ENT). She said she was having a hard time hearing & understanding Daddy . The ENT said Mommy’s bones in her middle ear had gotten really, really hard and she had something called Otosclerosis. The ENT said Mommy had only two ways to make her ears better: hearing aides or surgery. Daddy, because he is something called an Engineer, wanted to talk to more doctors. So Mommy had to wait to make a decision, even though her ears make her very frustrated. Mommy is a brave Mommy and she is going to have surgery so she can hear better. But it is going to take 6 months or more because she has to wait that long between each ear. She needs to hurry up because I’m going to be talking her ears off in hers and Daddy’s language very soon! Mommy will have her first surgery after Christmas in January.
I keep hearing about this thing called Christmas - and it seems to be a big deal! There are all of these things wrapped in this crinkly, colorful paper under this tree Mommy and Daddy brought inside and covered in lights and sparkly ornaments. But I think it really has something to do with another baby born a long time ago - somebody called Jesus. Mommy and Daddy say Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. I hope He has a good birthday. Happy Birthday Jesus and a Merry Christmas to everyone.
Eric, Priscilla & Ethan
Isaiah 9:6
Monday, December 15, 2008
Getting back into the swing of things
It's amazing how life can just sneak up on you and before you know it, a month or two has passed. That's what seems to have happen to me these past couple months. I have no idea where the time went, but it passed, and passed quickly.
We've been so busy here, from Dr. apts, to travelling to visit friends and family, to company for Thanksgiving and hosting the SS Christmas party. It's been a whirlwind! And now with Christmas coming, it's harder to find time to sit down and blog. One thing I've learned about blogging, if you miss a few days, it's easy to just let a few more slip by and before you know it, you've got so much catching up to do in your blog world. Since all my readers mostly know what's going on in my life, I don't have to catch you up on too much.
The biggest thing to catch people up on is that I have scheduled my surgery for my ears! YAY! I'm so excited! Jan 9 is the glorious day. I'll have my right ear operated on first as that is the worst of the two. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be able to hear, at least in one ear. It's been, at times, a living nightmare for me and probably for my hubby too. I have missed so much I sometimes feel as though I'm just off in my own little world somewhere. So yes...I'm excited to get back in the world with everyone else. 24 days and counting! Whoop! Whoop!!
I hope to be more consistent with the blog. Maybe I should set up a reminder on my 'puter! Haha....Any way...I'm back!!
We've been so busy here, from Dr. apts, to travelling to visit friends and family, to company for Thanksgiving and hosting the SS Christmas party. It's been a whirlwind! And now with Christmas coming, it's harder to find time to sit down and blog. One thing I've learned about blogging, if you miss a few days, it's easy to just let a few more slip by and before you know it, you've got so much catching up to do in your blog world. Since all my readers mostly know what's going on in my life, I don't have to catch you up on too much.
The biggest thing to catch people up on is that I have scheduled my surgery for my ears! YAY! I'm so excited! Jan 9 is the glorious day. I'll have my right ear operated on first as that is the worst of the two. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be able to hear, at least in one ear. It's been, at times, a living nightmare for me and probably for my hubby too. I have missed so much I sometimes feel as though I'm just off in my own little world somewhere. So yes...I'm excited to get back in the world with everyone else. 24 days and counting! Whoop! Whoop!!
I hope to be more consistent with the blog. Maybe I should set up a reminder on my 'puter! Haha....Any way...I'm back!!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
ear update
Here is the official "ear" update. Sorry it's taken me a few days to get it out. With Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating it's been a little busy in the Cole household.
We met with two ear surgeon's in Nashville, one on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday. Both confirmed the diagnosis of Otosclerosis.
The one doctor on Tuesday offered some more information that we had not known. A little side note on him, when he was doing his residency at John Hopkins in the 70's, he was Werner von Braun's (the former German scientist during WWII who came to the US and helped us get into space) attending physician when von Braun died. We learned from him that what we thought was the cause of my hearing condition (caused by pregnancy hormones) is just a theory. The other possible theory is a possible link to measles. Since I've never had measles and I have been pregnant, the pregnancy theory fits for us, but as I stated, that is still just a theory. A family history is considered a link, but since no one in my family has been diagnosed with Otosclerosis or wears hearing aides (except due to old age) it's still a mystery as to why I have Otosclerosis. Another strange thing about my case is that this usually developed in women in their mid-twenties. I just turned 30 this year so that is a mystery as well. We also learned from him that there is a drug I can take that would kill the active part of Otosclerosis. It would not improve my hearing, but it would keep it from getting worse. The one thing that is imperative about this drug is before I could take it is I would need to be done having children. Something about the drug stays in your body and can cause birth defects. So this drug is not really an option for us since we'ver not really discussed any future children. I had also thought that if I did get pregnant again, my hearing would continue to deteriorate as it did when I was pregnant with Ethan. This doctor said that the bones in my right ear (the worst of the two) are about as hard as they can get, so I would not have any additional hearing loss. My left ear still could see some hearing loss as it is not as bad as my right ear, but it's not far behind my right ear. I guess it's good news that my hearing won't get substantially worse, but it's bad enough right now that I can't make out (clearly) people speaking if they do not speak up or are more than 5 feet away. Which then leaves us two options, as before, hearing aides or surgery. Both doctors have a success rate of 94% which is higher than the national average of 90% and the success rate of the doctor in Huntsville.
Our appointment on Wednesday was a major frustration. We were told to arrive early because I would having another hearing test. After the long wait and the hearing test, it was over 2 hours before I saw the ear surgeon. Ethan was trooper during Tuesday's appointment and most the Wednesday's appointment, but after being awake 1.5 hours after his usual morning nap, he was getting testy. This surgeon did not provide us with any additional information as did the doctor on Tuesday. He did have a few tips of his fingers missing which made us wonder HOW he does he make precise cuts in a surgery.
We are now in the pricing stage. Hopefully, by today or tomorrow, I will have the prices for the one doctor we met with on Tuesday in Nashville and the one here in Huntsville and also all facility costs of both places. After that, we'll schedule. Both the Nasvhille doctor and the Hunstville doctor said it would be about 3-4 weeks before a surgery. That's good to know that I won't have to wait too long. We had wanted to get one done before Ethan was mobile. While he's not crawling yet, he will be soon. For the first few days and in the following weeks of the surgery, I will really need to avoid and limit any lifting. We're leaning towards Ethan & I staying with Eric's parents so I can have someone "lift" Ethan for me. He's getting to be a heavy little boy!!
Needless to say, I'm ready to hear again!!!
Thanks to every one for praying!
We met with two ear surgeon's in Nashville, one on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday. Both confirmed the diagnosis of Otosclerosis.
The one doctor on Tuesday offered some more information that we had not known. A little side note on him, when he was doing his residency at John Hopkins in the 70's, he was Werner von Braun's (the former German scientist during WWII who came to the US and helped us get into space) attending physician when von Braun died. We learned from him that what we thought was the cause of my hearing condition (caused by pregnancy hormones) is just a theory. The other possible theory is a possible link to measles. Since I've never had measles and I have been pregnant, the pregnancy theory fits for us, but as I stated, that is still just a theory. A family history is considered a link, but since no one in my family has been diagnosed with Otosclerosis or wears hearing aides (except due to old age) it's still a mystery as to why I have Otosclerosis. Another strange thing about my case is that this usually developed in women in their mid-twenties. I just turned 30 this year so that is a mystery as well. We also learned from him that there is a drug I can take that would kill the active part of Otosclerosis. It would not improve my hearing, but it would keep it from getting worse. The one thing that is imperative about this drug is before I could take it is I would need to be done having children. Something about the drug stays in your body and can cause birth defects. So this drug is not really an option for us since we'ver not really discussed any future children. I had also thought that if I did get pregnant again, my hearing would continue to deteriorate as it did when I was pregnant with Ethan. This doctor said that the bones in my right ear (the worst of the two) are about as hard as they can get, so I would not have any additional hearing loss. My left ear still could see some hearing loss as it is not as bad as my right ear, but it's not far behind my right ear. I guess it's good news that my hearing won't get substantially worse, but it's bad enough right now that I can't make out (clearly) people speaking if they do not speak up or are more than 5 feet away. Which then leaves us two options, as before, hearing aides or surgery. Both doctors have a success rate of 94% which is higher than the national average of 90% and the success rate of the doctor in Huntsville.
Our appointment on Wednesday was a major frustration. We were told to arrive early because I would having another hearing test. After the long wait and the hearing test, it was over 2 hours before I saw the ear surgeon. Ethan was trooper during Tuesday's appointment and most the Wednesday's appointment, but after being awake 1.5 hours after his usual morning nap, he was getting testy. This surgeon did not provide us with any additional information as did the doctor on Tuesday. He did have a few tips of his fingers missing which made us wonder HOW he does he make precise cuts in a surgery.
We are now in the pricing stage. Hopefully, by today or tomorrow, I will have the prices for the one doctor we met with on Tuesday in Nashville and the one here in Huntsville and also all facility costs of both places. After that, we'll schedule. Both the Nasvhille doctor and the Hunstville doctor said it would be about 3-4 weeks before a surgery. That's good to know that I won't have to wait too long. We had wanted to get one done before Ethan was mobile. While he's not crawling yet, he will be soon. For the first few days and in the following weeks of the surgery, I will really need to avoid and limit any lifting. We're leaning towards Ethan & I staying with Eric's parents so I can have someone "lift" Ethan for me. He's getting to be a heavy little boy!!
Needless to say, I'm ready to hear again!!!
Thanks to every one for praying!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
color over content and character
We have a new President. Our first black President. We're supposed to be happy because of the historic milestone of this event, but honestly, how can you, if you still have retained your wits about you this election.
If Obama was elected solely on his socialistic, Marxist ideals, that's one thing, but I do not believe Obama was elected on what he believes, but rather on his skin color. What bothers me more than anything in this election, is how people turned a blind eye to Obama's character in regards to his associates (Ayers, Rev. Wright, Rashid Khalidi) and his openness to "spread the wealth around" and tax people who make less, I mean more, than $250K. Instead, people saw a suave, black man and jumped on the bandwagon to make history, and in doing so, forgot all morals and principles.
Wasn't it MLK who said we should judge a man by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin?
If Obama was elected solely on his socialistic, Marxist ideals, that's one thing, but I do not believe Obama was elected on what he believes, but rather on his skin color. What bothers me more than anything in this election, is how people turned a blind eye to Obama's character in regards to his associates (Ayers, Rev. Wright, Rashid Khalidi) and his openness to "spread the wealth around" and tax people who make less, I mean more, than $250K. Instead, people saw a suave, black man and jumped on the bandwagon to make history, and in doing so, forgot all morals and principles.
Wasn't it MLK who said we should judge a man by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin?
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