Cochlear Implants--- Almost

Some Pics from Ryan's non-CI Implantation

Below are Thursday, March 14th, Pre-Op day.  We made sure all our ducks were in a row.  We also had an EKG just to get a good pic of Ryan's heart.

These couple below are at about 6:45am-7am on Friday morning.  She's all ready to go and we're getting one more round of questions before they take her back.

Pics with Daddy, and one of our two surgeons, Dr. O'Reilly.  He's awesome.

Below is Ryan right after the surgery.  We were watching her peacefully sleep, and wishing the docs had not opened her up to only find an ear infection.  After the incision and examining her ear, the surgeons determined that the middle ear infection was too risky to do implant a CI.  Surgery postponed and tubes were placed in her ears instead.

Again, immediately after surgery in the crib, and these two on the right are the evening of the day of surgery.  She had a dirty face from eating in the middle pic.  Although at the time I thought she looked good, I now would say that she looked like a train hit her in comparison to how she looks and feels today.

Saturday morning after taking off the bandage.  Doing well.  Just sad she'll have to go through this again.  And sad we'll have to go through this again.  Sigh.  We will all persevere.

We should find out this week when they will be able to reschedule the surgery.  On Friday morning, the surgeons told us probably 8 weeks from now.  Hopefully sooner, but at this point, I'm just grateful for anything around 9 months.  So goes the journey to hearing.  This was a nice bump in the road, but we'll keep plugging along.

Third Time Must Be the Charm

We are home from the hospital without cochlear implants.

Ryan was initially scheduled for Cochlear Implant Surgery on March 4th.  Due to some miscommunication, this date changed to yesterday, March 15th.

Her pre-op appointment went really well on Thursday.  We told the nurse and then the Nurse Practioner that Ryan had been getting over her cough she had had.  The Nurse Practioner did a basic check-up, including height, weight, eye check & ear check.  She told us to be at the hospital on Friday morning at 6:30am for a surgery time of 7:45am.

So, like any crazy parents, we woke Ryan up early on Friday morning (1:45am) for her last bottle until after surgery.  Then we were up at 4:45 and out the door on our way to the hospital by 5:40am.  We were checked-in and back in the waiting area by 6:35am.  Ryan was getting all her attention by the medical assistants and nurses to ensure we were all set for her bilateral CIs.  About 7:30, our surgeon, Dr. Robert O'Reilly came by, said hello, and gave us some expectations on what to expect coming out of surgery.

After some silly gas, the anesthiologist took her from us and we parted ways.  They escorted Sean and I back to the parent waiting area, where we were prepared to potentially wait for 6 hours for our girl to be return.  It was 8am when we sat down.

We were updated at about 8:45am, that surgery had finally begun, and that Ryan had been a hard 'stick'.  I found out later that they poked her little veins 7 times before they got a good one.  (Glad she was asleep for all of that.)

At 9:05am, our two surgeons came walking towards us.  And, of course, the first thought that goes through your head is holy $hit.  The first words that came out of their mouths was, 'Ryan is fine, she's doing well.'  They went on to explain that Ryan had an inner ear infection, and they only caught this after she had her first incision.  They cancelled the surgery, and put tubes in her ears instead.

To say the least we are very disappointed.  We know that everything happens for a reason, but knowing that she would have been implanted at 7 months would have been such a blessing.  We have a follow up with our surgeon next week, and most likely they will reschedule the surgery for 8 weeks from now.

Let's hope that the 3rd time really is the charm.

Five Days and Counting...

Five days...Just sayin'...

We are soooo ready for Ryan's surgery we can't hardly wait.  Although, I will say that this week will prove to be pretty interesting.  Bryce was sick early Friday morning-- take off his sheets sick.  And, then it was take off mom & dad's sheets sick.  That was a fun 4am morning.  Clearly, we didn't go back to sleep and somehow I managed to be at work by 7:30am, all 'bright and bushy-tailed'.  Sean was a trooper and hung out with Bryce all day on Friday.  Bryce watched 'The Incredibles'.  Three times.
Sigh.

With that event, Saturday morning was cleaning day.  Extra thorough cleaning day.  All the toys were washed and everything was Clorox-ed down.  Ryan hasn't managed to get sick at all, however, we are still working on getting rid of her cough.  Hopefully that will happen this week since G-ma Krenz is coming to town and Ryan will not be entering the Petri-filled daycare.

And surprise, tonight, Bryce threw up again.  In the kitchen this time.  Poor guy.  I feel so bad for him, and yet as soon as he does that I grab Ryan and run out of the room.  She cannot get sick this week.  No way.  If she has any type of cold or virus they told me that the surgery will be postponed.  Not gonna happen if I can help it.  I was on the verge of getting a hotel room this week, but then I thought, that would have more germs than our home.

So anyway, everyone please say a little prayer.  Get us to and through Friday.

7 Months-- Getting to Hearing

Ryan girl, you are 7-months as of March 1st.  You are the cutest bald baby.  Although, I must say, your hair has started to come in-- it's a very light brown.  Definitely not a blondie.
You are probably close to 16lbs, and a couple weeks ago at the doctor, she told us that you were 10% for height and 30% for weight.  Again, those cheeks are not getting any smaller.  You are sitting up on your own, but still manage to fall over some times.  You are definitely babbling away, and next Friday, March 15th cannot come soon enough-- you will have your surgery to receive cochlear implants.

We chose this for you-- cochlear implants.  We know that God made you the way he made you-- deaf.   However, mom and dad are choosing a life right now for you so that you can hear, and you will learn spoken language.  You will not learn sign language-- well, maybe some baby sign language-- 'more'; 'milk'; 'please'-- but not much beyond.  You will learn to speak, just like your little baby friends; and most likely, you will catch right up to them in your speech development.  You are still young enough that mom and dad do not notice that you have a hearing problem, beyond the obvious of not responding to sound.

If you choose to do so when you are older, you can choose to learn sign language.  You can choose to be a part of the deaf culture where many people rely on sign language as their first language of communication.  If that is the life you choose, you are certainly able to do so; but right now, we are the parents and we choose for you to live like we live-- hearing and speaking.

I write this because there are a lot of parents out there who are at a crossroads.  They are not sure what is right for their child, and want their child to be able to make a decision.  It's of our opinion that babies, who are at a critical time in their life of learning language, will be at a significant disadvantage if they do not learn to hear and speak as infants and toddlers, similar to their peers.  If this is not learned at a young age, it is much harder to catch up and by the time they can 'make their own decision' it may be very hard to learn spoken language.  I'm 100% sure it can be done, however, it won't be without serious rigor and discipline.

I just hope that this will help other parents out there in making a choice for their child.  The parents have to choose right now, not the baby.

Off the soap box...


A couple of funny moments from a few weeks ago...

She is learning how hold her bottle herself.  She is at the cutest moment-- trying so hard in this video below.

In this video-- which is one we should just go ahead and post on YouTube, Ryan is dozing off.  It's pretty comical.