Last week one of Barrett's hearing aids broke. It started cutting in and out and buzzing. That means we have to send it in to get fixed. Unfortunately that usually means he only has one hearing aid for 7-10 days.
Can you imagine not being able to hear out of one ear for a week or more? I can't. I tried to wear ear plugs for a weekend once (so I could get a feel for what he hears like without his hearing aids) and I made it an hour and a half. Ninety minutes friends. That's all I could do. It was awful, and I could still hear better than he can without his hearing aids.
So, I prayed over his hearing aids. I prayed that they would work so we wouldn't have to send the buzzing one in. I prayed that if we did have to send it in, that it would be faster than usual or we could get a loaner. I prayed that the transition with the loaner hearing aid would go well.
God answers prayers. His hearing aid still needed to be sent in to get repaired but, he doesn't have to be without a hearing aid this time. This time he gets a loaner. The audiologist had one in the office. Friends, this is the biggest praise. I was in tears when I was listening to the voicemail. He will be able to hear fully while his aid is getting fixed. He won't have to struggle in school or at home to hear for the next week.
God answers prayers big and small. Take everything to Him, no matter what.
Praise Jesus!
Megan
Showing posts with label Barrett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barrett. Show all posts
Friday, November 22, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
Thick Skin and Soft Hearts
Have you ever had one of those conversations where someone says something that just gets under your skin? Maybe that person meant well, but just chose the wrong words. I hope I've never been that person, but let's face it... I'm human. I'm sure I have. And if it was to you, I'm sorry.
Earlier this week I went to Barrett's school to pick him up. He rides the bus to school, but I pick him up at the end of the day. This isn't how we planned for this to go, but after many tears about long days and "missing me" I told him I would pick him up from school every day. This remedied his sadness during the school day and his teacher made sure she told me that immediately. He is the first one on the bus in the morning and the last one off in the afternoon. That makes for a very long day. I figure if I can shave 30 minutes off of his day by driving 4 minutes round trip, it's worth it.
So, when I was picking him up I ran into his bus driver and she started up a conversation.
Bus Driver: Is he going to be back on the bus in the afternoon?
Me: I hope so, but it's his decision. It makes for a very long day.
Bus Driver: Maybe you should have held him back. We did that with my granddaughter and it was really good.
Me (annoyed): We did.
You know that mama bear that comes out? Yeah, somehow I kept her under wraps. Or He kept her under wraps. There are so many things that I could have said, but wouldn't have made the conversation any better.
He doesn't have issues at school. He's a good listener. He's polite. He doesn't cause problems. He's always ready to help his friends out. He's social. He was READY for Kindergarten, and all day Kindergarten. He just "misses me" and I miss him when he's gone for that long too. I like to see the big smile on his face when he sees me standing there waiting for him.
I try really hard to think and then speak, but it doesn't always happen that way. So, I'm trying to stop fuming about what Barrett's bus driver said to me today and remember that being a Christian means I need to have "thick skin and a soft heart." If I let everything that everyone said to me get to me I think I would be a pretty angry person. Instead, I choose to take a deep breath and vent what she said to Him.
I lay it at His feet.
He takes it.
He's got it.
Amen.
Megan
Earlier this week I went to Barrett's school to pick him up. He rides the bus to school, but I pick him up at the end of the day. This isn't how we planned for this to go, but after many tears about long days and "missing me" I told him I would pick him up from school every day. This remedied his sadness during the school day and his teacher made sure she told me that immediately. He is the first one on the bus in the morning and the last one off in the afternoon. That makes for a very long day. I figure if I can shave 30 minutes off of his day by driving 4 minutes round trip, it's worth it.
So, when I was picking him up I ran into his bus driver and she started up a conversation.
Bus Driver: Is he going to be back on the bus in the afternoon?
Me: I hope so, but it's his decision. It makes for a very long day.
Bus Driver: Maybe you should have held him back. We did that with my granddaughter and it was really good.
Me (annoyed): We did.
You know that mama bear that comes out? Yeah, somehow I kept her under wraps. Or He kept her under wraps. There are so many things that I could have said, but wouldn't have made the conversation any better.
He doesn't have issues at school. He's a good listener. He's polite. He doesn't cause problems. He's always ready to help his friends out. He's social. He was READY for Kindergarten, and all day Kindergarten. He just "misses me" and I miss him when he's gone for that long too. I like to see the big smile on his face when he sees me standing there waiting for him.
I try really hard to think and then speak, but it doesn't always happen that way. So, I'm trying to stop fuming about what Barrett's bus driver said to me today and remember that being a Christian means I need to have "thick skin and a soft heart." If I let everything that everyone said to me get to me I think I would be a pretty angry person. Instead, I choose to take a deep breath and vent what she said to Him.
I lay it at His feet.
He takes it.
He's got it.
Amen.
Megan
Monday, September 9, 2013
Barrett's First Day of School
Barrett started Kindergarten this year. He's there all day and having fun. His only complaint is that he doesn't "get to play much at home." Here are a few pics of his first day.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
That God May Be Glorified
We had an IEP, or Individual Education Plan, meeting last week for Barrett. He's has moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears and was over a year speech delayed at age 3. I have a love/hate relationship with IEP meetings. Any parent who has been in one understands completely. These meetings are where they (the Speech Therapist, School Audiologist, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Teacher and Classroom Teacher) tell us what he's doing great with and where he needs improvement and help.
I love the great things! He's excelled in speech and they've "discharged" him. He doesn't need it anymore! He's exactly where he needs to be with his speech. He's amazing. He's worked hard. We've worked hard to get to this point.
The part where they share where he needs improvement is hard for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that his teachers are there to help out and watch over his learning. It's just hard to hear people talk about him not excelling. I don't want him to have to need help. But, then I'm reminded that God made him exactly how he wanted him to be. Barrett was made in His image. Barrett is set apart from others to do great things. He has to work a little harder to do some things, but he perseveres. God set him aside to do great things and I hope and pray that he glorifies God in whatever he does.
As I was writing this I was reminded of Jesus healing the blind man. John 9:1-5 NIV
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
And also when Moses has his moment at the burning bush with the Lord. Exodus 4:11-12 NIV
The Lord said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
The Lord takes responsibility for what makes us insecure. I think our insecurities allow us to rely on God's strength. God will use him (and all of us with our weaknesses) to do wonders. I'm thankful that God picked me to be his mama. That I get to be on this ride with him and see where God takes him.
Blessings,
I love the great things! He's excelled in speech and they've "discharged" him. He doesn't need it anymore! He's exactly where he needs to be with his speech. He's amazing. He's worked hard. We've worked hard to get to this point.
The part where they share where he needs improvement is hard for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that his teachers are there to help out and watch over his learning. It's just hard to hear people talk about him not excelling. I don't want him to have to need help. But, then I'm reminded that God made him exactly how he wanted him to be. Barrett was made in His image. Barrett is set apart from others to do great things. He has to work a little harder to do some things, but he perseveres. God set him aside to do great things and I hope and pray that he glorifies God in whatever he does.
As I was writing this I was reminded of Jesus healing the blind man. John 9:1-5 NIV
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
And also when Moses has his moment at the burning bush with the Lord. Exodus 4:11-12 NIV
The Lord said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
The Lord takes responsibility for what makes us insecure. I think our insecurities allow us to rely on God's strength. God will use him (and all of us with our weaknesses) to do wonders. I'm thankful that God picked me to be his mama. That I get to be on this ride with him and see where God takes him.
 |
Megan
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Hearing Loss- Barrett's Story
Barrett was born on June 10, 2007. He came three days after his due date. He was a beautiful baby boy and I was in love instantly. He spent a few extra days in the hospital due to Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTNB). It wasn't a big deal. When they did his hearing test at the hospital, he didn't pass. They told us that it happens all the time and is usually due to fluid in the ears. Still not a big deal. So, we retested many times and he only passed two times in the right ear. We were referred to an ENT and Audiologist (I don't remember where in Kansas this was). They found the same results and sent us to the Children's Hospital in Kansas City for an un-sedated ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response) hearing test. Because we refused to have him sedated they were only able to test his left side (which was the side he never passed his hearing test on). We met with a new pediatric ENT in Lawrence, KS and he told us that Barrett had mild hearing loss in his left ear. It was so mild that he didn't recommend doing anything. We were just fine with this and went on.
We moved from Kansas to Minnesota in the spring of 2008 and went in for his 12 month well-child exam that summer. The pediatrician wanted us to meet with a Pediatric ENT (Dr. Soumekh... whom I LOVE) and check his hearing loss with an audiologist. I was fine with that. No harm in double checking on my kids hearing. So, we went to the appointment and had a hearing test. He had mild/moderate hearing loss in his left ear and his right ear was still fine. Dr. Soumekh said we really should get him a hearing aid, do a ct scan and some other tests. I'm not going to lie... I was very freaked out by this entire appointment. We agreed to get him a hearing aid (on loan) and go from there.
The hearing aid was AWFUL! He refused to keep it in. I was spending all day every day putting it in, then he'd pull it out. Over and over again. So, we decided to stop trying. It was too hard and he could hear out of his right ear and the loss was only mild in his left ear. He started getting speech from the school district at this time (18 months) and continued with that until age 3. At age 3 we had to do another hearing test to see what services he'd qualify for his preschool years. We decided to to have District 287 do this test. She couldn't get a good read and sent us to Children's.
We meet Kate at Children's and haven't looked back. Kate was exactly what I needed in an audiologist. She's amazing with Barrett (and Myles), patient and knows what to do in every situation that presents itself. So, we went in on June 17, 2010 to have Barrett's hearing test. I remember this because it was one week after his birthday. My mom came with because I was a ball of nerves and had a nursing baby (Myles) to take care of. My mom went in the audiology booth with Barrett and I sat right outside with Myles watching and listening. I knew before Kate said anything that there was something wrong. They finished the test (which Barrett did beautifully) and she gave us the results. My little boy had moderate to severe hearing loss in BOTH EARS! I burst into tears! I couldn't hold it in. I said "he understands what we're saying!" Kate's response, "He reads lips." I never noticed it before, but he didn't look in my eyes when I was talking. He was watching my lips.. He can still read lips. It really is an amazing skill to have. I guess that's one positive thing that's come from this. I pulled myself together and said "Well, let's get him some hearing aids." He was fitted for hearing aids that day and three weeks later we got them. He has never once pulled them out! It's been two years!
Last week, we went for one of his routine appointments with Kate. Barrett has been telling us lately that he can't hear, but with a smirk on his face and usually when we're asking him to pick up his room or brush his teeth. So, we didn't think anything of it. During his appointment Kate tested his hearing with his hearing aids and without. For the first time in two years Barrett tested with a mild loss with his hearing aids in. Ok, this could be due to him growing. Maybe they just need to be reprogrammed. Then, we did the un-aided test. He's lost 20dB in his low frequency (which was his best ) and is showing a loss of 5dB in all other frequencies. If what I just told you makes no sense... see the nice descriptions and charts below.
Barrett has progressive (has gotten worse over time) bilateral (both ears) sensorineural (dysfunction of inner ear) hearing loss in the moderate to severe range. Which means that without his hearing aids he can't hear you until the sound is 60-85dB depending on the frequency. Conversational speech ranges in 45-60dB.
This is just showing you the varying degrees of hearing loss.
(source)
Wow! I just gave you a lesson.... sorry if that got really technical. I find it fascinating, but that's because it effects our daily lives around here.
We moved from Kansas to Minnesota in the spring of 2008 and went in for his 12 month well-child exam that summer. The pediatrician wanted us to meet with a Pediatric ENT (Dr. Soumekh... whom I LOVE) and check his hearing loss with an audiologist. I was fine with that. No harm in double checking on my kids hearing. So, we went to the appointment and had a hearing test. He had mild/moderate hearing loss in his left ear and his right ear was still fine. Dr. Soumekh said we really should get him a hearing aid, do a ct scan and some other tests. I'm not going to lie... I was very freaked out by this entire appointment. We agreed to get him a hearing aid (on loan) and go from there.
The hearing aid was AWFUL! He refused to keep it in. I was spending all day every day putting it in, then he'd pull it out. Over and over again. So, we decided to stop trying. It was too hard and he could hear out of his right ear and the loss was only mild in his left ear. He started getting speech from the school district at this time (18 months) and continued with that until age 3. At age 3 we had to do another hearing test to see what services he'd qualify for his preschool years. We decided to to have District 287 do this test. She couldn't get a good read and sent us to Children's.
We meet Kate at Children's and haven't looked back. Kate was exactly what I needed in an audiologist. She's amazing with Barrett (and Myles), patient and knows what to do in every situation that presents itself. So, we went in on June 17, 2010 to have Barrett's hearing test. I remember this because it was one week after his birthday. My mom came with because I was a ball of nerves and had a nursing baby (Myles) to take care of. My mom went in the audiology booth with Barrett and I sat right outside with Myles watching and listening. I knew before Kate said anything that there was something wrong. They finished the test (which Barrett did beautifully) and she gave us the results. My little boy had moderate to severe hearing loss in BOTH EARS! I burst into tears! I couldn't hold it in. I said "he understands what we're saying!" Kate's response, "He reads lips." I never noticed it before, but he didn't look in my eyes when I was talking. He was watching my lips.. He can still read lips. It really is an amazing skill to have. I guess that's one positive thing that's come from this. I pulled myself together and said "Well, let's get him some hearing aids." He was fitted for hearing aids that day and three weeks later we got them. He has never once pulled them out! It's been two years!
Last week, we went for one of his routine appointments with Kate. Barrett has been telling us lately that he can't hear, but with a smirk on his face and usually when we're asking him to pick up his room or brush his teeth. So, we didn't think anything of it. During his appointment Kate tested his hearing with his hearing aids and without. For the first time in two years Barrett tested with a mild loss with his hearing aids in. Ok, this could be due to him growing. Maybe they just need to be reprogrammed. Then, we did the un-aided test. He's lost 20dB in his low frequency (which was his best ) and is showing a loss of 5dB in all other frequencies. If what I just told you makes no sense... see the nice descriptions and charts below.
Barrett has progressive (has gotten worse over time) bilateral (both ears) sensorineural (dysfunction of inner ear) hearing loss in the moderate to severe range. Which means that without his hearing aids he can't hear you until the sound is 60-85dB depending on the frequency. Conversational speech ranges in 45-60dB.
This is just showing you the varying degrees of hearing loss.
| Degree of hearing loss | Hearing loss range (dB HL) |
|---|---|
| Normal | –10 to 15 |
| Slight | 16 to 25 |
| Mild | 26 to 40 |
| Moderate | 41 to 55 |
| Moderately severe | 56 to 70 |
| Severe | 71 to 90 |
| Profound | 91+ |
| Source: Clark, J. G. (1981). Uses and abuses of hearing loss classification.Asha, 23, 493–500. | |
Sound Intensity (Loudness) source
Sound intensity, or loudness, is measured in decibels (dB).
- A person with hearing within the normal range can hear sounds ranging from 0 to 140 dB.
- A whisper is around 30 dB.
- Conversations are usually 45 to 60 dB.
- Sounds that are louder than 90 dB can be uncomfortable to hear.
- A loud rock concert might be as loud as 110 dB.
- Sounds that are 120 dB or louder can be painful and can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss.
 |
| (Source CDC) |
Sound Frequency (Pitch) source
Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz). A person who has hearing within the normal range can hear sounds that have frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hz. The most important sounds we hear every day are in the 250 to 6,000 Hz range.
Speech includes a mix of low and high frequency sounds:
- Vowel sounds like a short “o” as in the word “hot,” have low frequencies (250 to 1,000 Hz) and are usually easier to hear.
- Consonants like “s,” “h,” and “f,” have higher frequencies (1,500 to 6,000 Hz) and are harder to hear. Consonants convey most of the meaning of what we say. Someone who cannot hear high-frequency sounds will have a hard time understanding speech and language.
 |
| (Source CDC) |
Wow! I just gave you a lesson.... sorry if that got really technical. I find it fascinating, but that's because it effects our daily lives around here.
So, where do we go from here? Right now, I don't know. I feel like I'm mourning his hearing loss all over again. And just when I was starting to be ok with it. I guess they (whoever they is) don't consider a 5dB loss significant, but I do. We meet with Dr. Soumekh (our ENT) on Friday (this is Myles' post-op appointment for his tubes) but I'll be asking some questions about Barrett while we're there.
Prayers please! I feel like I'm at a loss. He's not in "normal range" for all frequencies with his hearing aids in and I don't like that. He's reading lips more again and I don't like that. I know that God is going to use him for wonderful things, but this really sucks!
Blessings!
Megan
Oh, I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Anyone else go through anything like this?
Monday, February 6, 2012
Fire Station Tour
The other day the boys and I got to go to the Minnetonka Fire Station for a tour. My childhood friend Kevin is a fireman there and we had so much fun exploring the station with him. Here are a few pictures of our adventure!
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| Barrett driving the firetruck. |
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| Kevin making sure my kids don't fall out. |
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| Testing out the headset. |
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| Myles too! |
Thanks Kev! We will have to do that again! We had so much fun!
Megan
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