Getting Ready for Week Three

We had a really quiet weekend in Oxnard, enjoying some time with family. I'm not "freaking out" about Nolan's bone conduction scores any more, which is a good thing. I am actually feeling much better about the whole thing, since the test at John Tracy actually makes quite a lot of sense (the conductive component explains the fluctuating results in the booth at home). It can be hard to integrate new information when it is so different from what you've been told in the past.

But as one very wise mama said, "Nothing has actually changed. We just know more about it."

This is very, very true. It is also probably the most comforting, sensible thing I could have heard. While we're learning more about Nolan's hearing loss, nothing has actually changed. It has always been this way, and we are just now getting more accurate information about the type and configuration.

The very best news is that he has been amplified correctly, which is the important thing. Plus, he's just doing phenomenally with his speech and language- another indicator that his hearing aids have been set correctly for his loss- whether or not it is conductive or sensorineural (or both, in our case).

As to the "conductive" component, we have no idea why there is one. Nolan had no fluid at birth (he had an ENT appointment the same day as his ABR, and his tymps and otoscopy were clean). My best guess is that the conductive problem lies with the middle ear bones somewhere. His CT scan was completely normal, so it isn't a problem that is apparent with any modern imaging techniques.

While we are going to discuss this finding with our ENT, we probably won't do anything to find the specific cause of the conductive loss. Nolan would still have to wear hearing aids anyway, so unless the benefit is great, we'll avoid any more surgeries. Of course, there is a great part of me that hopes to find the cause of Nolan's entire hearing loss picture- but I'm not willing to put him through more surgery to find out why. His hearing aids work for him, and that's all that really matters.

Tomorrow's session includes lectures on behavior management, expressive language, a film (The Sound and The Fury), and support group. Nolan is really excited to get back to John Tracy, especially after the John Tracy picnic today. He loved running around with the kids! He also got to eat his first In-N-Out Burger and liked watching the magic show. As soon as he got home, he said, "I want go back John Tracy!" He really loves his teachers and friends- it is going to be hard to leave when this week is over!