Cochlear Process Update

Just some updates on where we stand before Jace is scheduled for surgery.  We've already had the CAT scan and sonogram at JHU.  His surgeon thinks is a perfect candidate for CI. He thinks Jace was probably born deaf.  There is no proof that he may have deafness due to any illness or accident.  The cochlea is intact and the facial nerve was visible, which is HUGE.   However, he is much older than they would have liked to begin such a procedure.  Drs. like to begin in very early years.  That being said...

2/10/2011    Yesterday Jace had a speech evaluation at Hopkins.  In a quick assessment from the speech therapist, he scored about that of a 5 to 11 month old.  This is mostly because he's never had any training in speech therapy until he came home.  He will need lots of speech therapy, which he gets in school.  This doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I'm up for the challenge.  And so are his teachers.  Since the start of preschool in September (only 3 days per week from 9-11:30) he can pronounce letters /b/, /p/, /m/, and short vowel sounds like  /u/ and /o/.  Lots of reading and signing are helping.  Remember, he only came home in August--with NO signing.  Now?  He is learning so fast that his teachers are surprised.  This boy is SO clever!

These are the upcoming appointments:

2/15/2011      Hearing and aid testing (won't work-for ins. purposes only)
2/21/2011      Auditory skills
3/01/2011      Testing and device discussion
                      Psych evaluation
On 3/8/2011  CI team will meet and discuss all results together, opinions, and surgical procedures.  
                    
After that he will have his first side scheduled for surgery.  One month after healing the device will be turned onto a very low setting.  We go back to Hopkins weekly to turn the volume up.  It is a slow process which will take a lot of patience.  And prayer.  After a month or two of weekly visits, if no complications, then we go 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year.  If all goes well, the next year he will have surgery again on the other side.  Sounds simple, right?  HAH!  We're going to find out.

Off to read to my clever boy...