My girl is quite a SUPERSTAR!!

Sweet Girl

Today was kind of a sad, yet hopeful, day in the life of my sweet girl!

We headed out to her third hearing testing date with the audiologists Steph and Terry at Kaiser, and then her first appointment with an ENT directly after that.

After her third round of hearing tests today, that by the way were the same results as the first two times, it was explained to me that my darling girl needs hearing aids.  Yes, you heard me right, Emily has been referred to OHSU for an appointment to have molds made of her ears to get hearing aids. Needless to say, Mommy was overwhelmed with this news. I kind of knew it was going to be a possibility, but was waiting for round three results.

Emily has a permanent hearing loss in both ears of the higher frequency sounds, thus the reason she has yet to master any words with the Ff or Ss sounds. As it was explained to me, she may see our lips move when we try to show her how to say those sounds, but she is not hearing it at all so has no idea how to make the sounds.

They explained it is nothing that happened to her when she was young in China. It is something she was born with; something is wrong with the bones inside her ears. Now it is no wonder the wee one hasn't mastered our English language in the 20 months she has been home. Many people still have a hard time understanding her. I can pretty much understand everything she says, but I am her mommy.

It is all my decision to have her get them or not, but if I don't she may get further and further behind in her speech, as well as have a hard time learning to read, etc.

They were very nice today, trying to make me feel better by saying little girls can use their hair to cover them up, she can choose the color of the part that goes in her ear, and that kids this age don't care, but if I wait, it may be harder to get her to wear them. Also that by the time she is in high school, technology will have come so far they may be able to be just the kind that go in her ear.

Well, of course, the mommy in me just wants whatever is best for her, but still I was overwhelmed and am worried about her. Most of you know that after last year's medical situations her behavior got worse. Although the audiologists today said that she will be so happy to hear better that she will probably come running to me with them in her hand asking me to put them in. I hope!!

The entire day today, during all of the testing, headphones on/off, ENT doctor checking her out, all she had to say to them was this, "Doctor, you nice doctor," unlike yesterday's appointment when she had her shot! :-)

Well, now we just wait until next week for the letter from OHSU, and then we call to get an appointment!

Please keep Emily and I in your thoughts and prayers. We love you all!

Kathy