Jaymes got his hearing aids on Friday, right before yet another stress filled IEP meeting. He chose green ear molds and a blue "thingy that goes behind his ear" or whatever you're supposed to call it. He also wanted star stickers on the blue things, so that was done. I meant to mark them so I could remember which one went to which ear, because I have an awful memory, but I didn't do it and have been remembering that the one with the red dot on it is for the right ear, because it's legal to do a right on red when you're driving. And also, there is no blue light in driving, so the blue one must go on the left. Hmm, now that I've typed it, I hope that's right. Why on earth couldn't they forget the colored dots and put an L and R on each one?!
Jaymes got a ton of Stuff. He got a gift bag with an elephant puppet that Sierra immediately made her own, and a book about an elephant (coincidence? I think not!) who gets hearing aids. Jaymes likes the book. He also got the worlds most hideous carrying bag for all his hearing aid stuff. It's like 6 different vomit-like muted colors, with random buttoning flaps that serve no apparent purpose. It amuses me. It's hideous enough to stand out, so it won't get lost- which is awesome.
Anyway, the audiologists over at Forsyth Hospital/Whittaker Rehab spent forever explaining things to me that I got home and promptly forgot. Luckily, they sent me home with paperwork that repeated it all. Lots of care instructions, testing, putting in the deadly toxic batteries that I need to keep hidden from children who might devour them in a fit of suicidal curiosity...etc.
The first issue encountered was that the left earmold wasn't quite right. It's really hard to get in right, and is seems loose. The right one doesn't bother Jaymes at all, and if he takes one off it's the left- I assume because it's not quite right. We'll have a new one in 2 weeks.
The second issue is that Jaymes quickly discovered that if he tilts his head sideways and presses his ear to his shoulder, the hearing aid makes a shrill screeching sound. Jaymes likes this sound a lot. He calls it his music. I call it stimming with the hearing aid. Bad Jaymes! He doesn't do it too much at least.
He immediately took the aids out in the car. Put them back in (which is harder than it looked when the audio person did it) and he was good until the next car ride. Today was better, he only took them off twice today, both times in the car. I'm wondering if the sound of the car, the sound of Sierra talking VERY loudly next to him (incessantly, save me someone) is just too much for him and thats why he pulls them off? He never does it at home. We went to the mall today, and he was perfect and didn't touch them.
He watched Green Eggs and Ham for the billionth time today, and the difference was amazing. He actually talked along with the movie the entire time, with new words he has never said before. Full sentences. True, he was only echoing, but he must be hearing better, because he never did that before and we've watched that video so many times it's ingrained into my brain.
He doesn't mind the aids being put in, doesn't seem to be bothered by them at all. He's adjusting really well. I'm very proud of him, he has put everyone's gloomy predictions of failure (including mine, shame on me for being a pessimist) to shame. I'm very proud of him. He asked me for his "ears" this afternoon after nap time. Very cool. He's such a good little guy.
The aids survived their first real test- the playground at the mall. Running, jumping, falling, climbing, rolling around- and they stayed put. They also survived Jaymes helping me feed Lucy The Previously Emaciated But Now Obese Horse. He was easier to keep close outside, I did not have to bellow at him and make my neighbors shake their heads and dial the child abuse hotlines, he actually responded to his name from a distance. Good Jaymes. Good Jaymes' Ears.
We like the Ears. Jaymes tolerates the Ears. All in all, it's going well.
Now that I've said that, he'll probably flush them down the toilet in the morning. We shall see.
Cooking Book Placeholder
5 months ago
4 comments:
Nolan doesn't like his "ears" in the car, either. I think they amplify the background noise of the engine and the road noise, and it drives him crazy. Of course, he can't really verbalize that yet, but that's my best guess!
Nolan's aids used to have the colored dots on them, but red dot is now gone, lol. Red is for right (they both start with "r"), but Nolan used to pull his earmolds off and I accidentally put them on the wrong aids once. That meant that I was putting the aids on the wrong ears, ARGH! Luckily we have it pretty well figured out now, lol.
Happy hearing birthday, Jaymes!
Well, the congratulations may have been premature. Hubby let Jaymes take his aids off in the car while I was buying horsie food, and he yanked the tubes out of the earmolds. I can't figure out which hole to try and shove them back into, and they don't seem to want to shove in anyway. I have no clue what to do, guess I'll call the audiologist tomorrow and beg her to fix them. Stupid hubby. He was doing SO good with them.
Welcome to the world of hearing aids and EARS!
Green eggs and ham must have been good.
You wouldn't want to talk too much in the car. The things people say in the backs of cars can be amazing, but not amusing. So it is well to practise self-control there! As Leah said, the acoustics are not so great.
(Pierre Lellouche, I look at you).
The music reminds me very much of the things you hear in the seashell.
Sigh...
Well, the left mold was a crummy fit, so you can figure out which one is the poorly fitting mold, then stick it onto the aid with the blue dot.
Nolan's done so many terrible things to his aids that I nearly have a hearing aid repair shop set up at home. Of course, the most recent thing is that he took one out while playing, stepped on it, and broke the battery door. This sucks because the battery door is also the on/off switch- so we now have the broken door taped on with electrical tape. Our audi is 2 hours away, so I'll make due with the electrical tape until our appointment on the 23rd. I need to add battery doors to my arsenal of hearing aid supplies, lol!
Post a Comment