Today is Laynie's 1 YEAR HEARING BIRTHDAY!!!! Her cochlear implant got activated 1 year ago today. We have taken our longest break ever from Primary Children's and it has been amazing!!! We went back for some appointments (ENT and audiology) this week. It was fun to see the progress she has made in a year on her audiogram. She did amazing in the sound booth. It was so adorable watching her get excited when she would hear the sounds. I can't believe I would ever be saying this, but Laynie is hearing in the normal range with her cochlear implant. She doesn't hear anything with her left ear, so overall she doesn't hear normally, but out of her right ear she does. I am so happy for her! The big problem though is that she still isn't understanding speech. We don't know if this is because she was implanted a little later than the ideal time, or if she just needs more time. We don't know if she will ever understand speech, but we definitely hope she will. Just in the last week she did respond to "bath". I asked her if she wanted to take a bath and she signed bath. Other than that, the only other words that I know she understands is her name and Drake's name. She does understand a few other sounds, like my phone, dogs barking, music, etc... A year ago when we were deciding to get her a CI or not, the doctor told us that she may only hear environmental sounds and not ever understand speech. I was not okay with that... I thought it wasn't worth getting her a CI if that was all she could understand. Now, even though she only understands a few things (mostly environmental sounds) I am soooooo glad she has a cochlear implant. Watching her hear things and react brightens all of our days! It is a night and day difference when her CI is on and not on. Just having her be able to respond to her name and look at me and then I can sign to her is so helpful and awesome:)
Here is the link to the blog post about her activation day 1 year ago. That was still one of the best days of my life:)
I am excited to watch her progress over the next year. Happy Hearing Birthday Laynie!!!!
Her ENT appointment went well also. Her doctor wants to do a scope to check out her airway during her next surgery (this summer). He might remove some scar tissue or upsize her trach and just check to see how her airway is doing and if it has improved or not. He will also put in ear tubes. Her tonsils also will need to come out sometime because they are enormous, but it's not a big hurry because she does have a trach. But they will have to come out if her trach ever comes out. It doesn't seem like her doctor has any hopes or plans for the trach coming out for a really long time. It might not ever come out. It is kind of discouraging, but at the same time it is just a part of her now and it would be scary not to have it. I will just keep dreaming that that day will happen sometime!!!
We went to Scheels in between appointments and Laynie had a blast and Trevor was in heaven also:) She loved the fish and we took her on her first ride, the ferris wheel. She loved it all:)
Overall, Miss Laynie Bug is doing amazing! The fact that we stayed away from Primary Children's for the whole winter shows how great she is doing! We are proud of her and look forward to the awesome stuff she is going to show us next!!!!!
