Friday, July 15, 2011

Hearing Aids

Scarlett got her long-awaited hearing aids this week.  We were excited to see if there was any change in her responsiveness, but also nervous about battling her to wear them.  We were pleasantly surprised that she doesn't seem to mind them at all!

As soon as the audiologist put the first one in, Scarlett gave her the biggest smile!  Here's the second one going in (there is a 6 second delay as they start up, and you can see as soon as she can hear us.)

So far, she tolerates them very well.  We are running into come problems with the left side, as her head tilts significantly still and she gets a lot of feedback noise from her ear hitting her shoulder.  However, the sound doe not seem to bother her, just us.  She wears them as much as possible when she is awake.


She is much more interested in her musical toys than last week!
 Hearing aids are a big responsibility for parents.  I want to make sure she is wearing them as much as possible so that she is hearing us have conversations, ambient noises and whatever is happening around her.  However, they need to come out when she is asleep so that the whistling sound they make when she lays on them does not wake her up.  This means a lot of in and out, making sure we always put them in a safe place.  They are tiny and I can imagine they could get lost easily.

 Losing them is really just not an option:  our insurance pays for them the first time, but we have to pay to replace them.  They are each about $2200, plus an extra $200 for the inner ear molds (which have to be redone every few months as she grows).  This is simply not something we can afford, so we are extra cautious about where they land.

Fortunately, the company that makes them is well aware of the investment parents are making.  They came with a tote bag full of accessories for cleaning, storing, maintaining and testing.  There are also stickers for decorating and a "leash" for attaching both hearing aids to her shirt (much like a pacifier clip).  She has yet to pull at them or knock them out, so we are safe so far.


It is great to see her more engaged in what is happening around her.  This morning, she turned her head and looked when I opened the door - this is a huge improvement for her!  She is quite vocal with her baby babbling, she we are interested to see if the hearing aids bring about a few actual words.  Hopefully I'll have my video camera ready!

She is having yet another blood transfusion today, so I am off to pack up for a day at the hospital.  Tomorrow she is nine months old!

23 comments:

Pirates' Mama said...

Wow! What a great step ahead for your little princess! It made my day to look at that beautiful smile of hers. Hugs from PA for all 3 of you.

Melissa said...

I cried when Scarlett turned her head toward her Mommy and Daddy's voices. It must have been an overwhelming feeling for the two of you. She is amazing. Thank you for sharing her story.

Praying for Hope said...

That's wonderful! I couldn't help the grin spreading across my face as I watched her. She's an incredibly sweet girl.

Unknown said...

Hearing aids are so easy to lose! Especially when they start to grab at them and take it out of their ears! My My son got one when he was 6 months old! We thought we wouldn't need the leash but it definitely helped! He would even go hide it! One time we found it under the sink! Eventually he'll learned to keep it in but sometimes he still likes to take it out himself. So I guess, leash is good when they're young especially if they can't talk yet and can't help you find it or tell you where they might have put it! ;)

Runnells said...

Congrats! What kind of hearing aids did you get? The leash is definitely handy as well as making sure to lock the battery door. I didn't think my son would be able to open it and get to the battery but boy was I wrong! And just in case you didn't know, you can pay for a replacement warranty. Our company charges $50/year per ear (up to 3 years) for free replacement if they are lost which is completely worth it to us!

Amanda said...

This made me tear up. Thank you for sharing. Praying for you!

Haley said...

I am teary eyed reading this post. Just thinking of Scarlett being able to hear things that before she couldn't. It will open up a new world for her and she deserves it! What a precious little girl you two have! So happy for you both.

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh i didnt expect to have a physical reaction besides a smile but im sitting here with happy tears of joy! So happy for you all i know you must feel so proud when she hears you ;) thanks for sharing this blessing with us today!

<3 Cheyenne

Magnus said...

Great that Scarlett finally got her hearing aids.
Lily and Sammy keeps asking me to see Baby Scarlett after they watched the video the first time, they love her reaction!

sredmon81 said...

Tears of joy for this moment!!!!

Rebecca said...

Hooray for hearing aids and hooray for you Scarlett! .:tears:.

Seriously....Me. said...

Oh...that made me cry. YAY!

Anonymous said...

Congrats! I'm so amazed by your miracle baby! I'm sure you are aware as to how much you are blessed every day by your little girl

Christina said...

Amazing! I am so happy for her!!! Now she can hear mommy and daddy nice and clear. I am sure she will start stringing sounds together very soon. :)
Love Christina & Kaitlyn

Shan said...

How wonderful that she can hear! Your Scarlett really is a beautiful little girl. I can't believe how big she's getting!

mommyofasuperhero said...

That is wonderful!!! i am so excited for yal!!!

JenniBerr said...

That was so great to see! I bet it will be great for her therapy too- since she'll be looking around a lot more now (to see where sounds are coming from) it will be great for motor movement!! :) :) :)

Ashley said...

So happy for your whole family today Brandi!! Can't wait to "hear" all of her improvements. :)

Renaissance Woman said...

Her response upon hearing you was just precious! So happy she has those to help her hearing...finally! :)

Christa said...

Yea! Love your video. Made me smile! :) congrats! Continuing to think of your family and send prayers for blessings like this!
--christa, oct. 2010 mom

Andrea said...

It was wonderful to see a video of scarlett, please post more! she's beautiful, seeing her smile at the sound of your voices was wonderful :)

Irene K said...

oh I LOVE the video! so wonderful much love to Scarlett from Austin, TX

Mommy2CJ said...

That Video made me tear up! I can only imagine if it made me tear up, how you must have felt at that moment! You and Chris are doing an amazing job advocating for your precious miracle Scarlett! She is so lucky to have you as parents! You are all in my prayers!