A little rant. . .

It's getting down to countdown time, Savanah will be receiving her 2nd implant in about two weeks. I am both scared and excited for her. I keep thinking, will it be just like the last time? Will her surgery run as smoothly? Will she recover quicker? Will she instantly hear better? Will that new implanted ear know exactly what to do? I'm not sure the magnitude of this surgery has set it quite yet. We've talked about it, but mostly the last little while the focus has been on Christmas. I'm sure after the holiday, we'll be switching gears quite a bit. I've prepared to take a week off from work to nurse my baby back to health. Hopefully she will not need that full week, but her anxiety driven mother might. I keep asking myself. . . Am I making the right decision? Did we all make the right decision? Is Savanah feel pressured? Does she even want this? How could an almost 9 year old really know if she wants this? We've seen amazing things with other bilateral implanted kids. I'm praying that this experience that we've seen will be the same with our little Savanah. Awhile ago, Savanah was complaining of severe headaches. They would usually occur at the end of the day. They would almost blindside her. She would want to take her implant off and go in her room. She would sleep them off. They were happening frequently, they were also happening at school. I took her to her neurologist where he questioned the idea of "straining to hear" - this is something that commonly happens to people who cannot hear very well. It's hard to try to listen, especially with one ear. Especially when you're not use to it. So not only did we come to the conclusion that having bilateral implants should help the headaches, it will allow her to hear a little easier in a school environment. She shouldn't have to "strain" to hear. I am still so inspired by her everyday. We just recently had her IEP at her mainstream school. She receives services from a wonderful guy a few hours a week. He checks up on all the mainstream kiddos who transferred from USDB. We sat down with him, the principal and her mainstream teacher. And from all the testing and remarks, they all were in agreeance that she is right on level with her mainstreaming peers. She is reading on level, doing math on level, spelling on level. Doing everything on grade level And there is no bullying going on! Yeah!

January 9th!

So Savanah's surgery date is scheduled for January 9th. There are all sorts of emotions flying around about this. Excited, a little nervous. You know the jist. I mean, it's major surgery, who wouldn't be a little intimidated by that? And being a medical professional and knowing everything single thing that can happen has never been good for my soul but I have complete faith that everything will go according to plan! We've been asked by a few different people why we are choosing to implant her other ear when she has done so well and is hearing just fine. Well I'm here to clear this up. . . "just fine" is mediocre. We are born with two ears, most of the time. We are designed in life to hear with two ears. Savanah has done exceptionally well with just the one implant but I want to give her the opportunity to advance. To not tire out so quickly in school after listening all day, I want her to have the advantage of localizing (finding the sound) better, I want her to have the option of implants. She can choose later to wear them or not to wear them. She is amazing! Technology is amazing! Every single person that has ever been involved with her education, therapy, training is amazing! I hope only the best for her, that is all we can ever do for our children. Be able to give them endless possibilities. And that my friends, is what we are trying to do for Savanah.