It's Selective

I big thank you to everyone who prayed for Micah today through his hearing test. And the results? He has incredibly selective hearing. He can hear perfectly, but obviously chooses to ignore certain people at most times. I'm pretty sure it's a gender thing.

And speaking of gender, the hospital called after we got home today. They have him on record as being, well a HIM. But the insurance has him on record as being a her. Now this is not the first time he's been seen there, nor the first time this insurance has been billed through them. So now I've gotta spend a day on hold waiting to tell the insurance company that we have only one daughter, and her name is not Micah.

Yeh, it's SO not the first time we've been there. The Children's staff gave us the Frequent Flyer badge today. How sad is that? They're starting to recognize his name. Out of all the thousands of patients they must see on a weekly basis, they remembered him. Of course it could be his lack of cooperation that they remember more so than his wonderful self. He does not like surgical procedures, doctor appointments, or even doctors for that matter. He fusses and wiggles just having his heart listened to. When they tried giving him that wonderful stuff that we so fondly call "happy juice" he spit most of it out onto the poor nurse. Mind you, Sam was holding his arms and legs and a nurse was holding his head still while the second nurse was dosing him. Me? I was laughing. I'm that kind of bad parent. I just have been down this road so many times and have learned to find the humor in it all. I'm so sure the parents behind us in the hallway were horrified at my parenting skills. Or lack thereof. It didn't help matters that after we wiped him up he was seriously hacked off and bit his lip thrashing in a temper tantrum, producing enough blood to choke on. I know the same-day surgery staff are all wishing a much more cooperative child would be in the Frequent Flyer program.

But there is an up side to being there so often. The staff have learned that we know our child better than they do. The first thing he does when he comes back to the land of the living is fuss about the I.V. and finger monitor. This is the very first time they took them off immediately upon my request. And the first time he's stopped fussing so quickly. They also took note when I said he wouldn't drink anything, no matter what was offered or what it was offered in. So they simply discharged us. No waiting games, no bribing him, no monitoring constantly (read, yet another doctor is touching him and he's getting more angry by the minute). It was almost a pleasant recovery experience.

I don't know what to think about his excellent hearing. It's been 4 1/2 years of not knowing for sure. He has no speech. It would have been a great excuse for the extreme delay. But neither did I wish for him to have a hearing loss, nor to wear aids or have implants. I'm thrilled that he can hear, and hear well. I'm disappointed that there's no "quick fix" to help him talk. But all good things take time and I know a day will come when I'll have the pleasure of saying "Micah, can we take a break from talking for a little bit?"

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful to read...yay Micah!! Glad you're through the procedure, and all is perfect in the hearing department!

Bluepaintred said...

Ok wait. I came here from a comment ou left at my blog. This is my first time here, but I have to pioint something out:

I big thank you to everyone who prayed for Micah today through his hearing test. And the results? He has incredibly selective hearing. He can hear perfectly, but obviously chooses to ignore certain people at most times. I'm pretty sure it's a gender thing.

My husbands name is Micah and he suffers from the same affliction. Maybe its the name?

LOL

Anonymous said...

Isn't it wonderful when the doctors finally realize you know what you are talking about!
I am sorry to hear that there was no quick fix, but I'm glad he has his hearing!

Cecily R said...

Oh I wish there was a quick fix for you and Micah!

While I was reading this I kept thinking how lucky he is to have such great and patient parents. I know it must be so hard not knowing what to do for him.

My kid brother could only say about 6 consonent sounds when he was young, so when he did speak no one could understand him. It was so sad to watch him struggle. After extensive speech therapy for several years you can't even tell he had a problem. He's also hands down one of the most brilliant people I know.

I am glad he has his hearing, and that you have kept your sense of humor through all this! It is SO a gender thing in our house! Jon can completely blow off an entire monologue from me until I say something naughty or about food. What a Homer I married! :)

(sorry this is so long winded!)

kari and kijsa said...

Wow- at least you know where to head now! We will keep you in our prayers!
blessings,
kari & kijsa

bencandance said...

I am glad that a hearing problem isn't something you will have to deal with! :)

Karen said...

Cecily, thanks for sharing about your brother. It's such an encouragement! Life goes on, and it's all a thing of the past at some point. One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is "and this too shall pass." Oh, the promise in that!

Burgh Baby said...

That's fantastic news! At least you know he just needs to make up his mind to start talking, not find a solution to a hearing problem and THEN make up his mind to talk. One step is always easier to take than two.

I don't know if it helps to know, but I have a friend with a five-year old that is also blessed with an extra chromosone. He still isn't talking, but he has started to learn sign language in the past few months. Already he has made amazing strides towards communicating in ways that don't involve temper tantrums and screams. If you troll the message boards at www.signingtime.com you'll find dozens of similar stories.

Karen said...

Kari & Kijsa, thanks so much for your prayers. It's all that gives us hope, in so many ways.

Ben, you are so right. Hearing loss is not to be trifled with, and again we realize how blessed we really are with this little one.

Burgh Baby's Mom, thank you for sharing. Yet another encouragement! I will definitely check out some sites. I saw that Alexis loves her signing time videos. I may have to invest. We've been trying sign language with him for years but he's stubborn as a goat and refuses to do it since I'm the one instigating. TV on the other hand would be right up his alley. It could be a royal break through.

Michelle said...

It does sound like good news that they said he could hear perfectly, but I understand your frustrating in not having a quick answer for the speech delay. I felt like that after Kayla had tubes put in - it seemed everyone told me what a difference they noticed in their child after getting tubes, but I noticed nothing...which is why I'm hesitant for the 4th set to go in. I know the ENT says she has fluid in her ear and that makes her hear things muffled, but I don't notice any difference in her enunciation whether she has tubes, or not! Sorry didn't mean to right so much on Kayla's tube in your post :)

Kayla is the same way about anything medical related. I dread taking her even for a check up. She doesn't like them to put the finger monitor on either, she doesn't like them to check her height when the bring the bar down on her head, she's so difficult! LOL

Shellie said...

Your boy sounds so much like my twins. A Dr. tried to look in my son Danilo's mouth when he was about two. He wouldn't let her, so she asked me to hold him on my lap and hold either side of his head while she tried to get in his mouth for a peek. Being trapped, he spit in her face! We coughed back guffaws and just laughed politely. I have e speech delayed boys so I can really relate. Same thing. Selective hearing, and unfortunately, I'm not what they select. :) My twins are 5 and just last year started to really speak and they are growing in leaps and bounds. My other son started about the same as them and the other a year ahead of them. Sometimes, it just takes time. I would highly recommend speech therapy at least through the school system if not privately. It has helped us a lot.

Karen said...

Shellie - haha, "I'm not what they select." Doesn't every parent know what that's about? Seriously, thank you for sharing. It's so encouraging to hear that Micah is not terribly abnormal, just delayed. And that one day he'll be just as normal and vocal as your dear children are. Go hug them for me!