On a side note.....

The aqua bags for the cochlear implants really work!  Allison went swimming this afternoon with one on and she could hear in the pool.  The only downside......with her thick hair she had a hard time keeping it on her head.  I have sent a note to her audiologist about getting a Earbandit, hopefully that will help keep the bag in place.

CI Mapping

I took Allison for a CI checkup and let me tell you, it was wonderful.  I use to dread these appointments, I just didn't want to hear any bad news, especially after having her right ear done and Allison not progressing with it.  There was many times when I thought we had put her through a major surgery for nothing, she would never hear with the right implant and we would have to be happy with the gain she had made with the left.  But I was wrong, very wrong!  According to the testing this past week......her right side is actually doing better then the left.

At 20 dB she is hearing 100% word recognition( right ear) vs 88% ( left ear)

She is hearing 15-25 dB across the board.

We don't have to go back for 1 year!!  Life is good, life is normal.  YAY!!!

What Cochlear Implants Can Do

I will not write much about this video, I will let Allison speak for herself, because that is what she can do because of Cochlear Implants.

Allison's Ohio Hero Wax Museum
Allison as Alyson Stoner-Hollywood Actress.

I though it would get easier

Yes, that is what I thought....get Jared and Allison through the auditory oral preschool program, get them mainstreamed into regular school and life would settle down.  I knew that we would still have trips to the audiologist for hearing aide checks and mappings, I knew I would be taking them to the doctor each year for their check-ups and to the dentist every six months, but I could deal with it, that is what happens when you have kids, you become their own personal taxi service, running them here and there, braces for Jared and Allison, eye doctor appointments for Allison to deal with that pesky eye muscle that is weak because of her being born prematurely, but I can handle it after all, I am super mom!
Yesterday made me want to turn in my cape.  I took Jared to the eye doctor because at his yearly check-up they checked his eyes and told me that he had gone from 20/15 to 20/40 in one year, so I made the call, got the appointment and told Jared that he would most likely be getting glasses.  Come to find out, he does not need glasses, he needs eye therapy.  He has what is know as Convergence Excess, in plain English..his eyes cross when he is reading and as he looks up they realign and causes things to go blurry.   So add another appointment to our already busy schedule.  Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom, I know this is what I signed up for when I had these precious gifts from God, but why can't it be simple?  Why can't we have kids that only need to go to the doctor once a year or the dentist every 6 month?  But then I am reminded that God does not give us more than we can handle, so He must think I can handle this, so I will, with a happy heart and a thankful spirit for Jared, Allison and Jordan.