It started when Owen failed his newborn hearing screen. We met with the audiologist, who then said it wasn't a big deal for a baby to fail the first hearing exam and we would repeat it in four months. Four months came and went, fail... another four months and we tried an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) hearing study. The plan was for Owen to be under the euphoric sedation of the drug Versed during the test. While under sedation the audiologist would insert little ear buds into Owens ears and place electrodes on Owens forehead. The audiologist sends sound waves of different tone/volume through the ear buds, she can then read the brains response to the sound via the electrodes and tell with certainty if the child is hearing or not.
The procedure sounds pretty intense, but it really isn't at all. The electrodes are just sticky pads on his forehead and the ear buds are similar to those you would use for your i-pod. It's quite remarkable that just as with children's glasses- these types of specialists don't need the child to verbally respond to know exactly what they need.
Our first attempt at the ABR using the drug Versed was a complete failure. Instead of a euphoric calm, Owen went into a screaming, sweaty rage. This lasted for nearly an hour until the drug wore off. I held him as tight as I could during the whole episode. That particular experience was enough to put hearing on the back burner of the to-do list for Owen. We knew he was hearing some, but just not how well.
In July, along with our routine Cleft Clinic Team visit, we again met with our audiologist. We tried to have squirmy Owen sit in the sound booth while the audiologist tried feverishly to get some behavioral responses to the sounds. We were able to duplicate some of the behavioral responses in the booth that we were noticing at home- he did turn to voices, but seemed to disregard some all together. At that point we discussed our results and the importance of speech development around the age of two years old in relation to a child's hearing. We are well aware that Owen's cleft palate is the primary root of his current speech delay, but we still had not been able to rule out hearing loss. Rather than delay, as a team we agreed that another attempt at an ABR under general anesthesia would finally give us the answers we needed.
It's the worst feeling for me as a parent to see my Owen's smile fade for any reason other than sleep. Anesthesia is my smile stealer. Today dressed in hospital scrubs I cuddled Owen and I walked with him for the sixth time to the operating room for a procedure under anesthesia. I snuggled him in my arms as the doctor holds the mask blowing fruity smelling anesthetic. It breaks me. I hold him as gently as I can while he finally drifts to sleep... I hate it and it doesn't get easier. I mull the risks and benefits of the procedure of the day. Once Owen has calmed I give him a kiss on the forehead and lift him to the doctor. Breath, Pray.
It was just over an hour and my pager buzzed. I quickly grabbed the hospital phone and dialed the nurses extension, Owen was waking up and things went well. The doctor would be out to talk to me soon. In just minutes the audiologist rounded the corner of the registration desk beaming a smile right at me- good news? Breathe. She plopped down on the chair next to me and with giddiness, she almost screamed- Owen can hear! She showed me the results of his ABR and they were perfect! Owen is hearing all tones and audible volume levels. Analise (the audiologist) has been on this journey with us since Owen has been born and I know she was just as excited as us about the results. With a hug, she escorted me back to the recovery room to see Owen. Just like everyday Owen, he doesn't like being roused from a good nap and waking from anesthesia is no different for him. He was unruly, but nothing that a little apple juice couldn't fix.
A few minutes of observations, a set of vitals, and a signature and we were out of there! We are thankful to know that Owen is hearing all the wonderful sounds of the world around him. We now know with certainty that his speech delay is not being compounded by a hearing impairment... now it's just getting him to listen. [chuckle] maybe someday, maybe ;)
