Last week I posted on Facebook that Mattie was going to be able to cross another doctor off her “amazing long list of doctors and specialists”. Umm I was wrong. Mattie did not pass her hearing test last week. The beginning of the test was fine, but when the softer tones started, she was not responding. I knew it right then since I was holding her in my lap. It was both shocking and frustrating. My first thought was that fluid was in her ears although she had no symptoms of being sick or having allergies. Her eardrums were not vibrating and moving like they should. As soon as I left the audiologist, I called our pedi to try and figure out what was going on, and went in the following day. We started Mattie on allergy medicine (in case that was the cause) but I knew in my gut that it was something else and called the Ears, Nose and Throat doctor and made an appointment.

I read the audiology report from last week while at the ENT doctor, who by the way, was just added to the “amazing long list of doctors and specialists”. Hearing Loss. I knew she failed the hearing test, but to see it written down on paper for some reason just makes it real. Before I go on I will let you know that yes, Mattie can hear. Whatever is going on is making it so that Mattie hears muffled tones. It was explained to me as needing to pop your ears (like when on an airplane or high altitudes) but not being able to pop them. …

X-rays were taken and the recommendation is to have tubes placed in both ears and to remove her adenoids as well. Apparently Mattie has negative pressure in her middle ear which is causing the hearing loss. Putting in tubes will allow her to hear clearer and removing the adenoids is a longer term solution.

Now the question on my mind is how could I not have realized there was an issue? The ENT Dr mentioned that she breathes through her mouth and asked if this was common… ummm crap, no, I haven’t noticed! Should I have? I never really paid attention to that or to anyone’s breathing characteristics. None of the doctors on the “amazing long list of doctors and specialists” has ever mentioned this to us. She passed her hearing test this time last year. How long has this been going on? So this gets me to thinking… could this be why she does not talk?? Why she is verbally behind?? I am grasping at something, anything to make me feel like there could be a solution besides the normal “she has CP, she was a preemie, lets wait and see” comment that we get ALL THE TIME.

Soooo heading in for surgery in October 😦