Hope had a very busy day today with lots to report on. Because her blood level is low she had multiple episodes. To eliminate the episodes the doctors have put her back on the vapotherm, at least until she can start making her own blood and get stronger. Her blood levels are quite low, but her labs seem to indicate she is trying hard to make her own blood. The doctors want to hold off on transfusing her (unless completely necessary because things get worse) because this is a struggle that Hope will have to face one way or another, and it might as well be while she in the care of the doctors and nurses at the hospital when she can have all the support she needs to get through it.
Hope had a hearing test today and neither ear passed. This does not necessarily mean there is a problem, or that it is a major problem. The test (which Aunt Em thinks is ridiculous) has no degree of pass or fail, you either do or you don't. What the test does mean is that Hope will need to be tested again by an audiologist when she comes home. Often kids who don't pass the hospital's hearing test do well with the audiologist, but Hope's doctor told us that, considering her brain ultrasound results, it is more likely that Hope will have some hearing difficulties.
Hearing difficulties do not necessarily mean profound deafness as there is a large range of impairment. If there is an impairment, it is not necessarily related to Hope's brain issues as hearin gimpairment is th emost common difficulty diagnosed at birth. Many times these issues can be mitigated with hearing aids or surgery.
So what does this tell us? This tells us that this is something we should be concerned about, follow up on, and prepare for possible early intervention. The good news for Hope's Mommy & Daddy is that they have a basic understanding of how you support a child with a hearing impairment. They are both fully capable of learning sign language if that becomes part of our reality. Given the broad spectrum of challenges Hope may face, this is one of the easier ones for Hope's family to support her through.
I found your blog through google. I certainly hope your little girl passes her hearing test, but if she doesn't, then hearing aids (or cochlear implants, if needed) really do help! Our little guy wears bilateral aids (failed his newborn screen, but is a moderate loss rather than deaf). He's actually above age level with speech and language, so those aids do work wonders! Just wanted to offer some positive thoughts and support!
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