The second hearing test

Hi There,

So this is the next set of tests for Eli's hearing journey. We went to our local health centre and the same nice lady was there. She redone the same New born hearing test and again these didn't show any results. This was now our fourth failed New born hearing test.

The next test was an AABR test. Eli had 3 small sensors placed on his head and they play small clicking noises. We took Mason with us and I remember Luke holding Eli and I was holding Mase and bribing him to be quiet with a treat afterwards. The tests showed the same that there was no response. It was explained that we will be sent to our local hospital to have further testing with the audiologist department. We could still go and have these more detailed tests and they could show that Eli's hearing is perfectly fine. However, at this point I was adamant that Eli was deaf. Luke was still being optimistic.

The next appointment came through really quickly. We we're seen the following week. Our in laws watched Mase for us and we went to hospital. One thing Luke always has done and continues to do is cause an argument on the way to any appointment. He is always an arse and it's his way of dealing with the stress he is feeling.

This appointment took 2 hours. It was in a soundproof room in the peak of summer. We were all sweating it was so hot. We had to get Eli to sleep so he could stay as still as possible and we had to stay as quiet as possible as to not interfere with the results. I swear we were actually scared to breathe to loudly. There was nothing to look at apart from one small poster with the alphabet on that I think I had read it at least a hundred times.

We came away again from this appointment with no answers but an appointment the following week. We had three in total each being 2 hours. They tested all levels of his hearing. If I am honest even now 18 months in there is so much that I'm unsure of with the terminology.

The results showed that Eli has severe/profound hearing loss in his right ear and moderate/severe in his left ear and would need hearing aids fitted. That was all the hospital could tell us at the time and we had to meet a consultant to tell us more and talk hearing aids.

We went to pick Eli's hearing aids the following week and he had his first moulds taken. We picked these beautiful metallic blue hearing aids and he looked adorable in them.

Then we were told about the tests that Eli would need to have to find the reason he was deaf in case it comes with any other Medical conditions. We have always said we don't care about the reasons but did want to know if there was a chance that Eli would have any other Medical conditions from the beginning. He had to have a ECG test, MRI test, eye test. There was speak of blood tests to check for connexin 26 and other genetic conditions. I didn't want Eli to have any unnecessary invasive tests at this stage.

I remember I hadn't cried at this point. I was shocked and spent a lot of my time on Google searching for other stories and other parents that I could speak to who have been and are going through the same as us. There's a Facebook page called unofficial NDCS that's really helpful and the NDCS website is brilliant. I have met some fantastic mums and dads on Instagram as well.

The first time I remember crying Mason was having a nap and Eli was sitting on my knees. I was singing to him badly like I had done from the beginning and still continue to do. Then all of a sudden like a massive wave it hit me that Eli has never heard me tell him I love him. He had never heard me talking to him and reassuring him that everything was going to be ok. I sat looking at my beautiful baby boy and just cried. I felt so out of my depth. There was so much I didn't and still don't know.

As always I have rambled on. I have tried to be as detailed as possible because when Eli had all of this I would of loved more blog posts to read and reassure me.

I will talk about his first pair of hearing aids next time.

As always thank you for reading.

Jane
Xx

First failed hearing test

Good Afternoon,

I thought I would share the start of Eli's hearing journey. Everyone's journey and feelings are different and there's no right way to feel.

Eli had his new born hearing test in the hospital. He was about 18 hours old. I was alone in the hospital and a lady with a trolley and smiley face approached us asking to do Eli's new born hearing test. I smiled and got Eli comfortable.

She inserted what looked like a small headphone into his right ear and pressed a button on her machine. We both sat in silence waiting for the machine to do it's thing. She pulled it out and tried the left side. Again we sat in silence. At this point I thought it was all fine. She took the earbud out and said maybe they needed the size down because it wasn't showing anything on the machine. The lovely lady tried that and the same thing didn't at any responses. She then changed the batteries on her machine but the same thing. She explained that Eli was a little early (born at 37+2) that it could be that. She would come back later on in the day to try again. She then went to the other new born on our wing. I listened on to see if it was a faulty machine. This little baby passed the test first time in each ear.

I remember texting my husband to explain what had happened and him asking what it means. I didn't know what it meant at that time. It worried me a little but I was still in a newborn bubble and didn't want to think to much into it. No one in our family was deaf. So we thought it must just be a small glitch and all will be fine.

When my husband arrived he had a lot of questions but I didn't know the answers. I remember Luke being adamant that Eli had jumped to a noise but actually his crib had been knocked at the same time.

The lady came round later on and tried one last time at the hospital. Again Eli failed this hearing test. We were told to wait until he was 40 weeks gestation and they would test again, just in case he had fluid in his ears from birth.

Those 3 weeks felt like forever and I spent a lot of time on Google. There wasn't any answers at this point. Howeved, from my Google results most of the stories were of people failing the new born hearing test but passing at the next round. For me I knew in my heart that Eli was deaf. I don't actually know what that meant and how many tests and appointments were to follow. Luke was being more optimistic (or in denial) and thought everything would be ok.

This has been a long post and I only have more to write for the next stage. I think I'll break them down in to sections. The next post will be on our next step.

As always thank you for reading.

Jane