Testing updates

Well I received the call this morning that we've been waiting for. It's taken 6 months to get the genetic testing back from Olivia's newborn blood spot and it was negative for CMV and for Connexin 26.  So now we are just left wondering what could have caused her hearing loss. We know that her inner ear anatomy is completely normal (via the MRI) and now we know she wasn't exposed to CMV in utero and that she doesn't have the recessive Connexin 26 gene. I am going to have to have faith that everything will be okay and that we may never know what caused this sweet baby's hearing loss.  She is such a sweet and smart girl and I am proud to be her mama. She's not going to let a little hearing loss get in her way!

Wearing her Hanna Annderson Pilot Cap- My sis calls her 'Baby Alive' whens he wears her cap

This is her new audiogram. The horizontal line shows frequencies. The lower frequencies are on the left  (think bass drum, tuba, vowel sound 'oo' as in 'who') and the frequencies get higher (bird chirp, signal on your car, the sound /s/) as you move to the right. On the vertical axis you have loudness or intensity which is measured in decibels. At the top you have softer sounds such as leaves rustling and at the bottom are the louder sounds like a lawn mower and jet plane. 

Miss Olivia has better hearing in the lower frequencies but as you move into the higher frequencies her hearing worsens. A lot of people, even family, ask "Can she hear at all." Or I get, "Can she hear me at all without her hearing aids?" The answer is "Yes, she can. She has a lot of residual hearing."  I like to give this example that Beginnings gave me.

Normal Hearing:

One bear has a chair, but I have a hat

two ducks have trucks, but I have a hat

Three trees have bees, but I have a hat

Four stores have doors, but I have a hat

five pigs have wigs, but I have a hat

six bugs have rugs, but I have a hat

seven goats have coats, but I have a hat

eight crabs have cabs, but I have a hat

nine snails have trails, but I have a hat

ten cats have hats.. just like me!

What you would hear with a moderate hearing loss:

One bear a a air, but I ave a at

Two du ave tru, but I ave a at

Ree tree ave bee, but I ave a at

our tore ave door, but I ave a at

ive I ave wi, but I ave a at

i bu ave ru, but i ave a at

even oat ave oat, but I ave a at

eight rab have ab, but i ave a at

nine nail ave trail, but i ave a at

ten at ave at.. jut lie me!

Olivia hears you but she may not be able to get all the meaning or hear all the sounds you make without her hearing aids. The pilot cap has been a sanity saver for me and Livi doesn't seem to mind it too much. Our oral/deaf educator, Kristin told me about the hearing halo headband and I'm going to order one to see if that works. They have lots of colors.. I think I like this purple flower one.