We have been trying for a few months now to get Aiden into a sedated ABR (or BAER). We were planning to go to OKC to have this done. However when I got the important information from the hearing clinic down there, they had him scheduled for another booth test. Ummm, nope. There is no way I am about to drive that far for the same exact results that I can get locally. So I called Aiden's audiologist Meredith and we went with Plan B. She would call Nancy to see if she was willing to test Aiden as a courtesy. Nancy did Aiden's first ABR following his initial heart surgery.
Nancy called a few hours later and we set the appointment for Friday. After sleep depriving the child for 30+ hours and refusing all requests for food and drink, we made our way to Tulsa. The child has an uncanny ability to fall asleep in his
recliner car seat, so every 45 seconds I'm reaching into the back seat to tickle the child and receive several retorts of cussing for my attempt.
Once we make it to the office, Aiden is once again wide awake. The sleepy medication is given and I try to get Aiden to lay down to take a "nap." However the child will not cooperate with this plan. So, we load Aiden back into his recliner and take a drive around the block. The child falls asleep and we head back to the office. I lay Aiden down on the little bed, the electrodes are hooked up. His little shoes are taken off. And he sleeps through all this.
As soon as the pulse ox sensor was placed on his toe, the child wakes up. Seriously.
So another dose of sleepy meds, anther drive around the block, a trip to McDonalds and the gas station, the child is finally asleep.
Yes, it took an hour, 11 miles, 2 doses of drugs and 2 stops before the child would go to sleep.
We get back to the office and hook Aiden back up to the wires and computers. The child decided a nap- though drug induced was not a bad thing. And he slept 1 out of 2 hours needed for the ABR. He probably would have slept longer, but he wanted to roll over and sleep on his stomach. However being attached with the wires, he couldn't and therefore woke up.
We get the initial results told to us and I called Meredith and gave her the news....
Good news... the results initially show "normal" hearing range.
Bad news.... very mild hearing loss in both ears. However the child had enough ear wax to influence the testing. Fortunately, she removed a lot of it. Ear wax removal is worse than teeth brushing or fingernail grooming.
Good news..... discontinue the hearing aid use.
Bad news.... continue with OAE's when the child and sit still and cooperate.
Of course Meredith was happy and we will be returning his "ears" back to the office for donation for another little boy's use.
We have been trying for a few months now to get Aiden into a sedated ABR (or BAER). We were planning to go to OKC to have this done. However when I got the important information from the hearing clinic down there, they had him scheduled for another booth test. Ummm, nope. There is no way I am about to drive that far for the same exact results that I can get locally. So I called Aiden's audiologist Meredith and we went with Plan B. She would call Nancy to see if she was willing to test Aiden as a courtesy. Nancy did Aiden's first ABR following his initial heart surgery.
Nancy called a few hours later and we set the appointment for Friday. After sleep depriving the child for 30+ hours and refusing all requests for food and drink, we made our way to Tulsa. The child has an uncanny ability to fall asleep in his
reclinercar seat, so every 45 seconds I'm reaching into the back seat to tickle the child and receive several retorts of cussing for my attempt.Once we make it to the office, Aiden is once again wide awake. The sleepy medication is given and I try to get Aiden to lay down to take a "nap." However the child will not cooperate with this plan. So, we load Aiden back into his recliner and take a drive around the block. The child falls asleep and we head back to the office. I lay Aiden down on the little bed, the electrodes are hooked up. His little shoes are taken off. And he sleeps through all this.
As soon as the pulse ox sensor was placed on his toe, the child wakes up. Seriously.
So another dose of sleepy meds, anther drive around the block, a trip to McDonalds and the gas station, the child is finally asleep.
Yes, it took an hour, 11 miles, 2 doses of drugs and 2 stops before the child would go to sleep.
We get back to the office and hook Aiden back up to the wires and computers. The child decided a nap- though drug induced was not a bad thing. And he slept 1 out of 2 hours needed for the ABR. He probably would have slept longer, but he wanted to roll over and sleep on his stomach. However being attached with the wires, he couldn't and therefore woke up.
We get the initial results told to us and I called Meredith and gave her the news....
Good news... the results initially show "normal" hearing range.
Bad news.... very mild hearing loss in both ears. However the child had enough ear wax to influence the testing. Fortunately, she removed a lot of it. Ear wax removal is worse than teeth brushing or fingernail grooming.
Good news..... discontinue the hearing aid use.
Bad news.... continue with OAE's when the child and sit still and cooperate.
Of course Meredith was happy and we will be returning his "ears" back to the office for donation for another little boy's use.