Almost Friday
It's hard to believe that we have two more days and then it's Friday. Friday - August 8 - the day that Jamesey undergoes Cochlear Implant surgery. We are supposed to call on Thursday between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m to learn our arrival time. Little Man can't have anything to eat after 11 p.m. - tell me how do you explain that to a growing boy who can't hear you? Not excited about that. It sounds like they are trying to give us the earliest surgery time possible - but still --choosing to be thankful for early surgery times (whenever that may be).
Incredibly enough - the surgery is now designed as outpatient surgery. For those of you who are curious about how a cochlear implant works I would encourage you to take a look at this video.
It's put out by one of the cochlear implant manufacturers but I think it presents some helpful starter information. If you're not faint of heart there are also videos of CI (Cochlear Implant) surgeries on YouTube. It's pretty amazing - however, I can't watch.
The last few days I've been second guessing our choice to pursue the surgery - simply because I'm scared (for little man). He's going to do amazing! The doctors at CHOP are world-class, they are renowned for their skills and work with this procedure and process, God has had His hand in the entire past year - I know all of these things but fear keeps saying that we're putting him through unnecessary pain. Fear keeps trying to say that he won't benefit from hearing or that it's pointless to Hope for other outcomes or that his Kleefstra and developmental delays are rendering this decision less valuable. In my heart I know that this is the right choice - that any access to sound will be lifechanging. We just don't know what to expect. Maybe you've seen this video -Baby Jonathan lost his hearing and regained it thanks to a CI.
It's beautiful - it's a vision of hope for me. This is my "extreme hope". Little man is such a happy chappy - I believe there is a chance for a very happy reaction! It's important to note that his CI's won't be activated immediately. We'll go home from the surgery and then wait until September 10. That Wednesday we'll go back to CHOP and his implants will be turned on for the first time. Most families call this a "hearing birthday". :) We've talked to a number of people and they've shared that babies reactions really vary - for some babies it's scary and they cry (they've never heard sound before and it's overwhelming), for others they smile, for still others there is no reaction - once again James will write his own story, walk his own path and sing his own song (just to run through a few metaphors)!
Thank you for praying with us, for us and over us. We'll keep you posted as a surgery time unfolds tomorrow - join us in hoping for James' future - his hearing and a life that is triumphant over predictions of limitations by Kleefstra. Pray with us for the people that will interact with him - his friends, his surgeons, his therapists - everyone! Be thankful with us - for cochlear implants, for Faith, for early intervention and for the gift of hope (even when it's challenging).
Incredibly enough - the surgery is now designed as outpatient surgery. For those of you who are curious about how a cochlear implant works I would encourage you to take a look at this video.
It's put out by one of the cochlear implant manufacturers but I think it presents some helpful starter information. If you're not faint of heart there are also videos of CI (Cochlear Implant) surgeries on YouTube. It's pretty amazing - however, I can't watch.
The last few days I've been second guessing our choice to pursue the surgery - simply because I'm scared (for little man). He's going to do amazing! The doctors at CHOP are world-class, they are renowned for their skills and work with this procedure and process, God has had His hand in the entire past year - I know all of these things but fear keeps saying that we're putting him through unnecessary pain. Fear keeps trying to say that he won't benefit from hearing or that it's pointless to Hope for other outcomes or that his Kleefstra and developmental delays are rendering this decision less valuable. In my heart I know that this is the right choice - that any access to sound will be lifechanging. We just don't know what to expect. Maybe you've seen this video -Baby Jonathan lost his hearing and regained it thanks to a CI.
It's beautiful - it's a vision of hope for me. This is my "extreme hope". Little man is such a happy chappy - I believe there is a chance for a very happy reaction! It's important to note that his CI's won't be activated immediately. We'll go home from the surgery and then wait until September 10. That Wednesday we'll go back to CHOP and his implants will be turned on for the first time. Most families call this a "hearing birthday". :) We've talked to a number of people and they've shared that babies reactions really vary - for some babies it's scary and they cry (they've never heard sound before and it's overwhelming), for others they smile, for still others there is no reaction - once again James will write his own story, walk his own path and sing his own song (just to run through a few metaphors)!
Thank you for praying with us, for us and over us. We'll keep you posted as a surgery time unfolds tomorrow - join us in hoping for James' future - his hearing and a life that is triumphant over predictions of limitations by Kleefstra. Pray with us for the people that will interact with him - his friends, his surgeons, his therapists - everyone! Be thankful with us - for cochlear implants, for Faith, for early intervention and for the gift of hope (even when it's challenging).
Always praying. Our oldest son had surgery at CHOP when he was young. It is my hope that you will experience the same CHOP on surgery day that we did - very family oriented, child-centered from the moment you arrive for surgery until you are discharged, and excellent at updating parents while you are separated from your child. When we were anticipating that surgery with Andrew, someone told us that while she was praying, she saw Andrew on the operating table with an angel hovering above him. That picture got me through those 8 hours of surgery and so I give that picture to you to hold onto. God cares for you and your little man.
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