You might remember that Camden's first hearing evaluation yielded inconclusive results. It appeared that Camden wasn't hearing high-pitched sounds, but the audiologist was unsure if this was due to true hearing loss or a bored toddler. Camden needed a more in-depth test, which requires a toddler to be absolutely quiet and still while ear plugs are inserted into the ears. This test is virtually impossible to perform on a (conscious) child under 2 years old, so we were left with two options: a) sedate him for the test or b) let him nap in the car, drive to the audiologist's office, and pray that he wouldn't wake up to see a strange man sitting next to him in the car, shoving plugs into his ears.
We chose Option B. Now, Camden rarely naps in the car (let me clarify: Camden often tries to nap in the car, but I do everything I can to keep that from happening because I much prefer him to nap in his bed). When he has, on occasion, napped in the car, he isn't able to fall into a deep sleep. So, I was skeptical that this was going to work at all, but it was worth a shot to avoid sedation.
And so, yesterday I fed Camden a big lunch and stuck him in my mom's car right at nap time. We headed downtown to the audiologist's office, and I kept glancing at the backseat, fully expecting to find a sleeping toddler. Instead, what I found each time was a wide-eyed, excited toddler, looking out the window and pointing to all of the city scenery. Figuring that the stop-and-go traffic in the city wasn't conducive to falling asleep, we hopped back on the highway and drove aimlessly. Finally, I looked back to see Camden's eyes shut with his head slumped down on his shoulder. Victory.
Oh, but it couldn't be that easy. We turned to head back to the audiologist's office and promptly realized that we were lost. It was a race against time, as the audiologist was specific in his instructions that he wanted to see Camden after he had been sleeping for around 10 minutes. So, we whipped out my mom's trusty GPS, which decided to send us through winding residential roads on our way back to the city. Of course.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled into the audiologist's parking lot and watched hopefully as he made his way to our car. Maybe this will work after all, I remember thinking. That hope was dashed when the audiologist climbed into the backseat next to Camden, slammed the door shut, and proceeded to stage-whisper to my mom, introducing himself and making small talk.
What the....? I thought the whole point of this adventure was to perform the hearing test while Camden was asleep and yet it seemed like he was making little effort not to wake him. I watched in horror as he reached over and began to stroke Camden's head. Of course, my light sleeper started stirring and his eyelids began to flicker. Realizing his mistake, the audiologist quickly shoved the ear plug into Camden's exposed ear just as Camden's eyes shot open. Camden looked directly at my mom, then at me, his eyes wide and confused. Then he slowly turned to look at the strange man sitting next to him. And he stared, hard. He was shocked and I braced myself for the inevitable tears. And oh, did they ever come. Ten seconds later, he was wailing and shaking, looked terrified that he was strapped in next to this man he did not know. Since the test needs to be performed in total silence, the audiologist removed the plug from Camden's ear. I felt so defeated.
We headed for home with a disgruntled toddler who only got a 15 minute nap. We were all frustrated and exhausted. Then, my cell phone rang. It was the audiologist and he had good news.
Since Camden had been in shock when he first woke and was totally silent for a short while before he started crying, the audiologist had been able to get the test mostly completed on one ear. And the best part? He was able to get through the 3 highest pitches that Camden didn't appear to be hearing at his inital test. And guess what? Camden has no hearing loss! (At least not in that one ear, but it's doubtful that he has any hearing loss at all). Turns out, he was just bored after all.
So, we celebrated in style: Mom and I with frappuccinos and Camden with his first ever chocolate milkshake. We're very thankful for good hearing!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
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4 comments:
So glad it worked out! Aedan would have been the exact same way. He rarely falls asleep in the car and waking up next to a stranger would have probably be the end of the world for him!
That is so odd that the audiologist would have done what he did (slamming the door and stroking his hair) after all of his effort to come out to your car to do the test. It's great that he was all for no sedation. But dude! Good news that Camden has good hearing in one ear and most likely the other. Poor kiddo! Hope he enjoyed the shake. :)
I have a second thought on why the doctor did what he did...
Camden is just so darn cute, he just couldn't help himself but to appreciate such a sweet little guy! I can see how when you are in the presence of an adorable kid that you could forget for a moment why you are there. However it might have felt like forever for you--Come on dude, do your job! Do you know what I had to do to get him to sleep?
Hope this helps! You are are a great mom!
Hi! I've been reading a little of your blog (via Top Mommy Blogs) and you have had quite a journey with your little one. I can only imagine the relief you felt when you were told that he didn't have any hearing loss (in that one ear, so far)!!! How wonderful. I'm happy to be your newest follower. My blog "home" is Coffee & Cabernet -- hope you'll stop by sometime. Best!
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