Jodi Speaks Her Mind

Sophie is listening! 3/15/2008

Sophie got both her implants activated yesterday with BTE Harmony Processors.  The 2 hour appointment was a bit trying at times and she went through periods where she did NOT want to have anything on her ears anymore.  I was getting concerned that this was going to be harder than anticipated.  Then we got to the part where we determine if she can hear.  We looked for a response - none - so the volume was slightly increased and this was repeated until we got a response.  The responses we got were grimaces and cries.  Whatever this new input was, she didn’t much like it!  But that is not unusual for the beginning days so we moved forward with the other ear and repeated the process.  Once she was disconnected from the cables and just using her newly mapped processors the same way her sister does, she seemed rather pleased with herself and tolerated them really well.

Later in the day we started exposing her to more sounds and she would giggle.  We were just amazed with how well she was doing with this new input.  Most children are implanted around age 1 and cannot understand what is happening so they are very quick to pull off the headpiece or processors in order to not have the input or just to remove the “thing” on their head or ear.  With Sophie, she had been exposed to the processor through Adelina and we had used what language she has to explain that she, too, would have processors, and they would help her to listen and hear things.  She couldn’t know what that meant but now that she is experiencing it, she has some signs to associate with it and I think it will help her “get it” way faster than is typical.  We have also prayed a lot for God to open her ears and her brain to make it all work.  God is a God of miracles, and for the deaf to hear is nothing short of a miracle! Of course, I could just be overly optimistic and she isn’t really “getting” anything yet, but she sure seems to.  Steve stood behind her at one point and called her name “Sophie!” and Sophie giggled and turned around to him.  So then she wanted to switch places and she went behind Steve and made vocalizations.  This behavior leads me to believe that she does “get it”.  Though it will still take a long time for it to all make sense and for her to actually distinguish what someone is saying.  But the die is cast and the game is on!

It is an exciting time in our house!