It's been a while since my last update!Miata's ear has done extremely well with absolutely NO problems!! Dr. Brent is the best! There are so many children that I read and hear about that have had botched surgeries because the doctors performing their surgeries do not really know what they are doing in this extremely delicate and sensitive area of reconstructive surgery! Dr. Brent mastered this surgery and is also a well known sculpture as well! So, put the two together and you have truly "THE BEST" surgeon for this surgery! Not to mention that EARS are the ONLY area he does surgery on! He is literally known around the world for his specialty and expertise in this surgery! And unfortunately (actually fortunately - just late) for the many many that have these botched surgeries, they end up with Dr. Brent because he is the one that can correct all the damage that was done.
O.k. back to Miata...
Friday, April 2nd, began our spring break and we started out early! Miata had an appointment with Dr. Kesser (the other "Best" doctor - for the Atresia part of her ear) so we were on the road by 6:30am to make it to her 1:30 appointment. Once we arrived we had to take her to Audiology to have another hearing test done on both of her ears. The charts above show the results of her hearing test. The X represents the testing (Air & Bone Conduction Test) on her left ear. The triangle & circle represents the Air Conduction Test on her right ear. The [ (shown to the side of the X's) represent the Bone Conduction Test (testing of her inner ear hearing) on her right ear. What these results mean is... She has perfectly normal hearing in her left ear and severe hearing loss in her right ear, when tested by way of Air Conduction Testing (testing from the outside of the ear.) BUT when tested, by way of Bone Conduction Testing (hooked up to the bone behind the ear to test the hearing inside the ear) she shows (it is this symbol [ beside the X's)perfectly normal hearing in her right ear! So this means her severe hearing loss is ONLY because no sound is able to get through the bone (skull) into her inner ear! Which is why we are on this path... to give her this incredible gift of hearing which she already has but just can't utilize or even realize it yet! Have you ever covered one ear and spoke or listened to someone speaking or went into a room with many sounds/noise (i.e. classroom, home with many members, party, etc.) and then tried to hear someone talking to you (which is the hardest for Miata)? Try it for a few minutes... this is how Miata hears every day of her life. Oh how amazed she will be the first time she hears in stereo!
2nd Surgery - now scheduled with Dr. Brent!
Let me back up first and give a quick update...
Miata has done wonderful after her first surgery! We had that brief time of concern with her ear after we took the bandage off and she had a spot that looked as if it had been scratched. Well, that healed nicely and all has went well since then. Miata finally told us that while we were in Palo Alto she had fell and when she did so she felt her ear scratch up against the dresser (while it was bandaged of course.) So that explained our "Area of Concern" for the place on her ear!!
Anyways, she is very happy with her new ear even though it is still just the form of the ear under the skin. Soon though that will change! This surgery will actually be Stage 2 & Stage 3 performed together! It is very very rare that Dr. Brent is able to perform these two Stages in one surgery but we are extremely blessed that Miata is one of these rare patients that he is able to do this on!! How much of a blessing and savings is this? Let's Figure... Airline tickets for 2... Rental car for 9 days... meals for 2 (for 9 days)... loss of days from work with no pay... BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY cost of the additional surgery, anesthesiologist, hospital stay, imaging, and on and on which insurance pays very very LITTLE of!! So overall, a HUGE BLESSING!!!
Well Miata is so excited and ready to go now! Unfortunately it isn't quite time yet. Here is our schedule for her next surgery...
April 26 th - Depart Raleigh to San Francisco
April 27th - Pre-op with Dr. Brent
April 28th - Surgery
Recovery Time
May 5th - Post-op
May6th - Back in Wilmington
