A Day With Our Wonderful Audiologist

Last week we spent almost three hours of testing with our wonderful audiologist. Now that three hours included stopping to feed Aiden, getting set up for tests, and then all of the tests themselves. There is a good possibility we're heading up north (I'll write about this soon), so Aiden's wonderful audiologist Miss Tracy got us all prepared so when we do haul out, all of his test results are ready to hand over and we don't have to play a waiting game of getting all of these done. I type this and want to cry because I just love her and the rest of my team ... but again, this post is about his test results, I'll write about moving when I feel not as weepy!

Here are the tests he was given and his results:

• Tympanometry test - This measures the mobility of the eardrum. It is not a hearing test, but is valuable in determining if a loss is conductive. We know Aiden's loss is not conductive, but they still do this test to make sure there is no fluid in his middle ear that could alter any further testing. He was good to go.
• Acoustic reflex test (ART) - This measures middle ear function as well. Aiden's results were conclusive with his diagnosis of profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Go here to read more about this and the tympanometry test.
• OAE (otoacoustic emission test) - This test helps determine if the loss is sensorineural. We have had this before, but Tracy performed another OAE to verify the test results from our initial OAE. This verified again that Aiden's loss is a sensorineural loss (most likey damage to the cochlea) vs. auditory neuropathy.

Then, in between all of these tests, we were in and out of the sound booth for behavior testing. Tracy first tested Aiden without his hearing aids. I didn't have to wear earplugs, because she put the microphones right into his little ears. I was amazed at when she called his name & said her "BOP,BOP, BOP's", not only did he show facial reactions, but picked his head right up and looked around like "where is that coming from?!" That was at around 80-85db ... WITHOUT AIDS!!!! When Tracy would play the static sounds though, there were some responses around 100db, but no more then that. Remember, Aiden's ABR shows no response to 110db sounds!

The tests with hearing aids were the same with the last booth test. Aiden showed response to spoken sound at about 60db with lower frequencies, but with static sounds he was more around 85db. I compared those static sounds to a monotone professor ... how boring! And even if we can hear them, we drown them out anyway! This was the last testing we did, so he was pretty sleepy and ready to just go home.

All in all, his test results were how our audiologist expected them to be and conclusive with all past testing. He has a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. He is gaining sound awareness through his aids and we are on the path of him looking to be a great candidate for cochlear implants!!! It was a very exciting day at the audiologist's! Aiden did a wonderful job and I left giving a huge hug, shedding some tears, and an appt. to come back and discuss the different implants. I'd rather do it with someone I trust and adore than someone I'm just meeting.

Oh yeah, we got new ear molds made too ... we're going blue camo! I can't wait to show them off!