sometimes it's just so hard to know the "right" thing to do. especially when it comes to your kids. i know that we didn't have the same types of "major" decisions to make with our older kids when they were so young! with wyatt it seems like everything is "major"....at least to me! i guess it's the feeling that i must do the absolute best for him, to give him every advantage.
so we're back to trying to figure out wyatt's hearing. seven months ago our local ENT and audiologist recommended that we put a bone conductive hearing aid on wyatt. we got a second opinion from a pediatric ENT at nemours children's clinic, to be sure it was the best decision. his opinion was not to move forward with any hearing amplification. long story short....i think that i made a mistake in trusting the second opinion. we saw him again a couple of weeks ago, and i just got the feeling that he really doesn't think it matters if wyatt hears well or not, since he has down syndrome.... i know that sounds harsh, but that's just the feeling i got...all that to say, today we saw our original ENT and she again recommended the bone conductive hearing aid...and so we move forward....
so i think we should have taken the more proactive approach several months ago. and i feel like i've wasted six months of good hearing for wyatt. good hearing that is foundational to good speech, which has been my greatest goal for wyatt...that he speak as clearly as he possibly can.
and i wonder, will i always be second guessing my decisions concerning wyatt? i know that i'm doing the best i can, but i guess sometimes it just doesn't seem like enough...
oh Penny, I've been in your shoes!!! I think us parents "get used to" second-guessing ourselves with most of the hard issues with our kids-and most of the easy ones too!
ReplyDeleteI HAVE learned to give myself (ourselves) a break. Have you done what you thought was best? Of course. Hindsight is always better than foresight. The situation is where it is. If you think you should try the hearing amplification-give it a shot. Is it a surgical procedure? If it's simply a type of hearing-aid, you should be able to tell within a couple of months right?
Sometimes it's a tough road, but we do the best we can and have to leave the rest in God's hands :) Hugs my friend!
Love,
Karen and Caleb
I say give yourself a break too. Did Wyatt get a hearing test? When River has seen the ENT they have recommended he get a hearing test from someone else. He has passed, but the ENT were unsure he would because his drums are still so small. I know you will do what you feel is best. And life is full of second guessing, and changing your mind, etc. I think I am the opposite with River. I was hyper protective with my daughter, and wanted to read to her all the time, etc., etc., etc. And with River I'm not quite so spastic. Now don't get me wrong... I am very set in my morals, standards, values, beliefs way of life, but I guess I feel like River is little and there will be time to catch up if I change my mind about what I think he needs. But you are a good mama, and if you think that Wyatt needs a hearing aide then he does. :-)
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