Hello! Just a quick update. Things are progressing very fast. As far as we know right now, Rhyan's surgery will be on May 29th. Two weeks later will be her post-op appointment which is when she'll have her staples removed (hopefully the last ouchy appt).

The following week, on June 22nd, her left 'ear' will be turned on. With her right ear, we had to wait 6 weeks before the turn on date, so we're pretty happy about how quickly we can get started. Once her left ear is turned on, we will have to isolate it and she will not be permitted to wear her right ear. This will enable the new ear to begin learning to hear. If she kept her right ear on, her right ear would do all the work and her left ear would never hear to its optimum potential. The following week, the mapping of the new ear will be tweaked to make sure that it's working properly. Then around July 22nd, she will have both ears turned on and working! Full sound. I can't imagine.

Today her ear was scratching and giving her troubles. The school called me and I'm pretty sure that it was scratching because she had PE and sometimes the sweat will irritate the device. Of course, our initial concern was that there was something wrong with her processor and we'd have to send it in for repair. It just really hit home today that even if that does happen in the future, she'll always have one ear to hear! Anytime something is going on with her processor, she just gets this look on her face of pure dread. She is so afraid of being without sound. It really has been heart-breaking in the past. I can't wait until it sinks in that she doesn't have to be afraid anymore.