Good Doctors and Schools

Good Doctors and Schools

The kids and I ventured down to Children's Hospital early this morning. They are both scheduled to have an ABR (sedated hearing test) in a few weeks. When we were at UNC a few weeks ago, we were told they each had a lot of wax in their ears that needed to be removed for an accurate result. Unfortunately, wax build up in a common problem for people who wear hearing aids. Our ENT is fantastic, but very busy. I sent him an email earlier this week asking if there was any way he could fit us into his busy schedule. I received a response within an hour - love that - saying he could squeeze us in this morning. Waverly's ears were actually clear, but Oliver's needed to be cleaned. We had to strap him down and burrito him for a few minutes. He screamed the entire time, but quickly recovered as soon as I picked him up. All in all a very successful trip.

I also have everything set for Waverly & Oliver to attend their extended school year summer program. They will have 4 weeks of morning activities. Oliver will be with his old teacher and in his old classroom, so he will have an easy transition. Wavey will be in an entirely new surrounding, but she typically adapts well. I am going to enjoy having a few hours to myself each morning. We can't wait!

Comments

Christine said…

I'm glad you will get a few hours of rest as a result of these classes! Mental rest is so important for special-needs busy moms!

July 9, 2010 at 10:13 PM

Welcome to Holland

By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland.""Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.