Thanks for your response. I am trying to take it one day at a time, but it is difficult. At times I’m convinced it’s just conductive loss given her history of having fluid in her ears and that fact that she’s been struggling with a cold and cough for a few weeks, but then at other times I’m convinced it’s sensorineural. I know some mothers say that they “just know,” but I’m not one of them. Her hearing really seems to fluctuate to me, which I know could be her compensating at times, but other times she seems to and says she hears things that she shouldn’t be able to hear with a mild loss. I just know know. Just praying it’s conductive, and if it’s not, just praying I will be able to handle it and be a good mom to her and my other child.

But yes, I would love to talk with you more. And thank you for sharing your son’s story – it does make a difference knowing that there are others out there.

Rebecca

One day at a time… is all you can do.

I need to go – but, will be back .. and would love to talk to you some more.

Thanks,
Deb

I’m so glad I found your blog. I’m in the middle of a possible diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss for my five-year-old daughter. She failed her 5-year-old screening at her pediatrician’s office, and then presented a week later with mild SNHL at her ENT’s office. However, the audi said the part of the test (tympanogram) that determined the type of hearing loss could be wrong because my daughter kept pulling the ear plugs out. While the audi’s impression was that it is SNHL, the report said that part of the test was unreliable. So I’m hoping it’s a conductive loss. She had 35 db in one hear and 40 db in the other ear. We are scheduled for a sedated ABR in 2 weeks.

We have a long history of hearing scares with my daughter. She failed two newborn hearing screenings, then passed an ABR at two months (although she had fluid in one ear). Then at nine months we took her in for a follow-up behavioral/OAE test, which she failed. The audiologist at that appointment also said she was presenting with SNHL, but that the test results were equivocal/unreliable because she was pulling the ear tubes out. So we took her in for a second ABR, and she was found to have a moderate-to-severe conductive loss in both ears because of fluid. We met with the ENT, we waited a few months, then eventually got tubes at 15 months. She passed another ABR across all speech frequencies a month after she got tubes. At that point, I thought the scary worry over her hearing was over. Little did I know.

She has done great in all aspects of development- her speech is clear and seems right on track – no teacher has ever said anything about her hearing or her speech, and she’s been in daycare since she was four months old. And she just mastered the first phonics lesson in kindergarten according to her teacher. She also passed her pre-k hearing screening at age 4. So, I was really shocked to get this potential diagnosis a week ago. The ENT said her ears looked clear but that they had wax in them, which she wouldn’t let him extract. The audi who evaluated her when she was nine months old also said her ears looked clear at the time and was presenting with SNHL, but that ended up having a conductive loss then. So I’m trying to remain hopeful that this could also be conductive – she has had a cold for a few weeks now. And in fact this morning said that when she swallowed her ear made funny noises. However, I’m also trying to prepare myself for a diagnosis of SNHL I can tell her hearing is off right now – she seems to hear whispers only sometimes and is saying “what” a lot more, likes the TV loud.

My daughter was born with a two-vessel umbilical cord and has minor renal abnormalities, which increases her risk for a sensorineural hearing loss. The ENT just really scared me when he said she would have to get an EKG, a genetics test, and a vision test should she prove to have a sensorineural hearing loss. All of this makes my stomach turn. I spoke with him last week and he said that I shouldn’t be fatalistic or feed off of false hope, which makes sense, but I keep going from one extreme to the other. He said that there is a chance it could be conductive but also a chance it could be SN. I’m a mess right now – I keep having anxiety attacks about it. I guess my biggest fear is that it is SNHL that recently developed (very rare according to the ENT) and is going to get worse over time. He did say last week that most SNHL does not progress in kids though, but who knows, right?

I also worry about how I will explain to my five-year-old that she has to wear hearing aids, go to speech therapy if necessary, explain that she’s different. It’s just all so overwhelming, yet familiar since I felt much the same five years ago when she failed two newborn screenings. I’m just a wreck. I know I need to wait and see the results of the ABR, but I can’t help but jump several steps ahead of where I am. Any advice would be so appreciated.
Rebecca

Good luck to your son

I’m profoundly deaf in one hear and I loved your chart comparing ADD symptoms with hearing loss. I was a window gazer myself

Let me know email me

Danielle