Happy New Year!
6 Months old already!
More interested in the blocks than taking pictures
The holidays were awesome this year and so so busy. So I apologize for not updating Evvie's blog for sometime.
2015 will be a monumental year for Everly and our family. Starting this month, we have a series of appointments that are the pre-evaluations for getting the cochlear implants.
-First is an involved hearing test to determine what she can hear with and without her hearing aids. I do believe that she can hear some sounds with her hearing aids but definitely not enough to hear our voices. And she is more vocal when she has her hearing aids in so that's a good thing.
-The next appointment is for device counseling. For the cochlear implant surgery, the patient actually chooses the device the doctor will use. This is very different than other implantable products and surgeries. Therefore, we need to educate ourselves of the available options and carefully choose the best fit for our family. This is a huge decision because Everly will have this device forever and will be connected to the company we choose for her indefinitely (no pressure mom and dad...)
-Next, Everly will have a speech and language assessment to determine if she is hitting her age appropriate milestones. We are constantly assessing her in therapy and she seems to be doing great so I'm not too worried about passing this assessment. I just hope she shows off all her tricks at the right time!
-Then we will have an education consultation. Once Everly starts school, she will most likely need some kind of accommodation. We don't know what she will need but one example would be the need for extra amplification; meaning the teacher would need to use a microphone and she would have a little speaker on her desk. This consultation will help us learn about how special education works and start us down that path.
-Lastly, Everly will have a CT scan to determine if her cochlea, nerve and inner ear are structurally sound and capable of getting the implant.
Once the pre-evaluations are complete, the team of doctors will approve her for the implants and we can submit to our insurance and wait for approval. FDA approval for implantation is at 12 months. We are hoping to be approved well before her first birthday so as soon as the surgeon feels comfortable to move forward we will.
We continue to feel determined to give Everly the best care for everything she needs. So this still means lots of driving to LA and all around for appointments. But we know it will all pay off.
It's full speed ahead for the Larsons. We hope your 2015 is off to a good start too.
Here are some recent pictures of Brooks and Evvie.
