I've been wanting/needing to write this blog post for awhile, but I've struggled to put everything into words, so I apologize if I ramble a little bit. I've also struggled with talking about it because it breaks my momma heart to even think about her having to go through this. This is a little long, so bear with me...
When we said "yes" to our little guy, we said yes knowing he has some special needs. And since it's a need that will be visible, at least initially, it probably needs discussed (and it will be; if not in this post, one later). (Side note: I am all for keeping your kid's stories private, especially if it's something no one will "see"!) But when we brought our daughter home over 3 years ago, she was "healthy", with no special needs known. For the first 6 months she struggled keeping bottles down and with eating solid foods. It was hard to deal with, but through some other adoptive mommas we finally figured out she is lactose intolerant (talk about feeling like a terrible mother!). But we made some adjustments and she has done great ever since.
Another area of concern we initially had was her speech. While she could jabber with the best of them (and seriously make it sound like she was having a conversation with you), she didn't really start saying words until around age 2 and then didn't begin to put words together until around age 2.5. But, she had been in daycares where she was one of the older kids there and I knew that was making a difference. So, I kind of let it go. Until this year. She exploded with language and with understanding things and putting words together and had been doing great, but she struggled with certain words and sounds. And while I'm sure every parent kind of goes through this, we were having to act as translators a lot when she talked with other people. So, naturally, I began getting concerned. We were told that schools aren't normally concerned until the child gets a little older, but I didn't like that answer. Because she was talking so much, I didn't want bad habits formed now that would be hard to break later.
Something she had started doing about 6 months ago also made us concerned that something else was going on. When someone would talk to her, she would say "what?" A LOT! At first we blew it off as just a toddler thing. She is so busy all of the time that if you didn't have her full, undivided attention she just wasn't paying attention. So we let it go. But then it go to where, when she would say "what?", she would turn her head to one side. And then I noticed she was watching our lips quite a bit.
So I thought we would start with the speech issue. Maybe she just didn't understand some things we said. After contacting a speech pathologist we know, we were directed to get a hearing evaluation first. And so we ended up at an education center (Greenbush) in a nearby town that has an Audiology center.
After hearing what the audiologist said in the very first test, my heart sank..."she's not hearing at the level she should be." Several tests later that day, we knew there was more going on than speech. She was testing in the "mild to moderate hearing loss level" in both ears. But they said she had a lot of wax in her ear, too, so we were sent to an ENT to get it cleaned out and then back to Greenbush for a follow-up test. It showed the same thing. And this time another test was done that also showed the hearing loss, still showing a mild-to-moderate loss, was permanent. And she would need hearing aids. I cried. In the office with the 2 audiologists there. Maleeya played happily with the toys in there while they consoled me. It was ugly ya'll.
We decided to go to Children's Mercy to get a second opinion since we still didn't have answers as to why she had so much wax in her ears. And their tests showed the same thing. So next month we go for a consultation where she will pick out the colors she wants for the hearing aids. We're praying that we qualify for a grant through them so they're covered. We will have to go back up to Children's Mercy every 6 months to have the molds redone and part of the hearing aid replaced. The part that goes over the ear will last 4-6 years. And we've learned the batteries in them need replaced quite often (like every 2-3 days).
Here we brought home a "healthy" child and she is now considered "special needs". And needs the type of hearing aids that are big and bulky. And noticeable. Very, very noticeable. And expensive. And they're not covered by insurance. I might have cried some more. But she is handling everything like a champ. She has also inspected our ears a few times. :) I just don't want her made fun of in school. Since she looks a little different than most kids, I don't want to give kids any more ammo, if you will, to use against her. So we'll just start teaching her how to respond to kids now and to be proud of having them. Much like we've taught her to be proud of the fact she was born in Taiwan.
Well, since this was so long, I'll talk about our little guy later. :)
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