Cochlear "Hook-up" Day - Round 2

Today came up so fast and there was not near the anticipation as there was for the first round of all this.  The day was very busy and stressful, I think more so for me than Dallas.  We started the morning out with our 3rd school tour (looking at all the options for a potential program for next year).  After returning home around 10:30, I fed Dallas a little "lunch" and put him down for a nap (3 hours earlier than normal!).  This actually worked and he fell asleep for an hour.  Good boy.  We left for the U of M around 12:30.  First we had an appointment with the surgeon to make sure the incision site was healing OK, and it was.  Then we were off to the "hook-up."  It was difficult and very distracting just to keep Dallas content.  I had toys, food, iPad, his walker, you name it.....he was just hard to please.

In the end, we did not get the same neuro-responses that we did the first go around.  This is just a test that looks for responses from the brain.  Then we moved onto checking for a response from him, i.e., a head turn, to sound.  We didn't get a head turn , but he did blink his eyes at a loud knock on the door.  Overall, the appointment was disappointing...but we are nowhere near knowing whether or not there is going to be hearing from that side.  We will have several program changes over the next two weeks and then we will try some sound booth testing.  I feel that getting any sound at all from this cochlear, will be better than none.  The video that we took from todays appointment is uneventful, so I will not post.

In other news, Dallas was scheduled to have his annual ECHO (ultrasound of the heart) a couple of weeks ago.  We got to the appointment and he threw such a fit over them taking his blood pressure that is became clear he was not going to cooperate for the ECHO.  He is now having a sedated ECHO on May 4th at the U of M.  Sounds simple, but they treat it like a surgery.  You need to have a preop physical and go through the whole drill of no eating/drinking, arrive early, yadda yadda....I was not surprised by Dallas's reaction at the appointment.  He has become completely intolerant of any medical appointment.  He does well at physical and speech therapy, and that is about the end of it. 

Physically, Dallas has progressed leaps and bounds.  He is walking with his walker all over the place.  He is learning how to maneuver around objects and how to bend down and pick up toys.  I recently started bringing the walker to appointments and today it was interesting to watch him as we waited in the lobby.  He has the mobility of his walker (we put the walking wings on him, and hold on in case he decides to let go and fall on his face), so he turned the walker around and walked right back out of the lobby/waiting area and waited at the elevator doors!!!  Things are different when he's not strapped in a stroller!

Another change we made just last week was in the bathtub.  Dallas has always sat in a bath chair.  One that allows him to lean back and rest comfortably.....well, I decided that was enough of that!  He can sit well enough and should be able to sit in the bathtub independently.  Of course, it's more stressful for us because he is so unbalanced and wobbly....but he has really done great with it.  The best part is that he is working his core a little more to keep himself stable while reaching for toys, etc.  A little better than his little "lazy chair!"

Overall, he is just changing so much and making great strides all over the place.  Life is getting busier, I didn't know that was possible, but it seems we are more on the go now than we have ever been.