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Joshua's speech & hearing & his mother's gut instincts :o)
- Jul 22, 2008 at 12:28 AM
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Joshua's speech is quite hard to understand. Not a lisp or something cute like that, but really and truly indistinguishable on most words. He's almost three years and four months old.
At his two year check-up I mentioned to his doctor that he wasn't saying very many words and what he did say was hard to understand. He said give it six months and let's see what happens.
By the time he was two and a half, things hadn't changed much. Before I could decide what to do next, we went to see his grandparents and for the first time, stayed at their house and spent two nights. He met his grandfather for the first time and it was just a tremendous weekend.
Lo and behold he started talking more after that and I truly attributed it to him having met them. The coincidence was too great as far as I was concerned. That was last November. And I still feel that being with them and feeling that overwhelming love did something for him.
But the progress kind of levelled out and so by this spring I had checked into the Early Childhood program at Luke's elementary school. They said he had to be three first so I couldn't take him until April.
They did a basic hearing test and he didn't pass. He also did poorly on a basic test from the school's speech pathologist. They said we needed to get his hearing evaluated before they would agree to start speech therapy.
Okay, that's cool.
So we took him to an ENT doc and they did a hearing test. Joshua was perfectly well behaved and did everything they told him to do. (Which is pretty cool for someone so young!)
The doc comes in and says "we see some negative pressure in his ears". (Like that feeling you get in your ears when you go up in an airplane and you need to pop your ears.)
He says there were also "questionable things" on his hearing test. (Was never told what that meant.)
So let's put tubes in he says. I cringe and make a doubtful face.
He proceeds to tell me that he had a professor who advised him that if a child is having speech or hearing problems for reasons that can't be determined, to put in tubes.
I am still cringing. He says, well if that doesn't fix it, they DO fall out.
As in, no biggie.
Ummmmm, except you've just done unnecessary surgery on my kid if we go with that plan.
But I'm overwhelmed and by the end of the visit he sort of has me seeing it his way, which was to do the tubes and to also do a more comprehensive hearing test while sedated.
After talking to both my mom and Nini, both grandmas agree that maybe a chiropractor could adjust him and release the negative air pressure.
Since that doesn't involve sedation - hey I'm all for it.
So in April and May he went to several chiropractor's appointments. He was an angel and seemed to actually get a kick out of it. It was so cute to see him get adjusted.
His speech seemed better in the sense that he was trying to say words he'd never said before, so I was encouraged. But even though he was attempting the words, you still couldn't understand them very well.
Meanwhile the doctor's office wanted to know when to schedule surgery? I didn't have the guts to tell them I was taking him to a chiropractor since I know many M.D.'s aren't open minded enough to realize that treatment like that can help many problems.
And I let them schedule surgery for July 23rd.....but it kept eating at me, that it didn't feel right, so I called them back and told them I wanted another hearing test, but not the tubes. They didn't like that AT ALL. Why not just do both? You'd have to sedate him twice if you separate the procedures. And the scheduling nurse was very huffy about it.
I said, well if the hearing test shows the pressure is gone, then he doesn't need tubes and therefore wouldn't need to be sedated again. Isn't that right I ask her? Yes, she unwillingly agrees.
So she refers me to an audiologist. I speak to her and tell her the situation. She says "Why do they want a sedated hearing test?" How did he behave during the first one? Just perfect, I reply.
Well let's try it in the office and see what happens. (Without sedation.)
Which brings me to today.
We go in and right away she checks for negative pressure. NONE.
Thank you very much Dr. Chiropractor!
He passed all the rest of the testing with flying colors. In fact she said he did better than the majority of three year olds as far as participation. Her words: "He's amazing!" (Yup, I knew that - LOL!)
She really didn't want to answer the question about whether or not we should proceed with tubes. Doctor to doctor loyalty I guess.
When I promised that I wouldn't quote her to the referring doctor, she said "If it was my kid, I wouldn't do it". The air pressure was the whole issue and now it's gone!
And yes, I know that tubes help and are successful in thousands of cases, but from the beginning, my radar was just up. I don't like a doctor to go straight to the most aggressive form of treatment. Especially with my kids. I mean Joshua has never even had an ear infection.
So the point of this long, long story is this:
Listen to that mother's intuition or gut instinct and don't let doctors push you around.
Yes, they are well educated professionals, but they are still human. It can't hurt to question them or get second opinions.
If you got this far - THANK YOU - I know this was kind of long. I just feel strongly that we shouldn't be intimidated by doctors and this experience reinforced that for me.
But above all, I'm just on cloud nine that no surgery is needed and that Joshua's hearing is perfect!
Comments:
Good for you! How great that Joshua's ears are okay! And, how lucky Joshua is that his mom is smart enough to listen to her gut instincts. Ignoring your gut instincts often can lead one to a bad choice.
Daria, thats great news that Josh's hearing isn't a problem!!!! I'm so glad you stuck to your guns when things didnt feel quiet right!
I have strong opinions about doctors and treatments too. (esp. when it comes to the drugs they are so willing to rx- and the side effects that are sometimes worse than the condition they are treating!!! rrrrrrrgh!) Well, if I ever get tired of adoption reform - the next cause on my list is drug companies- and those #$@^% drug rep's that visit doctors offices with all kinds of goodies for the staff. rolling my eyes.
Good for you! and Joshua too!
My nephew has jibbajabbered until he was 4... He talked, but I didn't understand 98.76% of what he was saying. Kindergarten helped a lot. 1st Grade has helped even more. Now I understand what he's saying most of the time.
oh, and I love my chiropractor
you're right, MD's are prejudice against them
True, there are some quacks,
but if I can go in for a visit, and he puts my hip back in place and relieves the pain w/out drugs or surgery...
or the better one, when I visit him because of the numbness in my left thumb and two fingers (carpral tunnel) - and he can 'fix' it... why should I take drugs?
what a blessing - and huge relief
+1 for Mom! - 4 for the knife happy dr
Wow! I am so glad that you trusted your gut... Arent chiropractors great? I see one about once a week... love it :) Glad to hear Joshua is doing better :)
That is a great journal!!! Good for you sticking with your instincts! We were told to give our son meds that could make him blind... and that it was the ONLY option... Since we switched Dr's, a lot more options have opened up... and we still haven't done the "blind" drug from Canada!
Glad to hear Joshua's speech is starting to improve! Good job, Mama!
im slow to catch up! sorry!
IM TOTALLY WITH YOU ON THIS ONE. You have to make your own decision. Im HUGE on 2nd, 3rd even 4th opinions!
I cant tell you how many times my children have been misdiagnosed!
Nick, our youngest has hearing problems. He did have a lot of ear infections as a small child/baby because his one ear canal is smaller than the other. anyhow, they wanted to do tubes, but I said wait. and he grew out of the whole ear infection deal. HA! He does have another problem, a processing problem where he does not hear things the way we hear. Anyhow, I've been through the whole audiologist testing, etc.
I think we have to use our mommy radar!
what is the prognosis? will he outgrow this?
cathy
Good to know you trusted your instincts. This same thing happened with my son when he was 4 and at preschool. My son didn't have speech impairment though, but when testing for hearing at school they told me to see an ENT doctor. I talked to my pediatrician, whom I definetely trust, and he said that more than likely the failed test was due to the time of year it was given and my son having allergies would have caused his ears to be "full" or have more pressure. But to be safe, we did go have our own hearing test done and the ENT nurse scrared me out of my mind, because she said "If this is what's going on your son has been hearing you talk muffled for the last 4+years, kind of like when you get out of a swimming pool and your ear is plugged". This comment brought me to tears, thinking how did I miss this? I'm his mom and how would I have missed that he was having trouble hearing?? But after the PERFECT hearing test in office I was assured that was not the case and all is well.
I do completely trust my pediatritian and he has always done what I felt is best for both kids, but I really could have done without the ENT nurse for the rest of my life!
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i'm thrilled that Joshuas ears are ok. I think I mentioned before, Simon didn't talk until he was 4. He would communicate like this. zubazubazuba...apple juice. I resisted taking him to a speech therapist because I was afraid of giving him a complex. Anyway, right before he was supposed to start kindergarten, I was ready to call a speech therapist, he started talking. Hasn't shut up since :)
- onethentwins
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