JACK WAS APPROVED FOR BI-LATERAL!!!

YEAH!!! We got the letter yesterday confirming that Jack indeed is approved for his bi-lateral surgery. We have a date already set up, it will be May 2nd. We are so excited and could not come at a better time. Jack will get it right before summer and have all summer to acclimate to it before school starts in the fall.

Now that we have approval I'm dreading surgery. It has been something that I have been able to put off until now. Now that it is official it has brought everything to reality. I know Jack will do well, but I don't know if I will. Jack sailed throughout the first surgery with flying colors and we have no reason to believe this won't be the same.

Anyway, thank you to all of you with your kinds words and prayers for Jack. They worked!!!!

I thought I'd add this picture. Jack is wearing his spiderman mask with web spray, it was one of his birthday presents. He sure is a cutie pie.

Jack's CI involved in the AB Recall

I was just informed yesterday, that in fact, Jack's CI was involved in the Advanced Bionics recall.

Advanced Bionics announced two weeks ago that they were recalling all unimplanted devices that were manufactured for them by Company B. They have two companies that manufacture for them, Company A and Company B. I guess they stopped having Company B manufacture for them anymore due to moisture problems in the internal 90K device. Jack was implanted with the 90k device two years ago and Jack's implant was also manufactured by Company B for AB.

Jack Audiologist mentioned that over 100 children were implanted with the 90k device at Children's Memorial and a little over 50 were implanted with the 90k devices made by Company B for AB. Jack was one of those unlucky ones. She said his device only has a 3.5% chance that it will fail and that they have had no failures due to moisture issues from any children that have been implanted with the "B" devices. She also said that AB said that if the device had been implanted over 200 days your chance of having a moisture related failure goes down. So that means hopefully Jack will be in the clear. As of today we have not had any issues and it has been over 200 days.

On another note, we are still awaiting approval for Jack bi-lateral. Hopefully it will be soon. It sounds like it may be a month before we get a decision.

If you have any more questions regarding the Advance Bionics recall visit there website. You can find a link to it in this blog listed under "links". Have a great day!!!

Jack's 4th Birthday!

Here are some shots of Jack's 4th Birthday. Cool Cake, huh. Jack is cute dressed in his pirate patch and earring.....it was pirate themed.

Jack Hearing Tested Today

Jack had his hearing tested today. He tested within "normal" hearing limits. Normal limits of hearing is anywhere from 0 to 20db. His SAT (speech awareness threshold, when he first starts to hear) was 15db today. He has tested in the past at turning to his name at 10db, but they didn't say his name today and just used "narrow band noise". I think he is more tuned into speech then into "narrow band noise" and I'm sure he would test at 10db if they would have used speech instead. Anyway, we are very happy with the testing and he is doing well and he needed no adjustments to his program. Infact, I could barely hear some of the sounds, my daughter moving around in her chair was louder then some of the sound out of the speaker. It is truly amazing how soft 15 db is and my son can hear at that soft of a level!!!

It was pretty cute today Kerry his audiologist kept trying to trick him with the testing and would pause a long time to see if he was giving false positives. Anyway, he would just sit and look at her and shrug his shoulders and say "nothing". It was very cute!!!

We are still in the process of getting insurance approval for a second implant. We are on our third appeal with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. We are working with an attorney at the Let them Hear Foundation and they have not lost one appeal yet. I just got word yesterday they they submitted the appeal last week. Keep your fingers crossed for us, we don't want Jack's case to be their first appeal they loose. We will keep you posted on the outcome. For more infomation on appealing for yourself www.letthemhear.org

Jacks School Update

Sorry, I have not updated in a while. We have been so busy with Jack in school 4 days a week and AVT the other day and my daughter, Maddie has ballet/jazz on Saturday. We also took a well needed vacation to Colorado, it was wonderful. We got a way without the kids, it was nice, but we did miss the little buggers.

Jack is doing GREAT in school. His AVT went in this past month and observed and was very impressed with the teacher and the school. I think Montessori school is great for all kids, I wish I would have known more about it when my daughter started school. I would have sent her there for sure. She is in first grade and doing really well and feel no need to change anything now.

Anyway, Jack has made many friends and is interacting and participating in class. He is getting more and more vocal in class (I'm sure one of the main reasons is he is getting more comfortable there). The teacher has started using his FM system during circle time and has noticed a big difference in his attention. After the first day that she used it I asked her how it went and she said he was so tuned in and participating that it gave her "goose bumps". His teacher is incredible and so tuned in to him and all the kids. The class size is small, about 7 kids, and she gets a lot of one-on-one and really gets to know each child well. She is so sweet and kind and truly loves children. We lucked out!!!

Also, on February 27th Jack turned 4 years old. I can't believe how quickly he is growing, it just seems like it was just his first birthday. He had a great party.....a pirate themed party!! He is into "playmoblie" now and loves the pirate set. Anyway it was great and he got spoiled!! I will be downloading pictures from his party soon.

Gotta go....Jack got a X-Box for his birthday and is totally addicted. I think its time to pull him off.