Right or Left hearing dominance

I had blogged on Feb. 18 (look under Katie's, as I don't remember how to link it), How Katie got to try an headband Sophono.  That she was hearing things with it that she didn't hear before.

We were very surprised as she has fairly normal hearing in the left ear.

 Since that time, I have talked to people and done some researching on line.  Learning more about how the brain works.  Most of the things I read explains how your language and speech is in the left side of the brain.  When (and most people are)people hear dominantly from right ear, it goes directly to the left side of the brain.  When someone like Katie (and Jenny) who dominated ear is the left ear it goes to the right side of the brain and then has to be transferred to the left side of the brain.  This can cause an very slight delay of processing information.  Normally it isn't noticable at all.  The brain is such an amazing organ as it can adapt.

We have known almost right after we brought her home at 25 months old that there was a challenge for her.  She was diagnosis with an retention issue and along with this, if she gets stuck on something, it is very hard to redirect her or reassure her.  We have also questioned if she has a hearing loss of the left ear as she didn't always seem to hear or understand us.  Hearing test came back that she hears fine, a couple of tones she is on the low normal, but still in normal range.

The week that she had the headband Sophono, she was hearing many things she hasn't heard before.  She was understand more what was said to her the first time around, and things that were quieter to her wasn't no longer quiet.  It was hard for her to give it back.   We did a lot of praying the insurance company would approve the Sophono and allow her to have this chance to hear better and in turn hopefully help her in life. Today we got the call and said she got authorization.  Praise the Lord.  Surgery is scheduled for the 10th of April and to a very smiley 9 year old, that day not soon enough.  She will have to wait a few weeks after that to actually get hooked up.  She will also have the small fistula (opening) fixed on the back side of her ear, that never healed from the last surgery.

 

On a side note, Jenny continue to wait patiencely.  When Katie saw her fave Dr. W. to see if he was going to do the fistula or if Dr. R the drill in dr was going to do, Jenny went with.  Her rib circumfernece is 1/2 cm from being big enough to do the surgery.  She is very excited about this.  I don't feel her left ear dominance for hearing will change at all when she has her surgery, she process things so well and hears and understands what is being said very welll.  We continue to pray for Jenny to continue to grow.  She really wants the surgery this year and sooner then better.  We know it all in timing and when the time is right, we will know.