March Break Fun!

We spent a couple days at the "Americana" resort waterpark in Niagara Falls (Ontario). Just want to remind everyone that yes, it is possible to waterproof the cochlear implant so that your child can swim AND hear! Here are three methods one could use to waterproof the CI.

1. The method I use: Aloksak bag and swim cap. For more details, click here.

2. Foodsaver method: click here .

3. Balloon method: click here .

Ava has the Nucleus 5 CI's from Cochlear Corporation. The Nucleus 5 is water and splash resistant. I get a lot of comfort from this, which gave me the confidence to allow Ava to swim with the CI (using the Aloksak bag). The predecessor Freedoms are also water resistant. Cochlear Corporation's various websites show the N5 processors on wet children splashing about (without the use of any of the waterproofing inventions mentioned above). However, here in Canada, we don't receive "back-up" processors like our American friends do. So, I'm not willing to chance having Ava wear her CI's around the water without using the Aloksak.

Swimming with CI's!

Ava absolutley LOVES swimming in her pool. There was no way I was going to allow her to swim without being able to hear anything. I want her to participate in everything fully that a hearing child can. Especially in an activity that she enjoys so much! We did a little research and got some great ideas from other CI parents. We have her wear one processor in a special waterproof bag worn under her swim cap. The bag is from aLoksak - it is certified leakproof and airtight bag tested by the US navy. It is waterproof to a depth of 200 feet. Just follow the steps below:

1. the processor must have the rechargeable battery attached - the disposable batteries will not work because they need air to work

2. tighten the magnet on the headpiece as far as it can go - the magnet has to be strong enough to stay on the scalp while inside the bag

3. put the processor inside aLoksak waterproof bag - size 5" x 4" - we order this on-line http://www.loksak.com/ - a 3 pack costs about $7 plus shipping

4. place sealed bag on child's head with the magnet properly positioned on her head and put a headband over the head and bag to help hold it in place

5. put the swimcap on - Ava's is a lycra/spandex cap we ordered from amazon. we tried a latex/silicone cap last year and it was too hard to hold the bag in place and stretch a latex cap over top of it without knocking the magnet off. Remember, what keeps the CI dry is the aLoksak bag, not the swim cap.

Just remember to check that there is a good seal on the bag before your child jumps in. I personally checked the bags following the instructions that came with the bags before I used them. Also remember to return the magnet to its original state after swimming or your child may develop a nasty sore on her scalp!

Here's a video that I am so proud of which shows Ava HEARING and SWIMMING! (Don't worry - her dad is close by)

Still Here/Hear! Travelling, Reading and FM Systems

Waiting for our plane to arrive

My older daughter pointed out last week that I haven't blogged since October!  I really didn't have much to blog about that would really interest anybody.  However, I have lots of news and new experiences I would love to share.

TRAVELLING WITH COCHLEAR IMPLANTS

My husband and I travelled with Lauren and Ava to Mexico last month.  It was Ava's first airplane trip with her CI's.  I put all of Ava's CI stuff in my carry-on:  charger, zephyr drying box, personal audio cable, rechargeable and disposable batteries, remote.  I didn't say anything to the security staff.  Just left it all in my carry-on bag and it went through the x-ray machines no problem.  Ava walked through the security x-ray no problem either. I didn't point out her CI's or anything.  I had her CI identity cards with me in case they asked about her equipment but they did not.  (I have never had to inform security about my hearing aids/accessories before so I didn't feel the need to bring up Ava's CI's.  While on the plane, Ava was able to listen to the aircraft's radio using Cochlear's personal audio cable.  She also was able to watch movies on the iPad using the personal audio cable which connects her processor directly to the iPad.   Lauren has the music links by tech ear for her hearing aids so she was able to watch the movies together with Ava using the same port (my husband bought a dual earphone splitter from Best Buy so they could both hear the movie at the same time using their different devices).

Ava listening to music with her
Personal Audio Cable

Ava checking out emergency
flight procedures

Getting ready to snorkel

Chillaxin with a virgin strawberry daiquiri

Girls with their new braids

The trip was fantastic.  Ava snorkeled out to the reef with us (we practiced in the pool first), swam and played at the waterpark.  We left one of her processors on at the water park - she splashed about, went down the waterslides, dunked her head in the water and even stood under waterfalls with no problem leaving the processor on.  We fastened the cable to her hair using a claw-like clip so that the processor wouldn't fall off and get lost.  We plan to purchase Cochlear's waterproof bags this summer for swimming in the pool.  Hopefully she will be more receptive to this as she didn't like using the aLoksak bags.  Ava also wanted to get her hair braided.  She had the half head version so that her coils would still be able to stay on her head.

AVA IS READING!

Ava's  Student of the Month photo

 Ava is doing very well with her reading.  A video clip of her reading is HERE .    I am so proud of her!  In the clip she keeps asking me if I'm "taking her picture" as she doesn't like to be photographed.  While I'm taping her with my cellphone, I had to keep reassuring her I wasn't taking a picture (ok, I was taking a video, not a photo - not the same thing - if I admitted I was videotaping her, she never would have read for me on camera - so yes I sheepishly admit, I had to tell my daughter a "little white lie" to get her to read on film)

AVA AT SCHOOL - FM SYSTEMS

Ava has been struggling to hear in her new all-day kindergarten classroom.  Her classroom is the worst possible imaginable set-up for a child with a hearing loss.  Her school built a new addition to accommodate three new full-day kindergarten classes of 90 children.  These three classrooms are side by side and separated merely by a wall between each of them that does not meet the ceiling.  There are no doors separating these classrooms from one another.  It is a total acoustical nightmare.  When one class is singing, the other class will join in.  With Ava's classroom being the middle room sandwiched between two outer classes totalling 60 rambunctious 4 and 5 year olds, the background noise coming in from both classrooms into Ava's room is overwhelming.  The hearing kids even struggle to stay focused.  Ava received a soundfield at the beginning of the school year but it just was not working well enough for her.  Her TOD saw all the signs that she was not hearing well.  She would tune out during story time and was not participating in class discussions.  She could not follow teacher instructions and seemed lost, uninterested and distracted.  There were also some slight behaviour concerns.  And Ava was absolutely miserable and exhausted by the day's end.   I did some research and felt that Ava would benefit greatly from a personal FM system.  I had my reservations about a personal FM system for Ava since she is only 4 years old and would not be a good reporter if something were to go wrong with the FM.  I also had reservations about using the MYlink neckloop system, which is favoured by the school board since it's cost-effective.  The MYlink neckloop can be wonky, Ava hates having her telecoils switched on as she cannot stand the constant buzzing sound from electro-magnetic interference and I was worried about safety with having something around her neck that can be whacked at other kids or pulled on by 29 little kindergarteners in her class.  We had a meeting at the school with the Vice-Principal, TOD, Ava's classroom teacher and the educational audiologist to discuss solutions for Ava.  I wanted Ava to receive Phonak's ML14i receivers which are WAY better than the neckloop system.  I armed myself with research supporting the benefits of the receivers vs. neck loop - some of the advantages are: no electromagnetic interference buzzing, better sound quality, better speech intelligibility in noise, better dynamic capability and better signal to noise ratio than the neck loop.  You just plug the small receivers into her processors and that's it.  No remote to fuss with.  However, the receivers are more expensive than the neck loop system.  It just so happened that the educational audiologist had in her office two ML14i receivers on hand and Ava could have them! The following week, the board audiologist and Ava's TOD came to the school with the new receivers.  It took some coaxing for Ava to agree to let them touch her processors, let alone wear the receivers.  But after some bribery and little tricks, Ava finally let them put the receivers on.  Let me tell you that a couple hours later, Ava's teacher personally called me on the phone with these words..."I don't believe it but it's like you have a different child....." Ava participated in the classroom discussion, answered questions, was totally focused during story time etc etc.  I was so freaking relieved.  And to think of what she has missed these last 6 months of school.  I should note that Ava remains on par with her peers academically; but had we left things the way they were, she surely would have fallen behind both academically and socially.  We can now breathe a little easier and sleep at night rest assured that finally, she can hear at school.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Ava is toilet trained. Yay! Still wears pull-ups at night. That's okay with me!

2. Since Ava is toilet trained, I was able to sign her up for some good ole summer camp. YES! I have her in two weeks of half-day camps at community centres only 3 minutes away. They are called "Half-Pints" and "Tiny Tots" . How cute is that. Her older sister is also attending camp at the same location. It will be a great dry run to prepare for pre-school in the fall. Not too worried about CI issues. I will use a critter clip and send some extra wigtape for the camp counsellors. And sprinklers for water days? Bring it on! We've got Nucleus 5's baby!

3. Speaking of wig tape, Phonak has invented a clever product called "Stick 'n Stay". They are individual packages consisting of two pieces of double sided wig tape in a perfect contour shape. This is great for travelling. I now stick a couple packs in my purse instead of carrying scissors and a wigtape roll around. They work pretty well. They cost more than a roll of wigtape but it's still not that expensive if you only use it when you're out on the road (our hearing dispenser charged us $12 for a pack of 30 pairs) And of course but you can't beat the convenience.




4. Ava is a complete little stinker. She now REFUSES to wear her aloksak bag and swim cap for the pool. GRRRRR! Guess we'll just have to wait it out until she passes that "I want to be in control of everything" stage. I had major waterpark plans for this summer and she is ruining them. GRRRRR!

5. Ava has decided it is quite amusing to scream at the top of her lungs within close earshot. Not funny unless you're 5 months old and discovering your voice. Needless to say she has "time-out's" quite freqently these days.

6. Getting dressed continues to be a battle. I've tried everything. She simply will not wear anything you even look at, much less choose for her out of an array of 3 outfits. Sorry, sweetie but you can't wear Dora pyjama bottoms to church.

7. Ava LOVES to "read". She spends a lot of time looking at books on her own. She reads to herself having memorized her books. She will spend an hour sometimes doing this.

8. The other day I asked Ava: What do we use to see? She said, "eyes". What do we use to touch? "fingers" What do we use to taste? "mouth" What do we use to hear? She caught me completely off guard when she replied, "CI's". She's a smarty pants that one.

9. Growing up I used to wonder why I was the only one in my family who wore hearing aids. How grateful I am that I do have a hearing loss. I notice Ava looking at my hearing aids all the time. No doubt because of this Ava feels that wearing hearing devices are natural and normal because mommy and older sister Lauren wear them too. It kinda feels like this was God's plan for me, so I can better advocate and be a role model for my daughters. We are in it together.

10. Another observation - Ava has to have both CI's on all - the - time. Sometimes, for example, I'll put just one CI back on after the bath or if I can't right at that instant refresh Ava's wigtape on a CI that has fallen off, she goes nuts. She demands both CI's every time.