It has been 2 1/2 months since Robby's ear surgery and, although he
has physically recovered, we still don't know if the procedure has
restored any hearing. The surgeons recommended that we wait at least
four months before attempting the audiology tests again. At the risk of
pointing out the obvious, waiting has not been easy!
In
order to minimize stress, we have purposefully underplayed the
potential of this surgery with Robby. He is such a sensitive little boy,
and we didn't want him to assume personal responsibility if no
improvement was reaped. Instead, we have continued with our lives and
try to put the thought of improved hearing out of our minds.
In
spite of knowing better, I find myself quietly analyzing his speech,
his auditor responses, just about anything that would indicate an
improvement. There is little doubt that his speech has improved
dramatically during the past few months, but it is impossible to
determine if that change is due to his increased speech therapy or the
surgery, but any improvement is welcome regardless of the cause!
While
there are times I relax and allow myself to believe that his hearing
has improved, there are also moments I am full of doubt. This week
several new kids joined Robby's hockey class. Because enrollment jumped
from six to ten, an assistant coach was added to help watch over the
eager young brood. Robby spent the majority of his skate time under the
stewardship of the new assistant coach.
It
only took me a few minutes to recognize a problem, but I also knew that
there was nothing I could do about it. Robby was lost, trying to follow
his teammates but floundering. The assistant coach reprimanded him
several times for not paying attention, but I knew that inattention was
not the culprit. The rink was loud, the coach was barking instructions
to Robby's bad ear, and my little skater wasn't hearing anything that
was being said. I felt utterly helpless watching him struggle on the
ice.
Then something happened that
immediately uplifted my mood. Robby put down his stick and skated over
to the other side of the rink. He tapped Coach Mike (his primary coach
who has been with him for more than a year) on the shoulder and began to
talk. Although I didn't hear what transpired, I did see Coach Mike and
Robby skate over to the new assistant coach. Coach Mike spoke for a few
seconds, and then I saw Robby begin to talk. After that conversation,
the assistant coach looked at Robby when giving directions and my little
guy wasn't reprimanded for goofing off again.
After
Robby came off the ice at the end of his lesson, Coach Mike and the
assistant coach came over to speak with me. Robby explained to Coach
Mike that he couldn't hear anything that was being said and that he
wasn't goofing off. Mike, knowing that Robby has a hearing problem,
immediately acted and helped Robby relay the information to the
assistant coach. I couldn't be prouder that Robby recognized the problem
and felt comfortable enough to speak up and ask for help.
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